Have you purchased a wall mounted fireplace? Do you have a new home with a built-in fireplace? Congratulations, your home will be cozy and warm. In this article, we will cover how to light your fireplace for the first time, How To Stack Wood In Fireplace and how to care for your new wood burning fireplace. Step-by-step instructions on how to light a wood burning fireplace will be useful not only for beginners, because modern fireplaces are very different from older models.
New fireplace. First ignition.
During the first ignition of the fireplace there may be an unpleasant odor. This is not terrible. This phenomenon occurs at the initial stage of combustion and is associated with the curing of paint and possible burnout of other technical substances used in the production. For example, grease on unpainted parts. If the body of the fireplace smokes at the first ignition – this is normal. This is the way the paint adheres to the fireplace body.
When the fireplace is first used, it is recommended to use it at a low load, approximately 30-50% of the rated output. Excessive burning during first use can cause thermal stress, which can lead to excessive wear and tear and even damage to the unit.
The combustion process should be done slowly with a gradual increase in temperature so as not to cause harmful thermal stresses. Use the fireplace for the first ten days to make it completely dry. After this time, conduct an intense burning process that will completely eliminate odors (they are non-toxic). However, make sure the room is properly ventilated.
Ignition, step by step
Fully open the primary and secondary air dampers (usually at the top and bottom of the door), open the door. Place a few medium-sized logs inside. Place crumpled paper or kindling on them. Then place small logs or wood chips. Light the paper or kindling and close the door without tightening the lock.
Wait until the flames start to spread and tighten the door latch. The flame should not go out and may even become more efficient. When all the wood is in flames, you can close or close the lower air supply and regulate the burning with the upper regulator only.
In case the fireplace has only the lower air regulator, only the lower air regulator is used. Try to reduce the air supply gradually. At first, move it down a little bit. Then a little bit more, until you start to feel the reaction of the fireplace to the change of air supply. In general, adjusting the fireplace is not difficult and you will quickly learn it by experience.
When loading wood into the fireplace, handle the door carefully. Pay attention to the fact that the firewood does not stick out further than the firewood stopper and the glass does not hit the firewood when closing the door. If you correct the wood with a poker or tongs, also be careful not to hit the glass with the tool and break it.
How To Stack Wood In Fireplace
- Handle the door carefully when loading wood. The maximum amount of wood that can be loaded is three to five logs with a maximum cross-section of twelve to fifteen centimeters. Wait until the flame is low, do not add too much wood.
- The wood should be placed on the coals, covering their surface. It is possible to place the logs on top of each other. Do not distribute the wood over the entire area of the fireplace, as this can make it difficult to burn the entire tab. When air washes over the logs they burn better. One large log will burn worse than two or three smaller ones or may go out altogether.
- Before adding wood to the fireplace, always set the damper, if available, in the open position. Otherwise, when you open the fireplace door, smoke will escape into the room. Wait for about a minute, then open the door and wait a little longer. In this way the pressure in the fireplace will normalize and the draught will be directed to the chimney. You can then open the door completely.
Note. Remember that the fireplace is very hot and has a high temperature when in operation. Use a protective mitt or glove even when you need to use the fireplace quickly. It may not always be noticeable, but the unprotected skin of the hand suffers from the high temperature of the coals even if you put down a single log very quickly.
Keep in mind that modern fireplaces with doors are intended to be used in a closed fireplace. This increases its efficiency and safety (read also Parts of a Fireplace: Parameters And Characteristics). If you have a model that can be used open for short periods of time, make sure there are no flammable objects nearby and do not leave an open fireplace unattended.
Can you burn pine in a fireplace?
Modern fireplaces are designed to burn only hardwoods such as oak, hornbeam, beech and others. The most common is birch. Properly dried birch wood does not shoot, burn smoothly and beautifully. The use of coniferous wood is unacceptable. The glassy resin can cause excessive burning and soot deposit in the chimney and on the walls of the fireplace will be very large.
Expert Tip. You should use dry wood with less than twenty percent moisture content. This applies to wood stored for two years in a dry area. The natural humidity of the air does not threaten the firewood with getting wet, it can be stored outdoors. It is important that the firewood is not exposed to precipitation. Wood with high humidity does not burn well and contributes to rapid contamination of the glass and chimney.
| Image | Product | |
|---|---|---|
Big One  | 8ft Outdoor Fire Rack
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Middle One  | Firewood Rack Holder 24 inch
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Small One  | Hearth Collection, Firewood Storage Rack, Collapsible, Portable
| Check Price |
Fire Starter  | 10 lbs Fatwood Fire Starter Sticks
| Check Price |
HEAVY-DUTY  | Firewood Log Carrier
| Check Price |
What should not be burned in the fireplace?
It is harmful to use chemical products or liquids such as: alcohol, gasoline, kerosene and so on to start a fire. The kindling should be dry and smooth. It is also harmful to burn in the fireplace: garbage, plastics, furniture and other wood waste with paint and impregnations. It is also unacceptable to burn food waste in the fireplace.
Heating during transitional periods and bad weather
During off-season periods, when the ambient temperature is around 15 °C or higher and there are unfavorable weather conditions, strong winds and the like, the draught in the chimney may be interfered with. This may result in a back draft of smoke and smoke in the firebox or smoke entering the room when the door is opened.
If this happens, put less wood in the fireplace and leave the air supply more open. In this way you will improve the draught in the chimney. Although it may happen that you will have to put wood in the fireplace more often, because less fuel will be used and the burning intensity will be higher. If the draught in the chimney stabilizes, you can proceed to the normal use of the fireplace, observing the process, so as not to lead to the situation described above.
