The Reasons You're Not Successing At Stove Wood Burning How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves are a great method to reduce energy consumption and heat a room. However, they require an amount of care.

Many modern wood stoves are compliant with EPA emission guidelines. You can look for an EPA sticker on the grate or under it to ensure your stove doesn't release harmful pollutants.

How to Start a Wood Fire

The smell and the sound of a fire can be an enjoyable addition to any home. However, it is important to know the proper way to create a fire on your stove. Improper techniques can result in the fire not to burn well, and may produce smoke or creosote. The tips below can help you create an efficient fire that can heat your home quickly and efficiently.

Make sure to check the condition of your logs and coals before you start an fire. If they are wet, it will smother your fire and hinder proper burning. You may also want to open the flue to let any ash that has been deposited into the stove.

Begin by placing a handful of small dry newspaper pieces into your stove. This will help ignite the fire. After the tinder and kindling have started to ignite, you can add the larger kindling pieces on the top. This should be done using 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 flame as it grows. This allows the fire to burn for a long time without having to open the stove's door often to keep it in check.

It is essential to avoid using too much tinder, as this can lead to a fire that burns at an excessive rate and doesn't make use of the fuel as efficiently as possible. If you have a nice bed of tinder and kindling in your stove, you can start the main fire by laying two large base logs on the grate. On the top of these base woods put a layer of wood perpendicular to them. This "top-down" method of building a fireplace will produce an effective and long-lasting fire that doesn't engulf larger logs from the base.

Close the damper when your fire is established and kept it shut. Doing this too soon can cause the fire smother and will not allow for proper airflow, which will reduce its efficiency.

Adding Wood

Stoves can be used to heat your home efficiently and help you save money. They can be used alone or in conjunction with central heating or furnace system to provide the additional heat required in large houses or homes with many rooms. A lot of the stoves that burn clean utilize a superior combustion method that differentiates the burning of volatile compounds from the combustion of combustible gases and tar by supplying air in two distinct stages. The first stage is to aid in the vaporization and the second step is to supply pre-heated fresh air. This improves combustion and reduces the odors.


The amount of heat you will get from your stove depends on both the species of wood and the amount of moisture in it, as well as the size of the logs. The logs should be stored in a well-ventilated area for a period of time before you try to burn them to give the wood a chance to dry out. If the logs are not dry enough they will release lots of steam, which is essentially wasted energy.

When you are burning the fire, you should add more wood to the pile at intervals, not all at all at. The addition of too much wood all at once can cause the temperature to rise in the firebox, causing an air vortex that draws smoke and volatile compounds that are not burned back into the flames. This could reduce the efficiency of your stove.

Avoid using other combustibles inside your stove, such as cardboard or paper, because they are not wood. They have different physical properties and can't be burned without causing dangerously high temperatures. You should not burn compressed combustibles like wood briquettes because they are different in physical and chemical composition from firewood. They are also not type-approved to be burned in wood burning stoves.

It is crucial that you have a professional install and test your wood stove. A certified WETT technician can examine your stove to make sure it is safe and reliable. They can also make sure whether your chimney is working properly. They offer maintenance services for your chimney and stove to ensure they are in good condition. They will look for leaks in the areas connected to your chimney and fix any problems they find. They will also make sure that all residents of the house are aware of and follow the evacuation procedure in case of an accident.

Adjusting the Damper

If you're not making use of your stove, a damper controls the amount of heat that is lost through the chimney. It can also be used to control the fire. If the flue opens but the damper is too closed, the fire will not ignite properly and smoke will erupt into your home. To ensure you have the best fire with your damper set correctly, you must experiment with different locations and observe how each affects the flames.

Typically, you want to keep the damper open enough to let air enter and out of the flue while the fire is burning. This will let the fire start and remain lit for a number of hours. The right opening will prevent the fire from becoming depleted of air and stop it from blowing smoke.

To be able to adjust your damper, you have to ensure that the fireplace is preheated and the wood stove is warm. This will ensure the chimney is warm, and it also has an adequate draft. After these steps are completed, the damper on the wood stove can be adjusted.

Once the fire has burned for a while, you can reduce the damper to around three-quarters of its original position. This will prevent warm air from the room from venturing into the chimney, while still permitting smoke to escape.

This is the most effective way to keep your fire lit and keep it from getting too hot. If you close the damper too far it may stop the draft from working, however when it's too open a cold breeze could blow through your home.

Holding your hand at the top of the flue pipe will inform you how much the damper has sunk. If you feel a small breeze rubbing against your hand, the damper is likely to be open.

The damper settings can differ from one stove to another and even between different kinds of wood. You can experiment with different settings to get a sense of the ideal setting for your stove.

Clean up

After the fire, it's crucial to clean the stove and flue. This will reduce the risk of a chimney fire which is the primary cause of wood stove related fires in homes. Creosote is a sticky substance that builds up on the inside of the stovepipe and can be very dangerous. Moisture and unburned particles of wood that cannot escape the fire are the cause for this substance. It can be caused by improperly lit fires.

Regular cleaning helps prevent creosote buildup. The most effective method for doing this is by sweeping the chimney every year. It is also recommended to get your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and examined at least yearly.

It is also an excellent idea to clean the ash tray and grate regularly. It is a good idea to use only seasoned wood to burn, since it will create less creosote as well as ash. Avoid burning cardboard, paper and plastic. These items can release dangerous chemicals for the flue and air, that could end up in your home.

It is also necessary to wash 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 cleaning. You can use stove glass cleaners on the glass if you aren't able get the glass as clean as you'd like on your wood stove.

Other suggestions to keep your wood stove in good condition include turning down the vent when you aren't using it, and slamming doors or windows to improve airflow. This will keep the fire burning longer and more efficiently, since it won't need to exert as much effort to circulate the air. It is advisable not to stack logs or let them sit on the fire for a long duration. woodburner stove could cause splits and warping. It is advised to avoid using combustible wood that has been compressed in your wood stove as the paraffin in them can melt and flow into the flue which could cause damage.