How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove
Wood stoves are an ideal method to reduce energy consumption and also heat rooms. However, they require some level of maintenance.
Many modern wood stoves are compliant with EPA emission guidelines. You can check for an EPA sticker on the grate or under 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 home. It's crucial to learn how to properly make a fire on your stove. Incorrect techniques can lead to an unburned fire that doesn't burn efficiently and creates smoke or creosote. These tips can help you create a safe fire that will heat up your home quickly and effectively.
Before you begin a fire, check the condition of your coals and logs. If they're damp they will choke your fire and prevent the proper burning. contemporary wood stove might also want to open the flue to let any ash that has been deposited into the stove.
Begin by putting a few small dry newspaper pieces in the stove. This will help spark the tinder and ignite your kindling. When the tinder and the kindling are beginning to burn, you can add an additional layer of larger pieces on top. This should be done in a crosshatch pattern, so that there is air between each piece of wood.
If you own a wood stove that has an automatic combustion control it will automatically supply a controlled stream of air to your fire as it builds. This allows the fire to burn steadily without the need to open the door of your stove often to keep it in check.
Avoid using too much tinder as this will cause the fire to burn at an extremely fast rate and will not be able to use the fuel efficiently. After you've built a solid foundation in your stove that is made of igniters, tinder, and embers, start the main flame by laying down two large logs of the base on the grate. Next, place small logs that are perpendicular to them and on top of the base logs. This "top-down" method of building the fireplace will create 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 the user opens the damper before it has fully established. This can also affect the effectiveness of the fire.
Add 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 supplemental heat required in large houses or homes with many rooms. Many of the latest stoves that burn cleanly available use advanced combustion technology that separates the burning volatile compounds from combustible gasses and tar. This is accomplished by supplying air at two different stages. The first stage is to aid in the vaporization, while the second stage is to supply fresh air that is pre-heated. This enhances the combustion process and helps to reduce the odors.
The amount of heat that you will get from your stove will depend on the type of wood and the moisture content, as well as the size of the logs. To let the wood dry, logs should be kept in a ventilated location for a few months prior to burning. If the logs are wet they will release plenty of steam that is basically wasted energy.
During the burning of the fire, it is recommended to add more wood to the pile at intervals, and not all at one time. The addition of too much wood all at once could cause the temperature to rise in the firebox, causing the formation of a vortex that draws smoke and unburned volatile compounds back into flames. This could reduce the effectiveness of your stove.
You should avoid the use of other combustibles such as paper or cardboard in your stove, because they are not wood and possess different physical properties that cannot be burned safely without creating dangerously high temperatures and exorbitant emissions. You should not burn combustibles that are compressed, such as wood briquettes as 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're installing wood-burning stoves in your home, it is essential to have it installed and tested by a qualified. A certified WETT technician will examine your stove to make sure it is safe and reliable. They will also ensure whether your chimney is working properly. These experts can also provide maintenance services to keep your stove and chimney in good condition. They can look for leaks in the areas that are accessible 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
A damper regulates how much heat is lost to the chimney when you aren't cooking on your stove. Additionally, it can also help you control the fire. If the flue opens, but the damper is closed the fire will not ignite properly and smoke will pour into your home. You can adjust your damper to get the best flames by testing different positions.
You want to keep your damper open to let air flow into and out of the flue while a fire is burning. This lets the fire get going and also helps keep it burning so that you can enjoy it for long periods of time. The right opening can stop the fire from being deprived of air and keep it from blowing smoke.
To properly adjust your damper, you must first ensure that the fireplace has been preheated and that the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney stays warm and has an adequate draft. After that, the damper for wood stoves can be adjusted.
After the fire has burned for some time, you need to close the damper about three quarters of the way. This will prevent the warm air in the room from venting into the chimney, while allowing smoke to escape from the wood stove.
This is the best way to prevent the fire from getting too hot while keeping it lit. The draft might be stopped if one closes the damper too tightly, but a cold wind can enter your home in the event that the damper is not closed.
Placing your hand on the top of the flue pipe will show 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 setting can vary a little from one stove to the next and even between different types of wood. You can play around with different settings to get a sense of the most suitable setting for your stove.
Clean Up
After a fire, it is important to clean the flue and stove. This can lower the risk of a chimney fire which is the main reason for wood stove fires in homes. Creosote is a sticky material that accumulates on the stovepipe's interior and can be extremely hazardous. It is caused by moisture and unburned wood particles that are unable to escape from the fire. It could be caused by improperly lit fires.
A regular cleaning schedule can help to prevent the buildup of creosote. This can be done by cleaning your chimney once every year. It is recommended that you have your fireplace and stove professionally cleaned and inspected at least once per year.
It is also recommended to clean the ash tray and grate regularly. It is a good idea to use only wood that is seasoned to burn, since this will result in less creosote and ash. Avoid burning cardboard, paper and plastic. These can release chemicals that can be dangerous for the respiratory tract and the atmosphere, which may be released into your home.
It is also essential to clean the glass of the wood stove regularly. The majority of newer wood stoves have self-cleaning glass, which means they do not require any cleaning. If you are not able to make the glass on your wood stove as clean as you'd like, there are stove glass cleaners can be used on the window.
Other suggestions to maintain your wood stove include turning down the vent when you aren't using it, and opening doors or windows to increase airflow. This keeps the fire burning hotter, and more efficiently. The wood stove will not need to perform as hard to circulate air. It is recommended to not stack logs or place them in the flame for long periods of time, as this could lead to warping and splitting. In addition, it is recommended to not use compressed combustible logs in your wood stove as the paraffin they contain can melt and flow into the flue which could damage it.