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How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove Wood stoves can be an ideal way to save energy and also heat a room. They require some care. Many modern wood stoves are compliant with EPA emission guidelines. You can look for an EPA sticker on the grate or beneath it to ensure your stove doesn't release harmful pollutants. How to Start a Wood Fire The smell and the sound of a woodfire is an excellent addition to any home. It is essential to know how to build an effective fire on your stove. Incorrect methods can result in the fire not burning efficiently and creates smoke or creosote. The tips below will assist you in starting a fire that will heat your home with minimal effort and maximum security. Make sure to check the condition of your logs and coals before you start a fire. If they're damp, it will smother your fire and hinder proper burning. You might also want to open the flue to let out any ash that has fallen into the stove. Begin by placing several small newspaper pieces that are dry in your stove. This will help ignite the sparks. Once these begin to ignite, add a layer of larger pieces of tinder to the top of the pile. This should be done with a crosshatch design so that there is air between each piece. If your wood stove has an automatic control for combustion, it will automatically feed air to the fire as it expands. This will help the fire to burn at a steady pace without having to open the stove's doors to tend it. It is important to not use too much tinder, since this can lead to an unburned fire that burns at an excessive rate and doesn't make use of the fuel as efficiently as possible. When you have a good fire and a bed of tinder in your stove, begin the main fire by placing two large base logs across the grate. On the top of these base woods lay a layer parallel to them. This “top-down” method of building a fireplace will result in a long-lasting and effective fire that doesn't engulf larger logs from the base. Close the damper once your fire has been established and kept it shut. Opening the damper too soon can cause the fire to be smothered, and it will not allow for proper airflow, which will decrease the efficiency of the fire. Adding Wood Stoves are not only beautiful pieces of home decor – they can help you save money by providing efficient wood heating. They can be used in conjunction with central heating systems or furnace to provide additional heating in large houses. A lot of the stoves that are clean burning available on the market use advanced combustion technology that can separate the burning volatile substances from combustible gasses as well as tar. This is accomplished by providing air at two different stages. The first stage allows for the vaporization of the volatile compounds and the second supplies fresh air that has been pre-heated. This improves the process of combustion and reduces the odors. The amount of heat you can get from your stove is contingent on both the species of wood and the amount of moisture, as well as the size of the logs. The logs should be stacked in a ventilated area for several months prior to when you try to burn them, to allow the wood to dry out. If the logs are wet they will create plenty of steam that is basically wasted energy. You should add wood to the pile at intervals and not all at once. Too much wood added at one time causes the temperature inside the firebox to rise, 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. Avoid the use of any other combustibles, such as paper or cardboard in your stove, because they are not wood and possess different physical properties that cannot be burned without causing dangerously high temperatures and exorbitant emissions. It is not recommended to burn compressed combustibles such as wood briquettes because they differ in chemical and physical composition from firewood. They are also not type-approved to be used in wood-burning stoves. It is essential 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 that your chimney works correctly. These experts can also provide maintenance services to keep your stove and chimney in good condition. They can check for leaks in the areas connected to your chimney, and fix any issues they spot. They will also ensure that all residents of the home understand and adhere to the fire evacuation procedures in case of an accident. Adjusting the Damper A damper regulates the amount of heat that is lost up the chimney when you aren't using your stove. It can also be used to regulate the flame. If the flue is open but the damper is closed the fire will not ignite properly and smoke will billow into your home. wood burning fireplace can adjust your damper to ensure the best flames by experimenting with different locations. It is important to keep your damper open to let air flow into and out of the flue when a flame is burning. This allows the fire to start a fire and keeps it lit so you can enjoy it for long periods of time. The proper opening will stop the fire from being starved of air and prevent it from blowing smoke. To adjust your damper correctly first, make sure that the fireplace is preheated and that the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney is warm and has an adequate draft. After this, the wood stove damper can be adjusted. After the fire has burned for an extended period, close the damper approximately three quarters of the way. This will prevent warm air from the room from venturing into the chimney, while still allowing smoke to escape. This is the best method to stop the fire from getting too hot while still keeping it lit. The draft could be stopped if you close the damper to far but a cold wind could be able to enter your home if the damper is left open. Placing your hand on the top of the flue pipe will inform you how much the damper has opened. If you can feel a slight breeze pushing on your hand it is probably in the open position. The damper settings can vary between stoves and even between different kinds of wood. Playing around with different settings will give you an idea of what to look for, but you might have to keep adjusting until you get the perfect setting for your stove. Clean Up After a fire, it is important to clean the stove and flue. This will lower the risk of a chimney fire which is the primary reason for wood stove fires in homes. Creosote is a sticky material that accumulates on the inside of the stovepipe and can be extremely hazardous. It is caused by moisture and unburned wood particles that are unable to escape the fire. It can also be caused by poorly lit fires. A regular cleaning schedule can help prevent the buildup of creosote. The best method to do this is to sweep the chimney every year. It is recommended to have your stove and fireplace professionally inspected and cleaned at least once per year. It is also a good idea to clean the ash tray and grate regularly. It is best to burn only seasoned wood because it produces less creosote. It is also an excellent idea to avoid burning cardboard, paper plastic, and other waste items. They could release harmful chemicals for the flue and air, which could be released into your home. It is also important to clean the glass of the wood-burning stove on a regular basis. A lot of modern wood stoves have self-cleaning glass, which means that they do not require any cleaning. You can use stove glass cleaners on the window if you're not capable of getting the glass as clean as you want on your wood stove. Other helpful tips to maintain your wood stove include turning the vent down when you're not using it and slamming windows or doors to increase the flow of air. This will ensure that the fire is burning longer and more efficient. The wood stove will not need to perform as hard to circulate air. It is also a good idea to not stack logs or place them in the fire for long durations of time, since this could cause warping and splitting. Finally, it is a good idea to avoid using compressed combustible wood logs in your wood stove as the paraffin they contain can melt and then flow down into the flue, which could damage it.