How to Use a Wood Burning Stove
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- Опубліковано 21 вер 2024
- Starting a fire with a wood burning stove takes patience and a bit of know-how.
Read the corresponding written guide, visual notes and summary here: clearingfarm.c....
Here's also a quick cheat to starting your fire and keeping it running efficiently.
1. Make sure your damper is vertical! (The video shows clearly where that is.)
2. Use dry twigs. If the twigs are dry, they snap easily. If you can't find dry twigs, establish a base fire with match-light charcoal.
3. Avoid paper if possible! It's always better to start your base with twigs or match-light charcoal. If you can't find any of that, use cardboard instead of paper.
4. Blow on the fire a lot. The more you blow, the better. Don’t use an electrical fan though as that might smoke out your space.
5. Remember the basics: Heat rises. So always focus on creating your initial bed of fiery coals before moving onto other steps.
6. Smaller is always better! Big logs will suffocate your fire. Use the smallest wood you can find, particaurly in the early stages of starting the fire.
7. Be patient and enjoy art of making a fire with a wood burning stove.
I'm a retired chemist, new to wood stoves and I've watched dozens of videos. This one covers the science and theory, in lay terms, BEST on the subject, that I have seen. Thank You
Walt?
@@kanonmata1100Sorry, I'm not "Walt".
Been burning wood for 25 years, this guy is really putting way too much time and effort into getting his stove up and running. There are many much better vids out that demonstrate techniques that are quick, effective, with much less time involved. I'm surprise that you put so much value on this vid.
Mr.white?
Hmm, well I'm sure you we're/are a fine chemist but you don't know squat about running a wood stove. So you watch this guy spend gobs of time and energy getting his stove up and running which in my mind is the slowest and least efficient method of getting a stove up and running that I've seen for a while. There are plenty of vids out there that do a much better job. If you are a complete novice and never built a campfire in your life maybe this vid could help you some, but anyone who actually has run a wood stove for an extended period of time would never follow this man's advice, you'll spend many hours over a years' time just starting up you stove when you could cut that time by 75% if you used the right techniques.
Great video, but one suggestion, build the fire upside down. Put a couple logs on the bottom, then your medium branches on next, followed by your vine bark and birch bark on top. Light the birch bark first. As the fire burns, the coals will fall down into the layer below igniting it and building your bed of coals and ultimately your logs. You get a lot of instant heat up the chimney with this method helping to clear any cold blockages. Works a charm each time.
I agree, I put a couple of pieces of kindling in first to allow air to get under the small (3"/4") logs that I put in, build it upside down from there. Works great every time.
Called the upside down fire. Been doing it as long as I can remember.
This works for me too. Much better to get it started too.
The top down fire is what I use as well. It's counterintuitive if you're used to outdoor burning but it works in a stove! Also I use a Mapp gas torch to lite it, ain't nobody got time for all this lol.
What if your electricity goes & u have no blower? How can my wood burning oven keep me warm?
Ive built hundreds of fires this way-and still do sometimes. But nowadays when im at home i just use a propane torch, kindling in a can. I use regular kindling splits and blast it with the torch, and alternately blast the chimney pipe with my torch too, to force heat to the insode of my chimney pipe and induce draft. Getting a draft started is the biggest help to starting a fire quickly. Also, if ur wood stove sat unused for several days and ur trying to start a fire in damp chilly wet weather its best ti blast the outside of ur chimney pipe with the torch for a bit to push that heavy plug of damp cold air out of ur chimney and help prevent an inversion, which is when ur stove reverses on start up and smokes out ur house
I'm new to wood stoves and this was the video I was looking for. Everything put into simple terms and explaining the functions of everything. You're a lifesaver man.
I have the same exact stove. The instructions said to not install a damper on the stove pipe. Doing so stops your secondary burn. The way this stove works is when it gets up to temp.(close to 1000 degrees) you close the primary air and the draft will cause oxygen to enter through the secondary air tubes at the top of the fire box that burns the smoke. This is why this stove is so efficient.
ohh thats why I almost never can see the smoke out of chimney! Such a fine system! I was asking myself what all those holes are for???..
What is the name of this stove? I’m shopping around right now for a wood burning fireplace and so far this one looks like exactly what I’m looking for. Also, how is it holding up for you?
I'm moving into a log cabin in the woods with a wood stove, so this is great for me! Thanks!
Best explanation for new woodstove owners I've seen on youtube so far. Building a nice bed of coal, giving the fire all the air it needs to build the coalbed and after that feeding the large stuff to it, regulating the air down for your heating needs when you have the fire up to speed.
This is why i love UA-cam for videos like this, i so appreciate you for this video my beautiful brother please don't stop making these, thank you so much, you just never know how many people need this info, i just bought a wood burning stove and i am very glad to have found your video, this is valuable to an amateur such as myself
Just bought a new Home that has a Pellet Stove upstairs and a wood burning stove in the basement. This was a great help.
Thank you so much. Newly divorced and needed sone tips. You’re awesome!
Some tips. Couldn’t edit
I’ve been adding a few corn chips to my kindling. It works great. I learned this from an episode of The Big Bang Theory!
Wow. Thank you for this video. For years we used electric and propane heater.
I plan to install wood burner soon as i expect the price of propane and everything else to skyrocket. We live in the country where we have lots of trees. Thank you.
Get it cut and stacked with plenty of chance for sun 🌅😎 and air to dry it. Do it as soon as you can to get it dry. Best to build a lean too woodshed. Make your kindling of branches and dead dry standing.
Yeah, I been heating with a wood stove since I was a kid. I’ve cut hundreds of cords in my life. Get it cut and split in the spring and let it bake in the sun all summer and you’ll have dry wood to burn in the fall and winter. Keep it out of the rain and snow! Split some kindling and start it with newspaper. Pretty simple!
Been burning wood for many years. I don't do as much tree falling as I use to do and now buy some of my wood, old age - lol. Yeah, your right, the key word here is simple. This guy is making the simple process of getting your stove fired up complicated, time consuming, and tedious. My advice to the many newbie stove folks is to think and experiment, you'll figure it out if you do that rather than listen to this guy. There are situations where one would use this technique, for example very small fire boxes, or camping perhaps. For most stoves there are much easier methods.
@@itsopinion7430 we had a fireplace as a kid, but now I've inherited a wood stove in a home purchase. They are not the same beast and figuring out this wood stove has been a chore, especially since I've been inconsistent in successfully getting a fire and this has been a very cold April here in the rust belt.
I disagree that he's making this tedious but rather thoroughly explaining the importance of starting small and building big. I have been using fire starter squares but i haven't had any small twigs to build the fire.
@@jalie26 Dry kindling is the key, it's worth the time in the off season to get enough dry kindling for a season. With the right wood and paper, a person should get a hot fire up and running in 5 minutes.
@@itsopinion7430 I agree. Have never had a fireplace of my own, sadly enough. But have lit plenty of fires.
I dont understand why this guy is talking so much. Just throw some paper (or birch bark in this case) Put some tiny twigs ontop, some bigger sticks on that and then the logs. Light it and keep the door open for the first minute or so so it can get plenty of air. Takes 1 minute
Good information, but you forgot to mention pre-heating the flue before starting the fire. This step seems to be missing from most wood stove videos on YT. I struggled to understand why my house would fill with smoke for the first few minutes, despite the fact that I was doing everything shown in the videos. I eventually learned that not pre-heating causes cold air to push down on the fire and prevents smoke from exiting the flue (until it warms up).
Naw, your stove setup is wrong or something. You shouldn't have to preheat the chimney..lol
Wish I was fireproof like you.
I use a wood stove to heat my house when it’s real cold…like it is now, at -30. There were some tips in here that I didn’t know about. Great video, very informative
Google the Swiss fire method. That's the correct way of doing it nowadays. And since you face -30 you will benefit greatly from the Swiss method.
Thanks so much. Very well taught for first time wood burning stove owners.
this is an absolutely fantastic video and it helped me get a wonderful little fire going. unfortunately i realized that my problem is that i am not getting a draft because the vent in the room is sealed from the outside, which became clear after filling my house up with smoke, lesson learned lol
always see the sky from your fireplace first, then try to start the fire!
We’ve been getting ready for our wood heater for at least a year know; harvesting wood, splitting, stacking, etc. I’ve saved all the scraps created when splitting the wood. It will make some fine kindling, along with the dryer lint that my wife has been collecting. I’ve also invested in a really nice moisture meter. Spot checking my wood racks shows a moisture reading of no higher than 12%. Everything I’ve read says keep it below 20%. My Buck Model 81 will be installed in a few weeks. We’re pumped. Thank you for the info!!
cotton balls and petroleum jelly over lint. Get a ziplock and put a bunch of cotton balls and petroleum jelly in there. Mix together. Pull one out when you need it. Works like a charm.
Lint these days has a whole lot of plastic (synthetic fabrics are overwhelmingly common) in it. Don’t want to use that stuff at all.
@@_Ag- Never thought about that. Good call. Thanks!!
@@rogerknight2267 No prob. (BTW, someone else just told me about Swiss/Swedish top down fire-building. Fascinating stuff you might be interested in as well.)
I agree with all you say. Though the following are more tips: A propane torch is the easiest way to start a fire and advance it to the stage when you just wanna jam it full of wood, set the air and walk away for a few hours. Fooling with the fire and opening it up every hour or so to add just one log loses a lot of heat from your house. After a full night burn push everything to the back and rake the coals to the front. After about 3 days of burning let her die down all day to burn up most of the coals, the bottom might be about half full. After about 5 days of burning you then need to let her die down all day with air damper wide open to remove the ash and restart.
So, essentially count on one cold day every 5 days?
Diamond hack is awesome, gonna show my kids they will love it. Thanks bro!
thank you for this! so informative with tips and tricks and clear explanations, this video is a life saver, thanks so much!
I was looking everywhere to figure out what the little knob was on the front of my wood stove. You were the first video I found it on and I hugely appreciated the instruction on how to use the airflow.
Thanks! Currently at rustic cabin in the north. First night I was very patient and things went well. The next morning I just wanted to get the stove going and get my coffee fix. Certainly did not work! I don’t own a stove, but will know from now on what steps to take when I’m semi rough camping. Excellent lesson.
Thanks alot! Got a wood stove in our new house, this was really helpful!
This is incredibly helpful, thank you!
Nice guy, happy to watch to the end.
Great video man! I completely understand all the logic behind it. I don't know if i miss it but i wonder how the air intake mechanics works in this one
This is everything I always wanted to know about wood stoves - thank you!
My new house in a rural area has an oil furnace but also used to have a wood stove, the chimney has a hole for the stove. I like the idea of the wood stove as it looks cozy. Thinking about getting a stove put in.
Thanks for the informative video.
Great explanation of key points of how to get a fire started in the wood stove. Thank you, greatly appreciate the tutorial!
If you have to leave your door open when you are starting your fire, you are using too much fuel during the starting process.
An efficient fire doesn't smoke much and it won't die when the door is closed. Provided that your draft is working properly. I open all dampers to ensure full draft through the stove in the beginning.
Try creating a space that will hold the heat but allow good air flow. I usually put a larger piece on either side and build my fire between them. I start with newspaper, then some small kindling, and a few small, thin flat pieces on top to help hold heat. It will smoke a bit for a minute or two. I let the fire mostly consume the kindling before adding larger pieces. About 5 minutes. But my door is closed as soon as I light the paper. You are aiming to create air flow but hold enough heat to keep the fire.
By leaving the door open, you could be venting gas into your living space. If you can smell the fire, it's venting into your home.
Go small in the beginning and add sparingly. Just enough to keep it going. A soft wood builds the best bed of coals in the beginning. Poplar, cottonwood, aspen, birch, etc. I've found that pine or spruce starts the best. As soon as there is a nice bed of coals built, front to back, between the 2 larger pieces, you can fill your stove as full as you need, preferably with hardwoods like oak or maple, and get the draft shut down.
1 thing that some stoves need is colder temps outside. The cold temps create draw in your flue (pipe). I have problems getting draft above 50 degrees F. So, I will load the flue with newspaper and light it a couple seconds before I light the fire. That encourages the draft to go the proper direction. I have had a reverse draft a couple times.....the stove was drawing the warmer air from outside and venting the exhaust through the air control valve into the house. All because I wanted a fire on a warm but rainy day.
I also have times where the chimney pipe is the entire air flow. It vents fresh air from the outside and the exhaust on separate halves of the pipe. It's kinda cool but impossible to control the burn rate. It happens mostly on windy days.
I use a hair dryer to warm up the pipe when its rainy :)
I guess you missed the part where he showed he wasn’t using bone dry wood? Because yeah. You need more air for damp wood.
@@georgemiller9533
No...I didn't miss it.
But the same principles apply.
For damp wood, you should use even less fuel than dry wood.
The goal is to not over-fuel the heat generated.
Dampness affects the heat...so less fuel should be used to maximize the air flow...
Thank you so much for this video!!! Super helpful this is our first year with being in charge of a wood stove in our home and we've had such frustration. This has made all our errors obvious and we should be better with it now... best learning video I've found for us
Thanks for this! Our new house will likely have a wood burning stove and I'm now much more confident I WON'T burn the house down. :-)
You explained this really well. Definitely gonna save and re-watch a few times. I look forward to more videos!
Thank you! We just posted a new video yesterday and plan to start updating the channel regularly.
blowing through the fingers is the best tip ever!
Thanks very much for this superguide!!! I now know how to correctly use my woodstove!👍👍👍👍
This thing can hold a fire!! I burn a lot of wood and it holds up. I would recommend this product.
Very helpful and informative video. Some things never thought of before. I like the technique of how to blow the fire without getting all the heat back at your face.
I agree with the helpful hack I've been running a woodstove for 15+yrs & never knew about that ! I guess that's why the old fasion wind things that came with the stove worked so well lol ! good video overall
Very helpful video. You made the instructions clear and easy to follow. Thank you for posting!
This was so helpful-thank you!
City girl gone bush girl here and I need guidance 😁👍
Since starting up a wood stove is a ritual for me, I enjoyed learning new things.Im not sure why my installer didn’t put in a damper. I will check with Lopi stoves to see if I can install one.
That diamond tip was so awesome
Thank you so much for this video, I am now able to easily and safely start and maintain fires in my wood burning stove.
I've been heating my house and shop since 1976 and I can tell you I've got a fire going and I'm drinking a cup of coffee long before this gentleman gets his fire going. I'm also a retired firefighter so I clean my chimneys often
This was an instructional video not a video of how he normally does it. Don’t be a dick
Then why don’t you make the video on how to do it, instead of being an asshat. Took him like what 5-10 minutes, I mean any faster then that is just unnecessary.
He's teaching - you were going about your normal routine. Perhaps you could take a lesson or two in arrogance.
Am I the only one who got freaked out by how careless he was with leaving the door open? And when he blew on the flames, sparks flew out over the logs and kindling. I heat my house with wood and I would never leave the door open, never have dry twigs resting on they stove. When I wake up in the morning there are hot coals in the stove. I throw a few logs in, make my tea and by the time I’ve done the rest of my chores… Voilà …perfect fire
Ok gramps
Thank you! This is a really informative video. Also, I appreciate your production quality. Well done all around.
Thank you so much for your support! We'll be posting more videos soon around similar topics.
That diamond thing to blow on the fire was magic. Lol great tip.
Been heating with a wood stove for 32 years! Never went through all that nonsense to start a fire!
Your such an expert
This has been the biggest help. Thank you so much for making this!
Glad to learn the diamond tip. I wondered when something eventually hits my eye.
Wowed by your teaching class today
You have taught me everything I needed to know God Bless You sir!!!
Perfectly informative. Thank you.
Side note if you have a good newer wood stove do not ever put in a damper this will make the wood stove run bad!! These newer wood stoves are made to run properly without a damper 🙂
This is a lovely and meditative way to spend time. You wont be wasting your time making a fire like this. There is far faster ways to make fires. Such as using larger kindling and pre prepared fire starters. Bunched up paper covered in mayonnaise can be a fire starter! The best way to make flame is with lighters. The same lighters that most people use for light cigarettes. Nothing beats that for a fast and efficient flame. It also is on your person and wont fail if wet. What will you have on your body if you miraculously find yourself unharmed and flung from a fast moving car in the middle of nowhere in the rain? A lighter! Everything else is for fun. Which it is. Fun. All the creative ways of making flame are absolutely for a last ditch attempt. If you consider yourself a survivalist, a lighter is the ultimate tool. I own a striker and would attempt to make flame using friction if i had the time. If I was in danger, lighter.
I bought a property in a cold whether and I have one of those thank you for the explanation
This was awesome!! Thank you for the additional education on the stove itself. Great, great, great!
I think this tutorial is as comprehensive as one would wish for.
/s ?
Great teacher! Thanks! I appreciate your video!
A great video on how to turn an easy job into a difficult job.
Thank you! Great video for beginners.
You can buy a box of those starter sticks for like $12 that will last a season and then just throw logs on it.
You can never just throw logs on a “starter” fire. The take away from this video is start small and build to a bigger fire
Excellent detail and explanation, thank you
Really informative video. I enjoyed it a lot and I don’t even have a wood stove or a fireplace 😂😂😂 but can’t stop me from dreaming of having one in the future 😂
Me in the future 😂🤣😂🤣
Great video. Very thorough and helpful. 👍🏼 🔥
Great video
I prefer to light the stove from the top. It's simple, efficient and with a minimum of smoke: I put 2 larger oak logs underneath, a few thinner chips across them, then some thinner spruce logs, then more thinner spruce pieces, then finally a pile of chips. The whole pile of wood extends to about 2/3 to 3/4 of the height of the chamber. I stick a fire starter (or paper or very thin chips) under the chips and the preparation is done. It takes about 5 minutes, even with cleaning the stove. When I come home from work, I just light the burner with one match and immediately close the door, the vents open to the maximum. Within minutes a pile of chips ignites brightly and creates a draft in the chimney. At that point I reduce the air intake vents and occasionally check that everything is burning "just right" - a bright fire, but not too fiercely. The fire slowly burns down to bigger and bigger logs. The lowest logs start to burn after about 1 hour and the whole stake burns to glowing ash in about 2-3 hours. Only when the last flames disappear, I open the door, add 2 oak logs and close it again. I leave the bottom flow for a while for a faster burn and then pull the vents down again. Try it out; -)
Nice video. Thank you for your time and effort Sir.
very informative.
I know how to use a wood stove, mines in my basement n it has a long way to exit the chimney. U left out an important factor. U must create up draft. Open window, or bilco door before lighting fire. It also is sensible to use big small n medium sizes of wood. Not bad video u did not bad
cant believe I just watched someone light a friggin wood stove . . . . .
Jesus H Christ how far do I got to fall :)
I don't even got a stove !
Some of the video is alright, but the lighting technique is D+.
😂
Great video thank you.. I am not familiar with wood stoves but defínelly thinking on gettin one for the cold Wyoming winters 🥶🥶 we are waiting for temps as low as -30 this coming week.. I like it but seems like it takes a while to have a good fire 🔥 😅
Thank you for making and sharing this video. I just had a brand new woodstove (same model as yours) installed, but it does not have a damper. Does this change any of the instruction you have provided? I did not grow up with either a woodstove or fireplace, so this is all very new to me.
not having a damper means your going to lose lots of heat the damper is there to hold the heat while allowing the smoke to go up the pipe you really should have a damper unless it's built into the stove some have them built into the stove
Hi Kim., how much it cost you the stove If you don’t mind
@@darwinalvarez6215 With raised pad, tile & install it was just under $4k USD. Well worth the investment!
@@KimRadlo thank you have fun
Great review, my only suggestion..., always best to start with a clean wood stove. Be sure to remove ashes from previous burn. This makes it easier going forward. Thanks again for the post.
You don't need to clean it every time, you should leave a layer of ash on the bottom to insulate the firebrick on the bottom
Hi, i use pine cones to start my fire in old wood stove....wiith little wd. On top...works grt. Thank you, you are v. Consise and clear ....
Another band new stove and an expert. Here is a tip from a LONG time wood burner operator. Cut the logs short so they go into the door standing up. You can use logs as big as the door is wide. After you cut them short like that. Then cut a slot in the side to the center of the log. When the log drys the slot will open up on big log this slot can get 2 " wide. Now after you get a good bed of coals. You can use this video to make a bed of coals. Then side a giant slab with a slot cut in it in. They can burn 12 hours in my high efficiency model.
Oooo. The log will be like a rocket stove. Post a pic?
@@lucienpetersen9010 I can't put one in comments. Just try one you will be sold for life. I have also used all kinds of stuff to start a fire feather sticks, bark, split dia.wood. (pallet scraps split into tiny sticks. Now I use a frigging blow torch. I stick it up the pipe to get a draft started and hit the logs. a 3 buck tank of propane will last years.
So after the first log with the slot opens up and burns down you put in another of the same? Explain this to me like I’m 5? 😅
@@_Ag- Yes they will burn to to 2 large chunks. let them burn down until they break up easy for a new bed of coals to set the next one on. You have to try it! I find it much better than splitting it all down. I pretty much do not split anymore. Not all of the tree will work for this of coarse. You have nothing to loose and only less splitting and longer burns to gain. I plan to put a video up this winter when I start burning again.
After you cut them the slot will open up as they dry. You can gage the dry ness by the size of the slot also. They stack nice and take up less space than if it was split also. They are quite compact compared to split wood.
Knots are not a problem! Because you are not splitting I am not kidding! 😃
@@smokingjoking Thanks for explaining your method. Sounds amazing!
Great video but please can you let people know that this method does not work for all wood burning stoves. Ours has a top oven and back boiler and if we left the door open like that the whole house would fill up with smoke. My mum recenty house sat for us and watched this despite instructions from us, and she has been leaving the door open thinking it was OK but came home to a house stinking of smoke and black ceiling :(
This is how you light a camp fire, there are much easier ways to light a wood stove.
I've never heard such a detailed description of building a fire lol
Thank you
Best video yet
Dad taught me to roll the paper into a bowe tie. Light the ends the middle is denser. If you have to use paper.
Thank you! 😁
My dumb ass came home from work, threw in some logs and paper products and then wondered why I had mild coals and why was I shivering.
I added a small log, a schmedium stick and 2 more pieces of paper. And now I'm roasting in here.
_Kindling made all the difference in the world_
I've NEVER seen anyone but you tart a wood stove like that before. ... while leaving the door wide open !
😂
I just use a self igniting hand held soldering torch that cuts down on time and the need for smaller kindling and helps get the draft going.
How do you manage the smoke that goes up into the pimp and into the house?
Nothing like a house full of smoke while you’re trying to get that puppy going lol
Then you're doing it wrong. Use the Swiss method to start a fire, try it for yourself, it's the standard nowadays, not what is shown in the video.
Thanks buddy. Great video
This video is still fire
Top down is much easier. 2 big logs on bottom, 2 medium then kindling on top/in the middle.
Thank you so much! :).
Vine bark? Where do you find vines with bark lmfao
I am perplext... Why let all the smoke into house by "slowly feeding the fire" if one can just put up the pile at once? I use two handfulls of aspen shavings from pet store as base, 1fatwoodstick + 1birch with bark (or just 2 fat wood sticks) on top of it, and then couple of small dry logs before I start the fire. Then, when pile is set, I put 4 matches into shavings, right under fat wood or birchbark and light them with 5th match. Close the door and enjoy! Fire is going instantly, no smoke at all. Oh... and the draft I create from UNDER the pile - through that small trap door mentioned, and the ash tray - I turn trap-door 45° and pull ashtray about 3mm to start fire. When its burning, I completely close the ash tray, it still pulls enough... (my valve on the side is not working apparently, got it when moved into this house as is), honestly I think the draft is best if it goes from UNDER the fire, blowing right into coals...
I load my logs on the bottom with kinder and news paper in top, a top start option which works well.
For those not comfortable using a hatchet for splitting kindling a masonry chisel and small sledge should be good.
Cool idea. Thanks.
Great video, thank you for this!
So a stove kreates negative pressure 🤔 So you have an inlet from the outside to feed air into the fire plase?
Thank you , how do i use the tiny damper aboce door?
Thankyou 💜 💜 💜 💜 💜 💜 💜 💜 💜 💜 💜