How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove
Wood stoves are a great method to reduce energy consumption and also heat rooms. However, they need a certain amount of maintenance.
Many modern wood stoves comply with EPA emission guidelines. You can look for an EPA sticker on the grate or under it to ensure that your stove isn't releasing harmful pollutants.
How to start a Wood Fire
The smell and the sound of a woodfire can be an excellent addition to any home. But it's important to learn how to properly build a fire in your stove. Incorrect techniques may lead to a fire which does not burn effectively, and can produce smoke or creosote. The following tips can help you start an fire that can heat your home with minimum effort and with the highest safety.
Make sure to check the condition of your logs and coals before you start an fire. If they are wet they will choke your fire and prevent the proper burning. It is also possible to open the flue to let out any ash that has been deposited into the stove.
Begin by putting a few small dry pieces of newspaper in your stove. This will help to ignite the fire. When they begin to burn, add a layer of larger pieces of kindling to the top of the pile. This should be done in a crosshatch fashion so that there will be air between each piece of wood.
If you have a wood stove that has an automatic control for combustion, it will automatically feed an air stream that is controlled to your fire as it grows. This allows the fire to burn for a long time without the need to open the door of your stove often to keep it in check.
Be careful not to use too much tinder, as it can cause the fire to burn at a fast rate and not utilize the fuel efficiently. If you have a solid pile of tinder and some kindling in your stove, start the main fire by placing two large logs of the base across the grill. Then, add small logs parallel to these and on the top of the base logs. This "top-down" method of creating a fireplace will result in a long-lasting and effective fire that doesn't consume larger base logs.
When your fire is established, close the damper and keep it closed. The fire could be smothered by opening the damper before it has fully established. It can also decrease the effectiveness of the fire.
Adding Wood
Stoves can be used to efficiently heat your home and save you money. They can be used alone or together with a furnace or central heating system to provide the supplemental heating required in large homes or houses with a lot of rooms. Many of the new stoves that are clean burning available use advanced combustion technology that separates the burning volatile compounds from combustible gasses and tar. This is done by supplying air at two different stages. The first stage permits the burning of volatile compounds, while the second step offers fresh air that is pre-heated. This enhances the combustion process and helps reduce the odors.
The amount of heat you will get from a stove depends on the species and moisture content of the wood used and also the dimensions of logs. To let the wood dry, logs must be stored in a ventilated location for a few months prior to burning. If the logs contain excessive moisture, they will produce steam, which is basically wasted power.
It is best to add wood to the pile at intervals, not all at all at. Too much wood added at one time can cause the temperature of the firebox to rise, and produces a vortex that sucks smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into the flame which can decrease your stove's efficiency.
Avoid the use of any other combustibles, like cardboard or paper in your stove, because they are not wood and possess different physical properties that cannot be burned without causing dangerously high temperatures and exorbitant emissions. It is not recommended to burn compressed combustibles such as wood briquettes as they are different in physical and chemical composition from firewood. They are also not approved to be used in wood burning stoves.
It is essential that you have a professional install and test your wood burning stove. A certified WETT technician will test your stove to ensure that it is safe and efficient. They will also ensure that your chimney works correctly. They also provide maintenance services to keep your chimney and stove in top condition. wood burning stoves for sale can check for leaks in the areas that are accessible to your chimney and fix any issues they discover. They will also ensure that the residents of the house understand and comply with the fire evacuation guidelines in case in the event of an emergency.
Adjusting the Damper
A damper regulates how much heat is lost up the chimney when you're not cooking on your stove. Additionally, it can also help you to control the flame. If the flue is not open but the damper is not closed enough, the fire will not burn as efficiently and will release smoke into your living space. To get the most effective fire using your damper adjusted properly you must test different positions and observe how each affects the flames.
Typically, you'll want to keep the damper open enough to let air flow in and out of the flue while the 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.
To adjust your damper properly first, make sure that the fireplace has been preheated and the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney is warm and it also has a good draft. After this the damper for the wood stove can be adjusted.
After the fire has smolder for a while, you can shut the damper down to about three-quarters of its original position. This will stop warm air from the room from venturing into the chimney, while still permitting smoke to escape.
This is the most effective way to ensure that your fire is lit and keep it from getting too hot. If you shut the damper too far it could stop the draft from working, however if it is too open, a cold wind could blow through your home.
You can check to see how much the damper is open by placing your hand on the top of the of the flue pipe. If you feel a small draft pushing against your hand, it is probably in the open position.
The damper settings can differ a little from one stove to the next, and even between different types of wood. The process of experimenting with the various settings will give you an idea of what to look for, but you may have to keep adjusting it until you have found the perfect setting for your stove.
Clean up
It is important to clean your stove and flue after the start of a fire. This can reduce 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 builds up on the inside of the stovepipe and can be extremely hazardous. The moisture and the unburned parts of wood that are unable to escape the fire are responsible for this chemical. It could be caused by improperly lit fires.
Regular cleaning can help prevent creosote buildup. The best method to do this is to sweep the chimney every year. It is recommended to have your stove and fireplace 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 best to burn only wood that is well-seasoned, as it will produce less creosote. Avoid burning cardboard, paper and plastic. These materials can release harmful chemicals to the air and flue, which can be released into your home.
It is also necessary to clean the glass of the wood stove regularly. The majority of modern wood stoves have self-cleaning windows so they don't require as much scrubs. If you are not able to get the glass on your wood stove as clean as you'd like There are stove glass cleaners available that you can use on the window.
Other tips to maintain your wood stove include turning down the vent when you aren't using it, and cracking windows or doors to allow more airflow. This keeps the fire burning longer and more efficiently. The wood stove will not need to be as active to circulate air. It is recommended not to stack logs or leave them on the fire for an extended time. This can cause warping and splits. It is recommended to avoid using compressed combustible wood in your wood stove since the paraffin contained within the logs can melt and leak into the flue and cause damage.