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How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves can be an excellent way to save energy and warm a room. They do require some maintenance.

Many modern wood burning stove wood stoves comply with EPA emission guidelines. You can look for an EPA sticker on the grate or underneath it to ensure your stove doesn't release harmful pollutants.

How to Start a Wood Fire

The smell and sound of a fire made from wood can be a welcome addition to any house. However, it is important to know the correct method to make a fire on your stove. Incorrect methods can result in an unburned fire that doesn't burn effectively and can cause creosote or smoke. The tips below will aid you in starting the fire that will warm your home with minimum effort and ensure your security.

Make sure to check the condition of your logs and coals before you start an fire. If they are wet they will choke your fire and prevent the proper burning. You may also want to open the flue to let any ash out that has been deposited into the stove.

Begin by putting a few small wood burning fireplaces dry pieces of newspaper in the stove. This will help ignite the fire. Once they start to burn, add another layer of larger pieces of kindling to the top of the pile. This should be done with a crosshatch design so that there is air between each piece.

If your wood stove comes with an automatic combustion control it will automatically supply air to the flame as it grows. This will allow the fire to burn for a long time without the need to open the stove door frequently to check on it.

Be careful not to use excessive tinder since it can cause the fire to burn at a rapid rate and not use the fuel efficiently. If you have a nice bed of tinder and kindling in your stove, start the main fire by placing two large base logs across the grill. On the top of these base logs put a layer of wood burning stove clearance sale perpendicular to them. This method of building the fire is called a "top-down" fire will result in an effective and long-lasting fire that will not overtake the larger base logs.

Close the damper after the fire is established and kept it closed. Opening the damper too soon could cause the fire to be smothered, and it will not allow for the correct airflow, which will lower the effectiveness of the fire.

Add Wood

Stoves can be used to efficiently heat your home and save you money. They can be utilized together with central heating systems or furnace to provide supplemental heating in large houses. Many of the new stoves that are clean-burning utilize a superior combustion method that differentiates the burning process of volatile compounds from combustible gasses and tar by supplying air in two distinct stages. The first stage allows the burning of volatile compounds and the second stage provides fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves the process of combustion and reduces the odors.

The amount of heat that you can get from a stove depends on the species and moisture content of the wood you use and also the dimensions of the logs. The logs must be stored in a well-ventilated area for a period of time before you attempt to burn them to give the wood time to dry. If the logs contain too much moisture, they will produce steam, which is basically wasted power.

You should add wood to the pile at intervals, not all at all at. In addition, adding too much wood all at once could cause the temperature to rise in the firebox, causing a vortex which pulls smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into the flames. This could decrease the efficiency of your stove.

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

It is essential that you have a professional install and test your wood burning stove. A certified WETT technician can examine your stove to make sure it is safe and functional. They can also make sure whether your chimney is working properly. These professionals offer maintenance services for your stove and chimney to ensure they are in good condition. They can check the areas accessible to your chimney for leakage, and fix any issues that are found. They will also make sure that the occupants of the house understand and follow the fire evacuation procedure in case of an accident.

Adjusting the Damper

If you're not cooking on your stove, a damper controls how much heat is lost through the chimney. In addition to this it can help you to control the flame. If the flue is open but the damper is closed too much the fire will not burn as efficiently and will release smoke into your living space. You can adjust your damper to get the best flames by playing around with 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 allows the fire to get a good fire going and also helps keep it burning so that you can enjoy it for long periods of time. The proper opening will stop the fire from being deprived of air and keep it from blowing smoke.

To adjust your damper correctly first, make sure that the fireplace is heated and that the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney is warm and that it has an adequate draft. After these steps are completed, the wood stove damper can be adjusted.

Once the fire has smolder a bit you should shut the damper down to about three-quarters of its maximum. This will stop warm room air from escaping up the chimney while still allowing smoke to escape out of the wood stove.

This is the most effective way to ensure that your fire is lit and to prevent it from becoming too hot. If you close the damper too tightly, it could block the draft from working, but if it is too open a cold breeze could enter your home.

You can determine how much the damper is opened by holding your hand near the top of the of the flue pipe. If you feel a small wood burning stove uk draft pushing on your hand it's probably in the open position.

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

Clean up

It is important to clean your stove and flue after a fire. This reduces the chance of an explosion in the chimney, which is the primary cause of fires caused by wood stoves. Creosote is a sticky substance which can build up in the stovepipe, is very dangerous. The moisture and the unburned parts of wood that are unable to escape the fire are the cause for this chemical. This can also be caused when fires 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 every year. It is also recommended to have your fireplace and stove professionally cleaned and examined at least year.

It is also an excellent idea to clean out the ash tray and grate regularly. It is recommended to only use seasoned wood for burning, as this will produce less creosote and ash. Avoid burning cardboard, paper and plastic. They can release chemicals that can be dangerous for the flue and air, which could be released into your home.

It is also necessary to wash the glass of the wood stove on a regular basis. Most newer wood stoves have self-cleaning windows so they do not require as much scrubs. You can make use of stove glass cleaners on the glass if you aren't capable of getting the glass as clean as you'd like on your wood stove.

Some other helpful tips for maintaining your wood stove include turning the vent down when you are not using it, and opening windows or doors to increase air flow. This keeps the fire burning hotter, and more efficiently. The wood stove will not need to be as active to circulate air. It is also a good idea not stack logs or leave them in the fire for long durations of time, since this could cause splitting and warping. It is best to avoid using combustible compressed wood in your wood stove since the paraffin that is contained in the logs can melt and leak into the flue which could cause damage.