Question 1

What to NEVER do!

Accepted Answer

NEVER burn treated wood or plywood. NEVER use any kind of liquid to start or freshen a fire. NEVER leave the door cracked open past startup and NEVER leave it unattended with the door cracked. If you forget to close it, one fire can damage both the stove and the chimney.

Question 2

What wood to burn.

Accepted Answer

Burn only dry seasoned cordwood in your wood stove. Green wood will cool the chimney temperatures and will cause creosote to form. This in turn can cause a chimney fire.

Wood varies by species and location as to how long it takes to become safe to burn but in our area (Oregon’s Willamette Valley), a good rule of thumb is 1 complete year for softwoods and 2 years for hardwoods. This is after the wood is split and stacked in a dry location. Rounds will take longer to dry out.

Although it is not definitive, check the bark. When it begins to separate from the wood on the ends, you’re getting close. If you find yourself having to burn green wood, contact The Stove Doctor for a chimney inspection.

Question 3

Never trust a stove you are not familiar with.

Accepted Answer

If you purchase or rent a home that has a wood-burning stove, or wood burning fireplace insert, even if you had a home inspection, please call The Stove Doctor for a safety inspection before burning.

Question 4

Wood stoves are natural draft.

Accepted Answer

This means that they rely on hot air rising to get the smoke up the chimney and out of your home. Always start your stove with plenty of dry kindling and un-glossy newspaper (glossy can damage some wood stoves). This will ensure the chimney heats up and gets a good draft going.

During some weather, wood stoves will smoke back into the room. It’s called a downdraft and all natural draft appliances can suffer it. If this becomes a common problem, call The Stove Doctor.

Question 5

Creosote build-up.

Accepted Answer

If you notice something that looks like black icicles at the chimney cap, stop using the stove and call The Stove Doctor.

Question 6

Spark arrestor build-up.

Accepted Answer

Many chimney caps have spark arresters that can plug up during the heating season. If your stove begins to smoke into the room, or smoke is leaking from the pipe joints, check the cap.

If it is out of your reach to do so, please contact The Stove Doctor. Sometimes, we need only clean the cap and not do a full chimney sweep, reducing the cost to you. Once on sight we will evaluate and let you know.

Question 7

Properly firing your wood stove.

Accepted Answer

You’re unit will have a damper control to control the combustion air supplied to the fire. It is OK to set the damper wide open to get the wood burning well, and to produce more heat, but it is not good to burn the stove with the damper wide open all the time. You may warp parts of the stove and damage the chimney.

It is critical that you do not under fire the stove. Burning the unit with the damper closed or mostly closed all the time does this. This will cause cool chimney temperatures that will cause creosote to form. Continued use will result in a chimney fire.

The best plan is burning smaller hot fires. If you burn the stove overnight, meaning you have closed the damper, allow the stove to burn hot for 1 hour or so in the morning.

If you are unsure of the build up in the chimney, contact The Stove Doctor for a safety inspection before burning.

Tips

Tips From The Stove Doctor