Why Your Wood Burning Stove Keeps Going Out?

Wood-burning stoves do not need to be complicated. They are easy to use and can provide you with a lot of heat for your home. However, there is one big problem that many people run into when they start using their stove: it keeps going out! This blog post will give you some helpful tips on how to keep your wood-burning stove going so that you can enjoy the warmth in your home all winter long.

Wood stoves are an efficient way to heat your home during the winter months, but they come with their own set of challenges. One of these is that after you start it up and get it going, sometimes the stove will go out for no apparent reason. Figuring out why this happens can be difficult because there are many possible causes.

This blog post discusses some common reasons why a wood-burning stove may stop working properly and what you can do about them so that your stove starts up again more reliably.

Why Wood Burning Stove Keeps Going Out?

There are many reasons why your wood-burning stove keeps going out. In the majority of cases, it is a simple fix that will get you back to enjoying your fireplace in no time at all. It may be as easy as relocating the ashtray to prevent build-up or adding more kindling and fire starter fluid if there isn’t enough heat being produced from your unit.

However, other times this problem could indicate a much bigger issue with the entire system which requires further inspection by a professional service technician before continuing use or else risk severe damage to both yourself and your home.

Adding too much wood to your stove can result in the fire dying out quickly. Follow the manufacturer’s guide on how much is recommended for each load of burning. You should be adding enough so that you have a good amount of coals, but no more than two inches at all times.

If you need to add more, wait until it cools down first before throwing another log on top. Anything smaller won’t burn properly and could jam up your flue if placed improperly or blocked airflow with large logs being thrown into it without letting them catch flame first. -Do not add too much wood at a time.

Setting Up The Fire Incorrectly

If you’re not doing this, start! Use newspaper to get the fire started. Don’t use crumpled-up paper or other flammable items like dryer lint; if your wood stove catches on fire it can be bad news for both your house and yourself.

You need a small kindling pile in order to make sure that the flame gets hot enough (about 300 degrees) before adding more logs, otherwise, you risk having smoke billowing out of the fireplace without any flames actually producing heat.

Adding Too Little Wood

If you are adding too little wood to the fire, it can cause your fire to go out. How do you know if there is not enough wood on the stove? You will notice that your flame is quite small or non-existent. Your glass might be cold and even have some ash build up on top of it as well.

This means that there simply isn’t enough fuel for a good burn so when it burns down completely, then clogs up due to lack of oxygen coming into contact with the material inside the flue pipe system, then goes out because no more air gets through until all of this debris has burned off. Make sure to always add plenty of fresh logs every morning before getting started with any other work around the house since this will ensure a nice, toasty fire for the rest of the day.

If you think about it, this makes sense since if there isn’t enough wood or other fuel on top to get that warmth and burn going then your stove is just not going to be able to produce any heat at all until more material has been added. If the flue gets filled with debris from lack of airflow due to less than sufficient log supply coming into contact with flames inside the unit’s glass chamber, then noxious gases and carbon monoxide can build up which could lead come issues down the line such as poisoning while you are sleeping because your oxygen intake was severely compromised by poor fireplace maintenance practices in general.

Adding Too Much Wood

Do not add too much wood at a time.
Add enough for an ample amount of coals, but no more than two inches total in the stove altogether.
Wait until your fire is cool before adding another log to it. Anything smaller won’t burn and could jam up your flue if placed improperly or blocked airflow with large logs being thrown into it without letting them catch flame first.

Using Wet Wood

The best way to keep your wood-burning stove going is by using dry, seasoned firewood. Seasoned wood burns hotter and longer than wet or green logs so it’s the most efficient fuel source for your heating appliance. Using unseasoned wood will cause you more problems than just having a hard time starting up your fire – it can potentially damage the equipment itself if allowed to accumulate too much moisture inside its components.

Wood that isn’t dried properly before use also has an increased risk of combusting improperly because of air pockets within the log that trap hot embers instead of allowing them to release into the chimney as they should. These air pockets are formed when water evaporates out through gaps in between rings after coming into contact with heat from drying.

Insufficient Drafting

When your wood-burning stove is poorly drafted, the smoke gets pulled back down into the firebox. This creates a backup in your flue and then you get excessive creosote buildup. When this happens it can cause health issues depending on how bad of an infestation there is upon inspection by a professional chimney sweep.

The Door is Open Too Often

The door of your wood stove is like the gas cap on a car. It has to be closed tightly for it to burn efficiently and safely. If you leave the door open too often, air will come in-and hot coals will go out!

If you are having trouble getting your wood stove to start, open the damper. This will help get more oxygen flowing through the vent and firebox of your stove so it can burn hotter.

Once the fire is started and burning safely, close it to keep more heat inside.

If your wood stove goes out during a burn (and you don’t want to do this with every load of wood), open the door just enough for some oxygen in but not too much that will cause smoke or hot coals to come back into your house! Allow two minutes for this before closing again.

The bottom line with starting up any new appliance, including your wood stove is patience. There are no shortcuts when learning how to operate something so simple yet powerful like an outdoor fireplace or furnace. You have to let them “warm-up” properly so they can work their magic all winter long!

The Stove Door is Closed Too Early

You may notice that your fire starts to go out when you close the door early. This is because air needs time to enter through the draft control system, which heats up and begins feeding oxygen into the combustion chamber. If you shut the doors too soon before this has had a chance to happen then it can cause problems with getting your fire started again or keeping it going at all.
If you are having problems with your fire going out over and over again, then it is likely because the door was closed too early. The best way to avoid this is to set a specific amount of time that you will allow for the draft control system to operate before closing the door on your fireplace. This may vary between manufacturers so be sure that you find out what works in your model through research or by asking an expert.
You may notice that your fire starts to go out when you close the door early. This is because air needs time to enter through the draft control system, which heats up and begins feeding oxygen into the combustion chamber. If you shut the doors too soon before this has had a chance to happen then it can cause problems with getting your fire started again or keeping it going at all.
If you are having issues with your fireplace going out over and over again, then there’s a good chance that it could be related to shutting the door of your wood-burning stove too quickly. The best way to fix this kind of problem is by setting an amount of time for how long you leave everything open until closing things down so that more oxygen can get into the combustion chamber. This may vary between stove models, so make sure that you find out what works best with your model through research or by asking an expert.
You can also try using a mesh screen to block off some of the air coming in while it is still open and burning, this will help keep things going longer before having to close up shop for more oxygen. Once again test different methods until you find which one works best for your specific needs and circumstances.
When closing early like this becomes a habit then you are not allowing enough time for proper fire ignition as well as keeping it lit throughout the night/day cycle when needed.

The Stove Air Vents Are Closed

One of the most common causes for a stove to go out is that air vents are closed, which decreases airflow. Airflow can be increased by opening windows and doors in other rooms or increasing draft controls on your wood-burning stove.

If you have a wood-burning stove, the first step to take is always to open its air vents.
The second common reason why stoves go out is that they are not being fed enough fuel. To avoid this, make sure there’s plenty of firewood before starting your stove, and don’t overfill the stove with logs as too much quantity can obstruct airflow causing smoke problems or even dangerous flare-ups.

Closing Down The Stove Air Vents Too Soon

Closing down the air vents too early is another common cause of a wood-burning stove going out. If you close them before all the embers have died down, then it won’t take long for your fire to go out and leave you with nothing but cold ashes in your stove.

If this happens once or twice it may not be such a big deal, but if you do this on every occasion that you light up the bare minimum will get burnt and soot clogs up can form which could lead to future problems when trying to restart fires.

Poor Ventilation in The Room

Not having a proper flue or chimney for the smoke to escape through
Having the door of your room closed when you are lighting and burning wood on your stove. This is because burnt gases, such as carbon monoxide and methane, will stay inside the room if there isn’t an adequate flow of air around them – which means that they won’t manage to make it up the chimney.
Several small fires can add up to a major one if the room is not ventilated.
If you have been fighting several fires in your stove, it’s vital that you open any windows and doors into other rooms of the house or even outside for some time afterward. This will allow gases from all those little blazes to escape before allowing fresh air back inside – otherwise, they could sit around waiting until there was an actual fire going which would be very dangerous indeed!

The Stove Is New

You’ve had your new stove for a while now, but you’re still having trouble keeping it lit.
The problem is the stove keeps going out.
It’s not your fault; stoves like this one are hard to get started and keep lit, especially if you’re new to using wood-burning stoves.

The Problem Is Your Wood Isn’t Dry Enough – When it comes to starting a fire in your wood-burning stove, dryness does matter. If that means having fallen tree branches or dried-up logs near an open flame for hours on end, then so be it. Just make sure they’re bone dry before putting them into the stove. Why? Because wet wood doesn’t burn well because of its low energy content; moisture decreases combustion efficiency by increasing fuel mass without adding useful heat output.

Furthermore, damp smoke may be produced, which is actually a pollutant.
When you’re chopping wood, there’s always an easy way to tell if it’s dry enough for use on your stove: the weight test. If the freshly cut pieces of firewood are lighter than when they were green or wet, then that means all their moisture has evaporated and they’re ready to be burned up.

The Stove Isn’t Getting Enough Air – Another problem with starting fires in stoves like this one (and most other types) is not getting sufficient airflow inside the combustion chamber where the burning takes place; lack of proper ventilation will quickly suffocate any flames started within its confines because without oxygen nothing can burn well – especially fuels rich in carbon such as wood.

The Damper is Closed

If your wood-burning stove has a tendency to go out, it may be because the damper is closed. The damper controls how much air comes into the firebox of your furnace and can have a significant impact on how well it burns. If you close the damper too far, not enough oxygen will come in for proper combustion, or if open too much, dangerous fumes could escape thus leading to an unsafe environment inside your home you don’t want that!

It should also be noted that closing all six sides off during operation creates back pressure which makes pulling heat from the room more difficult as well as limits heat transfer to heat up water (great for showers!). As long as there are no flames coming out of any part of this appliance, then the only thing that should be emitting smoke is your chimney.

If you are unsure if your damper is fully closed or open, it may be time to call in a pro – an expert with years of experience can help diagnose problems and determine all possible solutions.

Why Your Wood Burning Stove Keeps Going Out If your wood-burning stove has a tendency to go out, it may be because the damper is closed. The damper controls how much air comes into the firebox of your furnace and can have a significant impact on how well it burns. If you close the damper too far, not enough oxygen will come in for proper combustion, or if open too much, dangerous fumes could escape thus leading to an unsafe environment inside your home you don’t want that!

If you are unsure if your damper is fully closed or open, it may be time to call in a pro – an expert with years of experience can help diagnose problems and determine all possible solutions.

Too Much Ash in The Stove

If your stove is going out, there could be too much ash on the stove. This can prevent it from burning properly and lead to all kinds of problems like smoke coming into the room or it just not staying lit for very long. If you think this might be happening, get a small shovel (or something similar) and scoop out some of the coals that are left over after burning these should help keep things working well again.

This isn’t a problem that has to be dealt with very often, but it can happen if you forget about the stove for a while and let too much ash build up on top of it.

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Too Little Ash in The Stove

If you have a lot of ash in the wood stove, there isn’t enough room for it to burn effectively. The fire needs oxygen and too many ashes mean less airflow. If your wood is burning properly then there should be little or no ash left over when you are done with all three stages of combustion. A proper amount of heat will cause the smoke coming out to turn black as carbon burns off which indicates that everything inside has been incinerated completely and converted into energy and gas vapors ready to escape through the flue pipe at high-temperature levels (above 1000 °F).

How To Keep A Log Burner Going

Ensure you have a sufficient supply of kindling and logs. The wood needs to be dry in order for it to burn well. If the fire is not getting enough oxygen, this can cause problems with keeping it going. This means that more air should be let into the stove by opening windows or doors on opposite sides of the room. You can also create some cross-ventilation by placing an electric fan at one side of your fireplace if there are no open doorways on either side of where you are burning your fuel.

When you are lighting the fire, do not use lighter fluid or gasoline. These can coat your stove and make it harder for the wood to catch as well as produce dangerous fumes that could increase the risk of a house fire. To properly light a kindling fire, crumple up some newspaper and place it in the bottom of your fireplace before adding any kindling sticks. Then set one piece of split logs on top at either end with another smaller log resting across them like a bridge (known as “chimneying”). Light this typing using matches or butane gas lighters and leave overnight to ensure that all parts have caught alight fully without any smoldering bits left behind which will smoke when added to the main fuel load.

Environmental Protection Agency about Wood Burning Stove

The EPA has issued new guidelines on wood-burning stoves. A number of things can cause your stove to go out when they are not properly maintained. Not cleaning the chimney is one of them – if you don’t clean it at least once a year then creosote will build up in it causing reduced draw and poor combustion leading to dirty smoke coming out into your home.

Creosote contains toxins that affect air quality indoors, so this becomes an environmental issue too! Another reason could be that you have installed or repaired some parts incorrectly but it’s really hard to tell without regular maintenance checks by a professional which is why people love having homes fitted with these appliances by professionals for safety and peace of mind.

Just like any other appliance that you use in your home, wood-burning stoves need to be maintained regularly to ensure they are safe and providing their best performance for longer. This is especially true when the cold weather comes around as its essential heating appliances work well during power cuts or times where we can’t afford to have them not working! So if you haven’t checked yours recently then take a moment now before winter sets in properly so you don’t find yourself out in the cold!

Safety Tips for Wood Burning Stoves

Make sure to always follow the manufacturer’s safety guidelines and warnings.
Have any repairs or servicing completed by a professional.
Be sure to place the wood stove in an area that will allow for proper airflow and ventilation.
Build a fire with dry seasoned logs of appropriate size, arranging them neatly on top of kindling (lighter fluid is not recommended).
Open the stove door and place a sturdy screen over it before lighting.
If your wood-burning stove starts to smoke, immediately turn down the heat and open the flue if you can do so easily. If not, shut off the gas or other fuel supply and call for service as soon as possible. Be sure everyone is out of the house until repairs are made or an inspection is completed by a professional.

We’ve all been there: looking forward to lounging in front of our cozy fireplaces with friends on those chilly winter nights, only to have everything go up in smoke (literally). There’s nothing worse than having that perfectly constructed flame go out just as quickly as it came into being!

FAQs

Why does my wood stove keep going out?

It's possible that you just don't have enough airflow. Make sure your flue damper is open and the chimney isn't blocked by leaves or other debris, especially if it has been windy recently.

My wood stove is bigger than what it says on my pipe, can I still use this product?

Yes! Our chimney venting and piping kit will work for your larger-sized appliance. If you have a fireplace insert with no ducts, we also sell the adapter that goes from metal to flex hose.

How do I know if my stove requires a barometric damper?

If your wood-burning appliance has no ductwork, then it will need to have either a barometric or adjustable type of flue damper. A standard non-adjustable chimney vent kit will not work for you.

Conclusion

A wood-burning stove is a great tool for energy efficiency in your home. It’s an economical way to stay warm and it also reduces the amount of carbon you put into the air when compared with other heating options like oil or propane furnaces, which can be less efficient than electric heaters. However, if your wood-burner has proven unreliable over time, there are several reasons why this might happen that don’t have anything to do with climate control at all! Here are five common problems propped up by these distractions:

The firewood may not be dry enough. Wet firewood won’t burn properly because the water content evaporates during combustion (evaporation) reducing total BTUs produced per pound yet still requires the same amount of oxygen.

Your kindling is probably too small! When you use pencil-sized or smaller pieces, it takes longer to get a fire going and bigger logs are unable to ignite properly because there’s not enough room around them for air circulation. The result? Carbon monoxide. This gas can kill you in just half an hour if you breathe lots of it so avoid this by using good quality dry firewood that fits snugly together – then light it with newspaper soaked in lighter fluid!