How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove Wood stoves are a cozy way to heat a space and conserve energy. However, they need an amount of care. A majority of modern wood stoves comply with EPA emission guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker either under or on the grate to make sure your stove doesn't create lots of harmful pollutants. How to Start a Wood Fire The scent and sound of a woodfire can be an enjoyable addition to any home. However, it is important to know the correct method to make a fire on your stove. Unintentional methods can lead to the fire not to burn effectively, and can produce creosote or smoke. The tips below will assist you in starting a fire that will heat your home with the least effort and with the highest security. Before you start a fire, check the condition of your coals and logs. If they're damp they will choke your fire and prevent the proper burning. You might also want to open the flue to let any ash that has been deposited into the stove. Start by placing several small newspaper pieces that are dry in the stove. This will help to ignite the sparks. When fireplaces wood burning stoves begin to ignite, add a layer of larger pieces of kindling to the top of the pile. This should be done with an arc pattern so that there is air between each piece. If you have a wood stove with an automatic control of combustion that will automatically deliver an air stream controlled to your flame as it heats. This will allow the fire to burn at a steady rate without having to open the stove door to tend it. Do not use excessive tinder since it can cause the fire to burn at a fast rate and not use the fuel effectively. If you have a solid fire and a bed of tinder in your stove, start the main fire by laying two large base logs on the grill. Then, you can lay a layer of smaller logs that are perpendicular to them and on top of the base logs. This top-down method of creating the fireplace will create a long-lasting and effective fire that doesn't consume larger base logs. Close the damper after your fire has been established, and keep it closed. If you open the damper too early, it can cause the fire be smothered, and it will not allow for the proper air flow, which can reduce its efficiency. Add Wood Stoves can be used to efficiently heat your home and help you save money. They can be used by themselves or in conjunction with central heating or furnace system to provide the extra heat required in large houses or homes with many rooms. The latest stoves that burn clean employ a superior combustion process that differentiates the burning of volatile compounds from combustible gasses and tar by providing air in two different stages. The first stage permits the combustion of volatile compounds and the second supplies fresh air that has been pre-heated. This improves the process of combustion and helps to reduce the smell. The amount of heat you get from a stove will depend on the species and the moisture content of the wood used, and also the size of the logs. The logs must be stored in a well-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 soaked with excessive moisture, they'll produce steam that is in essence wasted energy. You should add wood to the pile at intervals and not all at all at. In addition, adding too much wood at one time causes the temperature inside the firebox to rise and creates a vortex, which draws smoke and unburnt volatile compounds back into the flame, which can decrease the efficiency of your stove. It is recommended to stay clear of other combustibles such as paper or cardboard in your stove, because they are not wood and have very different physical properties and cannot be burned without creating dangerously high temperatures and exorbitant emissions. You should also not use compressed combustibles such as wood briquettes as they have a distinct chemical and physical composition to real firewood and aren't type-approved for use in wood burning stoves. If you are installing wood-burning stoves in your home, it's crucial to have it installed and tested by a qualified. A certified WETT technician will test the installation to ensure proper operation and safety, and also ensure that your chimney is operating correctly. These professionals can also offer maintenance services to keep your stove and chimney in good condition. They can inspect the areas that are accessible to your chimney to determine if there is leakage and repair any problems found. They will also make sure that the residents of the house are aware of and adhere to the fire evacuation guidelines in the event of an emergency. Adjusting the Damper If you're not making use of your stove, a damper can control the amount of heat that is lost through the chimney. In addition, it can also help to control the flame. If the flue is opened but the damper is not closed enough, the fire will not burn as efficiently and will release smoke into your living area. You can adjust your damper to ensure the best flames by experimenting with different locations. You want to keep your damper open to allow air to enter and exit 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 prevent the fire from starving of air and will keep it from blowing out smoke. To adjust your damper properly first, make sure that the fireplace is heated and that the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney is warm and has good draft. After this, the wood stove damper can be adjusted. After the fire has smolder slightly, you need to shut the damper down to about three-quarters of its full position. This will stop the warm room air from escaping up the chimney while still allowing smoke to escape out of the wood stove. This is the best way to prevent the fire from becoming too hot while still keeping it lit. The draft might be stopped if you shut the damper too tightly, but a cold wind can enter your home when the damper is not closed. You can determine 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 draft pushing on 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. Experimenting with the various settings will give you an idea of what you should look for, but you may need to tweak until you get the perfect setting for your stove. Clean up After an incident, it is essential to clean the stove and flue. This will help lower the risk of a chimney fire which is the main reason for wood stove fires in homes. Creosote is a sticky material that accumulates on the stovepipe's interior and is extremely dangerous. It is caused by the moisture and wood particles that are not burned that are unable to escape the fire. It can also happen by fires that are not properly lit. Regular cleaning can help stop the buildup of creosote. The best way to do this is to sweep the chimney each year. It is also recommended that you have your fireplace and stove professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a year. It is also an excellent idea to clean the ash tray and grate it regularly. It is recommended to burn only seasoned wood because it produces less creosote. It is also recommended to avoid burning paper, cardboard or plastic items. They could release chemicals that can be dangerous for the flue and atmosphere, which may be released into your home. It is also important to wash the glass of the wood burning stove on a regular basis. Most newer wood stoves have self-cleaning windows, which means they do not require as much cleaning. If you're not able to clean the glass of your wood stove as clean as you would like There are stove glass cleaners you can use on the window. Other tips to maintain your wood stove include lowering the vent when you're not using it and opening doors or windows to increase airflow. This will ensure that the fire is burning longer and more efficiently. The wood stove will not have to be as active to circulate air. It is advisable not to stack logs, or leave them on the fire for an extended period of time. This could cause splitting and warping. In addition, it is recommended to avoid using compressed combustible logs in your wood stove, because the paraffin they contain can melt and then flow into the flue which could cause damage.
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