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. Many modern wood stoves meet EPA emissions guidelines. You can look for an EPA sticker on the grate or underneath it to ensure your stove doesn't emit harmful pollutants. How to Start a Wood Fire The smell and sound of a fire can be a welcome addition in any house. It's crucial to learn the proper way to make a fire on your stove. Incorrect techniques may lead to a fire which does not burn well, and may produce creosote or smoke. The following tips can help you start the fire that will warm your home with the least effort and maximum security. Before you begin an fire, make sure you check the condition of your coals and logs. If they are wet they will choke the flame and stop it from burning efficiently. It is also possible to open the flue to let any ash that has fallen into the stove. Begin by putting a handful of small dry pieces of newspaper in the stove. This will help ignite the fire. Once these begin to burn, add another layer of larger pieces to the top of the pile. This should be done using a crosshatch design so that there is air between each piece. If your wood stove has an automatic combustion control it will automatically supply air to the flame as it grows. This will help the fire to burn at a consistent pace without the need to open the stove's door to tend it. It's important to avoid using too much tinder, since this could result in a fire that burns at an excessive rate and doesn't make use of the fuel as efficiently as it could. Once you've made a solid bed in your stove of tinder, kindling and embers, start the main flame by placing two large logs of the base on the grate. Next, place an additional layer of smaller logs that are perpendicular to them and on top of the base logs. This top-down method of building a fireplace will produce a long-lasting, efficient fire that doesn't completely engulf larger base logs. Close the damper when the fire is established, and keep it closed. Opening the damper too soon could cause the fire to be smothered, and it will not allow for proper air flow, which will lower the effectiveness of the fire. Adding Wood Stoves can be used to heat your home efficiently and also save you money. They can be used alone or together with a furnace or central heating system to provide the additional heat required in large houses or homes with multiple rooms. Many of the latest stoves that burn cleanly available on the market use advanced combustion principles that separates the burning volatile compounds from combustible gases and tar. This is achieved by providing air at two distinct stages. The first stage is to aid in the vaporization and the second stage is to supply fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves combustion and reduces the odors. The amount of heat that you get from your stove will depend on both the species of wood used and the moisture content and the size of the logs. The logs should be stored in a ventilated area for a period of time before you try to burn them to allow the wood to dry. If the logs are soaked with too much moisture, they will produce steam that is in essence wasted energy. It is best to add wood to the pile at intervals, not all at once. In addition, adding too much wood at one time causes the temperature inside the firebox to increase and creates a vortex that draws smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into the flame which can reduce the efficiency of your stove. You should avoid the use of any other combustibles, like cardboard or paper in your stove, because they are not wood and possess different physical properties that cannot be burned without causing dangerously high temperatures and excessive emissions. Also, avoid using compressed combustibles such as wood briquettes because they have a distinct chemical and physical properties from real firewood and aren't approved for burning in wood burning stoves. If you're installing wood-burning stoves in your home, it's essential to have it installed and tested by a qualified. A certified WETT technician can test your stove to ensure it is safe and reliable. They will also check that your chimney works correctly. They also provide maintenance services to keep your chimney and stove in good condition. They can inspect the areas that are accessible to your chimney to determine if there is leakage and repair any problems discovered. They will also make sure that all residents of the house understand and follow the fire evacuation procedure in the event of an accident. Adjusting the Damper When you're not using your stove, a damper can control how much heat is lost through the chimney. It can also be used to regulate the flame. If the flue is not open but the damper is closed too much the fire won't burn properly and will release smoke into your living space. You can adjust the damper to get the best flames by testing different locations. Typically, you'll want to keep the damper open enough to let air in and out of the flue when the fire is burning. This will allow the fire to start and stay lit for several hours. A proper opening will prevent the fire from starving of air and prevent it from blowing smoke. In order to properly adjust your damper, you need to first make sure the fireplace is heated and the stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney stays warm and has good draft. After these steps are completed, the wood stove damper can be adjusted. Once the fire has burned slightly, you need to close the damper to about three-quarters of its original position. This will stop warm room air from escaping up the chimney while still allowing the smoke to escape from the wood stove. This is the best method to keep the fire from becoming too hot, while also keeping it burning. The draft might be stopped if one closes the damper too tightly, but a cold wind could enter your home if the damper is not closed. By placing your hands on the top of the flue pipe will show you how much the damper has sunk. If you feel a small 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. You can experiment with various settings to get a sense of the ideal setting for your stove. Clean Up It is important to clean your flue and stove after the start of a fire. This will help reduce the risk of a chimney fire which is the main reason for wood stove-related fires in homes. Creosote, a sticky substance which can build up within the stovepipe, can be extremely dangerous. Unburned and moist particles of wood that cannot escape the fire are the cause for this substance. It can also be caused by poorly lit fires. A regular cleaning schedule can help to prevent the buildup of creosote. This can be done by cleaning your chimney once every year. It is also recommended to have your fireplace and stove professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a year. It is also a good idea for you to clean the ash tray and grates regularly. It is recommended to burn only wood that is well-seasoned because it produces less creosote. Avoid burning cardboard, paper and plastic. These materials can release harmful chemicals into the flue and air, which could be released in your home. wood burning stove uk is also necessary to clean the glass of the wood burning stove regularly. Many modern wood stoves come with self-cleaning windows, which means they don't require as much cleaning. You can apply stove glass cleaners to the window if you're getting the glass as clean as you would like on your wood stove. Other helpful suggestions for maintaining your wood stove are to turn the vent off when you are not using it and cracking a window or door to increase air flow. This will keep the fire burning more hot and more efficiently, since it won't need to work as hard to circulate the air. It is a good idea not to stack logs or place them on the fire for an extended time. This could cause splitting and warping. It is advised to avoid using combustible compressed wood in your wood stove as the paraffin in them can melt and flow into the flue, which could cause damage.
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