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How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove Wood stoves are a cozy way to heat a space and also save energy. However, they need a certain amount of maintenance. Many modern wood stoves meet EPA emissions guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker either under or on the grate to ensure your stove won't produce a lot of harmful pollutants. How to Start a Wood Fire The smell and the sound of a woodfire can be a welcome addition in any house. It's essential to understand how to build an effective fire on your stove. Incorrect techniques can lead to an unburned fire that doesn't burn efficiently and creates creosote or smoke. The tips below can help you create an efficient fire that will heat up your home quickly and efficiently. Check the condition of your coals and logs before you begin a fire. If they're too damp, they will smother the fire and prevent it from burning efficiently. You might also want to open the flue to let any ash that has fallen into the stove. Begin by putting a handful of small dry newspaper pieces into your stove. This will help to ignite the tinder and kindling. Once the tinder and kindling have begun to ignite, you can add an additional layer of larger pieces on the top. This should be done with an arc pattern so that there is air between each piece. If your wood stove comes with an automatic combustion control, it will automatically supply air to the fire as it grows. This allows the fire to burn continuously without you having to open the stove's door constantly to tend to it. Be careful not to use excessive tinder since it will cause the fire to burn at a rapid rate and will not be able to use the fuel efficiently. When you have a good fire and a bed of tinder in your stove, begin the main fire by laying two large base logs on the grill. Next, place a layer of smaller logs parallel to these and on top of the base logs. This “top-down” method of building the fireplace will create a long-lasting, efficient fire that doesn't consume larger logs from the base. Once your fire is well established, close the damper and keep it shut. The fire can be smothered if you open the damper before it is fully established. It will also reduce the effectiveness of the fire. Add Wood Stoves can be used to efficiently heat your home and also save you money. They can be utilized in conjunction with central heating systems or furnace to provide supplemental heating in large houses. A lot of the clean-burning stoves on the market use a superior combustion principle that differentiates the burning process of volatile compounds from combustible gases and tar by supplying air in two distinct stages. The first stage allows the burning of volatile compounds and the second offers fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves combustion and reduces smells. The amount of heat that you can get from your stove will depend on both the species of wood and the amount of moisture, as well as the size of the logs. The logs must be stored in a ventilated area for several months before you attempt to burn them, to allow the wood to dry. If the logs are too wet they will release plenty of steam that is basically wasted energy. It is best to add wood to the pile in intervals, not all at once. In addition, adding too much wood all at once can cause the temperature to rise in the firebox, causing the formation of a vortex that pulls smoke and volatile compounds that are not burned back into the flames. This could decrease the effectiveness of your stove. Avoid burning other combustibles in your stove such as paper or cardboard, as they are not wood. They have different physical properties and cannot be burned without creating dangerously high temperatures. Also, avoid using compressed combustibles, such as wood briquettes because they have a completely different physical and chemical composition from actual firewood and are not suitable for burning in wood-burning stoves. It is important that you have a professional install and test your wood stove. A certified WETT technician can test your stove to ensure it is safe and functional. They can also make sure that your chimney works correctly. These experts can also provide maintenance services to keep your chimney and stove in good condition. They can check the areas accessible to your chimney for leakage, and repair any problems found. They will also ensure that the residents of the house understand and comply with the evacuation procedures for fire in case in the event of an emergency. Adjusting the Damper A damper regulates how much heat is lost through 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 not closed enough, the fire won't burn properly and it will billow out smoke into your living space. You can adjust your damper to achieve the most effective flames by playing around with different positions. 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 keeps it lit so you can enjoy it for hours. A proper opening will prevent the fire from starving of air and prevent it from blowing out smoke. In order to properly adjust your damper, you need to first make sure the fireplace is preheated and the stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney is warm and it also has an adequate draft. After that, the damper for wood stoves can be adjusted. After the fire has been burning for an extended period, close the damper approximately three quarters of the way. This will stop warm air in the room from venting through the chimney, while allowing the smoke to escape from the wood stove. This is the best way to keep your fire burning and keep it from getting too hot. The draft may be stopped if you shut the damper too tightly however a cold breeze could enter your home if the damper is left open. By placing your hands on the top of the flue pipe will tell you how much the damper has sunk. If you feel a slight breeze pushing on your hand it's probably in the open position. The damper setting can vary slightly 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 might need to adjust it until you have found the ideal setting for your stove. Clean Up After an incident, it is crucial to clean the flue and stove. modern wood burner can reduce the chance of a fire in the chimney which is the main cause of fires caused by wood stoves. Creosote is a sticky material that forms on the stovepipe's interior and can be extremely hazardous. It is caused by the moisture and wood particles that are not burned that cannot escape the fire. It could also be caused by poorly lit fires. Regular cleaning helps prevent creosote buildup. The best method to do this is by sweeping the chimney at least once a year. It is recommended that you have your fireplace and stove professionally inspected and cleaned at least once a year. Also, it is a good idea for you to clean the ash tray and grates regularly. It is recommended to only use seasoned wood for burning, as it will create less creosote and less ash. It is also an excellent idea to avoid burning paper, cardboard plastic, and other waste items. They can release harmful chemicals for the respiratory tract and the air, which could be released into your home. It is also necessary to wash the glass of the wood-burning stove regularly. Many newer wood stoves have self-cleaning glass, which means that they do not require any scrubs. You can make use of stove glass cleaners on the window if you're not getting the glass as clean as you want on your wood stove. Other tips to maintain your wood stove are to turn the vent down when you are not using it and cracking a window or door to increase the flow of air. This will help keep the fire burning hotter and more efficiently, as it will not need to exert as much effort to circulate air. It is also a good idea not stack logs or leave them in the fire for long periods of time, as 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.