How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove
Wood stoves can be a great method to reduce energy consumption and heat a room. However, they require a certain amount of maintenance.
Many modern wood stoves are compliant with EPA emission guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker on the underside or next to the grate to make sure your stove doesn't generate lots of harmful pollutants.
How to Start a Wood Fire
The smell and the sound of a woodfire is an excellent addition to any house. It's important to know how to build an effective fire on your stove. Incorrect methods can result in the fire not burning effectively and can cause smoke or creosote. These tips can help you start a fire that is safe and will warm your home quickly and efficiently.
Make sure to check the condition of your coals and logs before you begin a fire. If they're wet, it will smother your fire and hinder proper burning. You might want to open the chimney to get rid of any ash that's fallen into the stove.
Begin by placing a handful of small dry newspaper pieces into your stove. This will help to ignite the sparks. When the tinder and the kindling are beginning to ignite, you can add the larger kindling pieces on top. This should be done in a crosshatch pattern, so that there will be air between each piece of wood.
If your wood stove is equipped with an automatic combustion control, it will automatically supply air to the fire as it expands. This will allow the fire to burn steadily without the need to open the door of your stove constantly to tend to it.
Be careful not to use too much tinder as this will cause the fire to burn at an extremely fast rate and not utilize the fuel efficiently. Once you've got a good foundation in your stove that is made of sparks, tinder and kindling to start the main flame, you can do this by laying two large base logs on the grill. Then, add an additional layer of smaller logs that are perpendicular to them and on top of the base logs. This "top-down" method of building a fireplace will result in a long-lasting and effective fire that doesn't consume larger base logs.
Close the damper when your fire has been established and keep it shut. Doing this too soon can cause the fire to be smothered, and it will not allow for proper airflow, which will decrease the efficiency of the fire.
Add Wood
Stoves aren't just beautiful home decor pieces They can also help you save money by providing efficient wood heating. They can be used together with central heating systems or furnace to provide additional heating in large homes. A lot of the stoves that burn cleanly available use advanced combustion technology that can separate the burning volatile substances from combustible gasses as well as tar. This is done by supplying air at two distinct stages. The first stage is for the vaporization and the second stage is to provide fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves the process of combustion and helps to reduce the smell.
The amount of heat that you will get from your stove will depend on the type of wood used as well as the amount of moisture, as well as the size of the logs. The logs must be stored in a well-ventilated area for a period of time before you try to burn them, to give the wood a chance to dry out. If the logs have excessive moisture, they will produce steam which is essentially wasted energy.
It is best to add wood to the pile at intervals, not all at once. Addition of too much wood all at once could cause the temperature to rise within the firebox, causing an air vortex that pulls smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into flames. This can reduce the efficiency of your stove.
Avoid using other combustibles in your stove, such as cardboard or paper, because they are not wood. They have different physical properties and are unable to be burned without producing dangerously high temperatures. Also, avoid using compressed combustibles, such as wood briquettes as they have a very different chemical and physical properties from actual firewood and are not approved for use in wood burning stoves.
If you are installing wood-burning stoves in your home, it's essential to have it installed and tested by a qualified. A certified WETT technician can test your installation to ensure it is safe and functional. They will also check that your chimney is functioning properly. They offer maintenance services for your chimney and stove to keep them in top shape. They can check for leaks in the areas connected to your chimney and fix any problems they find. They will also ensure that the residents of the house understand and comply with the fire evacuation guidelines in the event of an emergency.
Adjusting the Damper
When you're not using your stove, a damper regulates the amount of heat that is lost through the chimney. It can also be used to control the fire. If the flue is not open but the damper is not closed enough, the fire won't be able to burn properly and it will billow out smoke into your living space. To get the most effective fire using the damper properly adjusted, you should experiment with different settings and observe how each affects the flames.
Typically, you should keep the damper open enough to let air enter and out of the flue when the fire is burning. This will allow the fire to begin and stay lit for several hours. The right opening will prevent the fire from becoming depleted of air and prevent it from blowing smoke.
To properly adjust your damper, you must first ensure that the fireplace has been heated and that the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney stays warm and has an adequate draft. Once these are done the wood stove damper can be adjusted.
After the fire has smolder slightly, you need to reduce the damper to around three-quarters of its original position. This will stop warm air from the room from getting into the chimney, but still allowing smoke to escape.
This is the most effective way to prevent the fire from getting too hot while keeping it lit. The draft might be stopped if one closes the damper too far, but a cold wind could enter your home when the damper is left open.
By placing your hands on the top of the flue pipe will tell you how much the damper has sunk. If you feel a breeze rubbing against your hand The damper is most likely in the open position.
The damper settings can differ between stoves and even among different types of wood. Playing around with different settings will give you an idea of what you should look for, but you might need to adjust it until you find the ideal setting for your stove.
Clean Up
It is crucial to clean your chimney and stove after an incident. wood burning fire reduces the chance of a fire in the chimney, which is the primary cause of fires caused by wood stoves. Creosote is a sticky material that accumulates on the inside of the stovepipe and is extremely dangerous. Unburned and moist particles of wood that cannot escape the flame are the reason for this substance. It could be caused by improperly lit fires.
A regular cleaning routine helps to prevent the buildup of creosote. This can be done by sweeping your chimney at least once every year. It is also recommended that you have your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a yearly.
Also, contemporary wood burning stoves is a good idea for you to clean the ash tray and grates regularly. It is a good idea to use only seasoned wood to burn, since this will produce less creosote and less ash. Avoid burning cardboard, paper and plastic. These items could release dangerous chemicals into the air and flue which could be released in your home.
The glass in the wood stove has to be regularly cleaned as well. Many modern wood stoves come with self-cleaning windows, so they do not require as much scrubs. You can use stove glass cleaners on the window if you're capable of getting the glass as clean as you want on your wood stove.
Other helpful tips for maintaining your wood stove include turning the vent down when you're not using it and cracking the door or window to increase air flow. This will help keep the fire burning hotter and more efficiently, as it will not need to be as active to circulate air. It is also a good idea not stack logs or leave them in the fire for long periods of time, as this could lead to splitting and warping. It is best to avoid using combustible wood that has been compressed in your wood stove because the paraffin that is contained in the wood can melt and then flow into the flue and cause damage.