How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove Wood stoves are an ideal option to conserve energy and also heat a room. However, they need a certain amount of maintenance. Many modern wood stoves conform to EPA emissions guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker either under or on the grate to make sure 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 proper way to create a fire on your stove. Incorrect methods can result in a fire that doesn't burn effectively and can cause smoke or creosote. The tips below will assist you in starting a fire that will heat your home with the least effort and ensure your safety. Check the condition of your coals and logs before you start an fire. If they're wet it will dampen your fire and hinder proper burning. You may want to open the chimney to eliminate any ash that's fallen into the stove. Begin by putting a few small, dry pieces of newspaper in your stove. This will help ignite the fire. After the tinder and kindling are beginning to burn, you can put an additional layer of larger pieces on top. This should be done with the crosshatch pattern to ensure that there is air between each piece. If your wood stove has an automatic combustion control it will automatically feed air to the fire as it expands. This will enable the fire to burn at a consistent pace without having to constantly open the stove's doors to keep it in check. Be careful not to use too much tinder as this will cause the fire to burn at an extremely fast rate and not use the fuel effectively. If you have a solid bed of tinder and kindling in your stove, you can start the main fire by laying two large base logs on the grate. Then, 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 consume larger base logs. Close the damper once your fire has been established, and keep it shut. Doing this too soon could cause the fire to be smothered, and it will not allow for proper air flow, which will lower the effectiveness of the fire. Add Wood Stoves aren't just beautiful home décor pieces they can also help you save money by providing efficient wood heating. They can be used in conjunction with central heating systems or furnace to provide supplemental heat in large homes. Many of the latest stoves that burn cleanly available use an advanced combustion principle which can separate the burning volatile substances from combustible gasses as well as tar. This is done by providing air at two distinct stages. The first stage permits the combustion of volatile compounds and the second stage provides fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves combustion and decreases odors. The amount of heat that you can get from a stove will depend on the species and the moisture content of the wood used and also the dimensions of logs. The logs should be stored in a well-ventilated space 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 produce lots of steam, which is in essence wasted energy. When you are burning the fire, it is recommended to add more wood to the stack in intervals, and not all at once. Addition of too much wood at once can cause the temperature to rise in the firebox, creating an air vortex that draws smoke and volatile compounds that are not burned back into the flames. This could reduce the efficiency of your stove. You should avoid the use of other combustibles like cardboard or paper in your stove, since they are not wood and possess different physical properties that cannot be burned without causing dangerously high temperatures and exorbitant emissions. Also, you should not use compressed combustibles, such as wood briquettes because they have a distinct chemical and physical composition to real firewood and aren't approved for burning in wood-burning stoves. It is essential that you have a professional install and test your wood burning stove. A certified WETT technician will test the installation for proper operation and safety as well as make sure that your chimney is working correctly. They provide maintenance services for your chimney and stove to ensure they are in good condition. They will look for leaks in the areas connected to your chimney and fix any issues they discover. They will also make sure that all residents of the home understand and adhere to the fire evacuation procedures in case of an accident. Adjusting the Damper When you're not making use of your stove, a damper regulates the amount of heat that is lost through the chimney. Additionally, it can also help manage the fire. If the flue is opened but the damper is not closed enough, the fire won't burn properly and it will release smoke into your living area. You can adjust the damper to achieve the most effective flames by testing different locations. You want to keep your damper open to let air be able to enter and exit the flue while a fire is burning. outdoor wood burner will allow the fire to start and stay lit for many hours. A proper opening will keep the fire from being starved of air, and also prevent it from blowing out smoke. To adjust your damper correctly, you must first ensure that the fireplace is preheated and that the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney is warm and also that it has a good draft. After this, the wood stove damper may be adjusted. Once the fire has burned slightly, you need to shut the damper down to about three-quarters of its original position. This will prevent the warm air from the room from going 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 prevent it from getting too hot. If you close the damper too far it may stop the draft from working, however when it's too wide, a cold breeze could blow into your home. Placing your hand on the top of the flue pipe will inform you how much the damper has opened. If you feel a breeze rubbing against your hand the damper is probably to be open. The damper settings may differ from one stove to another and even between different kinds of wood. You can experiment with different settings to get an idea of the most suitable setting for your stove. Clean up It is essential to clean your chimney and stove after the start of a fire. This will help reduce the risk of a chimney fire, which is the most common reason for wood stove fires in homes. Creosote, a sticky material that can accumulate in the stovepipe, is extremely hazardous. It is caused by moisture and unburned wood particles that are unable to escape from the fire. This can also occur by fires that are not lit properly. A regular cleaning routine can help to prevent the buildup of creosote. The best way to do this is to sweep the chimney each year. It is also recommended to have your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and checked at least every year. It is also a good idea for you to clean the ash tray and grates regularly. It is recommended to use only seasoned wood for burning, as it will create less creosote as well as ash. Avoid burning paper, cardboard and plastic. They could release chemicals that can be dangerous for the respiratory tract and the atmosphere, which may be released into your home. The glass that is used on the wood stove has to be cleaned regularly as well. A lot of modern wood stoves are designed with self-cleaning glass, which means that they do not require any cleaning. If you're unable to clean the glass of your wood stove as clean as you would like you can use stove glass cleaners available that can be used on the window. Other tips to keep your wood stove in good condition include turning down the vent when you're not using it, and slamming doors or windows to allow more airflow. This keeps the fire burning longer and more efficient. The wood stove will not have to work as hard in order to circulate air. It is also a good idea to not stack logs or place them in the flame for long durations of time, since this can lead to splitting and warping. Finally, it is a good idea to avoid using compressed combustible wood logs in your wood stove, because the paraffin in them could melt and spill into the flue which could damage it.
outdoor wood burner
