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How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove Wood stoves are an ideal method to reduce energy consumption and also heat rooms. However, they require some level of maintenance. Many modern wood stoves meet EPA emission guidelines. You can check for an EPA sticker on the grate or underneath it to ensure your stove isn't releasing harmful pollutants. How to start a Wood Fire The smell and the sound of a woodfire can be an excellent addition to any house. It's crucial to learn how to properly make a fire on your stove. Improper techniques can result in the fire not burning effectively and produces smoke or creosote. The tips below can help you create a safe fire that will heat up your home quickly and effectively. Before you begin a fire, you should check the condition of your coals and logs. If they're too damp they will choke the fire and prevent it from burning efficiently. It is possible to open the chimney to get rid of any ash that's fallen into the stove. Start by placing some small, dry newspaper pieces in the stove. This will help to ignite the tinder and ignite the kindling. Once they start to burn, add another layer of larger pieces to the top of the pile. This should be done with a crosshatch design so that there is air between each piece. If you own a wood stove with an automatic combustion control that will automatically deliver an air stream that is controlled to the flame as it heats. This allows the fire to burn steadily without having to open the door of your stove constantly to tend to it. It is essential to avoid using excessive tinder as it can cause an unburned fire that burns at an extremely high rate and fails to make use of the fuel as efficiently as it can. Once you've got a good base in your stove with igniters, tinder, and embers, start the main flame by placing two large base logs on the grate. On the top of these base logs put a layer of wood perpendicular to them. This “top-down” method of building a fireplace will result in a long-lasting, efficient fire that doesn't completely engulf larger logs from the base. Once your fire is well established Close the damper and ensure it stays closed. Doing this too soon could cause the fire to get smothered and not allow for the proper air flow, which can lower the effectiveness of the fire. Adding Wood Stoves are not just beautiful home decor pieces They can also help you save money by providing efficient wood heating. They can be used by themselves or in conjunction with central heating or a furnace system to provide the additional heat required in large houses or homes with multiple rooms. A lot of the clean burning stoves that are available on the market use an advanced combustion principle which can separate the burning volatile substances from combustible gasses as well as tar. This is accomplished by supplying air in two distinct stages. The first stage allows for the vaporization of the volatile compounds and the second stage provides fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves combustion and decreases smells. The amount of heat that you get from your stove will depend on the type of wood used and the amount of moisture, as well as the size of the logs. The logs must be stored in a well-ventilated area for several months before you try to burn them, to give the wood a chance to dry out. If the logs contain too much moisture, they will produce steam, which is basically wasted energy. During the burning of the fire, add more wood to the stack at intervals, but not all at one time. Too much wood added at once causes the temperature in the firebox to increase and produces a vortex that sucks smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into the flame, which can decrease your stove's efficiency. It is recommended to stay clear of any other combustibles, such as paper or cardboard in your stove, because they are not wood and have very different physical properties that can't be burned safely without creating dangerously high temperatures and exorbitant emissions. Also, avoid using compressed combustibles such as wood briquettes, as they have a very different physical and chemical composition from real firewood, and are not suitable for use in wood burning stove s. It is important that a professional install and test your wood stove. A certified WETT technician will examine your stove to make sure it is safe and functional. They will also check whether your chimney is working properly. These professionals can also offer maintenance services to keep your chimney and stove in good condition. They can check for leaks in the areas accessible to your chimney and fix any issues they discover. They will also make sure that the occupants of the house are aware of and follow the fire evacuation procedure in the event of an accident. Adjusting the Damper A damper controls the amount of heat that is lost through the chimney when you aren't using your stove. Additionally, it can also help control the fire. If the flue is not open but the damper is too closed, the fire won't be able to burn properly and will release smoke into your living space. To ensure you have the most efficient fire, with your damper adjusted properly you must test different locations and observe how each one affects the flames. Typically, you want to keep the damper open enough to let air in and out of the flue while the fire is burning. This will allow the fire to begin and stay lit for several hours. The proper opening will stop the fire from being starved of air and keep it from blowing smoke. To properly adjust your damper, you must first ensure that the fireplace is preheated and the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney is warm and has an adequate draft. Once this is done, the wood stove damper may be adjusted. After the fire has burned for an extended period, close the damper approximately three quarters of the way. This will prevent the warm air from the room from going into the chimney, while allowing smoke to escape out of the wood stove. This is the best way to stop the fire from becoming too hot while still keeping it lit. The draft may be stopped if you shut the damper too far, but a cold wind could enter your home when the damper is not closed. You can determine how much the damper is open by holding your hand near the top of the of the flue pipe. If you feel a slight breeze rubbing against your hand, the damper is likely in the open position. The damper setting can vary a little 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 will lower the risk of a chimney fire which is the main reason for wood stove-related fires in homes. Creosote is a sticky substance that forms on the stovepipe's interior and can be extremely hazardous. The moisture and the unburned parts of wood that are unable to escape the fire are responsible for this substance. It can also happen when fires are not properly lit. A regular cleaning routine helps prevent the buildup of creosote. This can be done by cleaning your chimney once every year. It is recommended that you have your fireplace and stove professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a year, too. Also, it is an excellent idea to clean the ash tray and the grates regularly. It is best to only burn wood that has been seasoned, as it will produce less creosote. Avoid burning paper, cardboard and plastic. These materials can release harmful chemicals for the flue and air, that could end up in your home. The glass on the wood stove has to be regularly cleaned too. The majority of newer wood stoves are designed with self-cleaning glass, meaning that they do not require much cleaning. If you're unable to get the glass on your wood stove as clean as you would like you can use stove glass cleaners that can be used on the window. Other helpful suggestions for maintaining your wood stove are to turn the vent down when you are not using it and slamming windows or doors to increase the flow of air. This will help keep the fire burning hotter and more efficiently, as it won't 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 recommended to avoid using compressed combustible wood in your wood stove because the paraffin contained within the logs can melt and leak into the flue which could cause damage.