How to Properly Start a Wood Burning Stove Wood stoves can be an ideal method to reduce energy consumption and also heat a room. However, they require a certain amount of maintenance. Many modern wood stoves are compliant with EPA emission guidelines. You can check for an EPA sticker on the grate or under it to ensure your stove doesn't release harmful pollutants. How to start a Wood Fire The smell and the sound of a woodfire can be a welcome addition in any home. However, it is important to know the proper way to build a fire in your stove. Incorrect techniques can lead to a fire that doesn't burn effectively and produces smoke or creosote. These tips can help you start an efficient fire that will heat up your home quickly and efficiently. Examine the condition of your logs and coals before you start the fire. If they're damp, it will smother your fire and prevent the proper burning. You may also want to open the flue to let any ash that has been deposited into the stove. Start 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 started to burn, you can put the larger kindling pieces on the top. This should be done in a crosshatch pattern so there will be air between each piece of wood. If your wood stove is equipped with an automatic combustion control it will automatically pump air into the fire as it grows. This will help the fire to burn at a steady pace without having to constantly open the stove's door to keep it in check. Do not use excessive tinder since this will cause the fire to burn at a fast rate and not utilize the fuel effectively. Once you've got a good foundation in your stove that is made of igniters, tinder, and embers begin the main flame by laying two large logs of the base on the grate. Then, add small logs parallel to these and on the top of the base logs. This top-down method of creating a fireplace will result in a long-lasting, efficient fire that doesn't completely engulf larger logs from the base. Close the damper after your fire is established and keep it closed. The fire can be smothered by opening the damper before it is fully established. This can also affect the effectiveness of the fire. Add Wood Stoves aren't just beautiful home decor pieces - they can help you save money by supplying efficient wood heat. They can be utilized together with central heating systems or furnace to provide additional heat in large homes. The latest clean-burning stoves on the market 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 and the second step is to provide fresh air that has been pre-heated. This improves the combustion process and helps reduce the smell. The amount of heat that you can get from a stove will depend on the species and the moisture content of the wood you use, and also the size of logs. The logs should be stored in a ventilated area for several months prior to when you attempt to burn them, to give the wood time to dry out. If the logs have excessive moisture, they'll produce steam which is essentially wasted power. It is best to add wood to the pile at intervals and not all at one time. Too much wood added at one time causes the temperature in 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 reduce your stove's efficiency. It is recommended to stay clear of any other combustibles, such as paper or cardboard in your stove, because they are not wood and have different physical properties and cannot be burned safely without creating dangerously high temperatures and excessive emissions. Also, you should not use compressed combustibles like wood briquettes as they have a very different chemical and physical composition to real firewood and aren't approved for burning in wood-burning stoves. If you're planning to install wood-burning stoves in your home, it is essential to have it installed and tested by a professional. A certified WETT technician will test the stove for proper operation and safety and also ensure that your chimney is operating correctly. These experts can also provide maintenance services to keep your stove and chimney in good condition. They can check the areas that are accessible to your chimney for leakage, and fix any issues that are discovered. They will also ensure that the occupants of your home understand and comply with the fire evacuation procedures in case in the event of an emergency. Adjusting the Damper A damper controls the amount of heat that is lost through the chimney when you're not using your stove. In addition, it can also help you control the fire. If double sided wood burner opens but the damper is closed the fire will not be able to burn as it should and smoke will pour into your home. To ensure you have the best fire with your damper adjusted properly you should test different positions and observe how each affects the flames. You should keep your damper open to let air enter and exit the flue while a fire is burning. This will allow the fire to begin and stay lit for several hours. A proper opening will prevent the fire from starving of air, and also prevent it from blowing smoke. To properly adjust your damper, you need to first make sure the fireplace is preheated and the wood stove is hot. This will ensure that the chimney stays warm and has good draft. After this, the wood stove damper can be adjusted. After the fire has burned for an extended period, shut the damper around three quarters of the way. This will prevent the warm room air from escaping up the chimney while still allowing the smoke to escape out of the wood stove. This is the best method to keep your fire lit and prevent it from getting too hot. If you close the damper too tightly, it may stop the draft from working, however should it be too open a cold breeze could blow through your home. Placing your hand on the top of the flue pipe will show you how much the damper has opened. If you feel a small draft pushing on your hand it is probably in the open position. The damper settings may differ 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 will need to adjust until you get the ideal setting for your stove. Clean Up It is essential to clean your flue and stove after the start of a fire. This can reduce the chance of a fire in the chimney, which is the primary cause of fires caused by wood stoves. Creosote is a sticky substance that accumulates on the stovepipe's interior and can be very dangerous. The moisture and the unburned parts of wood that cannot escape the fire are responsible for this substance. It can also be caused by improperly lit fires. A regular cleaning schedule can help keep the buildup of creosote at bay. The best method to do this is to sweep the chimney each year. It is recommended that you have your fireplace and stove professionally cleaned and inspected at least once per year. Also, it's an excellent idea 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. It is also an excellent idea to avoid burning cardboard, paper or plastic items. They can release chemicals that are dangerous for the flue and air, and could be released into your home. The glass that is used on the wood burning stove has to be regularly cleaned as well. Many modern wood stoves come with self-cleaning windows, so they don't require as much scrubbing. 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 helpful tips for maintaining your wood stove include turning the vent off when you're not using it, and opening windows or doors to increase air flow. This will ensure that the fire is burning more hot and efficient. The wood stove will not have to work as hard in order to circulate air. It is also a good idea not stack logs or place them in the fire for prolonged periods of time, as this could cause warping and splitting. In addition, it is recommended to avoid using compressed combustible logs in your wood stove, as the paraffin they contain can melt and flow into the flue which could damage it.
double sided wood burner
