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How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove Wood stoves are an ideal option to conserve energy and also heat rooms. They do require some maintenance. Many modern wood stoves comply with EPA emission guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker either under or on the grate to make sure your stove won't produce lots of harmful pollutants. How to Start a Wood Fire The scent and sound of a woodfire is an excellent addition to any house. However, it is important to know the correct method to make a fire on your stove. Incorrect techniques can lead to a fire that doesn't burn efficiently and creates smoke or creosote. These tips can help you start a safe fire that will heat up your home quickly and effectively. Before you start an fire, make sure you check the condition of your logs and coals. If they're wet it will dampen your fire and hinder proper burning. It is possible to open the chimney to remove any ash that has fallen into the stove. Begin by putting a few small dry pieces of newspaper in your stove. This will help to ignite the sparks. When they begin to burn, add a layer of larger pieces of tinder to the top of the pile. This should be done in a crosshatch pattern so there is air between each piece of wood. If you have a wood stove with an automatic control of combustion it will automatically supply a controlled stream of air to the flame as it heats. This will allow the fire to burn at a steady pace without having to constantly open the stove's door to tend it. It is essential to avoid using too much tinder, since it can cause the fire burning at an excessive rate and doesn't make use of the fuel as efficiently as it could. After you've built a solid base in your stove with tinder, kindling and embers begin the main flame by placing two large logs of the base on the grill. Then, wood burners can lay a layer of smaller logs parallel to these and on the top of the base logs. This method of creating a fire known as a “top-down” fire will result in a powerful and long-lasting fire that doesn't completely consume the larger base logs. When your fire is established, close the damper and ensure it stays closed. The fire could be smothered if you open the damper before it has fully established. This can also affect the effectiveness of the fire. Adding Wood Stoves aren't just beautiful home décor 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 additional heat in large houses. Many of the new clean burning stoves that are available use advanced combustion principles that separates the burning volatile compounds from combustible gasses as well as tar. This is accomplished by supplying air at two different stages. The first stage allows the burning of volatile compounds, while the second step provides fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves combustion and reduces the odors. The amount of heat 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 space for several months before you try to burn them, to give the wood time to dry out. If the logs are not dry enough they will release 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, but not all at all at. 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 could reduce the efficiency of your stove. Avoid the use of other combustibles, like cardboard or paper in your stove, as they are not wood and have different physical properties that cannot be burned without creating dangerously high temperatures and a lot of emissions. You should not burn combustibles that are compressed, such as wood briquettes because they differ in chemical and physical composition from firewood. They are also not approved by the type to be burned in wood-burning stoves. It is important that you have a professional install and test your wood stove. A certified WETT technician will test the installation to ensure proper operation and safety and also ensure that your chimney is working correctly. They also provide maintenance services to keep your chimney and stove in tip-top shape. They can check for leaks in the areas connected to your chimney and fix any issues they spot. They will also make sure that all residents of the house understand and follow the fire evacuation procedure in case of an accident. Adjusting the Damper A damper regulates the amount of heat that is lost through the chimney when you're not using your stove. In addition to this it can help you control the fire. If the flue is open but the damper is too closed, the fire will not ignite properly and smoke will pour into your home. You can adjust the damper to ensure the best flames by experimenting with different locations. You want to keep your damper open to allow air to flow into and out of the flue when a fire is burning. This lets the fire get going and also helps keep it lit so you can enjoy it for long periods of time. The proper opening will keep the fire from being starved of air and prevent it from blowing smoke. To properly adjust your damper first, make sure that the fireplace has been preheated and the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney is warm, and it also has a strong draft. After these steps are completed, the wood stove damper can be adjusted. After the fire has been burning for some time, you need to close the damper about three quarters of the way. This will stop warm room air from escaping through the chimney, while allowing smoke to escape from the wood stove. This is the best way to keep your fire lit and to prevent it from becoming too hot. If you shut the damper too tightly, it could block the draft from working, however should it be too open, a cold wind could enter your home. Placing your hand on the top of the flue pipe will tell you how much the damper has opened. If you feel a small breeze pushing against your hand, the damper is likely to be open. The damper setting can vary a little 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 tweak until you get the ideal setting for your stove. Clean up It is crucial to clean your flue and stove after the start of a fire. This can reduce the chance of an explosion in the chimney, which is the primary cause of fires caused by wood stoves. Creosote, a sticky substance that can build up in the stovepipe, is very dangerous. It is caused by moisture and unburned wood particles that are unable to escape from the fire. This can also be caused by fires that are not properly lit. Regular cleaning can help prevent creosote buildup. This can be done by sweeping your chimney once a year. It is also recommended that you have your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and examined at least every year. It is also an excellent idea to clean out the ash tray and grate it regularly. It is recommended to use only wood that is seasoned for burning, as it will create less creosote and less ash. It is also an excellent idea to avoid burning cardboard, paper plastic, and other waste items. These items could release dangerous chemicals to the air and flue which could be released in your home. It is also necessary to clean the glass of the wood-burning stove on a regular basis. Many modern wood stoves come with self-cleaning windows, so they don't require as much scrubbing. If you are 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 keep your wood stove in good condition include lowering the vent when you're not using it, and opening doors or windows to allow more airflow. This keeps the fire burning hotter, and more efficiently. The wood stove will not need to perform as hard to circulate air. It is also a good idea not stack logs or leave them in the fire for prolonged durations of time, since this can lead to warping and splitting. Finally, it is a good idea to not use compressed combustible logs in your wood stove as the paraffin they contain can melt and then flow into the flue which could cause damage to the stove.