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How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves can be an excellent option to conserve energy and warm the room. They do require some maintenance.

Many small modern wood stoves wood stoves conform to EPA emissions guidelines. You can look for an EPA sticker on the grate or underneath it to make sure your stove isn't releasing harmful pollutants.

How to start a Wood Fire

The sound and smell of a wood fire can be a wonderful addition to any home. It is essential to know how to build a fire in your stove. Improper techniques can result in the fire not burning efficiently and creates creosote or smoke. The tips below will assist you in starting the fire that will warm your home with the least effort and maximum security.

Examine the condition of your coals and logs before you begin the fire. If they're wet it will dampen your fire and hinder proper burning. You may also want to open the flue to let any ash that has been deposited into the stove.

Begin by putting a few small wood burners for sale dry newspaper pieces in the stove. This will help ignite the tinder and ignite the kindling. After the tinder and kindling are beginning to burn, you can add the larger kindling pieces on the top. This should be done in a crosshatch pattern so there will be air between each piece of wood.

If your wood stove is equipped with an automatic combustion control it will automatically feed air to the fire as it grows. This will enable the fire to burn at a consistent pace without having to open the stove's doors to maintain it.

Avoid using excessive tinder since it will cause the fire to burn at a rapid rate and will not be able to use the fuel efficiently. If you have a solid pile of tinder and some kindling in your stove, begin the main fire by placing two large base logs across the grill. On the top of these base logs lay a layer parallel to them. This "top-down" method of creating a fireplace will result in a long-lasting, efficient fire that doesn't completely engulf larger base logs.

When your fire is established, close the damper and keep it closed. Opening the damper too soon could cause the fire to get smothered and not allow for the correct air flow, which can decrease the efficiency of the fire.

Adding Wood

Stoves aren't just beautiful home decor pieces - they can help you save money by providing efficient wood heating. They can be used alone or in conjunction with a furnace or central heating system to provide the additional heat needed in large homes or homes with many rooms. Many of the new clean-burning stoves on the market utilize a superior combustion method that differentiates the burning process of volatile compounds from combustible gasses and tar by supplying air in two different stages. The first stage is to aid in the vaporization and the second is to supply fresh air that has been pre-heated. This improves combustion and reduces smells.

The amount of heat you get from your stove will depend on the kind of wood used and the amount of moisture, as well as the size of the logs. The logs should be stacked in a ventilated area for several months prior to when you try to burn them to give the wood time to dry out. If the logs are wet they will release lots of steam, which is essentially wasted energy.

When you are burning the fire, it is recommended to add more wood to the stack at intervals, not all at all at. Addition of too much wood coal stove for sale at once can cause the temperature to rise in the firebox, causing a vortex which pulls smoke and volatile compounds that are not burned back into the flames. This could decrease the efficiency of your stove.

Avoid burning other combustibles in your stove, like cardboard or paper, because they are not wood. They have different physical properties and can't be burned without creating dangerously high temperatures. You should not burn combustibles that are compressed, such as wood briquettes as they are different 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 essential to have it installed and tested by a qualified. A certified WETT technician will test the stove for safe operation and safety, and also ensure that your chimney is working correctly. These professionals offer maintenance services for your chimney and stove to ensure they are in good condition. They can inspect the accessible areas of your chimney for leaks, and fix any issues found. They will also make sure that all occupants of the home understand and adhere to the fire evacuation procedures in the event of an accident.

Adjusting the Damper

When you're not making use of your stove, a damper controls how much heat is lost through the chimney. It can also be used wood burning stoves to regulate the fire. If the flue is open but the damper is closed the fire won't be able to burn as it should and smoke will billow into your home. To ensure you have the most efficient fire, with your damper set correctly, you should play around with different locations and observe how each affects the flames.

You want to keep your damper open to let air enter and exit the flue when a flame is burning. This lets the fire get a good fire going and also helps keep it burning so that you can enjoy it for hours. A proper opening will stop the fire from becoming starved of air and prevent it from blowing out smoke.

To properly adjust your damper, you need to first make sure the fireplace is heated and the wood stove is warm. This will ensure the chimney is warm and it also has a strong draft. After this the damper for the wood stove can be adjusted.

After the fire has been burning for a while, you should close the damper about three quarters of the way. This will prevent warm air in the room from venturing into the chimney, while still allowing smoke to escape.

This is the best method to stop the fire from becoming too hot while keeping it lit. The draft might be stopped if one closes the damper too far but a cold wind can enter your home if the damper is not closed.

You can determine how much the damper is open by placing your hand on the top of the of the flue pipe. If you feel a breeze pushing against your palm the damper is probably in the open position.

The damper settings can differ from one stove to another and even between different kinds of wood. Experimenting with the various settings will give you an idea of what you should look for, but you might need to adjust it until you find the perfect setting for your stove.

Clean Up

It is crucial to clean your flue and stove after the start of a fire. This will help lower the risk of a chimney fire, which is the main cause of wood stove related fires in homes. Creosote, a sticky substance that forms on the inside of the stovepipe and can be extremely hazardous. The moisture and the unburned parts of wood that are unable to escape the flame are the reason for this chemical. This can also occur by fires that are not lit properly.

A regular cleaning routine can help to prevent the buildup of creosote. This can be done by sweeping your chimney at least once a year. It is also recommended to get your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and checked at least every year.

It is also an excellent idea to clean the ash tray and the grates regularly. It is a good idea to use only wood that is seasoned to burn, since it will create less creosote and less ash. Avoid burning cardboard, paper and plastic. They could release harmful chemicals for the respiratory tract and the air, and could be released into your home.

The glass on the wood burning stove needs to be cleaned frequently too. Most newer wood stoves have self-cleaning windows, so they do not require as much cleaning. If you're unable to get the glass on your wood stove as clean as you'd like, there are stove glass cleaners available that can be used on the window.

Other tips 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 keep the fire burning longer and more efficiently. The wood stove won't have to perform as hard to circulate air. It is also a good idea to not stack logs or keep them in the flame for long periods of time as this can lead to warping and splitting. In addition, it is recommended to not use compressed combustible logs in your wood stove because the paraffin in them could melt and spill into the flue which could cause damage.