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How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove Wood stoves are a cozy way to heat a room and conserve energy. However, they require an amount of care. Many modern wood stoves comply 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 excellent addition to any house. But it's important to learn the proper way to build a fire in your stove. Incorrect techniques can lead to an unburned fire that doesn't burn effectively and can cause smoke or creosote. The following tips can aid you in starting an fire that can heat your home with minimum effort and maximum safety. Before you begin a fire, you should check the condition of your logs and coals. If they're wet it will dampen your fire and hinder proper burning. It is possible to open the chimney to get rid of any ash that has fallen into the stove. Begin by placing some small newspaper pieces that are dry in your stove. This will help ignite the tinder and ignite the kindling. When they begin to ignite, add a layer of larger pieces of kindling to the top of the pile. This should be done with a crosshatch design so that there is air between each piece. If you own a wood stove that has an automatic combustion control it will automatically supply an air stream controlled to your fire as it grows. This allows the fire to burn for a long time without having to open the stove door often to keep it in check. It is essential to avoid using too much tinder, as this could result in a fire that burns at an extremely high rate and fails to make use of the fuel as efficiently as possible. Once you've got a good base in your stove with sparks, tinder and kindling, start the main flame by placing two large logs of the base on the grill. Then, add an additional layer of smaller logs perpendicular to these and on top of the base logs. This “top-down” method of building the fireplace will create a long-lasting, efficient fire that doesn't engulf larger base logs. Once the fire is established shut off the damper and keep it shut. The fire may be smothered if the user opens the damper before it has fully established. This can also affect the effectiveness of the fire. Adding Wood Stoves are not only beautiful pieces of home decor – they can 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 needed in large homes or houses with a lot of rooms. Many of the latest stoves that burn cleanly available use an advanced combustion principle which separates the burning volatile compounds from combustible gases and tar. This is achieved by supplying air in two distinct stages. The first stage is for the vaporization process, and the second is to provide fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves combustion and decreases smells. The amount of heat that you can get from a stove will depend on the type and amount of moisture of the wood you use as well as the size of logs. The logs should be stored in a well-ventilated area for several months prior to when you attempt to burn them, to allow the wood to dry out. If the logs are not dry enough, they will produce lots of steam, which is essentially wasted energy. When you are burning the fire, it is recommended to add more wood to the stack in intervals, and not all at one time. In addition, adding too much wood all at once could cause the temperature to rise within the firebox, creating a vortex which pulls smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into the flames. This could reduce the effectiveness of your stove. Avoid burning other combustibles in 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 because they are different in chemical and physical composition from firewood. They are also not approved to be burned in wood burning stoves. It is essential 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 that your chimney is functioning properly. They offer maintenance services for your stove and chimney to ensure they are in good condition. They can check the accessible areas of your chimney for leakage, and fix any issues discovered. They will also ensure that all residents of the house are aware of and adhere to the fire evacuation procedures in the event of an accident. Adjusting the Damper A damper controls how much heat is lost to the chimney when you aren't cooking on your stove. It can also be used to manage the fire. If the flue opens, but the damper is closed, the fire will not burn properly and smoke will erupt into your home. To get the best fire with your damper set correctly, you have to test different positions and observe how each one affects the flames. It is important to keep your damper open to allow air to enter and exit the flue when a flame is burning. This lets the fire get a good fire going and helps it stay burning so that you can enjoy it for long periods of time. The right opening will prevent the fire from being starved of air and prevent it from blowing smoke. To adjust your damper correctly it is important to first make sure that the fireplace has been heated and that the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney is warm and has good draft. After this the damper for 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 full position. This will stop warm air in the room from escaping into the chimney, but 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 shut the damper too much, it may stop the draft from working, but should it be too open, a cold wind could blow into your home. You can test how much the damper is open by holding your hand near the top of the of the flue pipe. If you feel a small breeze rubbing against your hand, the damper is likely in the open position. The damper settings can vary from one stove to another and even among different types of wood. You can experiment with different settings to get an idea of the most suitable setting for your stove. Clean up It is crucial to clean your chimney and stove after the start of a fire. This can reduce the chance of an explosion in the chimney, which is the primary reason for fires caused by wood stoves. Creosote is a sticky substance that forms on the inside of the stovepipe and can be extremely hazardous. It is caused by moisture and unburned wood particles that are unable to escape from the fire. It can also happen when fires aren't properly lit. Regular cleaning can help keep away 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 checked at least year. It is also recommended to clean out the Ash tray and grate frequently. It is a good idea to use only seasoned wood to burn, since this will result in less creosote and ash. Avoid burning paper, cardboard and plastic. They can release chemicals that are dangerous for the flue and atmosphere, which may be released into your home. wood burning stoves uk is also necessary to wash the glass of the wood burning stove on a regular basis. Many newer wood stoves are designed with self-cleaning glass, which means that they do not require much cleaning. You can make use of 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 maintain your wood stove include turning down the vent when you aren't using it, and opening doors or windows to allow more airflow. This will help keep the fire burning longer and more efficiently since it will not need to exert as much effort to circulate air. It is recommended to not stack logs or leave them in the fire for prolonged periods of time as this can lead to warping and splitting. It is recommended to avoid using combustible compressed wood in your wood stove because the paraffin in the logs can melt and leak into the flue and cause damage.