How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove Wood stoves can be a great method to reduce energy consumption and warm rooms. They do require some maintenance. Many modern wood stoves conform to EPA emissions guidelines. You can look for an EPA sticker on the grate or underneath it to ensure that your stove isn't releasing harmful pollutants. How to Start a Wood Fire The sound and smell of a wood fire could be a pleasant addition to any house. But it's important to learn the proper way to make a fire on your stove. Incorrect methods can result in a fire that doesn't burn effectively and produces creosote or smoke. The tips below will aid you in starting an fire that can heat your home with minimal effort and with the highest safety. Make sure to check the condition of your coals and logs before you begin the fire. If they are wet they will choke the flame and stop it from burning efficiently. You may also want to open the flue to let out any ash that has fallen into the stove. Begin by putting a handful of small, dry pieces of newspaper into your stove. This will help ignite the fire. Once these begin to ignite, add a layer of larger pieces of tinder to the top of the pile. This should be done in a crosshatch pattern so there is air between each piece of wood. If you own a wood stove with an automatic control of combustion, it will automatically feed an air stream that is controlled to your flame as it heats. This will enable the fire to burn at a steady pace without the need to open the stove's doors to maintain it. Be careful not to use too much tinder, as it will cause the fire to burn at an extremely fast rate and not use the fuel efficiently. After you've built a solid foundation in your stove that is made of igniters, tinder, and embers begin the main flame by laying two large logs of the base on the grate. On the top of these base logs put a layer of wood perpendicular to them. This method of creating a fire called a top-down fire will result in a powerful and long-lasting fire that doesn't completely consume the larger base logs. Close the damper after your fire has been established and kept it shut. Doing this too soon can cause the fire smother and will not allow for the proper airflow, which will lower the effectiveness of the fire. Adding Wood Stoves are not just beautiful home decor pieces - they can help you save money by providing efficient wood heat. They can be utilized together with central heating systems or furnace to provide additional heat in large homes. Many of the latest stoves that burn cleanly available today utilize advanced combustion principles that separates the burning volatile compounds from combustible gasses as well as tar. This is done by supplying air at two different stages. The first stage allows the vaporization of the volatile compounds, while the second step supplies fresh air that has been pre-heated. This improves the process of combustion and helps to reduce the smell. The amount of heat you get from a stove will depend on the type and amount of moisture of the wood you use, and also the size of the logs. To allow the wood to dry, logs should be stored in a well ventilated area for a couple of months prior to burning. If the logs are not dry enough they will create plenty of steam that is in essence wasted energy. During the burning of the fire, it is recommended to add more wood to the stack at intervals, but not all at all at. In addition, adding too much wood all at once can cause the temperature to rise within the firebox, causing a vortex which draws smoke and unburned volatile compounds back into flames. This could decrease the efficiency of your stove. Avoid using other combustibles in your stove, like cardboard or paper, because they are not wood. They have different physical properties and cannot be burned without creating dangerously high temperatures. It is not recommended to burn combustibles that are compressed, such as wood briquettes since they are different in physical and chemical composition from firewood. They are also not type-approved to be burned in wood-burning stoves. It is important that a professional install and test your wood burning stove. A certified WETT technician will test the installation for proper operation and safety as well as make sure that your chimney is working properly. They also provide maintenance services to keep your chimney and stove in good condition. They will inspect the areas accessible to your chimney for leakage, and fix any issues that are discovered. They will also make sure that the occupants of your home understand and comply with the fire evacuation guidelines in case of an emergency. Adjusting the Damper If you're not making use of your stove, a damper regulates how much heat is lost through the chimney. It can also be used to manage the flame. If the flue is not open but the damper is not closed enough, the fire won't be able to burn properly and will release smoke into your living area. You can adjust the damper to achieve the most effective flames by testing different settings. It is important to keep your damper open to let air enter and exit the flue when a flame is burning. This will let the fire start and remain lit for a number of hours. The proper opening will prevent the fire from starving of air, and also prevent it from blowing out smoke. To properly adjust your damper first, make sure that the fireplace is preheated and that the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney is warm, and also that it has a good draft. Once this is done the damper on the wood stove may be adjusted. After wood burning stove near me has burned for a while, you should close the damper approximately three quarters of the way. This will stop the warm room air from escaping into the chimney, while allowing smoke to escape from the wood stove. This is the most effective way to stop the fire from getting too hot while still keeping it lit. If you shut the damper too much, it may stop the draft from working, however should it be too open, a cold wind could blow into your home. You can check to see how much the damper is opened by placing your hands near the top of the of the flue pipe. If you feel a breeze pushing against your palm the damper is probably in an open position. The damper settings can differ from one stove to another 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 might need to adjust it until you find the perfect setting for your stove. Clean up It is important to clean your chimney and stove after a fire. This will help lower the risk of a chimney fire, which is the primary reason for wood stove fires in homes. Creosote is a sticky material that builds up on the stovepipe's interior and can be very dangerous. It is caused by the moisture and wood particles that are not burned that are unable to escape the fire. It can also happen when fires aren't properly lit. A regular cleaning routine can help to prevent the buildup of creosote. The most effective method for doing this is to sweep the chimney at least once a year. It is also recommended to get your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a year. It is also an excellent idea to clean the Ash tray and grate frequently. It is a good idea to use only seasoned wood to burn, since this will produce less creosote as well as ash. It is also recommended to avoid burning cardboard, paper plastic, and other waste items. These materials can release harmful chemicals into the air and flue, which can be released into your home. The glass on the wood burning stove has to be cleaned regularly as well. The majority of modern wood stoves have self-cleaning windows, so they do not require as much scrubbing. You can apply stove glass cleaners to the glass if you aren't getting the glass as clean as you would like on your wood stove. Other suggestions for maintaining your wood stove include turning the vent off when you are not using it and slamming a window or door to increase air flow. This will keep the fire burning hotter, and more efficient. The wood stove won't have to be as active to circulate air. It is advisable not to stack logs or place them on the fire for an extended time. This could cause warping and splits. It is advised to avoid using combustible compressed wood in your wood stove since the paraffin contained within the logs can melt and leak into the flue, which could cause damage.
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