How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove
Wood stoves are a great way to save energy and warm the room. They will require some maintenance.
A majority of modern wood stoves comply with EPA emission guidelines. You can look for an EPA sticker on the grate or under it to make sure your stove doesn't release harmful pollutants.
How to Start a Wood Fire
The smell and sound of a woodfire can be an excellent addition to any house. It is essential to know how to create a fire on your stove. Improper techniques can result in the fire not burning efficiently and creates creosote or smoke. The following tips will help you begin a fire that is safe and can heat your home quickly and efficiently.
Examine the condition of your logs and coals before you start an fire. If they are too wet, they will smother the flame and stop it from burning efficiently. It is also possible to open the flue to let out any ash that has fallen into the stove.
Start by placing some small, dry newspaper pieces in the stove. This will help ignite the tinder. Once they start to ignite, add a layer of larger pieces of kindling to the top of the pile. This should be done in a crosshatch fashion so that there will be air between each piece of wood.
If you own a wood stove that has an automatic combustion control it will automatically supply a controlled stream of air to your flame as it heats. This will allow the fire to burn continuously without you having to open the stove's door often to keep it in check.
Avoid using too much tinder, as it can cause the fire to burn at a rapid rate and will not be able to use the fuel efficiently. Once you've got a good bed in your stove of sparks, tinder and kindling, start the main flame by laying two large base logs on the grill. Then, on top of these base logs, place a layer perpendicularly to them. This "top-down" method of creating the fireplace will create a long-lasting, efficient fire that doesn't consume larger logs from the base.
Close used wood stoves for sale when the fire is established, and keep it shut. If you open the damper too early, it can cause the fire to smother and will not allow for the correct air flow, which will reduce its efficiency.
Adding Wood
Stoves aren't just beautiful home decor pieces they can also help you save money by providing efficient wood heat. They can be utilized in conjunction with a central heating system or furnace to provide supplemental heating in large houses. The latest stoves that are clean-burning utilize a superior combustion method that separates the burning of volatile compounds from combustible gasses and tar by supplying air in two distinct stages. The first stage is to aid in the vaporization and the second is to supply pre-heated fresh air. This improves combustion and reduces the odors.
The amount of heat that you can get from your stove is contingent on the type of wood used and the amount of moisture as well as the size of the logs. To allow the wood to dry, the logs should be stored in a ventilated location for a few months before burning. If the logs have too much moisture, they'll produce steam that is in essence wasted energy.
When you are burning the fire, you should add more wood to the stack at intervals, not all at one time. The addition of too much wood at once could cause the temperature to rise in the firebox, creating the formation of a vortex that pulls smoke and unburned volatile compounds back into flames. This could reduce the efficiency 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 cannot be burned without creating dangerously high temperatures. Also, you should not use compressed combustibles such as wood briquettes because they have a very different physical and chemical composition from actual firewood and are not suitable for burning in wood-burning stoves.
If you're planning to install wood-burning stoves in your home, it's crucial to have it installed and tested by a professional. A certified WETT technician will test the installation for safe operation and safety, as well as ensure that your chimney is working correctly. These professionals offer maintenance services for your stove and chimney to ensure they remain in top condition. They can check the areas that are accessible to your chimney to determine if there is leakage and repair any problems found. They will also ensure that the occupants of the home understand and follow the fire evacuation procedure in case of an accident.
Adjusting the Damper
When you're not making use of your stove, a damper controls the amount of heat that is lost through the chimney. In addition, it can help you control the fire. If the flue opens, but the damper is not closed the fire won't be able to burn as it should and smoke will pour into your home. To get the most efficient fire, with your damper set correctly, you must test different positions and observe how each affects the flames.
Typically, you want to keep the damper open enough to let air flow in and out of the flue while a fire is burning. This will let the fire start and remain lit for a number of hours. used wood burning stoves for sale will prevent the fire from becoming depleted of air and prevent it from blowing smoke.
To properly adjust your damper, you have to ensure that the fireplace is preheated and the stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney is warm, and also that it has a strong draft. After these steps are completed, the wood stove damper can be adjusted.
After the fire has been burning for a while, you should close the damper approximately three quarters of the way. This will stop warm air from the room from getting into the chimney, while still permitting smoke to escape.
This is the best method to stop the fire from becoming too hot while still keeping it lit. If you shut the damper too far it could block the draft from working, however if it is too wide, a cold breeze could blow through your home.
You can test how much the damper is opened by holding your hand near the top of the of the flue pipe. If you can feel a small draft 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. Experimenting with the various settings will give you an idea of what you should look for, but you will need to adjust it until you find the perfect setting for your stove.
Clean up
It is important to clean your stove and flue after an incident. This can reduce the chance of an explosion in the chimney which is the most common cause of fires that are caused by wood stoves. Creosote, a sticky substance that accumulates on the stovepipe's interior and can be very dangerous. Moisture and unburned particles of wood that are unable to escape the fire are the cause for this substance. It could also be caused by improperly lit fires.
A regular cleaning schedule can help prevent the buildup of creosote. This can be accomplished by cleaning your chimney once every year. It is also recommended that you have your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and examined at least every year.
It is also a good idea to clean the Ash tray and grate frequently. It is recommended to only use seasoned wood for burning, as this will produce less creosote and less ash. Avoid burning paper, cardboard and plastic. These items can release dangerous chemicals into the air and flue, that could end up in your home.
It is also important to wash the glass of the wood-burning stove on a regular basis. Many newer wood stoves are made with self-cleaning glass, which means they do not require much scrubbing. If you're not able to make the glass on your wood stove as clean as you'd like There are stove glass cleaners that you can use on the window.
Other tips to keep your wood stove in good condition include turning down the vent when you aren't using it, and slamming doors or windows to increase airflow. This keeps the fire burning hotter, and more efficient. The wood stove will not need to be as active to circulate air. It is recommended to not stack logs or leave them in the fire for prolonged durations of time, since this can lead to splitting and warping. It is advised to avoid using combustible compressed wood in your wood stove since the paraffin that is contained in the wood can melt and then flow into the flue and cause damage.