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How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove Wood stoves can be a great option to conserve energy and warm a room. However, they require a certain amount of maintenance. Many modern wood stoves are compliant with EPA emission guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker under or beside the grate to ensure your stove doesn't generate a lot of harmful pollutants. How to start a Wood Fire The smell and sound of a wood fire can be a welcome addition to any house. It's crucial to learn the correct method to make a fire on your stove. Incorrect techniques may lead to an unburned fire that doesn't burn effectively, and can produce creosote or smoke. The tips below can help you start a safe fire that will heat up your home quickly and efficiently. Make sure to check the condition of your coals and logs before you begin a fire. If they're too damp, they will smother the flame and stop it from burning properly. You might also want to open the flue to let any ash out that has fallen into the stove. Begin by placing some small newspaper pieces that are dry in your stove. This will help ignite the sparks. Once these begin to burn, add another layer of larger pieces of tinder to the top of the pile. This should be done in a crosshatch pattern, so that there will be air between each piece of wood. If you have wood stoves that have an automatic combustion control, it will automatically feed an air stream that is controlled to your flame as it heats. This will help the fire to burn at a steady rate without having to open the stove's door to keep it in check. It's important to avoid using too much tinder, as this can lead to a fire that burns at an extremely high rate and fails to make use of the fuel as efficiently as it can. After you've built a solid bed in your stove of tinder, kindling and embers to start the main flame, you can do this by laying down two large logs of the base on the grill. Then, on the top of these base woods put a layer of wood perpendicular to them. This method of building a fire called a “top-down” fire can result in a successful and long-lasting fire that doesn't overtake the larger base logs. Once your fire is well established, close the damper and keep it closed. Opening the damper too soon can cause the fire to be smothered, and it will not allow for the proper air flow, which can decrease the efficiency of the fire. Add Wood Stoves are not just beautiful home decor pieces they can also help you save money by supplying efficient wood heat. They can be used alone or in conjunction with a furnace or central heating system to provide the supplemental heat needed in large homes or homes with multiple rooms. A lot of the stoves that are clean-burning use a superior combustion principle that differentiates the burning process of volatile compounds from combustible gasses and tar by providing air in two distinct stages. The first stage is to aid in the vaporization and the second stage is to supply pre-heated fresh air. This enhances the combustion process and helps to reduce odors. The amount of heat that you will get from your stove depends on the kind of wood used and the amount of moisture in it and the size of the logs. The logs must be stored in a ventilated area for several months prior to when you attempt to burn them, to give the wood a chance to dry. If the logs have too much moisture, they'll produce steam that is in essence wasted energy. You should add wood to the pile at intervals, not all at all at. The addition of too much wood all at once can cause the temperature to rise in the firebox, creating the formation of a vortex that draws smoke and unburned volatile compounds back into the flames. This could decrease the effectiveness of your stove. Avoid burning other combustibles in your stove such as paper or cardboard because they are not wood. They have different physical properties and can't be burned without producing dangerously high temperatures. You should not burn combustibles that are compressed, such as wood briquettes as they are different in physical and chemical composition from firewood. They are also not type-approved to be burned in wood-burning stoves. It is essential to have a professional install and test your wood burning stove. A certified WETT technician will test the installation for proper operation and safety and also ensure that your chimney is functioning properly. They provide maintenance services for your stove and chimney to ensure they remain in top shape. They can check the areas that are accessible to your chimney to determine if there is leakage and fix any issues discovered. They will also make sure that all occupants of the house understand and follow the fire evacuation procedure in the event of an accident. Adjusting the Damper A damper regulates how much heat is lost up the chimney when you aren't cooking on your stove. It can also be used to regulate the fire. If the flue opens but the damper is closed, the fire will not be able to burn as it should and smoke will pour into your home. To ensure you have the best fire with your damper set correctly, you must play around with different positions and observe how each affects the flames. Typically, woodburning stoves 'll want to keep the damper open enough to let air enter and out of the flue while a fire is burning. This allows the fire to get a good fire going and helps it stay burning so that you can enjoy it for hours. The right opening will prevent the fire from becoming depleted of air and prevent it from blowing smoke. To be able to adjust your damper, you have to ensure that the fireplace is preheated and the wood stove is warm. This will ensure that the chimney is warm and has good draft. Once these are done the damper on the wood stove can be adjusted. Once the fire has smolder slightly, you need to shut the damper down to about three-quarters of its original position. This will stop warm air in the room from venturing into the chimney, but still allowing smoke to escape. This is the best way to keep your fire burning and prevent it from getting too hot. The draft might be stopped if you shut the damper too far but a cold wind can enter your home when the damper is left open. You can test how much the damper is open by holding your hand near the top of the inside of the flue pipe. If you feel a small breeze rubbing against your hand The damper is most likely in the open position. The damper settings can differ from one stove to another and even between different kinds of wood. You can play around with different settings to get a sense of the best setting for your stove. Clean Up After a fire, it is essential to clean the flue and stove. This will lower the risk of a chimney fire which is the most common reason for wood stove-related fires in homes. Creosote, a sticky substance that accumulates on the inside of the stovepipe and can be extremely hazardous. It is caused by moisture and unburned wood particles that cannot escape the fire. It can also happen by fires that are not lit properly. A regular cleaning routine can help prevent the buildup of creosote. This can be accomplished by sweeping your chimney once a year. It is recommended to have your fireplace and stove professionally cleaned and inspected at least once per year, too. It is also recommended to clean the ash tray and grates regularly. It is best to burn only wood that is well-seasoned, as it will produce less creosote. It is also a good idea to avoid burning cardboard, paper or plastic items. These can release harmful chemicals for respiratory illnesses and the atmosphere, which may be released into your home. It is also necessary to wash the glass of the wood burning stove regularly. Most newer wood stoves have self-cleaning windows so they don't require as much cleaning. You can apply stove glass cleaners to the glass if you aren't capable of getting the glass as clean as you want on your wood stove. Other helpful tips for maintaining your wood stove include turning the vent off when you're not using it and cracking a window or door to allow more air flow. This will keep the fire burning longer and more efficiently. The wood stove will not have to work as hard in order to circulate air. It is recommended to 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 a good idea to not use compressed combustible logs in your wood stove, as the paraffin they contain can melt and flow down into the flue, which could cause damage.