The 10 Scariest Things About Stove Wood Burning
How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove
Wood stoves are a great way to save energy and also heat the room. However, they need a certain amount of maintenance.
Many modern double sided wood burner stoves are compliant with EPA emission guidelines. You can check for an EPA sticker on the grate or beneath it to make sure your stove doesn't release harmful pollutants.
How to start a Wood Fire
The sound and smell of a fire made from wood can be a wonderful addition to any home. However, it is important to know how to properly build a fire in your stove. Incorrect techniques can lead to an unburned fire that doesn't burn efficiently and creates creosote or smoke. The tips below can help you start a safe fire that will heat up your home quickly and effectively.
Before you begin a fire, you should check the condition of your coals and logs. If they're damp they will choke your fire and hinder proper burning. You may want to open the chimney to get rid of any ash that falls into the stove.
Begin by placing several small newspaper pieces that are dry and clean in your stove. This will help to spark the tinder and ignite your kindling. When the tinder and the kindling have begun to ignite, you can add an additional layer of larger pieces on top. This should be done in a crosshatch pattern, so that there will be air between each piece of wood.
If you have a wood stove that has an automatic control of combustion that will automatically deliver an air stream that is controlled to the fire as it grows. This will allow the fire to burn continuously without you having to open the door of your stove often to keep it in check.
Avoid using too much tinder as this will cause the fire to burn at an extremely fast rate and not use the fuel efficiently. When you have a good fire and a bed of tinder in your stove, begin the main fire by laying two large base logs on the grate. Then, add an additional layer of smaller logs that are perpendicular to them and on top of the base logs. This method of creating a fire called a "top-down" fire will result in a powerful and long-lasting fire that doesn't engulf the larger base logs.
When your fire is established Close the damper and keep it closed. Doing this too soon can cause the fire to be smothered, and it will not allow for proper air flow, which can lower the effectiveness of the fire.
Adding Wood
Stoves can be used to efficiently heat your home and also save you money. They can be used alone or in conjunction with central heating or a 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 on the market use advanced combustion technology that is able to separate the burning volatile compounds from combustible gasses as well as tar. This is done by providing air at two different stages. The first stage allows the vaporization of the volatile compounds and the second stage supplies fresh air that has been pre-heated. This improves combustion and reduces odors.
The amount of heat you can get from your stove is contingent on the type of wood used and the amount of moisture and the size of the logs. The logs should be stacked in a well-ventilated space for a period of time before you try to burn them, to give the contemporary wood burning stoves a chance to dry out. If the logs are wet they will release plenty of steam that is essentially wasted energy.
It is best to add wood to the pile in intervals, not all at one time. Adding too much wood at one time causes the temperature inside 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 burning other combustibles in your stove, like cardboard or paper, because they are not wood. They have different physical properties and are unable to be burned without producing dangerously high temperatures. Also, you should not use compressed combustibles like wood briquettes because they have a completely different chemical and physical composition to actual firewood and are not approved for use in wood burning stoves.
It is important that a professional install and test your wood burning stove. A certified WETT technician will test the stove for proper operation and safety, as well as ensure that your chimney is operating correctly. They offer maintenance services for your stove and chimney to ensure they are in good condition. They will look for leaks in the areas that are accessible to your chimney, and fix any problems they find. They will also ensure that the occupants of the house understand and follow the evacuation procedure in the event of an accident.
Adjusting the Damper
When you're not making use of your stove, a damper controls the amount of heat lost through the chimney. It can also be used to control the fire. If the flue opens, but the damper is closed the fire will not ignite properly and smoke will billow into your home. You can adjust your damper to ensure the best flames by playing around with different positions.
It is important to keep your damper open to let air enter and exit the flue while a fire is burning. This will let the fire start and stay lit for many hours. A proper opening will keep the fire from being starved of air and prevent 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 hot. This will ensure that the chimney is warm, and it also has a strong draft. Once these are done the wood stove damper can be adjusted.
After the fire has been burning for an extended period, shut the damper around three quarters of the way. This will stop the warm air in the room from escaping into the chimney, but still permitting smoke to escape.
This is the best way to stop the fire from getting too hot, while also keeping it burning. If you close the damper too much, it could block the draft from working, however should it be too wide, a cold breeze could enter your home.
You can check to see how much the damper is opened by placing your hand on the top of the inside of the flue pipe. If you feel a slight breeze pressing against your hand, it's probably in the open position.
The damper settings can differ slightly from one stove to the next, and even between different kinds of wood. The process of experimenting with the various settings will give you an idea of what you should look for, but you may need to adjust it until you have found the perfect setting for your stove.
Clean up
It is important to clean your flue and stove after an incident. This will help reduce the risk of a chimney fire, which is the main reason for wood stove-related fires in homes. Creosote is a sticky substance that accumulates on the stovepipe's interior and can be very dangerous. It is caused by moisture and unburned wood particles that are unable to escape from the fire. This can also occur when fires aren't properly lit.
Regular cleaning can help keep away the buildup of creosote. The best wood burning backpacking stove way to do this is by sweeping the chimney every year. It is also recommended to have your fireplace and stove Wood Burning professionally cleaned and checked at least yearly.
It is also a good idea to clean the ash tray and grate it regularly. It is best to only burn wood that has been seasoned because it produces less creosote. It is also a good idea to avoid burning cardboard, paper or plastic items. These items could release dangerous chemicals to the air and flue, that could end up in your home.
It is also important to wash the glass of the wood burning stove regularly. Most newer wood stoves have self-cleaning windows so they do not require as much scrubs. You can apply stove glass cleaners to the glass if you aren't getting the glass as clean as you want on your wood stove.
Other suggestions to keep your wood stove in good condition include lowering the vent when you're not using it, and opening doors or windows to increase airflow. This will help keep the fire burning more hot and more efficiently, as it won't need to be as active to circulate air. It is recommended to not stack logs or place them in the fire for long periods of time as this can lead to warping and splitting. Finally, it is a good idea to avoid using compressed combustible wood logs in your wood stove, because the paraffin in them could melt and spill into the flue which could damage it.
