How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves are a cozy method to heat a room and conserve energy. However, they require some level of maintenance.

Many modern wood stoves are compliant with EPA emission guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker either under or on the grate to ensure your stove won't produce a lot of harmful pollutants.

How to start a Wood Fire

The smell and sound of a fire made from wood can be a wonderful feature in any home. However, it is important to know how to properly make a fire on your stove. Incorrect techniques can lead to a fire that doesn't burn efficiently and creates smoke or creosote. The tips below will assist you in starting the fire that will warm your home with the least effort and with the highest safety.

Before you start a fire, check the condition of your logs and coals. If they're damp it will dampen your fire and hinder proper burning. You might also want to open the flue to let any ash that has fallen into the stove.

Begin by putting some small newspaper pieces that are dry into your stove. This will help to spark the tinder and ignite your kindling. When the tinder and the kindling have begun to burn, you can add the larger kindling pieces on top. This should be done with the crosshatch pattern to ensure that there is air between each piece.

If your wood stove comes with an automatic control for combustion, it will automatically pump air into the fire as it expands. This allows the fire to burn steadily without having to open the stove door constantly to tend to it.

Do not use too much tinder, as this will cause the fire to burn at a fast rate and not utilize the fuel effectively. If you have a solid pile of tinder and some kindling in your stove, begin the main fire by laying two large base logs across the grate. Then, on the top of these base logs put a layer of wood perpendicular to them. This "top-down" method of creating the fireplace will create a long-lasting and effective fire that doesn't engulf larger logs from the base.

Close the damper when your fire has been established and kept it shut. If you open the damper too early, it can cause the fire be smothered, and it will not allow for the correct air flow, which will decrease the efficiency of the fire.

Adding Wood

Stoves aren't only beautiful pieces of home decor - they can help you save money by providing efficient wood heating. They can be utilized together with central heating systems or furnace to provide supplemental heating in large houses. The latest stoves that burn clean employ a superior combustion process that differentiates the burning of volatile compounds from the combustion of combustible gases and tar by supplying air in two different stages. The first stage permits the combustion of volatile compounds, while the second step offers fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves combustion and decreases the odors.

The amount of heat that you get from your stove will depend on the type of wood used as well as the amount of moisture and the size of the logs. To let the wood dry, logs must be stored in a well ventilated space for a couple of months prior to burning. If the logs are soaked with excessive moisture, they'll produce steam that is in essence wasted power.

You should add wood to the pile in intervals, not all at one time. Too much wood added at one time causes the temperature inside the firebox to increase and produces a vortex that sucks smoke and unburnt volatile compounds back into the flame, which can reduce your stove's efficiency.

Avoid the use of any other combustibles, like cardboard or paper in your stove, as they are not wood and have very different physical properties that can't be burned safely without creating dangerously high temperatures and a lot of emissions. You should not burn compressed combustibles like wood briquettes as they differ in physical and chemical composition from firewood. They are also not type-approved to be burned in wood burning Stoves for sheds-burning stoves.

It is important that you have a professional install and test your wood burning stove. A certified WETT technician can test your installation to ensure it is safe and functional. They will also check that your chimney is functioning properly. These professionals offer maintenance services for your chimney and stove to ensure they remain in top condition. They will look for leaks in the areas connected to your chimney, and fix any issues they discover. They will also make sure that all residents of the home understand and follow the fire evacuation procedure in case of an accident.

Adjusting the Damper

When you're not making use of your stove, a damper can control the amount of heat that is lost through the chimney. It can also be used to manage the flame. If the flue is not open but the damper is too closed, the fire won't burn properly and it will billow out smoke into your living area. You can adjust your damper to get the best flames by testing different settings.

Typically, you want to keep the damper open enough to let air in and out of the flue when a fire is burning. This lets the fire start a fire and helps it stay burning so that you can enjoy it for hours. The proper opening will stop the fire from becoming depleted of air and keep it from blowing smoke.

To properly adjust your damper 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 that it has an adequate draft. Once this is accomplished, the wood stove damper may be adjusted.

Once the fire has burned for a while, you can shut the damper down to about three-quarters of its original position. This will stop the warm air from the room from going through the chimney, while allowing the smoke to escape out of the wood stove.

This is the best method to prevent the fire from becoming too hot while still keeping it lit. If you close the damper too far it may stop the draft from working, but when it's too open, a cold wind 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 feel a small breeze rubbing against your hand the damper is 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 various settings to get an idea of the most suitable setting for your stove.

Clean Up

It is essential to clean your Ultimate Camping Companion: Portable Backpack Stove with Grill and flue after the start of a fire. This will reduce the risk of an ensuing fire in the chimney, which is the primary cause of fires that are caused by wood stoves. Creosote is a sticky substance that forms on the inside of the stovepipe and can be extremely hazardous. Unburned and moist particles of wood that cannot escape the fire are responsible for this chemical. It could also be caused by improperly lit fires.

Regular cleaning helps stop the buildup of creosote. The most effective method for doing this is to sweep the chimney each year. It is recommended to have your fireplace and stove professionally cleaned and inspected at least once per year.

It is also an excellent idea to clean the ash tray and grates regularly. It is best to only burn wood that has been seasoned because it produces less creosote. It is also an excellent idea to avoid burning cardboard, paper, plastic and other trash items. They could release chemicals that are dangerous for the respiratory tract and the atmosphere, which may be released into your home.

The glass that is used on the wood stove has to be cleaned regularly as well. Many modern wood stoves come with self-cleaning windows so they do not require as much scrubs. You can use stove glass cleaners on the window if you're capable of getting the glass as clean as you'd like on your wood stove.

Other tips to keep your wood stove in good condition include lowering the vent when you aren't using it, and cracking windows or doors to increase airflow. This will help keep the fire burning hotter and more efficiently, since it won't have to be as active to circulate air. It is also a good idea to not stack logs or keep them in the fire for long periods of time, as this could lead to warping and splitting. It is best to avoid using compressed combustible wood in your wood stove as the paraffin contained within the logs can melt and leak into the flue, which could cause damage.