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How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove Wood stoves are an excellent way to save energy and also heat a room. However, they need a certain amount of maintenance. Many modern wood stoves meet EPA emission guidelines. You can check for an EPA sticker on the grate or beneath it to ensure your stove doesn't release harmful pollutants. How to start a Wood Fire The smell and the sound of a woodfire is an enjoyable addition to any house. It's essential to understand how to build a fire in your stove. Unintentional methods can lead to an unburned fire that doesn't burn efficiently, and produces creosote or smoke. The following tips can help you start an efficient fire that will heat up your home quickly and effectively. Make sure to check the condition of your coals and logs before you begin an fire. If they are too wet, they will smother the fire and prevent it from burning efficiently. You might want to open the chimney to remove any ash that has fallen into the stove. Begin by placing a handful of small dry newspaper pieces in your stove. This will help ignite the tinder. Once these begin to ignite, add a layer of larger pieces to the top of the pile. This should be done with an arc pattern so that there is air between each piece. If you own a wood stove that has an automatic combustion control, it will automatically feed an air stream that is controlled to the fire as it builds. This will allow the fire to burn continuously without you having to open the stove door often to keep it in check. Avoid using excessive tinder since this will cause the fire to burn at an extremely fast rate and not utilize the fuel efficiently. When you have a good bed of tinder and kindling in your stove, you can start the main fire by laying two large logs of the base across the grate. On the top of these base woods put a layer of wood perpendicular to them. This “top-down” method of creating a fireplace will produce a long-lasting, efficient fire that doesn't engulf larger base logs. Close the damper after your fire is established and keep it shut. The fire could be smothered if you open the damper prior to it being fully established. It can also decrease the effectiveness of the fire. Add Wood Stoves aren't only beautiful pieces of home decor – they can help you save money by providing efficient wood heat. They can be used on their own or together with central heating or furnace system to provide the extra heat required in large houses or homes with multiple rooms. Many of the new clean burning stoves that are available on the market use an advanced combustion principle which is able to separate the burning volatile compounds from combustible gasses as well as tar. This is done by supplying air at two different stages. The first stage is to aid in the vaporization and the second is to supply fresh air that is pre-heated. This improves combustion and decreases the odors. The amount of heat that you will get from your stove will depend on both the species of wood used and the moisture content and the size of the logs. The logs should be stored in a well-ventilated space for several months before you attempt to burn them, to give the wood time to dry. If the logs are not dry enough they will release a lot of steam that is essentially wasted energy. You should add wood to the pile at intervals and not all at all at. Too much wood added at once can cause the temperature of the firebox to increase and creates a vortex, which draws smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into the flame, which can decrease your stove's efficiency. Avoid burning other combustibles in your stove, such as cardboard or paper, because they are not wood. They have different physical properties and are unable to be burned without producing dangerously high temperatures. It is not recommended to burn combustibles that are compressed, such as wood briquettes as they differ in chemical and physical composition from firewood. They are also not approved to be used in wood-burning stoves. It is essential to have a professional install and test your wood stove . A certified WETT technician can examine your stove to make sure that it is safe and efficient. They will also check that your chimney works correctly. These professionals offer maintenance services for your chimney and stove to keep them in top shape. They can check the areas that are accessible to your chimney for leakage, and repair any problems found. They will also ensure that all occupants of the house understand and follow the fire evacuation procedure in case of an accident. Adjusting the Damper A damper controls the amount of heat that is lost through the chimney when you aren't cooking on your stove. Additionally, it can help you control the fire. If the flue is not open but the damper is closed too much the fire will not burn as efficiently and it will billow out smoke into your living area. You can adjust the damper to get the best flames by experimenting with different settings. Typically, you want to keep the damper open enough to let air flow in and out of the flue while the fire is burning. This lets the fire get going and helps it stay in good shape so that you can enjoy it for a long time. The proper opening will stop the fire from becoming depleted of air and keep it from blowing smoke. To be able to adjust your damper you need to ensure that the fireplace is preheated and the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney is warm and has a good draft. Once these are done the damper for wood stoves can be adjusted. Once the fire has smolder for a while, you can reduce the damper to around three-quarters of its full position. This will stop the warm air in the room from getting into the chimney, but still allowing smoke to escape. This is the best way to keep your fire lit and keep it from getting too hot. If you close the damper too far it may stop the draft from working, however if it is too wide, a cold breeze could enter your home. You can check to see how much the damper is open by placing your hands near the top of the inside of the flue pipe. If you feel a small draft pressing against your hand, it's probably in the open position. The damper settings can vary from one stove to another and even between different kinds of wood. Playing around with different settings will give you an idea of what to look for, but you might need to adjust it until you find the ideal setting for your stove. Clean Up After an incident, it is important to clean the stove and flue. This can reduce the chance of a fire in the chimney which is the most common reason for fires caused by wood stoves. Creosote, a sticky substance that builds up on the stovepipe's interior and can be extremely hazardous. The moisture and the unburned parts of wood that cannot escape the fire are responsible for this chemical. It could be caused by improperly lit fires. A regular cleaning routine helps to prevent the buildup of creosote. This can be done by cleaning your chimney once a year. It is also recommended to have your fireplace and stove professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a year. It is also recommended to clean the ash tray and grate it regularly. It is recommended to only use seasoned wood to burn, since this will produce less creosote and less ash. It is also an excellent idea to avoid burning cardboard, paper or plastic items. These materials can release harmful chemicals for the flue and air, which could be released in your home. It is also important to wash the glass of the wood burning stove regularly. Many modern wood stoves come with self-cleaning windows, so they don't require as much scrubs. If you are not able to get the glass on your wood stove as clean as you'd like you can use stove glass cleaners available that you can use on the window. Other suggestions to maintain your wood stove include lowering the vent when you're not using it, and cracking windows or doors to improve airflow. This will keep the fire burning more hot and more efficiently, as it won't have to exert as much effort to circulate air. It is advisable not to stack logs or leave them on the fire for a long period of time. This could cause splitting and warping. It is also recommended to avoid using compressed combustible logs in your wood stove as the paraffin they contain can melt and then flow down the flue which could cause damage.