Building a fire in a wood stove

[DickR]

There is a wealth of information on this forum: http://www.hearth.com/talk/
where there are subforums for all kinds of things related to burning wood. Do a search on starting a fire and read through the opinions and experience. You'll see discussions of "top-down" vs "bottom-up" starting. I never had luck with top-down, which likely means I wasn't building the starting pile properly. But I always get a bottom-up pile going well, so that's what I use.

As others do, I scrounge all my wood, cutting, splitting, stacking,etc. For starting purposes, I also scrounge dry blowdown stuff from the woods, after a lengthy dry period, collecting multiple boxes of kindling ranging in size from spaghetti to perhaps an inch. I also save a box of paper-thin birch bark when I see it lying around or peel it off any birch logs I cut up.

My stove is small, too; it will take a 16" piece "north-south," and a little longer diagonally if the split width isn't too big. When I split rounds, I like to get a variety of widths, so that I'll have smaller pieces for starting. So what I do is to place a couple of pieces maybe thumb-width N-S, a couple of smaller pieces across that, fill inside with small strips of birch or other easily kindled stuff, then build up with progressively larger kindling and finally some not-too-big splits. Before lighting, I have to be sure the clothes dryer and range hood are not running. The house is very tight. I do have an insulated directly-connected outside air duct to the bottom rear of the stove, but anything exhausting air from the house will cause backdrafting when I try to light the fire. I usually leave the stove door ajar for a short interval to enhance the startup burn. Once the flue is full of hot flue gas, and the draft well-established, I can close the stove door and let the dryer or range hood be used; the stove will pull air through the outside connection.

I don't fill the firebox with a lot of wood, even after the burn is well-established. I don't burn for primary heat; we use the stove to warm up the lower level in the evening for watching TV. We could turn up the thermostat for that zone, but we like to watch the fire. It must be leftover cave-man DNA still in us. If we burned for primary heat, our use of the stove might well be different.

The comments on proper seasoning of wood are right. Some hardwoods, especially oak, take at least a couple of years to dry to under about 19-20% moisture content, and that's stacked under cover, not getting rained on regularly, and open at the sides for airflow. On hearth.com you'll see threads on stacking and drying. You can buy a moisture meter, which you can press into the face of a freshly-split piece to get a readout on water content.

Split wood from a vendor that is advertised as "seasoned" may be anything. Back in early 2011, we had been using our supply of dry wood for heating both the cottage and the new house (before the new heating system was installed). We nearly ran out of wood, so I had a load of "seasoned" wood delivered. Around a third was dry and burned well. Another third was so-so, but would burn if mixed with wood that was dry. The rest - well, any wetter and I could have taken a bath in it; I set it aside to dry for a couple of years.

One other thought: be sure to run the stove sufficiently hot so that the glass on the door stays clear during the burn. You should be able to wipe any soot from the inside of the glass the next day, using just a scrap of dampened paper towel. If you get creosote blackening the glass, and it's not easily removed, you aren't running the stove hot enough, which may mean the wood is too wet. If creosote is darkening the door glass, it also is depositing on the inside of the chimney over time, and that could lead to a fire down the road if not cleaned regularly.

[SailinAway]

Originally Posted by DickR

There is a wealth of information on this forum: http://www.hearth.com/talk/
where there are subforums for all kinds of things related to burning wood. Do a search on starting a fire and read through the opinions and experience. You'll see discussions of "top-down" vs "bottom-up" starting. I never had luck with top-down, which likely means I wasn't building the starting pile properly. But I always get a bottom-up pile going well, so that's what I use.

As others do, I scrounge all my wood, cutting, splitting, stacking,etc. For starting purposes, I also scrounge dry blowdown stuff from the woods, after a lengthy dry period, collecting multiple boxes of kindling ranging in size from spaghetti to perhaps an inch. I also save a box of paper-thin birch bark when I see it lying around or peel it off any birch logs I cut up.

My stove is small, too; it will take a 16" piece "north-south," and a little longer diagonally if the split width isn't too big. When I split rounds, I like to get a variety of widths, so that I'll have smaller pieces for starting. So what I do is to place a couple of pieces maybe thumb-width N-S, a couple of smaller pieces across that, fill inside with small strips of birch or other easily kindled stuff, then build up with progressively larger kindling and finally some not-too-big splits. Before lighting, I have to be sure the clothes dryer and range hood are not running. The house is very tight. I do have an insulated directly-connected outside air duct to the bottom rear of the stove, but anything exhausting air from the house will cause backdrafting when I try to light the fire. I usually leave the stove door ajar for a short interval to enhance the startup burn. Once the flue is full of hot flue gas, and the draft well-established, I can close the stove door and let the dryer or range hood be used; the stove will pull air through the outside connection.

I don't fill the firebox with a lot of wood, even after the burn is well-established. I don't burn for primary heat; we use the stove to warm up the lower level in the evening for watching TV. We could turn up the thermostat for that zone, but we like to watch the fire. It must be leftover cave-man DNA still in us. If we burned for primary heat, our use of the stove might well be different.

The comments on proper seasoning of wood are right. Some hardwoods, especially oak, take at least a couple of years to dry to under about 19-20% moisture content, and that's stacked under cover, not getting rained on regularly, and open at the sides for airflow. On hearth.com you'll see threads on stacking and drying. You can buy a moisture meter, which you can press into the face of a freshly-split piece to get a readout on water content.

Split wood from a vendor that is advertised as "seasoned" may be anything. Back in early 2011, we had been using our supply of dry wood for heating both the cottage and the new house (before the new heating system was installed). We nearly ran out of wood, so I had a load of "seasoned" wood delivered. Around a third was dry and burned well. Another third was so-so, but would burn if mixed with wood that was dry. The rest - well, any wetter and I could have taken a bath in it; I set it aside to dry for a couple of years.

One other thought: be sure to run the stove sufficiently hot so that the glass on the door stays clear during the burn. You should be able to wipe any soot from the inside of the glass the next day, using just a scrap of dampened paper towel. If you get creosote blackening the glass, and it's not easily removed, you aren't running the stove hot enough, which may mean the wood is too wet. If creosote is darkening the door glass, it also is depositing on the inside of the chimney over time, and that could lead to a fire down the road if not cleaned regularly.

Dick, thank you for this detailed reply. I see you have the same challenge as I do with the size of your stove. I guess loading diagonally is the only solution. I use "bottom up" loading in the sense that I start by placing two larger logs in the bottom. I find that that creates 3" or so of air space at the bottom. Otherwise, the pile of kindling tends to collapse and smother the fire. I never knew a clothes dryer could create a draft! I open a window on the theory that it will improve both draft and air quality. My chimney is probably a bit short, and it's on the down side of a hill.

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by SailinAway

Dick, thank you for this detailed reply. I see you have the same challenge as I do with the size of your stove. I guess loading diagonally is the only solution. I use "bottom up" loading in the sense that I start by placing two larger logs in the bottom. I find that that creates 3" or so of air space at the bottom. Otherwise, the pile of kindling tends to collapse and smother the fire. I never knew a clothes dryer could create a draft! I open a window on the theory that it will improve both draft and air quality. My chimney is probably a bit short, and it's on the down side of a hill.

I'm confused. Is your stove only 14-16" both ways? Attached is a pic to clarify N/S/E/W as I think Dick has it backwards in his summary.

Unless you have too-long wood for both orientations, you should be choosing one. Short pieces for quick starts/shorter burns = N/S, normal pieces for normal/extended burns = E/W.

If your fires aren't starting easily, you either have unseasoned (too moist) wood or not enough air. The air problem could be a damper/draft issue or clogged stove inlet.

Essentially, if things are "right," you shouldn't have to jump through hoops to pile the wood in a way that there's a lot of space/air.

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[SailinAway]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

I'm confused. Is your stove only 14-16" both ways? Attached is a pic to clarify N/S/E/W as I think Dick has it backwards in his summary.

Unless you have too-long wood for both orientations, you should be choosing one. Short pieces for quick starts/shorter burns = N/S, normal pieces for normal/extended burns = E/W.

If your fires aren't starting easily, you either have unseasoned (too moist) wood or not enough air. The air problem could be a damper/draft issue or clogged stove inlet.

Essentially, if things are "right," you shouldn't have to jump through hoops to pile the wood in a way that there's a lot of space/air.

My wood fits east-west. It doesn't fit north-south. Your photos illustrate the problem: no air! There's no way my stove would burn a good fire loaded like that. My fires start fine. Adding more wood is difficult because the pieces only fit one way, which makes it hard to get air in the pile.

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by SailinAway

My wood fits east-west. It doesn't fit north-south. Your photos illustrate the problem: no air! There's no way my stove would burn a good fire loaded like that. My fires start fine. Adding more wood is difficult because the pieces only fit one way, which makes it hard to get air in the pile.

So that's my point: there's no such thing as getting "air into the pile." Unless it's a weird stove, your air inlet is towards the front and/or front top of the stove. The purpose of that design is to pack the firebox tight with wood so it burns from top/front to down/back.

What, exactly, is the problem you're having?

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[SailinAway]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

So that's my point: there's no such thing as getting "air into the pile." Unless it's a weird stove, your air inlet is towards the front and/or front top of the stove. The purpose of that design is to pack the firebox tight with wood so it burns from top/front to down/back.

What, exactly, is the problem you're having?

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Are you sure about that? I read somewhere that modern stoves are harder to get a hot fire going and maintain it. The air inlet is at the back near the bottom, plus in the tubes with holes in them on the underside of the top of the stove. My stove absolutely cannot be "packed tight."

What's my problem? As I said in my original post, "I try to criss-cross the pieces diagonally, but usually they eventually collapse so that they're all lined up lengthwise with insufficient air between the pieces." And then the fire dies down. Eventually I do get a hot fire going, it's just that the wood pile is precarious.

Here's a photo of my wood stove. It's a CFM (made in Canada) bought at Home Depot around 2005.

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by SailinAway

Are you sure about that? I read somewhere that modern stoves are harder to get a hot fire going and maintain it. The air inlet is at the back near the bottom, plus in the tubes with holes in them on the underside of the top of the stove. My stove absolutely cannot be "packed tight."

What's my problem? As I said in my original post, "I try to criss-cross the pieces diagonally, but usually they eventually collapse so that they're all lined up lengthwise with insufficient air between the pieces." And then the fire dies down. Eventually I do get a hot fire going, it's just that the wood pile is precarious.

Here's a photo of my wood stove. It's a CFM (made in Canada) bought at Home Depot around 2005.

Ok, so if you look at your stove, the air control slide is in the front at the bottom—right inside the front door is the "dog house," which is where the air comes in. The burner tubes at the top only "recycle" combustible air.

With that stove, you absolutely should be able to pack it full and have it burn front to back. If not, you've got a poor draft and/or blockage.

If you don't want to get into problem-solving/learning to burn properly (not a criticism, just clarifying), then I would split some small wedges and put them between your stacked logs to "let the air in."

PS That's an Englander 13 (essentially identical: https://www.acmestoveco.com/product/...3-nc-pedestal/), which I also own. It's a notoriously difficult stove to master given the size, especially if the venting/drafting system is imperfect.

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[SailinAway]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

It's a notoriously difficult stove to master given the size, especially if the venting/drafting system is imperfect.

Can you elaborate on that?

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by SailinAway

Can you elaborate on that?

So, because it's a fairly small box, it's tough to find the right balance for the air adjustment (front slide) that keeps the fire hot and cruising without burning through too quickly.

Do you have a temperature gauge on the flue? That's pretty important to figure out when to close the air and when to keep it open, etc.

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[SailinAway]

I watched this video yesterday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-Rc-4cwJ1Y

It shows how to split very large chunks of wood by hand by placing the axe on the outside edge and striking it with a mallet, rather than hitting it with an axe or maul in the center. I tried this method today and it worked! However, for me, at least, it was nowhere near as easy as this guy shows in the video. I was splitting maple that's been drying for 3 years (plus it was dead when it was cut down). Some of the grain was pretty ornery and it took forever to split it. Also, my axe took a beating and got stuck often.

(I know you can also split large chunks by cutting off small wedges around the outside. I'll try that next time to compare.)

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by SailinAway

I watched this video yesterday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-Rc-4cwJ1Y

It shows how to split very large chunks of wood by hand by placing the axe on the outside edge and striking it with a mallet, rather than hitting it with an axe or maul in the center. I tried this method today and it worked! However, for me, at least, it was nowhere near as easy as this guy shows in the video. I was splitting maple that's been drying for 3 years (plus it was dead when it was cut down). Some of the grain was pretty ornery and it took forever to split it. Also, my axe took a beating and got stuck often.

(I know you can also split large chunks by cutting off small wedges around the outside. I'll try that next time to compare.)

If you're gonna be splitting by hand, grab a Fiskars X25.

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[SailinAway]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

If you're gonna be splitting by hand, grab a Fiskars X25.

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I know the Fiskars have great reviews. Yesterday I bought a little Fiskars X7 hatchet for splitting kindling based on excellent reviews. I didn't find it effective at all. There's something odd about the shape of the blade---it barely penetrates the wood and bounces back. I sharpened an old hatchet I got for $5 at a yard sale and it works way better than the Fiskars. According to a YouTube review, a Fiskars axe is great for chopping but not as good for splitting. I sharpened my old axe too and it works pretty well, but I assume that axes are better these days (?). I'm going to return the X7.

Very informative video, Fiskars vs Gerber vs Estwing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi3NkYGpZi8

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by SailinAway

I know the Fiskars have great reviews. Yesterday I bought a little Fiskars X7 hatchet for splitting kindling based on excellent reviews. I didn't find it effective at all. There's something odd about the shape of the blade---it barely penetrates the wood and bounces back. I sharpened an old hatchet I got for $5 at a yard sale and it works way better than the Fiskars. According to a YouTube review, a Fiskars axe is great for chopping but not as good for splitting. I sharpened my old axe too and it works pretty well, but I assume that axes are better these days (?). I'm going to return the X7.

Very informative video, Fiskars vs Gerber vs Estwing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi3NkYGpZi8

Those are hatchets, not to be confused with axes or splitting axes. Maple gets really stringy with age, but the Fiskars splitting axes are as good as I've ever used.

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[SailinAway]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

Those are hatchets, not to be confused with axes or splitting axes. Maple gets really stringy with age, but the Fiskars splitting axes are as good as I've ever used.

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Yes, I know the differences between a hatchet, axe, and maul. I have one of each.

[DickR]

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

...Attached is a pic to clarify N/S/E/W as I think Dick has it backwards in his summary....

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Your pictures show what I was describing. The first two small pieces of kindling go in front to back ("N-S"), other kindling on top so as to provide air space to get the blaze going, and larger splits on top of that pile, diagonally, N-S, and E-W to provide stability as the kindling burns through and the pile settles. But I'm not putting in a full firebox load, as in your pictures. Also, my firebox (inside the bricks) is just over 17" deep (N-S) by just over 13" wide (E-W). It's a Quadrafire 2100 Millenium. Also, mine has the primary air low in front and the secondary tubes up top in the middle. After I get the stove up to temperature, I close the primary air control and the stove is running on "secondaries." The heat of the process makes the wood undergo pyrolysis, and the gases combine with the superheated air from the tubes, igniting the mixture.

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by DickR

Your pictures show what I was describing. The first two small pieces of kindling go in front to back ("N-S"), other kindling on top so as to provide air space to get the blaze going, and larger splits on top of that pile, diagonally, N-S, and E-W to provide stability as the kindling burns through and the pile settles. But I'm not putting in a full firebox load, as in your pictures. Also, my firebox (inside the bricks) is just over 17" deep (N-S) by just over 13" wide (E-W). It's a Quadrafire 2100 Millenium. Also, mine has the primary air low in front and the secondary tubes up top in the middle. After I get the stove up to temperature, I close the primary air control and the stove is running on "secondaries." The heat of the process makes the wood undergo pyrolysis, and the gases combine with the superheated air from the tubes, igniting the mixture.

You sure on those measurements? The schematic online shows that the front door is 13", which means you must have at least 16" inside and probably closer to 17". There's very few (new) stoves that don't take at least 16" logs.

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