Stove Wood Burning: It's Not As Difficult As You Think
How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove
Wood stoves are an excellent option to conserve energy and warm a room. However, they require an amount of care.
Many modern wood stoves meet EPA emissions guidelines. You can look 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 fire can be an enjoyable addition to any house. It's crucial to learn how to properly make a fire on your stove. Improper techniques can result in an unburned fire that doesn't burn well, and may produce creosote or smoke. These tips can help you start a fire that is safe and will heat up your home quickly and effectively.
Before you start a fire, you should check the condition of your logs and coals. If they're too damp they could smother the fire and prevent it from burning properly. You may want to open the chimney to eliminate any ash that's fallen into the stove.
Begin by putting a handful of small dry pieces of newspaper in the stove. This will help spark the tinder and ignite your kindling. After the tinder and kindling have begun to ignite, you can add a layer of larger kindling pieces on the top. This should be done in a crosshatch pattern so there is air between each piece of wood.
If your wood stove comes with an automatic combustion control it will automatically supply air to the flame as it grows. This will enable the fire to burn at a consistent pace without having to constantly open the stove's doors to tend it.
It's important to avoid using 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 could. Once you've got a good base in your stove with igniters, tinder, and embers begin the main flame by placing two large logs of the base on the grill. Next, place an additional layer of smaller logs that are perpendicular to them and on the top of the base logs. This "top-down" method of creating the fireplace will create a long-lasting, efficient fire that doesn't completely engulf larger logs from the base.
Once the fire is established, close the damper and keep it shut. The fire can be smothered if you open the damper before it is fully established. It can also decrease the effectiveness of the fire.
Adding Wood
Stoves can be used to efficiently heat your home and also save you money. They can be used together with central heating systems or furnace to provide supplemental heating for large houses. Many of the new clean-burning stoves on the market employ a superior combustion process that separates the burning of volatile compounds from combustible gases and tar by supplying air in two distinct stages. The first stage allows the burning of volatile compounds, while the second step offers fresh air that is pre-heated. This enhances the combustion process and helps to reduce the odors.
The amount of heat that you can get from a stove depends on the species and moisture content of the wood and also the dimensions of logs. The logs must be stored in a well-ventilated area for several months before you attempt to burn them to allow the wood to dry out. If the logs are wet they will create a lot of steam that is basically wasted energy.
It is best to add wood to the pile in intervals, not all at all at. In addition, adding too much wood all at once can cause the temperature to rise within the firebox, creating a vortex which draws smoke and volatile compounds that are not burned back into flames. This could reduce the efficiency of your stove.
Avoid the use of any other combustibles, like cardboard or paper in your stove, because they are not wood and have very different physical properties that can't be burned without creating dangerously high temperatures and exorbitant emissions. You should not burn compressed combustibles such as wood briquettes because they are different in chemical and physical composition from firewood. wood burning stoves for sale are also not type-approved to be burned 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 for proper operation and safety and also ensure that your chimney is working correctly. They provide maintenance services for your chimney and stove to keep them in top shape. They can inspect the areas that are accessible to your chimney for leakage, and fix any issues that are discovered. They will also ensure that the occupants of your home know and follow the fire evacuation guidelines in case of an emergency.
Adjusting the Damper
If you're not cooking on your stove, a damper can control the amount of heat lost through the chimney. It can also be used to control the flame. If the flue opens but the damper is closed the fire won't be able to burn as it should and smoke will erupt into your home. To ensure you have the best fire with your damper adjusted properly you should play around with different locations and observe how each one affects the flames.
Typically, you'll want to keep the damper open enough to let air flow in and out of the flue when a fire is burning. This allows the fire to get going and keeps it burning so that you can enjoy it for a long time. The right opening will prevent the fire from being deprived of air and stop it from blowing smoke.
To adjust your damper properly it is important to first make sure that the fireplace has been preheated and that the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney is warm and has an adequate draft. Once this is accomplished the damper for the wood stove may be adjusted.
After the fire has been burning for some time, you need to close the damper approximately three quarters of the way. This will prevent the warm air from the room from going through the chimney, while allowing the smoke to escape from the wood stove.
This is the best method to stop the fire from getting too hot while keeping it lit. If you close the damper too tightly, it could block the draft from working, but if it is too wide, a cold breeze could enter your home.
Placing your hand on the top of the flue pipe will inform you how much the damper has opened. If you feel a slight breeze pushing against your palm, the damper is likely in an open position.
The damper settings can vary from one stove to the next and even between different kinds of wood. You can play around with different settings to get an idea of the ideal setting for your stove.
Clean up
It is essential to clean your chimney and stove after the start of a fire. This reduces the chance of a fire in the chimney which is the main cause of fires that are caused by wood stoves. Creosote, a sticky substance that can accumulate within the stovepipe, can be extremely hazardous. It is caused by moisture and unburned wood particles that cannot escape the fire. It can also happen when fires aren't lit properly.
Regular cleaning helps prevent creosote buildup. The most effective method for doing this is to sweep the chimney at least once a year. It is also recommended that you get your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a every year.
It is also an excellent idea to clean the ash tray and grate regularly. It is recommended to burn only wood that is well-seasoned, as it will produce less creosote. It is also an excellent idea to avoid burning paper, cardboard or plastic items. These items can release dangerous chemicals for the flue and air, which can be released into your home.
The glass on the wood burning stove needs to be cleaned regularly as well. The majority of modern wood stoves have self-cleaning windows, which means they do not require as 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 keep your wood stove in good condition include turning down the vent when you're not using it and opening doors or windows to allow more airflow. This will help keep the fire burning longer and more efficiently, since it won't need to exert as much effort to circulate air. It is a good idea not to stack logs or place them on the fire for an extended duration. This could cause splitting and warping. It is also best to avoid using compressed combustible wood logs in your wood stove, because the paraffin they contain can melt and flow down the flue which could cause damage to the stove.