How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove
Wood stoves are a great way to save energy and heat rooms. However, they require some level of maintenance.
Many modern wood stoves conform to EPA emissions guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker either under or on the grate to make sure your stove won't produce lots of harmful pollutants.
How to start a Wood Fire
The smell and sound of a fire can be an excellent addition to any house. However, it is important to know the proper way to build a fire in your stove. Improper techniques can result in a fire that doesn't burn effectively and can cause creosote or smoke. These tips can help you create a fire that is safe and will heat up your home quickly and effectively.
Check the condition of your logs and coals before you start an fire. If they are wet they will choke the flame and stop it from burning properly. You may also want to open the flue to let any ash that has been deposited into the stove.
Start by placing a few small, dry newspaper pieces in your stove. This will help to ignite the fire. After indoor wood burning stove and kindling have started to burn, you can put an additional layer of larger pieces on the top. This should be done with the crosshatch pattern to ensure that there is air between each piece.
If your wood stove has an automatic combustion control it will automatically supply air to the flame as it grows. This will help the fire to burn at a steady rate without the need to open the stove's door to maintain it.
It is essential to avoid using too much tinder, as this could result in a fire that burns at an excessive rate and doesn't use the fuel as efficiently as it could. If you have a solid bed of tinder and kindling in your stove, begin the main fire by placing two large logs of the base across the grill. Then, add a layer of smaller logs parallel to these and on the top of the base logs. This "top-down" method of creating a fireplace will produce a long-lasting, efficient fire that doesn't consume larger logs from the base.
Once your fire is well established, close the damper and ensure it stays closed. The fire can be smothered if you open the damper prior to it being fully established. It will also reduce the efficiency of the fire.
Adding Wood
Stoves can be used to efficiently heat your home and also save you money. They can be used in conjunction with a central heating system or furnace to provide supplemental heat in large houses. A lot of the stoves that are clean burning available on the market use advanced combustion principles that is able to separate the burning volatile compounds from combustible gasses as well as tar. This is accomplished by providing air at two distinct stages. The first stage permits the burning of volatile compounds and the second stage supplies fresh air that has been pre-heated. This enhances the combustion process and helps reduce the smell.
The amount of heat you will get from a stove will depend on the type and amount of moisture of the wood you use, and also the size of logs. To let the wood dry, logs should be stored in a well ventilated space for a few months before burning. If the logs are too wet they will release lots of steam, which is essentially wasted energy.
It is best to add wood to the pile in intervals and not all at once. Too much wood added at once causes the temperature inside the firebox to rise and creates a vortex that draws smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into the flame which can reduce your stove's efficiency.
Avoid using other combustibles inside your stove, like paper or cardboard, as they are not wood. They have different physical properties and cannot be burned without causing dangerously high temperatures. Also, you should not use compressed combustibles like wood briquettes as they have a completely different chemical and physical properties from real firewood and aren't suitable for use in wood burning stoves.
It is important that you have a professional install and test your wood burning stove. A certified WETT technician can test your installation to ensure it is safe and reliable. They can also make sure whether your chimney is working properly. These professionals can also offer maintenance services to keep your chimney and stove in tip-top shape. They can check for leaks in the areas that are accessible to your chimney and fix any problems they find. They will also make sure that the occupants of your home know and follow the evacuation procedures for fire in case of an emergency.
Adjusting the Damper
A damper controls how much heat escapes through the chimney when you're not cooking on your stove. It can also be used to manage the flame. If the flue opens, but the damper is not closed the fire will not burn properly and smoke will erupt into your home. You can adjust the damper to achieve the most effective flames by experimenting with different locations.
Typically, you should keep the damper open enough to let air flow in and out of the flue when the fire is burning. This will allow the fire to begin and remain lit for a number of hours. The right opening can stop the fire from being deprived of air and keep it from blowing smoke.
To properly adjust your damper, you need to first make sure the fireplace is preheated and the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney is warm and has an adequate draft. After these steps are completed, the damper for wood stoves can be adjusted.
After the fire has burned for an extended period, close the damper approximately three quarters of the way. This will stop the warm air in the room from venturing into the chimney, but still permitting smoke to escape.
This is the most effective way to keep the fire from becoming too hot, while also keeping it burning. If you shut the damper too far it may stop the draft from working, however when it's too open a cold breeze could enter your home.
You can test how much the damper is open by placing your hand on the top of the of the flue pipe. If you feel a small breeze pushing against your hand, the damper is likely in the open position.
The damper setting can vary a little from one stove to the next, and even between different kinds of wood. Experimenting with the various settings will give you an idea of what you should look for, but you may need to adjust it until you find the perfect setting for your stove.
Clean up
After a fire, it is important to clean the flue and stove. This will reduce the risk of an ensuing fire in the chimney which is the main cause of fires that are caused by wood stoves. Creosote, a sticky material that can accumulate in the stovepipe, is extremely hazardous. It is caused by the moisture and wood particles that are not burned that are unable to escape the fire. This can also occur when fires are not properly lit.
Regular cleaning can help prevent creosote buildup. This can be accomplished by sweeping your chimney once a year. It is recommended to have your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and inspected at least once per year, too.
It is also an excellent idea to clean out the Ash tray and grate frequently. It is recommended to only use seasoned wood to burn, since it will create less creosote and less ash. Avoid burning paper, cardboard and plastic. These materials can release harmful chemicals for the flue and air, that could end up in your home.
It is also necessary to wash the glass of the wood burning stove regularly. The majority of modern wood stoves have self-cleaning windows, which means they do not require as much scrubbing. You can apply stove glass cleaners to the window if you're not able get the glass as clean as you'd like on your wood stove.
Other helpful tips for maintaining your wood stove are to turn the vent off when you are not using it and cracking a window or door to allow more air flow. This will ensure that the fire is burning hotter, and more efficient. The wood stove will not have to be as active to circulate air. It is a good idea not to stack logs or place them on the fire for a long period of time. This could cause warping and splits. It is advised to avoid using combustible compressed wood in your wood stove since the paraffin in the wood can melt and then flow into the flue which could cause damage.