How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove<br /><br />Wood stoves are a warm method to heat a room and conserve energy. However, they require an amount of care.<br /><br />Many modern wood stoves comply with EPA emission guidelines. You can check for an EPA sticker on the grate or beneath it to make sure your stove doesn't emit harmful pollutants.<br /><br />How to start a Wood Fire<br /><br />The smell and sound of a fire made from wood can be a welcome feature in any house. But it's important to learn the proper way to make a fire on your stove. Improper techniques can result in an unburned fire that doesn't burn efficiently and creates creosote or smoke. These tips can help you start an efficient fire that will warm your home quickly and efficiently.<br /><br />Before you begin a fire, check the condition of your coals and logs. If they're damp they will choke your fire and prevent the proper burning. You may also want to open the flue to let any ash that has fallen into the stove.<br /><br />Begin by placing a handful of small dry newspaper pieces in the stove. This will help to ignite the fire. Once they start to burn, add a layer of larger pieces of tinder to the top of the pile. This should be done in a crosshatch pattern so there is air between each piece of wood.<br /><br />If you own 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 at a consistent pace without the need to open the stove's doors to keep it in check.<br /><br />Avoid using too much tinder as it can cause the fire to burn at an extremely fast rate and not utilize the fuel efficiently. Once you've got a good base in your stove with tinder, kindling and embers begin the main flame by placing two large base logs on the grill. Next, place a 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 a long-lasting, efficient fire that doesn't completely engulf larger logs from the base.<br /><br />Once your fire is well established Close the damper and keep it closed. The fire may be smothered if you open the damper prior to it being fully established. It will also reduce the efficiency of the fire.<br /><br />Adding Wood<br /><br />Stoves are not just beautiful home décor pieces They can also help you save money by supplying efficient wood heat. They can be used by themselves or in conjunction with central heating or a furnace system to provide the extra heating required in large homes or homes with many rooms. <a href="https://kennylyon67.livejournal.com/profile">stoves wood burners</a> of the new stoves that are clean-burning utilize a superior combustion method that differentiates the burning of volatile compounds from combustible gases and tar by supplying air in two distinct stages. The first stage is for the vaporization process, and the second step is to supply fresh air that has been pre-heated. This enhances the combustion process and reduces the odors.<br /><br />The amount of heat you get from your stove depends on both the species of wood and the moisture content as well as the size of the logs. To allow the wood to dry, logs should be stored in a ventilated space for a few months prior to burning. If the logs are wet, they will produce lots of steam, which is basically wasted energy.<br /><br />You should add wood to the pile at intervals and not all at once. Adding too much wood at once causes the temperature inside the firebox to rise, and produces a vortex that sucks smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into the flame which can decrease your stove's efficiency.<br /><br />You should avoid the use of other combustibles, such as paper or cardboard in your stove, since they are not wood and have different physical properties and cannot be burned without creating dangerously high temperatures and excessive emissions. You should also not use compressed combustibles, such as wood briquettes, as they have a distinct chemical and physical composition to actual firewood and are not suitable for use in wood burning stoves.<br /><br />If you're installing a wood burning stove in your home, it is important to have it properly installed and tested by a professional. A certified WETT technician will test the stove for proper operation and safety, as well as make sure that your chimney is functioning properly. They offer maintenance services for your chimney and stove to keep them in top 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 residents of the house are aware of and adhere to the fire evacuation procedures in case in the event of an emergency.<br /><br />Adjusting the Damper<br /><br />A damper regulates the amount of heat that is lost up the chimney when you aren't using your stove. It can also be used to regulate the flame. If the flue is open but the damper is too closed, the fire will not ignite properly and smoke will pour into your home. To ensure that you get the most efficient fire, with the damper properly adjusted, you should test different settings and observe how each one affects the flames.<br /><br />You want to keep your damper open to allow air to flow into and out of 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 out smoke.<br /><br /><br /><br />To adjust your damper properly, you must first ensure that the fireplace is preheated and that the wood stove is hot. This will ensure the chimney is warm, and that it has a strong draft. After that, the damper on the wood stove can be adjusted.<br /><br />Once the fire has smolder for a while, you can close the damper to about three-quarters of its original position. This will prevent the warm room air from escaping up the chimney while still allowing smoke to escape from the wood stove.<br /><br />This is the best way to keep your fire burning and prevent it from getting too hot. If you shut the damper too far it may stop the draft from working, but when it's too open a cold breeze could blow through your home.<br /><br />Holding your hand at the top of the flue pipe will show you how much the damper has sunk. If you feel a slight breeze rubbing against your hand the damper is probably in the open position.<br /><br />The damper settings can vary from one stove to another and even between different kinds of wood. You can experiment with various settings to get a sense of the ideal setting for your stove.<br /><br />Clean up<br /><br />After an incident, it is essential to clean the stove and flue. This can reduce the risk of a chimney fire which is the main cause of wood stove related fires in homes. Creosote is a sticky substance which can build up within the stovepipe, can be 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.<br /><br />Regular cleaning can help keep away the buildup of creosote. The best method to do this is to sweep the chimney every year. It is recommended that you have your stove and fireplace professionally cleaned and inspected at least once per year as well.<br /><br />It is also an excellent idea to clean the ash tray and grates regularly. It is recommended to burn only seasoned wood since it will create less creosote. It is also a good idea to avoid burning cardboard, paper or plastic items. These items could release dangerous chemicals into the flue and air, that could end up in your home.<br /><br />The glass in the wood stove has to be cleaned frequently too. Most newer wood stoves have self-cleaning windows, which means they don't require as much cleaning. You can make use of stove glass cleaners on the window if you're not able get the glass as clean as you would like on your wood stove.<br /><br />Some other helpful tips to maintain your wood stove are to turn the vent off when you're not using it, and opening the door or window to allow more air flow. This will help keep the fire burning longer and more efficiently since it won't have to work as hard to circulate the air. It is a good idea not to stack logs or let them sit on the fire for a long time. This can lead to splitting and warping. It is advised to avoid using compressed combustible wood in your wood stove because the paraffin in the logs can melt and leak into the flue, which could cause damage.<br /><br />