How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove
Wood stoves are an ideal method to reduce energy consumption and warm a room. outdoor wood burning stove will require some maintenance.
Many modern wood stoves conform to EPA emission guidelines. You can check for an EPA sticker on the grate or underneath it to make sure your stove doesn't release harmful pollutants.
How to start a Wood Fire
The sound and smell of a wood fire could be a wonderful addition to any house. It's essential to know how to create an effective fire on your stove. Incorrect methods can result in the fire not burning efficiently and creates creosote or smoke. The tips below will help you begin a safe fire that will warm your home quickly and effectively.
Before you start a fire, check the condition of your logs and coals. If they're wet, it will smother your fire and prevent the proper burning. You may want to open the chimney to eliminate any ash that has fallen into the stove.
Begin by placing a handful of small, dry pieces of newspaper in your stove. This will help to ignite the tinder. After the tinder and kindling are beginning to burn, you can add an additional layer of larger pieces on the top. This should be done using the crosshatch pattern to ensure that there is air between each piece.
If your wood stove is equipped with an automatic combustion control, it will automatically pump air into the flame as it grows. This will allow the fire to burn steadily without having to open the stove door often to keep it in check.
Be careful not to use too much tinder, as this will cause the fire to burn at a rapid rate and will not be able to use the fuel effectively. If you have a solid bed of tinder and kindling in your stove, begin the main fire by laying two large base logs across the grate. Next, place an additional layer of smaller logs parallel to these and on top of the base logs. This "top-down" method of building a fireplace will result in a long-lasting and effective fire that doesn't completely engulf larger base logs.
Close the damper after your fire has been established and kept it shut. The fire can be smothered if you open the damper before it is fully established. It will also reduce the effectiveness of the fire.
Add Wood
Stoves aren't only beautiful pieces of home decor They can also help you save money by providing efficient wood heat. They can be used on their own or in conjunction with central heating or furnace system to provide the extra heating required in large homes or houses with a lot of rooms. Many of the new clean burning stoves that are available on the market use an advanced combustion principle which is able to separate the burning volatile compounds from combustible gasses and tar. This is done by providing air at two different stages. The first stage is for the vaporization process, and the second step is to provide pre-heated fresh air. This enhances the combustion process and helps to reduce the odors.
The amount of heat that you can get from your stove depends on the kind of wood and the amount of moisture, as well as the size of the logs. To allow the wood to dry, logs must be kept in a ventilated location for a couple of months prior to burning. If the logs have too much moisture, they will produce steam which is essentially wasted power.
During the burning of the fire, you should add more wood to the stack at intervals, and not all at once. In addition, adding too much wood all at once could cause the temperature to rise in the firebox, causing the formation of a vortex that pulls smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into flames. This could decrease the efficiency of your stove.
It is recommended to stay clear of other combustibles, such as paper or cardboard in your stove, since they are not wood and have very different physical properties that cannot be burned safely without creating dangerously high temperatures and exorbitant emissions. Also, avoid using compressed combustibles like wood briquettes as they have a distinct chemical and physical composition to actual firewood and are not type-approved for burning in wood-burning stoves.
It is essential to have a professional install and test your wood burning stove. A certified WETT technician will examine your stove to make sure that it is safe and efficient. They will also ensure that your chimney works correctly. They offer maintenance services for your chimney and stove to keep them in top condition. They will inspect the areas accessible to your chimney for leakage, and fix any issues discovered. They will also make sure that all house occupants are aware of and adhere to the evacuation procedures for fire in case of an emergency.
Adjusting the Damper
When you're not making use of your stove, a damper regulates the amount of heat that is lost through the chimney. It can also be used to regulate the flame. If the flue opens but the damper is too closed the fire won't be able to burn as it should and smoke will erupt into your home. You can adjust your damper to achieve the most effective flames by experimenting with different locations.
You want to keep your damper open to allow air to flow into and out of the flue while a fire is burning. This lets the fire start a fire and helps it stay in good shape so that you can enjoy it for hours. The right opening can stop the fire from being deprived of air and stop it from blowing smoke.
To be able to adjust your damper, you have to ensure that the fireplace is preheated and the wood stove is hot. This will ensure the chimney is warm, and also that it has a good draft. Once these are done the damper for wood stoves can be adjusted.
After the fire has burned for a while, you should close the damper about three quarters of the way. This will stop warm air from the room from going through the chimney, while allowing the smoke to escape from the wood stove.
This is the most effective way to keep your fire burning and prevent it from getting too hot. If you close the damper too tightly, it may stop the draft from working, but should it be too open a cold breeze could enter your home.
You can test how much the damper is opened by placing your hands near the top of the inside of the flue pipe. If you can feel a small draft pushing on your hand it's probably in the open position.
The damper's setting can vary a little from one stove to another and even between different types of wood. You can experiment with different settings to get an idea of the best setting for your stove.
Clean Up
It is crucial to clean your chimney and stove after an incident. This reduces the chance of an ensuing fire in the chimney which is the main cause of fires caused by wood stoves. Creosote is a sticky material that builds up on the inside of the stovepipe 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 be caused by poorly lit fires.
Regular cleaning can help stop the buildup of creosote. The best way to do this is by sweeping the chimney every year. It is also recommended to have your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a every year.
It is also a good idea to clean the Ash tray and grate frequently. It is best to only burn wood that has been seasoned, as it will produce less creosote. Avoid burning paper, cardboard and plastic. These items can release dangerous chemicals for the air and flue which can be released into your home.
It is also important to wash the glass of the wood-burning stove on a regular basis. Many modern wood stoves come with self-cleaning windows, which means they don't require as much scrubbing. If you're not able to clean the glass of your wood stove as clean as you would like you can use stove glass cleaners you can use on the window.
Other suggestions to keep your wood stove in good condition include lowering the vent when you're not using it, and slamming doors or windows to allow more airflow. This will ensure that the fire is burning longer and more efficiently. The wood stove will not need to work as hard in order to circulate air. It is a good idea not to stack logs, or let them sit on the fire for a long time. This could cause splits and warping. In addition, it is recommended to avoid using compressed combustible logs in your wood stove, because the paraffin in them can melt and then flow down into the flue, which could cause damage.