How to Start a Fire in a Wood Furnace

With the rising cost of oil and natural gas, wood is coming back into fashion as the go-to fuel to heat your home. With some simple steps and the right types of wood, you can get that fire roaring in no time.

Things You'll Need

• Wood, several thicknesses
• Tinder: paper, small sticks and slivers
• Matches, BBQ lighter or fireplace lighter

Instructions

1. Open the furnace door and clean out ashes. If your fire does not have adequate oxygen, particularly early on, it will not light. Ashes can block the flow of air, especially if they're cold or wet or haven't been cleaned out in a while.

2. Stack the largest wood. Depending on how wide your burn chamber is, you should lay two to three logs side by side with about 1/2 inch" of space between them. Lay slightly smaller wood atop the larger logs so that you have at least two layers with gaps between the logs.

3. Loosely place large splinters or small twigs onto the large logs. They should partially fall into the spaces between the logs; you want this to happen.

4. Place paper kindling. Almost any paper will work, but some works better than others. Napkins and paper towels seem to catch the easiest, while glossy newspaper or coupon paper is hardest to catch fire. Twist the paper so it resembles kindling, but do it loosely; you want lots of surface area to burn. Place this paper kindling over the larger kindling.

5. Light the paper on as many points as you can. Allow the fire to take hold of the paper (but not the kindling or logs) before moving on to the next step.

6. Open the vents (also called "dampers") and close the furnace door, but not all the way. This will cause the air to move quickly through the chamber--the wider the opening, the slower the air. You will need to play with it a bit to find the right balance of speed to ensure your fire takes hold.

7. Close the chamber door completely once the kindling has taken and the logs are starting to burn. Leave the vents (dampers) open until your furnace reaches at least 400 degrees. Once it does, you can set the dampers, vents and other devices to the manufacturer's suggested settings for optimal heat.