How to Use Wood Burning Stove – An Ultimate Guide to Follow

Gas fireplaces and chimneys have been in trend for a long time, but wood-burning stoves are still the first choice commonly installed within the existing open fireplaces. This type of stove helps increase the efficiency of burning wood inside the home, making it cozier and warmer. 

Whether you want to keep it in a living room or inside the study room, a wood burning stove will always look aesthetic and provide a picture-perfect corner in your house. Since it produces heat on the number of wood logs provided, so indirectly, with each piece of burning wood, you can get significant warmth for your home. 

As compared to gas and modern-style fireplace inserts, a wood-burning stove may go outdated in terms of design—but when it comes to heat production, there is no comparison between the two! 

 Wood-burning stoves are high-energy savers and can help you save on energy bills. The incredible amount of heat produced by a wood stove in a little time is far better than other heating appliances. This is why we recommend you get a wood burning stove insert for the fireplace this winter. 

If you are planning to purchase a wood-burning stove in the near future, then hear it now; it might be a bit difficult in the beginning to get started with the wood stove insert. But don’t worry; we have your back with this in-depth article. 

Steps to Use a Wood Burning Stove

As the name suggests, a wood burning stove needs wood logs to burn and produce heat. It is an aesthetic addition to your home and keeps the surrounding areas warmer. Many people also keep this wood-burning stove at home to avoid technical glitches of the gas fireplace, which may occur anytime. 

With that on the front, we have crafted this ultimate guide on how to use a wood burning stove at home. Follow the steps mentioned below. 

1. Read the manual instructions. 
2. Choose the right fuel. 
3. Take all the controls
4. Put the kindling
5. Light the fire
6. Keep adding small logs
7. Close the door of the stove
8. Add larger logs
9. Use fans to circulate the heat
10. Clean out the ashes regularly
11. Wipe the firebox weekly
12. Get the fireplace inspection annually

Let’s walk through each step in detail. 

• Read the Manual Instructions

Many wood stoves come with specific instructions from the manufacturer. You must read the manual before starting a fire in your wood stove to ensure you do it correctly and safely. If you don’t have your oven’s manual, look for a copy on the manufacturer’s website or take an expert’s help to start the stove fire.

• Choose the Right Fuel

Another important step is to use the right type of fuel in a wood stove insert for the fireplace. Also, ensure to use the best wood, usually known as dry wood, that has been dried for at least six months. Avoid burning the wet wood logs inside the firebox as they produce a lot of smoke and creosote deposits.

At this point, you must stay careful with the fuel and type of wood that must not produce creosote. It combines chemicals made from unburned fuel and can build up in chimneys, causing chimney fires.

You can choose between hardwood and softwood wood types. Derived from deciduous trees, hardwoods are denser and have a longer burning time, making them ideal for hot, cold winters. Because conifers are less dense, they produce cooler fires that are perfect for chilly nights in spring and fall.

Firewood can be found at many convenience stores, gas stations, hardware stores, grocery stores, garden stores, lumber suppliers, and online.

• Take All the Control

The first and foremost thing to burn the wood-burning stove is oxygen, as you need this component to burn the logs. This is where you need to take the overall controls of your firebox. 

Ensure that when you are starting the fire, all the valves of the wood burning stove are fully open. You can check the lever of the control beside the door. 

• Put the Kindling

The next step after learning the controls of your firebox is to start the fire in a wood stove with small pieces of wood. This way, the temperature inside the firebox will increase, and the flames will ignite. 

To set up this kindling, you can use crumpled and completely dry newspapers. Take the newspaper, place it into the center of the firebox, and lay up to 15 pieces of kindling along with wood pieces. 

• Light the Fire

Now after putting the kindling, it is time to use a matchstick or lighter to ignite the newspaper and wood logs under the kindling. Use the trick of lighting the newspaper and logs in different places and start doing it from the back while coming towards the front. This way, you won’t burn your hand. 

Another important thing is to leave the wood stove door open for at least 5 minutes. Ensure that the fire gets enough fresh air that will help it burn. 

• Keep Adding Small Logs

Once the kindling has started burning, add some smaller logs to the fire. It will help replace the dying flames, and heat efficiency won’t be affected. You can add up to 3 small logs simultaneously into the fire to avoid flame smothering.

While adding more logs to the fire, ensure to stack them loosely so the air can easily pass through them. 

• Close the Door of the Stove

Each time when you open the wood-burning stove door, it will allow the heat to escape resulting in a cool and less efficient fire. This is where we recommend that once the fire is completely ignited and sustained (it will take almost 15 minutes), close the firebox door.

Stay careful that when the fire is burning inside the stove, you must not open the door frequently or open it to add more wood. 

• Add Larger Logs

Once the fire is completely established inside the wood stove, you can increase the heat efficiency by adding larger logs. Make sure to do this when the flames from the smaller logs start to subside. 

When the added larger logs have burned down, and you can see visible flames, add more logs to the fire. Ensure you are not adding more than 5 logs at a time, as it can partially smother the fire and leave fuel completely unburned. 

• Use Fans to Circulate the Heat

The core purpose of using a wood stove is to heat the house, and you can do this by using fans as a catalyst. Once the flames are established inside the firebox, open the fans to help blow hot air from the stove in the house. Many stovetop fans are also available in the market that sits on the wood stove top and blows the heat around the home. 

• Clean Out the Ashes Regularly

While using the wood burning stove, ashes build up under the grate and, sometimes, in the bottom of the fire insert—you must clean them out regularly to avoid hindrance amid heating efficiency. If so much ash gathers inside the firebox, it will impede the airflow, and the flames will keep running out. 

You can use a shovel or a brush to sweep the ashes from the firebox. Also, never clean the ashes right after a fire and wait at least 24 hours so the ashes can cool down completely. 

• Wipe the Firebox Weekly

If you are using a wood burning stove regularly, then ensure to clean the inside of the firebox at least once a week. To clean the box, you can use a stiff-bristled brush and scrub the inside to remove soot and other residue.

• Get the Fireplace Inspection Annually

To ensure your wood stove is properly cleaned and working absolutely fine, you must call for a professional chimney sweep every year. A chimney and fireplace repairman can help you properly inspect stoves, pipes, and other components that can be a source of damage to heating appliances.  

Get the Best Wood Burning Stove & Fireplace Installation Service in Maryland

Wood-burning stoves are a great resource for providing warmth and comfort, but these flames can be extremely dangerous and should be treated safely. Keep children and pets away from the stove and have a fire extinguisher installed in the same room as the wood stove. Also, do not throw water on the fire to cool it down, and wait for at least 24 hours before cleaning them. 

If you reside in Maryland and nearby areas and are looking for the best wood burning or fireplace insert installation service, then you can count on Magic Mountain Chimneys. We are experts in sweeping, maintaining, and installing chimneys, stoves, fireplaces, and vents. Book your appointment now or call us at 301-695-6991.