10 Misconceptions That Your Boss May Have About Stove Wood Burning Stove Wood Burning How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove

Wood stoves are a comfortable way to heat a space and also save energy. However, they require an amount of care.

Many modern wood stoves comply with EPA emission guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker either under or on the grate to make sure your stove doesn't generate many harmful pollutants.

How to start a Wood Fire

The smell and the sound of a fire can be an enjoyable addition to any house. It is essential to know how to create a fire on your stove. Improper techniques can result in the fire not to burn effectively, and can produce smoke or creosote. The following tips can help you create a fire that is safe and can heat your home quickly and efficiently.

Before you start a fire, check the condition of your coals and logs. If they are wet they could smother the fire and prevent it from burning properly. You might also want to open the flue to let any ash out that has been deposited into the stove.

Begin by putting a few small newspaper pieces that are dry in your stove. This will help to ignite the tinder and kindling. When they begin to ignite, add a layer of larger pieces of kindling to the top of the pile. This should be done in a crosshatch pattern, so that there will be air between each piece of wood.

If your wood stove has an automatic combustion control it will automatically pump air into the flame as it grows. This will allow the fire to burn continuously without having to open the stove door frequently to check on it.

Avoid using too much tinder as this will cause the fire to burn at a rapid rate and not use the fuel efficiently. When you have a good pile of tinder and some kindling in your stove, you can start the main fire by laying two large logs of the base across the grill. Then, you can lay an additional layer of smaller logs that are perpendicular to them and on the top of the base logs. This "top-down" method of building the fireplace will create an effective and long-lasting fire that doesn't engulf larger base logs.

Close the damper when your fire is established and keep it shut. The fire may be smothered if you open the damper prior to it being fully established. This can also affect the efficiency of the fire.

Add Wood

Stoves are not only beautiful pieces of home decor They can also help you save money by providing efficient wood heating. They can be used in conjunction with a central heating system or furnace to provide supplemental heating in large houses. Many of the new stoves that are clean burning available today utilize advanced combustion technology that is able to separate the burning volatile compounds from combustible gasses as well as tar. This is accomplished by supplying air at two different stages. The first stage is to aid in the vaporization, while the second is to supply fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves combustion and decreases smells.


The amount of heat that you get from your stove is contingent on the type of wood used as well as the amount of moisture in it as well as the size of the logs. To allow the wood to dry, the logs should be stored in a ventilated location for a couple of months prior to burning. If the logs have excessive moisture, they'll produce steam, which is basically wasted power.

When you are burning the fire, add more wood to the stack in intervals, but not all at once. In addition, adding too much wood at once can cause the temperature to rise in the firebox, causing a vortex which pulls smoke and unburned volatile compounds back into the flames. This could decrease the efficiency of your stove.

Avoid using other combustibles in your stove such as paper or cardboard because they are not wood. They have different physical properties and cannot be burned without creating dangerously high temperatures. It is not recommended to burn compressed combustibles like wood briquettes since they differ in physical and chemical composition from firewood. They are also not type-approved to be burned in wood-burning stoves.

It is essential that a professional install and test your wood stove. A certified WETT technician will test the installation to ensure proper operation and safety and also ensure that your chimney is functioning properly. These professionals offer maintenance services for your stove and chimney to ensure they are in good shape. They can check the accessible areas of your chimney for leakage, and fix any issues that are found. They will also ensure that all house occupants are aware of and adhere to the fire evacuation guidelines in case of an emergency.

Adjusting the Damper

A damper controls the amount of heat that is lost up the chimney when you aren't cooking on your stove. In addition to this it can also help you manage the fire. 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 space. To ensure that you get the most efficient fire, with your damper set correctly, you should play around with different positions and observe how each affects the flames.

It is important to keep your damper open to let air enter and exit the flue when a fire is burning. This allows the fire to get going and keeps it lit so you can enjoy it for long periods of time. A proper opening will keep the fire from being starved of air and prevent it from blowing smoke.

In order to properly adjust your damper, you have to first ensure that the fireplace is preheated and the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney is warm, and it also has an adequate draft. After that, the wood stove damper can be adjusted.

Once the fire has burned slightly, you need to reduce the damper to around three-quarters of its full position. This will stop warm air in the room from escaping into the chimney, but still permitting smoke to escape.

This is the best method to ensure that your fire is lit and prevent it from getting too hot. If you close the damper too much, it could stop the draft from working, however should it be too open a cold breeze could blow into your home.

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

The damper settings can differ a little from one stove to the next and even between different kinds of wood. You can experiment with various settings to get an idea of the most suitable setting for your stove.

Clean up

It is essential to clean your flue and stove after the start of a fire. This will reduce the risk of an explosion in the chimney which is the most common cause of fires caused by wood stoves. wood burning stove outdoor is a sticky substance that builds up on the stovepipe's interior and can be very dangerous. Unburned and moist particles of wood that are unable to escape the fire are the cause for this substance. This can also be caused when fires are not lit properly.

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

It is also recommended to clean the Ash tray and grate frequently. It is best to burn only wood that is well-seasoned since it will create less creosote. Avoid burning paper, cardboard and plastic. These can release chemicals that can be dangerous for respiratory illnesses and the air, which could be released into your home.

It is also essential to clean the glass of the wood-burning stove on a regular basis. Most newer wood stoves have self-cleaning windows, which means they do not require as much scrubbing. If you're not able to clean the glass of your wood stove as clean as you would like, there are stove glass cleaners that you can use on the window.

Other helpful tips for maintaining your wood stove include turning the vent off when you're not using it and slamming a window or door to allow more air flow. This keeps the fire burning more hot and efficiently. The wood stove won't have to work as hard in order to circulate air. It is recommended to not stack logs or keep them in the fire for prolonged periods of time as this can lead to warping and splitting. Finally, it is best to avoid using compressed combustible wood logs in your wood stove because the paraffin they contain could melt and spill down into the flue, which could cause damage to the stove.