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How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove Wood stoves can be an ideal way to save energy and heat the room. They do require some maintenance. 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 make sure your stove isn't releasing harmful pollutants. How to start a Wood Fire The smell and sound of a fire made from wood can be a wonderful feature in any home. It is essential to know how to build a fire in your stove. Improper techniques can result in an unburned fire that doesn't burn well, and may produce creosote or smoke. The tips below will help you begin an efficient fire that will warm your home quickly and efficiently. Check the condition of your logs and coals before you begin a fire. If they are wet it will dampen your fire and hinder proper burning. You might also want to open the flue to let out any ash that has been deposited into the stove. Begin by putting a handful of small dry pieces of newspaper in the stove. This will help to ignite the tinder and ignite the kindling. After the tinder and kindling have begun to burn, you can add the larger kindling pieces on top. This should be done with an arc pattern so that there is air between each piece. If your wood stove has an automatic combustion control it will automatically feed air to the flame as it grows. This allows the fire to burn continuously without you having to open the door of your stove frequently to check on it. It is essential to avoid using excessive tinder as it can cause the fire burning at a high rate and doesn't use the fuel as efficiently as it can. After you've built a solid foundation in your stove that is made of sparks, tinder and kindling to start the main flame, you can do this by laying two large logs of the base on the grate. Then, you can lay a layer of smaller logs perpendicular to these and on the top of the base logs. This “top-down” method of creating a fireplace will produce a long-lasting and effective fire that doesn't completely engulf larger base logs. Close the damper when the fire is established and kept it closed. Opening the damper too soon could cause the fire to smother and will not allow for the proper air flow, which can lower the effectiveness of the fire. Add Wood Stoves aren't just beautiful home décor pieces they can also help you save money by supplying efficient wood heat. They can be used by themselves or together with central heating or furnace system to provide the additional heat required in large houses or homes with multiple rooms. A lot of the stoves that burn cleanly available today utilize an advanced combustion principle which is able to separate the burning volatile compounds from combustible gasses as well as tar. This is achieved by supplying air in two distinct stages. The first stage permits the burning of volatile compounds, while the second step offers fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves combustion and decreases the odors. The amount of heat you will get from a stove is contingent upon the type and amount of moisture of the wood you use and also the dimensions of the logs. To let the wood dry, logs should be stored in a well ventilated area for a few months before burning. If the logs are not dry enough they will release plenty of steam that is basically wasted energy. During wood burning stove small burning of the fire, it is recommended to add more wood to the pile at intervals, but not all at all at. In addition, adding too much wood at once can cause the temperature of the firebox to rise and creates a vortex that draws smoke and unburnt volatile compounds back into the flame which can decrease your stove's efficiency. Avoid burning other combustibles in your stove, like paper or cardboard because they are not wood. They have different physical properties and are unable to be burned without creating dangerously high temperatures. Also, avoid using compressed combustibles such as wood briquettes as they have a distinct chemical and physical composition to real firewood, and are not approved for burning in wood-burning stoves. It is essential that a professional install and test your wood burning stove. A certified WETT technician will test the installation for proper operation and safety as well as make sure that your chimney is operating properly. They offer maintenance services for your chimney and stove to ensure they are in good condition. They can inspect the areas that are accessible to your chimney for leakage, and fix any issues discovered. They will also ensure that the occupants of your home are aware of and adhere to the fire evacuation guidelines in the event of an emergency. Adjusting the Damper If you're not cooking on your stove, a damper controls how much heat is lost through the chimney. It can also be used to manage the fire. If the flue is opened but the damper is not closed enough, the fire won't be able to burn properly and will release smoke into your living area. To ensure you have the most efficient fire, with the damper properly adjusted, you must play around with different locations and observe how each one affects the flames. Typically, you want to keep the damper open enough to let air flow in and out of the flue while a fire is burning. This will allow the fire to begin and stay lit for several hours. The right opening can stop the fire from being deprived of air and stop it from blowing smoke. To be able to adjust your damper you need to first make sure the fireplace is heated and the wood stove is warm. This will ensure the chimney is warm, and that it has a good draft. Once these are done the wood stove damper can be adjusted. Once the fire has burned for a while, you can reduce the damper to around three-quarters of its original position. This will stop the warm air from the room from venturing into the chimney, but still permitting smoke to escape. This is the best way to stop the fire from getting too hot while still keeping it lit. If you close the damper too tightly, it could block the draft from working, but if it is too open a cold breeze could blow through 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 feel a small breeze pushing against your palm the damper is probably in the open position. The damper settings can differ slightly from one stove to the next and even between different types of wood. You can play around with different settings to get an idea of the ideal setting for your stove. Clean Up After a fire, it is crucial to clean the flue and stove. This will help reduce the risk of a chimney fire, which is the main reason for wood stove-related fires in homes. Creosote, a sticky substance that accumulates on the inside of the stovepipe and is extremely dangerous. It is caused by the moisture and wood particles that are not burned that are unable to escape from the fire. It could also be caused by improperly lit fires. Regular cleaning helps prevent creosote buildup. The best method to do this is by sweeping 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. It is also a good idea for you to clean the ash tray and the grates regularly. It is best to only burn wood that has been seasoned since it will create less creosote. Avoid burning cardboard, paper and plastic. These items could release dangerous chemicals to the air and flue, which can be released into your home. It is also essential to wash the glass of the wood-burning stove regularly. The majority of newer wood stoves are made with self-cleaning glass, meaning that they do not require much cleaning. You can apply stove glass cleaners to the window if you're not capable of getting the glass as clean as you'd like on your wood stove. Other tips for maintaining your wood stove include turning the vent down when you're not using it and cracking the door or window to increase the flow of air. This will help keep the fire burning more hot and more efficiently, since it will not need to exert as much effort to circulate air. It is also a good idea not stack logs or leave them in the fire for prolonged periods of time, as this could cause splitting and warping. It is recommended to avoid using combustible compressed wood in your wood stove since the paraffin contained within the logs can melt and leak into the flue and cause damage.