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How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove Wood stoves are a cozy method to heat a room and save energy. However, they need some level of maintenance. Many modern wood stoves comply with EPA emission guidelines. Look for an EPA sticker either under or on the grate to ensure your stove doesn't generate a lot of harmful pollutants. How to Start a Wood Fire The smell and the sound of a woodfire can be an enjoyable addition to any house. However, it is important to know how to properly create a fire on your stove. Improper techniques can result in a fire which does not burn efficiently, and produces smoke or creosote. The following tips can help you start an fire that can heat your home with minimum effort and ensure your safety. Before you start a fire, check the condition of your coals and logs. If they are too wet they will choke the flame and stop it from burning properly. You might also want to open the flue to let out any ash that has been deposited into the stove. Begin by putting some small newspaper pieces that are dry in the stove. Fireplaces & Stove will help to ignite the fire. After the tinder and kindling have started to burn, you can put an additional layer of larger pieces on 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 supply air to the flame as it grows. This will allow the fire to burn steadily without you having to open the door of your stove frequently to check on it. Avoid using too much tinder, as it can cause the fire to burn at a rapid rate and not utilize the fuel effectively. After you've built a solid bed in your stove of tinder, kindling and embers begin the main flame by laying two large logs of the base on the grate. Then, on the top of these base logs put a layer of wood perpendicular to them. This method of creating the fire is known as a “top-down” fire will result in a powerful and long-lasting fire that doesn't overtake the larger base logs. Close the damper when your fire has been established and keep it closed. The fire may be smothered by opening the damper before it is fully established. It can also decrease the effectiveness of the fire. Add Wood Stoves can be used to heat your home efficiently and help you save money. They can be used alone or together with central heating or furnace system to provide the supplemental heating required in large homes or houses with a lot of rooms. Many of the latest stoves that burn cleanly available today utilize advanced combustion principles that is able to separate the burning volatile compounds from combustible gasses and tar. This is done by supplying air in two different stages. The first stage permits the vaporization of the volatile compounds, while the second step provides fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves the process of combustion and reduces the odors. The amount of heat you will get from a stove depends on the species and moisture content of the wood used as well as the size of logs. To let the wood dry, the logs should be stored in a well ventilated location for a few months prior to burning. If the logs are wet they will create lots of steam, which is in essence wasted energy. It is best to add wood to the pile at intervals, not all at one time. In addition, adding too much wood at once can cause the temperature of the firebox to rise and creates a vortex, which draws smoke and unburnt volatile compounds back into the flame which could reduce your stove's efficiency. Avoid the use of other combustibles such as paper or cardboard in your stove, since they are not wood and possess different physical properties that can't be burned without causing dangerously high temperatures and a lot of emissions. You should not burn compressed combustibles like wood briquettes as they are different in chemical and physical composition from firewood. They are also not approved to be burned in wood burning stoves. If you're planning to install wood-burning stoves into your home, it's crucial to have it installed and tested by a professional. A certified WETT technician can test your stove to ensure that it is safe and efficient. They will also check that your chimney is functioning properly. They offer maintenance services for your stove and chimney to ensure they are in good shape. They can inspect the accessible areas of your chimney for leakage, and fix any issues found. They will also ensure that all residents of the house are aware of and follow the fire evacuation procedure in case of an accident. Adjusting the Damper When you're not using your stove, a damper can control how much heat is lost through the chimney. Additionally, it can also help you control the fire. If the flue opens, but the damper is too closed the fire won't ignite properly and smoke will erupt into your home. You can adjust your damper to get the best flames by experimenting with different positions. You should keep your damper open to allow air to enter and exit the flue while a fire is burning. This will let the fire start and stay lit for many hours. The proper opening will stop the fire from becoming starved of air and will keep it from blowing smoke. To properly adjust your damper, you need to first make sure the fireplace is heated and the wood stove is warm. This will ensure that the chimney is warm, and that it has a strong draft. After these steps are completed, the damper on the wood stove can be adjusted. Once the fire has burned for a while, you can shut the damper down to about three-quarters of its original position. This will stop warm air in the room from escaping into the chimney, while still allowing smoke to escape. This is the best method to keep your fire burning and prevent it from getting too hot. The draft might be stopped if one closes the damper to far however a cold breeze could be able to enter your home when the damper is left open. 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 pressing against your hand, it is probably in the open position. The damper setting can vary slightly from one stove to another and even between different kinds of wood. You can experiment with various settings to get an idea of the ideal setting for your stove. Clean Up It is crucial to clean your stove and flue after the start of a fire. This can reduce the chance of an ensuing fire in the chimney, which is the primary cause of fires caused by wood stoves. Creosote is a sticky substance that can accumulate within the stovepipe, can be extremely dangerous. It is caused by the moisture and wood particles that are not burned that are unable to escape the fire. It can also be caused by poorly lit fires. Regular cleaning helps stop the buildup of creosote. This can be done by cleaning your chimney once a year. It is recommended that you have your stove and fireplace professionally inspected and cleaned at least once per year as well. It is also recommended to clean out the Ash tray and grate frequently. It is a good idea to use only wood that is seasoned for burning, as it will create less creosote as well as ash. Avoid burning cardboard, paper and plastic. These materials can release harmful chemicals to the air and flue which can be released into your home. It is also important to wash the glass of the wood stove regularly. The majority of newer wood stoves have self-cleaning glass, which means that they do not require any cleaning. You can make use of stove glass cleaners on the window if you're able get the glass as clean as you'd like on your wood stove. Other helpful suggestions for maintaining your wood stove include turning the vent off when you're not using it, and opening a window or door to allow more air flow. This will help keep the fire burning hotter and more efficiently, as it won't have to be as active 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 could lead to splitting and warping. 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.