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How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves can be an ideal way to save energy and also heat a room. However, they need a certain amount of maintenance.

A majority of modern wood stoves comply with EPA emission guidelines. You can check for an EPA sticker on the grate or under it to ensure your stove doesn't release harmful pollutants.

How to Start a Wood Fire

The scent and sound of a woodfire is a welcome addition in any home. But it's important to learn how to properly create a fire on your stove. Incorrect methods can result in a fire that doesn't burn efficiently and creates smoke or creosote. The following tips can help you create a fire that is safe and can heat your home quickly and effectively.

Before you start a fire, you should check the condition of your coals and logs. If they're wet, it will smother your fire and prevent the proper burning. You might also want to open the flue to let out any ash that has been deposited into the stove.

Begin by putting a few small, dry pieces of newspaper in your stove. This will help spark the tinder and ignite your kindling. After the tinder and kindling are beginning to burn, you can put the larger kindling pieces on the top. This should be done using the crosshatch pattern to ensure that there is air between each piece.

If you own a wood stove that has an automatic control of combustion, it will automatically feed a controlled stream of air to the fire as it grows. This will allow the fire to burn at a consistent pace without having to constantly open the stove door to keep it in check.

It is important to not use too much tinder, since this can lead to an unburned fire that burns at an excessive rate and doesn't make use of the fuel as efficiently as it can. Once you've got a good base in your stove with tinder, kindling and embers, start the main flame by laying down two large base logs on the grill. Then, on the top of these base logs lay a layer parallel to them. This "top-down" method of creating a fireplace will result in an effective and long-lasting fire that doesn't completely engulf larger base logs.

Close the damper when the fire is established and keep it closed. Doing this too soon can cause the fire smother and will not allow for the proper airflow, which will decrease the efficiency of the fire.


Adding Wood

Stoves can be used to heat your home efficiently and save you money. They can be used alone or in conjunction with a furnace or central heating system to provide the extra heat required in large houses or homes with many rooms. A lot of the clean burning stoves that are available today utilize an advanced combustion principle which can separate the burning volatile substances from combustible gases and tar. This is accomplished by providing air at two different stages. The first stage is to aid in the vaporization and the second stage is to provide fresh air that has been pre-heated. This improves the process of combustion and helps reduce odors.

The amount of heat you will get from a stove depends on the type and amount of moisture of the wood used, and also the size of the logs. The logs should be stored in a well-ventilated space for a period of time before you try to burn them, to give the wood time to dry out. If the logs are not dry enough, they will produce a lot of steam that is in essence wasted energy.

It is best to add wood to the pile at intervals and not all at one time. Adding too much wood at once causes the temperature in the firebox to rise, and creates a vortex that draws smoke and unburnt volatile compounds back into the flame which can reduce the efficiency of your stove.

Avoid the use of other combustibles, such as paper or cardboard in your stove, since they are not wood and have different physical properties that cannot 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 chemical and physical composition from firewood. They are also not approved by the type to be burned in wood-burning stoves.

If you're installing wood-burning stoves into your home, it is important to have it properly installed and tested by a qualified. A certified WETT technician will test the stove for proper operation and safety and also ensure that your chimney is functioning properly. outdoor wood stove offer maintenance services for your stove and chimney to ensure they are in good shape. They can inspect the accessible areas of your chimney to determine if there is leakage and fix any issues found. They will also ensure that the occupants of your home are aware of and adhere to the evacuation procedures for fire in the event in the event of an emergency.

Adjusting the Damper

When you're not cooking on your stove, a damper regulates the amount of heat that is lost through the chimney. Additionally, it can also help manage the fire. If the flue opens, but the damper is closed the fire will not ignite properly and smoke will pour into your home. To ensure that you get the most effective fire using the damper properly adjusted, you have to experiment 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 while a fire is burning. This will let the fire start and remain lit for a number of hours. A proper opening will stop the fire from becoming starved of air and will keep it from blowing smoke.

To adjust your damper correctly it is important to first make sure that the fireplace has been preheated and the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney is warm, and also that it has a good draft. Once these are done the wood stove damper can be adjusted.

After the fire has burned for an extended period, close the damper about three quarters of the way. This will stop warm air in the room from venting up the chimney while still allowing smoke to escape out of the wood stove.

This is the most effective way to keep your fire lit and prevent it from getting too hot. If you close the damper too much, it could stop the draft from working, however should it be too open a cold breeze could blow into your home.

By placing your hands on the top of the flue pipe will inform you how much the damper has sunk. If you can feel a slight breeze pushing on your hand it is probably in the open position.

The damper settings can differ slightly from one stove to the next, and even between different kinds of wood. The process of experimenting with the various settings will give you an idea of what you should look for, but you may need to adjust until you get the perfect setting for your stove.

Clean up

It is important to clean your stove and flue after a fire. This will to reduce the chance of a chimney fire, which is the primary cause of wood stove related fires in homes. Creosote is a sticky material that accumulates on the stovepipe's interior and is extremely dangerous. It is caused by moisture and unburned wood particles that are unable to escape the fire. This can also occur by fires that are not lit properly.

A regular cleaning routine helps prevent the buildup of creosote. This can be done by sweeping your chimney at least once every year. It is recommended to have your stove and fireplace professionally inspected and cleaned at least once per year, too.

It is also an excellent idea to clean out the ash tray and grate it regularly. It is best to burn only seasoned wood, as it will produce less creosote. Avoid burning paper, cardboard and plastic. These items could release dangerous chemicals into the air and flue which could be released in your home.

The glass in the wood burning stove has to be cleaned frequently as well. Many modern wood stoves come with self-cleaning windows so they don't require as much cleaning. You can apply stove glass cleaners to the window if you're not getting the glass as clean as you'd like on your wood stove.

Other suggestions to keep your wood stove in good condition include lowering the vent when you're not using it and cracking windows or doors to increase airflow. This will ensure that the fire is burning more hot and efficiently. The wood stove won't have to perform as hard to circulate air. It is also a good idea not stack logs or place them in the fire for long periods of time, as this can lead to splitting and warping. In addition, it is recommended to avoid using compressed combustible wood logs in your wood stove because the paraffin they contain can melt and flow into the flue which could cause damage.

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