Ten Things You Learned About Kindergarden That Will Aid You In Obtaining Stove Wood Burning How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves are a great way to save energy and also heat rooms. However, they need an amount of care.

Many modern wood stoves conform to EPA emission guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker either under or on the grate, to ensure that your stove won't produce a lot of harmful pollutants.

How to Start a Wood Fire

The sound and smell of a wood fire could be a welcome addition to any house. It's essential to understand how to build an effective fire on your stove. Incorrect methods can result in an unburned fire that doesn't burn effectively and can cause smoke or creosote. These tips will help you start an fire that can heat your home with minimal effort and with the highest security.

Before you start an fire, make sure you check the condition of your coals and logs. If they're damp it will dampen your fire and prevent the proper burning. You might also want to open the flue to let any ash out that has been deposited into the stove.

Begin by placing some small, dry newspaper pieces in your stove. This will help to ignite the tinder. After the tinder and kindling have begun to burn, you can put a layer of larger kindling pieces on the top. This should be done using a crosshatch design so that there is air between each piece.


If you own wood stoves that have an automatic combustion control, it will automatically feed an air stream that is controlled to the flame as it heats. This allows the fire to burn steadily without having to open the stove door often to keep it in check.

It is important to not use too much tinder, as it can cause a fire that burns at an excessive rate and doesn't use the fuel as efficiently as it could. Once you've got a good foundation in your stove that is made of tinder, kindling and embers, start the main flame by laying down two large logs of the base on the grill. Then, you can lay a 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 result in an effective and long-lasting fire that doesn't completely engulf larger logs from the base.

Once the fire is established Close the damper and keep it shut. The fire can be smothered by opening the damper prior to it being fully established. This can also affect the efficiency of the fire.

Add Wood

Stoves are not just beautiful home décor pieces they can also help you save money by supplying efficient wood heat. They can be used in conjunction with central heating systems or furnace to provide additional heating for large houses. Many of the new clean-burning stoves on the market utilize a superior combustion method that differentiates the burning process of volatile compounds from combustible gasses and tar by supplying air in two distinct stages. The first stage is for the vaporization process, and the second is to supply pre-heated fresh air. This improves the combustion process and helps to reduce the odors.

The amount of heat you get from a stove will depend on the species and moisture content of the wood you use and also the dimensions of logs. To let the wood dry, logs should be kept in a ventilated space for a few months before burning. If the logs are soaked with excessive moisture, they'll produce steam which is essentially wasted power.

You should add wood to the pile in intervals and not all at all at. Addition of too much wood at once can cause the temperature to rise within the firebox, creating an air vortex that draws smoke and volatile compounds that are not burned back into the flames. This could reduce the effectiveness of your stove.

Avoid using 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 producing dangerously high temperatures. Also, avoid using compressed combustibles, such as wood briquettes because they have a completely different physical and chemical composition from real firewood, and are not type-approved for burning in wood-burning stoves.

It is crucial that you have a professional install and test your wood burning stove. A certified WETT technician will test the installation for proper operation and safety as well as ensure that your chimney is functioning properly. These professionals offer maintenance services for your stove and chimney to ensure they are in good condition. They will look for leaks in the areas connected to your chimney, and fix any issues they discover. They will also ensure that the occupants of the home understand and adhere to the fire evacuation procedures in case of an accident.

Adjusting the Damper

A damper regulates how much heat escapes up the chimney when you're not using your stove. It can also be used to manage the flame. If the flue is not open but the damper is not closed enough, the fire will not burn as efficiently and will release smoke into your living area. You can adjust the damper to get the best flames by playing around with different settings.

It is important to keep your damper open to let air enter and exit the flue while a fire is burning. This lets the fire get going and keeps it burning so that you can enjoy it for 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 need 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. Once these are done the damper on the wood stove can be adjusted.

After the fire has burned for some time, you need to shut the damper around three quarters of the way. This will prevent the warm air from the room from going through the chimney, while allowing smoke to escape out of the wood stove.

This is the best method to ensure that your fire is lit and keep it from getting too hot. If you close the damper too much, it may stop the draft from working, but if it is too open, a cold wind could blow through your home.

You can check to see how much the damper is open by placing your hand on the top of the of the flue pipe. If you can feel a slight breeze pushing against your hand, it's probably in the open position.

The damper settings can differ from one stove to the next and even between different kinds of wood. Playing around with different settings will give you an idea of what to look for, but you will need to adjust it until you have found the ideal setting for your stove.

Clean Up

After an incident, it is essential to clean the stove and flue. This will reduce the risk of an ensuing fire in the chimney, which is the primary cause of fires that are caused by wood stoves. Creosote, a sticky substance that can build up in the stovepipe, is extremely hazardous. It is caused by moisture and unburned wood particles that cannot escape the fire. It could also be caused by poorly lit fires.

Regular cleaning helps stop the buildup of creosote. The best way to do this is to sweep the chimney at least once a year. It is recommended that you have your stove and fireplace professionally inspected and cleaned at least once per year.

It is also recommended to clean the ash tray and grate regularly. It is recommended to only burn wood that has been seasoned since it will create less creosote. Avoid burning cheap wood burning stoves , paper and plastic. They can release chemicals that are dangerous for the flue and atmosphere, which may be released into your home.

The glass in the wood stove has to be regularly cleaned as well. Many modern wood stoves come with self-cleaning windows, so they don't require as much cleaning. If you are not able to get the glass on your wood stove as clean as you would like you can use stove glass cleaners available that you can use on the window.

Other suggestions to keep your wood stove in good condition include turning down the vent when you aren't using it, and opening doors or windows to allow more airflow. This will keep the fire burning longer and more efficiently since it will not need to exert as much effort to circulate air. It is also a good idea not stack logs or keep them in the fire for long periods of time as this can lead to splitting and warping. In addition, it is a good idea to not use compressed combustible logs in your wood stove as the paraffin they contain can melt and flow into the flue which could cause damage.