How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove
Wood stoves can be an ideal way to save energy and heat rooms. However, they require some level of maintenance.
Many modern wood stoves conform to EPA emissions guidelines. You can check for an EPA sticker on the grate or beneath it to ensure that your stove doesn't release harmful pollutants.
How to start a Wood Fire
The smell and sound of a woodfire can be an enjoyable addition to any house. It's crucial to learn the correct method to build a fire in your stove. Unintentional methods can lead to the fire not to burn effectively, and can produce creosote or smoke. The tips below can help you start a fire that is safe and will warm your home quickly and effectively.
Examine mini wood burning stove fireplacesandstove of your logs and coals before you start a fire. If they're too damp, they will smother the fire and prevent it from burning efficiently. You might also want to open the flue to let any ash out that has fallen into the stove.
Begin by putting a few small, dry pieces of newspaper in your stove. This will help ignite the tinder and kindling. Once they start to burn, add another layer of larger pieces to the top of the pile. This should be done using an arc pattern so that there is air between each piece.
If your wood stove is equipped with an automatic control for combustion, it will automatically pump air into the fire as it expands. This will enable the fire to burn at a consistent pace without having to constantly open the stove's doors to tend it.
It is important to not use too much tinder, since this can lead to the fire burning at an extremely high rate and fails to make use of the fuel as efficiently as it can. Once you've made a solid bed in your stove of tinder, kindling and embers to start the main flame, you can do this by laying down two large logs of the base on the grill. On the top of these base woods put a layer of wood perpendicular to them. This method of creating the fire is known as a "top-down" fire can result in a successful and long-lasting fire that will not overtake the larger base logs.
Once the fire is established shut off the damper and keep it shut. If you open the damper too early, it can cause the fire smother and will not allow for the proper air flow, which will lower the effectiveness of the fire.
Adding Wood
Stoves can be used to heat your home efficiently and also save you money. They can be used by themselves or together with central heating or furnace system to provide the additional heat needed in large homes or homes with many rooms. A lot of the stoves that are clean burning available on the market use advanced combustion principles that separates the burning volatile compounds from combustible gasses as well as tar. This is accomplished by providing air at two distinct stages. The first stage is to aid in the vaporization and the second is to supply fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves the combustion process and helps reduce odors.
The amount of heat you get from your stove depends on the type of wood and the moisture content, as well as the size of the logs. The logs must be stored in a well-ventilated space for several months prior to when you try to burn them, to give the wood a chance to dry out. If the logs have too much moisture, they'll produce steam that is in essence wasted energy.
While you're burning the fire, you should add more wood to the stack at intervals, and not all at once. Adding too much wood at once causes the temperature in the firebox to increase and creates a vortex, which draws smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into the flame which can decrease your stove's efficiency.
You should avoid the use of any other combustibles, such as paper or cardboard in your stove, because they are not wood and have very different physical properties that can't be burned safely without creating dangerously high temperatures and excessive emissions. It is not recommended to burn compressed combustibles such as wood briquettes since they are different in physical and chemical composition from firewood. They are also not approved by the type to be used in wood burning stoves.
If you are installing wood-burning stoves in your home, it is crucial to have it installed and tested by a professional. A certified WETT technician can examine your stove to make sure it is safe and functional. They can also make sure that your chimney is functioning properly. These professionals can also offer maintenance services to keep your chimney and stove in top condition. They can look for leaks in the areas connected to your chimney and repair any problems they find. They will also make sure that all occupants of the house are aware of and follow the evacuation procedure in the event of an accident.
Adjusting the Damper
If you're not making use of your stove, a damper regulates the amount of heat that is lost through the chimney. It can also be used to regulate the flame. If the flue is not open but the damper is not closed enough, the fire will not burn as efficiently and it will release smoke into your living area. You can adjust the damper to achieve the most effective flames by experimenting with different settings.
Typically, you'll want to keep the damper open enough to let air enter and out of the flue while a fire is burning. This will allow the fire to start and stay lit for many hours. The right opening can stop the fire from being deprived of air and keep it from blowing smoke.
In order to properly adjust your damper you need to first make sure the fireplace is heated and the stove is hot. This will ensure the chimney is warm and that it has a strong draft. After this the damper on the wood stove can be adjusted.
After the fire has burned for an extended period, shut the damper around three quarters of the way. This will prevent the warm air in the room from venting through the chimney, while allowing smoke to escape from the wood stove.
This is the best way to keep your fire burning and to prevent it from becoming too hot. If you shut the damper too tightly, it may stop the draft from working, however if it is too open, a cold wind could blow into your home.
Holding your hand at the top of the flue pipe will inform you how much the damper has opened. If you feel a slight breeze pushing against your hand The damper is most likely to be open.
The damper's setting can vary a little from one stove to another and even between different kinds 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 have found the ideal setting for your stove.
Clean up
After an incident, it is crucial to clean the flue and stove. This will lower the risk of a chimney fire which is the most common reason for wood stove-related fires in homes. Creosote is a sticky substance that accumulates on the stovepipe's interior and can be extremely hazardous. It is caused by the moisture and wood particles that are not burned that are unable to escape from the fire. It could also be caused by improperly lit fires.
A regular cleaning schedule can help prevent the buildup of creosote. This can be accomplished by sweeping your chimney once every year. It is recommended that you have your fireplace and stove professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a year, too.
It is also a good idea for you to clean the ash tray and grates regularly. It is a good idea to use only wood that is seasoned for burning, as this will produce less creosote and less ash. It is also recommended to avoid burning paper, cardboard, plastic and other trash items. These items could release dangerous chemicals to the flue and air, which could be released in your home.
The glass in the wood burning stove needs to be cleaned frequently too. The majority of newer wood stoves are designed with self-cleaning glass, meaning that they do not require much scrubs. 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 tips to maintain your wood stove include lowering the vent when you aren't using it, and cracking windows or doors to improve airflow. This will ensure that the fire is burning hotter, and more efficiently. The wood stove won't have to be as active to circulate air. It is a good idea not to stack logs, or leave them on the fire for an extended period of time. This can cause splits and warping. Finally, it is recommended to avoid using compressed combustible logs in your wood stove because the paraffin in them can melt and then flow into the flue which could damage it.