Jerold Strode

How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves are an excellent method to reduce energy consumption and also heat a room. However, they need an amount of care.

A majority of modern wood burning stove clearance sale stoves comply with EPA emission guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker under or beside the grate, to ensure that your stove won't produce a lot of harmful pollutants.

How to start a Wood Fire

The smell and sound of a fire can be an enjoyable addition to any home. But it's important to learn how to properly build a fire in your stove. Improper techniques can result in a fire that doesn't burn effectively and can cause creosote or smoke. The following tips can aid you in starting the fire that will warm your home with minimum effort and ensure your safety.

Check the condition of your logs and coals before you begin an fire. If they are wet they could smother the fire and prevent it from burning properly. You might want to open the chimney to remove any ash that's fallen into the stove.

Begin by putting a few small wood burning stove for sale modern wood burning stove (Suggested Resource site) dry pieces of newspaper in the stove. This will help ignite the tinder and kindling. When they begin to burn, add a layer of larger pieces of kindling to the top of the pile. This should be done with the crosshatch pattern to ensure that there is air between each piece.

If you own wood stoves that have an automatic combustion control it will automatically supply a controlled stream of air to the fire as it grows. This will enable the fire to burn at a steady rate without the need to open the stove door to maintain it.

It is essential to avoid using too much tinder, as 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 made a solid bed in your stove of sparks, tinder and kindling to start the main flame, you can do this by placing two large base logs on the grate. Next, place small logs parallel to these and on the top of the base logs. This method of building a fire called a "top-down" fire can result in a successful and long-lasting fire that will not engulf the larger base logs.

Close the damper when the fire is established, and keep it shut. Opening the damper too soon can cause the fire to get smothered and not allow for the correct air flow, which will reduce its efficiency.

Adding Wood

Stoves can be used to heat your home efficiently and save you money. They can be utilized together with central heating systems or furnace to provide additional heat in large houses. Many of the latest clean burning stoves that are available on the market use advanced combustion technology that separates the burning volatile compounds from combustible gasses as well as tar. This is accomplished by supplying air in two different stages. The first stage permits the vaporization of the volatile compounds, while the second step provides fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves the combustion process and helps reduce the smell.

The amount of heat you get from your stove depends on the kind of wood used as well as the moisture content, as well as the size of the logs. To allow the wood to dry, logs must be stored in a ventilated location for a few months prior to burning. If the logs are wet they will create a lot of steam that is essentially wasted energy.

It is best to add wood to the pile at intervals and not all at all at. Too much wood added at one time causes the temperature inside the firebox to rise, and produces a vortex that sucks smoke and unburnt volatile compounds back into the flame, which could reduce the efficiency of your stove.

Avoid using other combustibles inside your stove, like cardboard or paper, because they are not wood. They have different physical properties and can't be burned without producing dangerously high temperatures. You should also not use compressed combustibles such as wood briquettes, as they have a very different physical and chemical composition from real firewood, and are not approved for burning in wood-burning stoves.

If you're installing a wood burning stove in your home, it is important to have it properly installed and tested by a professional. A certified WETT technician can test your stove to ensure it is safe and functional. They will also ensure that your chimney is functioning properly. They also provide maintenance services to keep your chimney and stove in top condition. They can check for leaks in the areas connected to your chimney and fix any problems they find. They will also make sure that all residents of the home understand and adhere to the fire evacuation procedures in the event of an accident.

Adjusting the Damper

A damper controls how much heat is lost to the chimney when you're not using your stove. It can also be used to manage the flame. If the flue is open but the damper is closed too much the fire won't be able to burn properly and will release smoke into your living area. You can adjust your damper to ensure the best wood burning stoves flames by experimenting with different positions.

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 allow the fire to start and stay lit for several hours. The proper opening will stop the fire from becoming depleted of air and keep it from blowing smoke.

To adjust your damper correctly, you must first ensure that the fireplace has been preheated and the wood stove is hot. This will ensure the chimney is warm, and that it has an adequate draft. Once this is accomplished the damper on the wood stove may be adjusted.

After the fire has burned for an extended period, shut the damper around three quarters of the way. This will stop warm air in the room from venting into the chimney, while allowing 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. The draft could be stopped if you shut the damper too tightly, but a cold wind could enter your home when the damper is left open.

You can check to see how much the damper is opened by holding your hand near the top of the inside of the flue pipe. If you feel a slight breeze pushing against your hand, it's likely to be in the open position.

The damper's setting can vary slightly 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 best setting for your stove.

Clean up

After the fire, it's essential to clean the flue and stove. This will reduce the risk of an explosion in the chimney which is the main cause of fires that are caused by wood stoves. Creosote is a sticky substance that can accumulate inside the stovepipe, is extremely dangerous. It is caused by moisture and unburned wood particles that cannot escape the fire. It could be caused by improperly lit fires.

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

Also, it's an excellent idea to clean the ash tray and the grates regularly. It is a good idea to use only seasoned wood for burning, as it will create less creosote and less ash. Avoid burning cardboard, paper and plastic. These items could release dangerous chemicals for the flue and air, which could be released in your home.

It is also essential to wash the glass of the wood stove on a regular basis. The majority of modern wood stoves have self-cleaning windows, which means they don't require as much cleaning. If you're unable to get the glass on your wood burner fireplace ideas stove as clean as you would like you can use stove glass cleaners available that can be used on the window.

Other ways to maintain your wood stove include turning down the vent when you're not using it and cracking windows or doors to improve airflow. This will keep the fire burning more hot and more efficiently, as it won't need to exert as much effort to circulate air. It is also a good idea not stack logs or keep them in the fire for prolonged periods of time as this could cause splitting and warping. Finally, it is a good idea to avoid using compressed combustible wood logs in your wood stove, because the paraffin they contain can melt and then flow into the flue which could cause damage to the stove.