Fire needs a "critical mass" in order to burn well. Just one log sitting in a stove will not ignite or burn. You must first establish a good draft in the chimney and a good bed of red-hot embers to achieve a good burn.

A good Flame means a good Fire - Much of the heat from wood is in the form of the gases we know as "smoke". If you burn your stove improperly, lots of unburnt smoke will escape up the chimney and cause excess creosote (tar) formation on your chimney and also pollute the great outdoors. A proper fire BURNS this smoke. In general you should always see a flame on your fire. This is a simple gauge of whether you are burning properly. A smokey fire is a dirty and inefficient one!

Leave some space between the wood - Musicians say "it's not the notes we play that make great music, it's the spaces between the notes"...same with a fire. Cris-Crossing your wood or placing odd-shaped pieces in the fire help the airflow through your stove or fireplace.

Less is More - Generally, it is better to burn Less wood with MORE air to get the most out of your stove or fireplace. A smaller, hotter fire will cause less smoke and creosote than a cold, smoldering one.

Good Draft - If you have a poor chimney suction, or an improper installation, your efforts will be in vain.

Different types of stoves and fireplaces require different techniques to keep them burning properly. Let's divide these appliances into three types - this will make it easier for you to learn about YOUR fire.

Type 1:

Open Fireplace, pre-fab or masonry, or campfires, etc.

Type 2:

Older Stove or newer model that is rectangular and uses a front-to-back burning method.

Type 3:

Newer stove utilizing a "base-burning technique, including catalytics and non-catalytics.

We'll assume you can recognize if you have a Type 1, so lets be more specific about Types 2 and 3. Many of the older stoves, and some newer ones, use a front-to-back burning method. These stoves are designed to burn wood like a cigar - from one end to the other. To determine if you have a Type 2 stove, simply look at the location of the air inlet of the stove. If the air inlet lets air into the stove at the "end" of the logs (the cut ends), chances are you have a front to back burning stove. A perfect example of such a stove is the Jotul #118 stove shown below. The diagram next to this stove details the airflow through this model.

So, to summarize, if the air inlet is at the end of the logs, and if the firebox is rectangular, you have a type 2 stove.

Burning a TYPE 1 Fire:

Open Fireplace or Campfire As with any fire, a critical mass of red embers must be established before everything will work properly. If you do not have a grate to hold the wood off the ground, use two or three medium size pieces of wood to hold the fire off the ground or hearth. If you have a fireplace, get yourself a good quality grate. The best grates are made of cast-iron and have smaller holes in them. This serves to hold the bed of embers longer since they will not fall through to the hearth until they turn to ash.

Once the fire is burning, you can use either the TEPEE methos or the Cris-cross method whent you add wood. The TEPEE method is just like it sound - stack the wood with one end against the ground and the other end all meeting in the center above the fire. The Cris-Cross method (my favorite) is achieved by placing two split one way and two spilts the other way. This allows plenty of air flow around the wood and will result in a good fire. Remember the fire occurs from the interaction of adjacent surfaces of wood. A fire is a social even - a single piece in the fire will get lonely and cold very quickly!

Burning a TYPE 2 Stove - Front to Back Burners

It is important to be equipped with a good stove hoe or poker to move the embers back toward the air inlet.

The key to burning this model is keeping the front-to-back burning in mind. These stoves burn in a cycle.

1. After starting the stove and burning through the first load of kindling and wood, rake the embers and coals back toward the air inlet.
2. Reload the new wood as shown in the figure below.
3. Close the door, open the air inlet to get the wood burning well. Adjust the air inlet (less air) when you are comfortable with the heat output. More air=more heat and a shorter burn time. Less air=less heat and a longer burn time.

Repeat as needed.

For overnight burn - Always time you are loading so there will only be embers left when you are ready to retire. This will assure that you can get the maximum amount of new fuel into the stove..and therefore a better and longer burn. Rake the embers as before and add new wood. Pick your wood so it fills the firebox completely, both in length and height. Open the air control fully to catch the wood and drive the moisture off of the load. This should take 5-15 minutes. Then shut the draft control down to a low position. The exact setting will vary with the stove, wood, weather and chimney, and may take some experimentation.

Burning a TYPE 3 Stove - Modern Catalytics and Non-Cats Base Burners

I use the term "Base Burners" to refer to stoves that hold a bed of embers spread evenly around the base of the stove. Most modern stoves use this method.

Starting the stove - Check out "How to start a woodfire", but remember these main points.

Burn hot and fast through the first load to warm up the chimney and establish a good draft.

Do not let the stove burn down too low before reloading.

Air flow and Air Inlet:

Most newer stoves take in their combustion air from a slot located just inside the stove at the top edge of the window glass. This allows the air to drop down and form a barrier behind the glass. This system, called "airwash" helps the glass stay clean. Since the air entering the stove is relatively cool, it falls quickly and is sucked into the hot combustion zone at the base of the fire. When reloading this type of stove, be careful about placing very large logs in the very front of the firebox. Such a log could close off the airflow to the fire.

Hints for Catalytic Stoves

What It Does:

The catalytic converter "burns the smoke", much in the same way that a car's catalytic converter burns your fuels' pollutants. This burning creates intense heat, which is then transferred to the stove and room.

All catalytic stoves employ a bypass damper, which is opened when starting or reloading the fire. When this damper is opened, the smoke can escape directly up the chimney. When closed, the smoke is routed through the catalytic converter. A decent fire MUST be built previous to closing the bypass damper. Catalytic converters require temperatures of 500 degree in order to start doing their thing. Once the catalytic is "lit off", it should stay hot and continue to burn the pollutants and create heat. Take care not to let the fire burn down too low. If you do let the fire get low (stove surface temperature below 400 degree), make sure to freshen the fire (see below) before re-engaging the catalytic converter.

Restoking a fire when it is low

Always keep a good supply of small sticks (kindling) available. You can use these to freshen up your fire. If your fire is just a bit low, you can simply add a small stick or stick before placing a larger log on top. If the fire is almost out, you may have to add some newspaper or firestarter (see StarterLoggs site for an example of a commercial firestarter). Since the chimney is probably still warm, it should be fairly easy to freshen up a fire.

It's important to be patient. Fires do not react to you getting mad at them. If you use common sense and develop a method that suits you AND your Stove/Fireplace/Chimney combination, you will be well on your way to FIREMASTER status.

Pellet Fuel Tips

What are pellets made of?

All pellets are biomass materials, that is, products of commonly grown plants and trees. The most common residential pellets are made from sawdust and ground wood chips, which are waste materials from trees used to make furniture, lumber, and other products. Resins and binders (lignin) occurring naturally in the sawdust hold wood pellets together, so they usually contain no additives. Nut hulls and other materials are pelletized in some areas, and unprocessed shelled corn and fruit pits can be burned in a few pellet stove designs. Your fuel of choice and its price may depend on the waste biomass most avail- able to pellet mills in your region. In turn, your choice of appliance design depends on the fuel available.

Where do pellets come from?

Pellet mills across the country receive, sort, grind, dry, compress, and bag wood and other biomass waste products into a conveniently handled fuel (Figure 1). Today, over sixty pellet mills across North America produce in excess of 610,000 tons of fuel per year, a figure that has more than doubled in the last five years. Pellets are available for purchase at stove dealers, nurseries, building supply stores, feed and garden supply stores, and some discount merchandisers. Pellets are usually packaged in forty pound bags and sold by the bag or by the ton (fifty bags on a shipping pallet). Some mills offer twenty pound bags for easier handling.

What are common characteristics of all pellet fuels?

Although the chemical constituents and moisture content of different biomass materials vary, the Pellet Fuel Institute has identified common characteristics and developed fuel standards. These voluntary industry standards assure as much uniformity in the final product as is possible for naturally grown materials that become processed, but not refined fuel. PFI graded fuel must meet tests for:

• Density, consistent hardness and energy content (minimum 40 pounds/ cubic foot).
• Dimensions,length (1 1/2" maximum) and diameter (1/4"or 5/16") to assure" predictable fuel amounts and to prevent fuel jamming.
• Fines, limited amount of sawdust from pellet breakdown to avoid dust while loading and problems with pellet flow during operation (amount of fines passing through 1/8" screen no more than .5% by weight).
• Chlorides ,limited salt content (no more than 300 parts per million) to avoid stove or vent rusting.
• Ash content, important factor in maintenance frequency.

What is the difference between standard and premium grade fuel?

All of the measurable characteristics defined by PFI standards are the same for both fuel grades except ash content. Standard grade pellet fuel (up to 3% ash content) is usually derived from materials which result in more residual ash, such as sawdust containing tree bark (which contains more impurities) or agricultural residues like nut hulls. Standard pellets should only be used in stoves designated for their use. Premium grade pellet fuel (less than 1% ash content) is usually produced from hardwood or softwood sawdust containing no tree bark. Ash content varies in premium fuels from about .3% in some western softwoods to about .7% in eastern hardwoods. Premium pellets, which make up over 95% of current pellet production, can generally be burned in stoves calling for either standard or premium fuel. Increased availability of standard fuel is anticipated as stove designs continue to improve ash tolerance. Ash content determines fuel grade because of its role in maintenance frequency. It is the prime factor that determines maintenance frequency of ash removal from the appliance and venting system. In early pellet stove designs, fuel compatibility was the critical factor that determined whether a stove worked well or not. Fuel grade and specific ash content within a fuel grade are still to be considered, but advances in pellet stove technology are making fuel choice wider and easier. The size of the ash drawer, fuel feed and grate design, proper venting, correct operation and maintenance all play a part in maintenance frequency. The experienced pellet stove professional is the best source of information about stove and fuel compatibility.

What other differences are there between fuel types and brands?

There are a number of variations in pellet fuels that are not included in PFI standards. For example, Btu (heat) content may range from just under 8,000 to almost 9,000 Btu, depending upon species and region of the country. Other characteristics like trace minerals in pellet raw materials vary not only from region to region, but even in close by growing areas. Some trace minerals promote clinkering, the formation of clumps of fused ash that can block air inlets in the burn pot. A fuel's tendency to form clinkers in a stove cannot be predicted by laboratory analysis both because of variations in the raw materials and the different burning conditions that affect the process. Clinkering can increase routine maintenance, but professional recommendations for matching available fuels to stove design can minimize the problem. Pellet mills strive for consistency despite the nature of the raw material. Slight variations in fuel even from bag to bag are inevitable, but the differences are usually insignificant and much smaller than found in the original raw material before processing. Pellets consistently deliver enjoyable, predictable comfort when burned in well designed, operated, and maintained stoves.

What fuel advantages do pellets offer?

The first appeal of pellets is their convenience. Bags of pellets stack compactly and store easily. A ton of pellets can be stacked in an area as small as four feet wide, long, and high, an area about half the space needed for a cord of wood. Bags of pellets can be stored in a small area of a dry garage, basement, or utility room or shed. Pellets are also convenient because they load easily and cleanly into the stove hopper. Loading the hopper is normally required only once a day and may be even less frequent when the stove is used on low settings. The small size of pellets allows for precisely regulated fuel feed. In turn, combustion air can be regulated easily for optimum burn efficiency since the amount of fuel in the burn pot is predictable and consistent. High combustion efficiency is also due to the uniformly low moisture content of pellets (consistently below 10% compared to 20 to 60% moisture content in cordwood). Uniformly low moisture, controlled fuel batches, and precisely regulated combustion air means high heat output and a very low level of unwanted emmissions . Other environmental benefits besides clean burns result from the use of pellet fuels. As a biomass fuel, pellets offer the advantages of sustainable energy supplies through renewable raw materials. In addition, pellets are a by-product, not a primary user, of these renewable materials. Using pellets also helps reduce the costs and problems of waste disposal. In 1993-94, more than 6.5 million cubic yards of waste were diverted from landfills and converted to home heating in the form of pellets. As part of the tradition of the hearth, pellet burning offers the enjoyment of fire viewing and active participation in providing winter comfort in the home.

Corn Fuel Tips

Burning shelled corn as a fuel can be a feasible way of dealing withthe high prices of more conventional fuels such as fuel oil, propane, natural gas, coal, and firewood. Utilizing corn as a fuel does not compete with the food supply needed for nourishment throughout the world. While it is recognized that malnutrition is a serious global problem, the world is not experiencing a food production problem. Instead the world faces political challenges associated with providing infrastructure systems for food distribution and storage. Contemporary agricultural systems can produce sufficient quality and quantity of food for the world’s population, with additional resources available so that agricultural products can be used as fuel, pharmaceuticals, and chemical feedstocks. Shelled corn is a fuel that can be produced within 120 days, compared to the millennia needed to produce fossil fuels.

Quality of Shelled Corn

For best results, the quality of shelled corn burned in a corn-burning stove must be specified. Moisture content of the shelled corn should be no higher than 15.5%. If the moisture content is higher than 15.5%, there will be less heat available from each pound of shelled corn. For each one percent increase in moisture content above 15.5%, there will be a corresponding reduction of 93 BTU of heat per pound of shelled corn. For example, if you purchase shelled corn with moisture content of 21%, then there will be a reduction of 512 BTU [93 * (21.0-15.5)] per pound compared to corn at 15.5% moisture content. Furthermore, you will encounter storage problems with corn having moisture content higher than 15.5% moisture content. The corn is more likely to mold and clump together in the hopper and especially in the storage area.