Wood Furnace Heat - I am getting frustrated and cold ?

• go buy a box of those fake logs you put in the fireplace.well they are real logs but made out of some other kind of wood that is what i use to start my fires.i light one of those that gets going then i start adding the wood to it and it starts a nice fire you can buy a box at any hardware store. by donna d

• Some people have called me the Fire God, and while that might not be true, I have good success lighting fires, and I'm going to tell you. You need to figure where the air comes into your stove. In my stove, the main entrance is two holes, right in the back. Wherever it is, make sure the openings are clear (not plugged with ash), so air can come in. Then, always start your fire right around and surrounding those points the air comes in. If your air comes in the door, do this there instead. Wherever it is. I usually crumple some paper up, light it, and put it by this place the air comes in. Immediately, I tear a few pieces of cardboard and add it around the burning paper, then some kindling, then some bigger kindling, then your wood, forming a kind of "tee-pee" around where the air comes in. Afterwards, start placing your logs in the fire so the air will continue blowing that same direction in the spaces between the logs, and generally, the flame will follow soon right on the path you gave it. OK, usually I don't even use kindling, and I just use scrap little bits of bark and junk mail and stuff like that, but that's extreme - use the kindling, but follow the path of the air. Oh, one more thing. Depending on your chimney, but they don't want to draw when the stove is cold - you have to heat the air up inside them enough to make the smoke want to go on up it, and make the stove draw right. When it's real cold like where you are, you might need to burn a few newspapers just to get things warmed up first, so it will draw. Then proceed as I told you. I bet pretty soon they're calling you the Fire Goddess! :) by Don

• Wood just sucks to heat with. Crumple up the paper into balls, not too tight. Put some 1/4 sticks next to it on the sides. Then lay your kindling over the paper and on the wood next ot it so that it doesn't put your paper out. Use progressively larger pieces till it stays burning on its own. Good luck. by klt

• Don't get to frustrated, practice makes perfect. In order to build a fire, you have to put your papers down then lay your kindling on around and over the top prior to lighting the paper. The kindling should be arranged loosly over the paper so that oxygen gets to the paper and it will burn hot enough to catch the kindling. As soon as the kindling catches you should lay the firewood next to and over the kindling so that it will then catch. again, don't pile it on leave some space for the air to get to it. by Ken B

• Look at the flames, do they appear to be smokey??? You may be starving your fire for air. try opening up the air intakes and make sure the air gets under your pile of kindling , so as to feed the base of the flames. also make sure that the outlet damper is open and leave it open, this will help get some air moving until the inside of the box warms up. Once you have a good fire going you can start to close down on the damper, and then your fireplace will really start cranking out the heat. It'lll be so hot you start sweating! Remember: 1.) Flue Damper 100% Open (until fire starts really going) 2.) Air intake 100% Open Edit: The bottom one most likely is your air intake. follow the flue (smoke stack) it should be exiting through the top of the furnace and will go outside. as you follow it along see if there is a damper. by skibm80

• You either have too much draft or not enough. Too much draft and your fire goes out, too little draft and flames don't spread beyond the area you light with the match. Start with the pipe damper open completely. Then open the stove damper about half. Make your paper and kindling pile and light it. It's ok to add kindling until you get a little something going. Then add the 1/4 logs (bark up) and let that burn until you get a bed of coals going. By that time, the chimney will have heated up and you will be getting a good draw. Close the stove damper a little and adjust the pipe damper until you have the fire going like you want. When your fire burns to just coals later, remember it will be much easier to keep a fire going than to start from scratch. Open the dampers and place two 1/2 logs onto the coals. The coals should start roaring. It's just like how a fire gets bigger when you blow on it. Turn the dampers down again and keep warm by D H