How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove
Wood stoves are a comfortable way to heat a room and conserve energy. They do require some maintenance.
Many modern wood stoves are compliant with EPA emission guidelines. You can check for an EPA sticker on the grate or beneath it to make sure your stove isn't releasing harmful pollutants.
How to start a Wood Fire
The scent and sound of a woodfire can be an enjoyable addition to any home. It's important to know how to build a fire on your stove. Incorrect techniques may lead to the fire not to burn effectively, and can produce smoke or creosote. These tips will help you start an fire that can heat your home with minimal effort and with the highest safety.
Examine the condition of your coals and logs before you begin the fire. If they're too damp they could smother the flame and stop it from burning properly. You may want to open the chimney to remove any ash that falls into the stove.
Begin by putting a handful of small dry newspaper pieces in the stove. This will help ignite the tinder and ignite the kindling. When the tinder and the kindling are beginning to burn, you can put an additional layer of larger pieces on top. This should be done with the crosshatch pattern to ensure that there is air between each piece.
If your wood stove is equipped with an automatic control for combustion, it will automatically supply air to the fire as it expands. This will allow the fire to burn at a consistent pace without having to open the stove's door to tend it.
Avoid using too much tinder as this will cause the fire to burn at a 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 base logs on the grill. Then, add small logs parallel to these 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 completely engulf larger base logs.
Once your fire is well established, close the damper and ensure it stays closed. If you open the damper too early, it could cause the fire to get smothered and not allow for proper air flow, which will reduce its efficiency.
Add Wood

Stoves are not just beautiful home decor pieces They can also help you save money by providing efficient wood heat. They can be used alone or in conjunction with central heating or a furnace system to provide the supplemental heating required in large homes or homes with multiple rooms. The latest stoves that burn clean employ a superior combustion process that differentiates the burning of volatile compounds from combustible gasses and tar by supplying air in two distinct stages. The first stage is to aid in the vaporization process, and the second step is to provide fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves combustion and decreases odors.
The amount of heat you will get from a stove depends on the species and the moisture content of the wood you use, and also the size of logs. To allow the wood to dry, logs should be stored in a well ventilated location for a couple of months prior to burning. If the logs are wet they will release a lot of steam that is essentially wasted energy.
When you are burning the fire, you should add more wood to the pile at intervals, and not all at all at. In addition, adding too much wood at once causes the temperature inside the firebox to increase and creates a vortex that draws smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into the flame, which can reduce the efficiency of your stove.
Avoid using other combustibles in your stove, such as paper or cardboard, as they are not wood. They have different physical properties and can't be burned without causing dangerously high temperatures. You should not burn combustibles that are compressed, such as wood briquettes since they are different in chemical and physical composition from firewood. antique wood burning stove are also not type-approved to be used in wood burning stoves.
It is important to have a professional install and test your wood stove. A certified WETT technician will test the installation to ensure proper operation and safety and also ensure that your chimney is functioning correctly. They also provide maintenance services to keep your chimney and stove in tip-top shape. They will inspect the areas that are accessible to your chimney for leakage, and fix any issues found. They will also ensure that all house occupants know and follow the evacuation procedures for fire in case of an emergency.
Adjusting the Damper
A damper regulates the amount of heat that is lost through the chimney when you aren't using your stove. It can also be used to manage the fire. If the flue is open but the damper is too closed, the fire will not burn as efficiently and will release smoke into your living area. You can adjust the damper to ensure the best 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. antique wood stove lets the fire start a fire and also helps keep it burning so that you can enjoy it for a long time. The right opening will prevent the fire from becoming depleted of air and prevent it from blowing smoke.
To be able to adjust your damper, you need to ensure that the fireplace is heated and the wood stove is warm. This will ensure that the chimney is warm, and also that it has a good draft. After that, 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 stop the warm air from the room from going up the chimney while still allowing smoke to escape out of the wood stove.
This is the most effective way to prevent the fire from getting too hot while keeping it lit. If you shut the damper too far it could stop the draft from working, but if it is too wide, a cold breeze could enter your home.
You can determine how much the damper is open by placing your hands near the top of the inside of the flue pipe. If you can feel a slight draft pushing on your hand it's likely to be in the open position.
The damper's setting can vary a little from one stove to the next and even between different kinds of wood. You can experiment with various settings to get a sense of the best setting for your stove.
Clean Up
It is important to clean your chimney and stove after a fire. This can lower the risk of a chimney fire, which is the primary reason for wood stove fires in homes. Creosote, a sticky substance that can accumulate within the stovepipe, can be extremely hazardous. The moisture and the unburned parts of wood that are unable to escape the fire are responsible for this substance. It can also happen by fires that are not properly lit.
Regular cleaning helps to keep away the buildup of creosote. 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.
It is also recommended to clean out the Ash tray and grate frequently. It is recommended to burn only wood that is well-seasoned because it produces less creosote. Avoid burning cardboard, paper and plastic. These items could release dangerous chemicals to the flue and air, that could end up in your home.
It is also essential to wash the glass of the wood burning stove on a regular basis. A lot of modern wood stoves have self-cleaning glass, which means that they don't require a lot of scrubs. If you're not able to clean the glass of your wood stove as clean as you would like There are stove glass cleaners can be used on the window.
Other ways to maintain your wood stove include turning down the vent when you're not using it, and cracking windows or doors to allow more airflow. This will ensure that the fire is burning hotter, and more efficient. The wood stove will not have to work as hard in order to circulate air. It is recommended to not stack logs or keep them in the flame for long periods of time, as this can lead to warping and splitting. It is recommended to avoid using compressed combustible wood in your wood stove because the paraffin contained within the logs can melt and leak into the flue, which could cause damage.