How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove
Wood stoves are a warm way to heat a space and save energy. However, they require an amount of care.
A majority of modern wood stoves comply with EPA emission guidelines. You can look for an EPA sticker on the grate or under it to ensure that your stove doesn’t release harmful pollutants.
How to start a Wood Fire
The scent and sound of a Wood burner Stoves uk fire can be a pleasant feature in any house. But it’s important to learn the correct method to make a fire on your stove. Incorrect techniques can lead to a fire that doesn’t burn effectively and produces creosote or smoke. The following tips will help you begin an efficient fire that will heat up your home quickly and effectively.
Before you begin an fire, make sure you check the condition of your logs and coals. If they are too wet they will choke the flame and stop it from burning properly. You may want to open the chimney to remove any ash that has fallen into the stove.
Begin by placing several small newspaper pieces that are dry and clean in your stove. This will help ignite the sparks. Once these begin to ignite, add a layer of larger pieces to the top of the pile. This should be done using an arc pattern so that there is air between each piece.
If you have wood stoves that have an automatic control for combustion, it will automatically feed an air stream controlled to your flame as it heats. This will allow the fire to burn for a long time without you having to open the stove door frequently to check on it.
It is essential to avoid using excessive tinder as it can cause a fire that burns at a high rate and doesn’t make use of the fuel as efficiently as possible. After you’ve built a solid foundation in your stove that is made of igniters, tinder, and embers to start the main flame, you can do this by laying down two large logs of the base on the grate. Then, wood burner stoves uk you can lay small logs perpendicular to these and on top of the base logs. This method of creating a fire called a «top-down» fire can result in a successful and long-lasting fire that doesn’t completely consume the larger base logs.
When your fire is established shut off the damper and keep it closed. Opening the damper too soon can cause the fire smother and will not allow for proper air flow, which will lower 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 heat. They can be used by themselves or in conjunction with a furnace or central heating system to provide the supplemental heat required in large houses or houses with a lot of rooms. The latest clean-burning stoves on the market utilize a superior combustion method that differentiates the burning process of volatile compounds from combustible gases and tar by providing air in two different stages. The first stage is for the vaporization, wood burner Stoves Uk while the second step is to supply pre-heated fresh air. This improves combustion and decreases odors.
The amount of heat you get from a stove depends on the type and amount of moisture of the wood used, and also the size of logs. The logs should be stored in a well-ventilated space for a period of time before you try to burn them to give the wood a chance to dry. If the logs are soaked with excessive moisture, they’ll produce steam that is in essence wasted energy.
While you’re burning the fire, you should add more wood to the pile at intervals, and not all at all at. In addition, adding too much wood all at once can cause the temperature to rise within the firebox, creating the formation of a vortex that pulls smoke and unburned volatile compounds back into flames. This could reduce the effectiveness of your stove.
It is recommended to stay clear of other combustibles, such as paper or cardboard in your stove, since they are not wood and possess different physical properties that cannot be burned without causing dangerously high temperatures and a lot of emissions. It is not recommended to burn compressed combustibles such as wood briquettes as they differ 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 to have a professional install and test your wood stove. A certified WETT technician can test your stove to ensure it is safe and reliable. They will also ensure whether your chimney is working properly. They also provide maintenance services to keep your chimney and stove in top condition. They can check for leaks in the areas connected to your chimney and repair any issues they spot. They will also make sure that all occupants of the home understand and follow the evacuation procedure in the event of an accident.
Adjusting the Damper
A damper regulates the amount of heat that is lost up the chimney when you’re not using your stove. It can also be used to manage the fire. If the flue is open but the damper is closed, the fire will not ignite properly and smoke will pour into your home. You can adjust the damper to achieve the most effective flames by testing different positions.
Typically, you want to keep the damper open enough to let air in and out of the flue when the fire is burning. This lets the fire get going and keeps it lit so you can enjoy it for a long time. The right opening will prevent the fire from being starved of air and prevent it from blowing smoke.
To properly adjust your damper, you need to first ensure that the fireplace is preheated and the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney is warm and that it has a good draft. Once these are done the damper for wood stoves can be adjusted.
Once the fire has burned slightly, you need to reduce the damper to around three-quarters of its original position. This will stop the warm air in the room from venturing into the chimney, but still permitting smoke to escape.
This is the most effective way to stop the fire from getting too hot, while also keeping it burning. If you shut the damper too much, it could stop the draft from working, however if it is too wide, a cold breeze could blow through your home.
You can test how much the damper is open by placing your hand on the top of the of the flue pipe. If you feel a small breeze pushing against your palm, the damper is likely in an open position.
The damper’s setting can vary a little from one stove to another and even between different types of wood. You can experiment with different settings to get a sense of the ideal setting for your stove.
Clean Up
It is essential to clean your chimney and stove after the start of a fire. This will reduce the risk of a fire in the chimney which is the main cause of fires that are caused by wood stoves. Creosote is a sticky substance that can build up within the stovepipe, can be very dangerous. It is caused by moisture and unburned wood particles that cannot escape the fire. This can also be caused when fires are not lit properly.
A regular cleaning schedule can help keep the buildup of creosote at bay. This can be done by cleaning your chimney once every year. It is also recommended to have your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and checked at least year.
It is also a good idea to clean the ash tray and grate regularly. It is a good idea to only use seasoned wood to burn, since this will result in less creosote and less ash. It is also recommended to avoid burning cardboard, paper, plastic and other trash items. These materials can release harmful chemicals into the air and flue, which could be released in your home.
It is also important to wash the glass of the wood burning stove on a regular basis. The majority of newer wood stoves are made with self-cleaning glass, meaning that they don’t require a lot of scrubbing. You can use stove glass cleaners on the window if you’re not capable of getting the glass as clean as you’d like on your wood burner fireplace stove.
Other suggestions to keep your wood stove in good condition include lowering the vent when you’re not using it and cracking windows or doors to improve airflow. This will help keep the fire burning hotter and more efficiently, since it won’t have to exert as much effort to circulate the air. It is recommended not to stack logs, or let them sit on the fire for an extended time. This can cause splitting and warping. In addition, it is recommended to avoid using compressed combustible wood logs in your wood stove because the paraffin they contain can melt and then flow down the flue which could cause damage.