15 Gifts For The Stove Wood Burning Lover In Your Life How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves can be an excellent way to save energy and also heat the room. They do require some maintenance.

Many modern wood stoves are compliant with EPA emission guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker either under or on the grate, to ensure that your stove doesn't generate many harmful pollutants.

How to Start a Wood Fire

The smell and the sound of a woodfire is a welcome addition in any home. It's essential to understand how to build a fire on your stove. modern wood burning stoves can lead to an unburned fire that doesn't burn well, and may produce creosote or smoke. The tips below can help you create a fire that is safe and will warm your home quickly and effectively.

Examine the condition of your coals and logs before you start an fire. If they are wet they will choke your fire and prevent the proper burning. You may also want to open the flue to let out any ash that has been deposited into the stove.

Begin by placing several small newspaper pieces that are dry and clean into your stove. This will help ignite the tinder and ignite the kindling. After the tinder and kindling have begun to burn, you can add an additional layer of larger pieces on the top. This should be done in a crosshatch pattern, so that there is air between each piece of wood.

If your wood stove comes with an automatic combustion control, it will automatically pump air into the flame as it grows. This allows the fire to burn for a long time without the need to open the stove door constantly to tend to it.

It is essential to avoid using excessive tinder as this can lead to the fire burning at an excessive rate and doesn't make use of the fuel as efficiently as it could. If you have a solid pile of tinder and some kindling in your stove, start the main fire by laying two large base logs across the grill. Next, place small logs perpendicular to these and on the top of the base logs. This method of creating an ember called a "top-down" fire will result in an effective and long-lasting fire that doesn't engulf the larger base logs.

Once your fire is well established Close the damper and ensure it stays closed. The fire could be smothered if you open the damper before it is fully established. It will also reduce the effectiveness of the fire.

Adding Wood

Stoves aren't just beautiful home decor pieces They can also help you save money by providing efficient wood heating. They can be used on their own or together with central heating or a furnace system to provide the extra heat required in large houses or homes with many rooms. Many of the latest stoves that are clean burning available on the market use advanced combustion technology that is able to separate the burning volatile compounds from combustible gasses as well as tar. This is accomplished by providing air at two different stages. The first stage permits the burning of volatile compounds and the second stage offers fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves the process of combustion and helps reduce odors.

The amount of heat that you will get from your stove will depend on the kind of wood used as well as the amount of moisture as well as the size of the logs. The logs must be stored in a well-ventilated area for a period of time before you attempt to burn them to give the wood time to dry out. If the logs are soaked with too much moisture, they will create steam, which is basically wasted energy.

It is best to add wood to the pile at intervals, not all at all at. Too much wood added at once causes the temperature in 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.

Avoid using other combustibles inside your stove such as paper or cardboard, as they are not wood. They have different physical properties and can't be burned without causing dangerously high temperatures. It is not recommended to burn combustibles that are compressed, such as wood briquettes since they are different in physical and chemical composition from firewood. They are also not approved by the type to be used 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 for safe operation and safety, as well as ensure that your chimney is working properly. They provide maintenance services for your stove and chimney to ensure they are in good condition. They can check the areas accessible to your chimney for leaks, and fix any issues found. They will also make sure that the residents of the house are aware of and adhere to the fire evacuation guidelines in case in the event of an emergency.

Adjusting the Damper

When you're not cooking on your stove, a damper controls the amount of heat lost through the chimney. It can also be used to regulate the fire. If the flue is open but the damper is not closed the fire will not be able to burn as it should and smoke will erupt into your home. You can adjust the damper to ensure the best flames by testing different locations.

Typically, you'll want to keep the damper open enough to let air enter and out of the flue when the fire is burning. This lets the fire start a fire and also helps keep it lit so you can enjoy it for long periods of time. The proper opening will stop the fire from becoming starved of air and will keep it from blowing smoke.


In order to properly adjust your damper, you need to first ensure that the fireplace is preheated and the stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney is warm and has good draft. Once this is done, the wood stove damper can be adjusted.

Once the fire has smolder for a while, you can close the damper to about three-quarters of its full position. This will prevent warm air in the room from venturing into the chimney, but still allowing smoke to escape.

This is the best way to stop the fire from becoming too hot while still keeping it lit. If you shut the damper too far it could stop the draft from working, but should it be too open a cold breeze could blow into your home.

You can determine how much the damper is open by placing your hands near the top of the inside of the flue pipe. If you can feel a small draft pushing against your hand, it's likely to be in the open position.

The damper settings may differ from one stove to the next and even between different kinds of wood. The process of experimenting with the various settings will give you an idea of what to look for, but you will have to keep adjusting it until you find the ideal setting for your stove.

Clean up

It is essential to clean your flue and stove after a fire. This will reduce the risk of a fire in the chimney, which is the primary reason for fires caused by wood stoves. wood burning stove sale is a sticky substance that forms on the inside of the stovepipe and can be very dangerous. Unburned and moist particles of wood that cannot escape the flame are the reason for this substance. This can also occur by fires that are not properly lit.

Regular cleaning helps to keep away the buildup of creosote. This can be done by cleaning your chimney once a year. It is also recommended that you have your fireplace and stove professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a every year.

It is also recommended to clean out the ash tray and grate it regularly. It is recommended to burn only seasoned wood since it will create less creosote. Avoid burning paper, cardboard and plastic. These items could release dangerous chemicals to the air and flue which could be released in your home.

It is also essential to wash the glass of the wood burning stove regularly. The majority of newer wood stoves are designed with self-cleaning glass, which means that they do not require any scrubbing. If you're unable to get the glass on your wood stove as clean as you would like you can use stove glass cleaners that can be used on the window.

Other ways to maintain your wood stove include turning down the vent when you're not using it and slamming doors or windows to allow more airflow. This keeps the fire burning more hot and efficiently. The wood stove won't have to perform as hard to circulate air. It is a good idea not to stack logs or let them sit on the fire for a long duration. This could cause splits and warping. It is advised to avoid using combustible wood that has been compressed in your wood stove because the paraffin contained within the logs can melt and leak into the flue which could cause damage.