How to Properly Operate a Woodburning Stove Wood stoves can be an inexpensive and cozy way to heat your home. Smoke from wood stoves can be dangerous to your health. It is important to know how these appliances function and how they operate. Many modern stoves rely upon secondary or catalytic combustion to control their emissions. Older stoves and open flames emit high levels of particulates. The firebox The firebox is the heart of any fireplace system. It's where you create a fire to heat your home and provide ambiance. It's a simple concept, but there are many important details that must be accounted for to keep your wood burning stove safe and efficient. The firebox is described as a combustion chamber that has walls and a lid. Most fireplaces have either a prefabricated metal or masonry fireboxes. The type of firebox you choose will depend on your preferences as well as the type of fireplace you own. The majority of wood-burning stoves employ a constant flow of air to generate the fire and burn the fuel. Fresh air is pumped into the stove via dampers that can be adjusted inside its doors. This lets the fuels burn correctly, and also reduces the toxic gases that are produced by incomplete or unburnt combustion. The exhaust gases are taken up by the chimney, and safely out of your house. Modern stoves with catalytic secondary combustion make use of a specific catalyst to reburn the unburnt gasses to create additional heat. This results in a more clean and less polluting exhaust than traditional wood stoves with no secondary combustion. Modern non-catalytic wood stoves are also available, but these are typically less efficient than stoves with secondary combustion that is catalytic. Some wood-burning fireplaces come with a backboiler, which can be used for space heating as well as water heating. These are referred to as combination or hybrid stoves and have been around since the beginning of the 20th century. Wood burning stoves can only be used with seasoned wood. Freshly cut wood (green) has high levels of water. This can result in low flue temperatures, and excessive creosote accumulation in the chimney. This could lead to chimney fires that can harm your stove or be harmful to the health of your family members. If you're in search of a professional who can inspect your wood-burning stove, or make repairs to your firebox, be sure the chimney expert you hire has CSIA certification and also has customer testimonials on their site. Ask about their pricing, and what type of work they can perform. The ventilation pipe Wood stoves require ventilation to remove the smoke from the combustion process and keep the home warm and healthy. Venting helps eliminate carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and excess moisture from the combustion process. It also helps reduce the amount of air pollution and heat loss outside. Gas, pellet and wood stoves have different requirements for venting to adapt to the way they function. Properly maintaining the stove's ventilation system every year is essential to ensure safety and efficiency. The ventilation system is made up of the firebox and the ventilation pipe. The chimney and the vent pipe work together to create draft, drawing smoke from the stove through the fireplace to the outside air. The differences in temperature and densities of the hot wood smoke and cold outside air creates draft. The higher the temperature of the smoke, the better it can rise up the chimney and vent pipe. Modern wood stoves are certified by the EPA as low-emission units. They produce far less pollutants than older models which contribute to global warming and other environmental issues. Most modern stoves have built-in pollution control systems that reduce the amount of emissions while ensuring that they are burned efficiently. Older stoves with open flues produce lots of carbon dioxide, a poisonous gas that must not be allowed to escape into the home. Carbon monoxide can be a source if your chimney is dirty or has inadequate ventilation. Installing carbon monoxide alarms in your home is therefore crucial. Measure the distance between the chimney's opening in the ceiling or wall and the place where the wood stove is on the floor. Multiply this distance by two to find the length of stovepipe you need. You can use single-wall or double-wall stovepipe and must be aware of the proper clearances from combustibles. When the stove is lit for the first time and the flame is first lit, adjust the vent until a stable flame has been created and the combustion is stable. It is recommended to stay clear of using wood logs in the stove as they could contain volatile chemicals that can cause the air vents to malfunction. The chimney The chimney might not be something that people pay a lot of attention to, but it's actually a complex system that requires care and attention. The chimney is made up of a variety of components which are all essential to the safety and efficiency of your stove. The wood burning stove's combustion gasses are vented outwards through the firebox, the ventilation pipe and the chimney. This is essential to lower carbon dioxide levels as well as prevent harmful emissions. To achieve this, the flue and chimney must be hot enough to remove the gases from the fireplace without cooling. This is achieved by using a woodburning stove with a high heat output and by frequently adding new logs to the fire. Modern wood-burning stoves have a higher chimney than older systems to improve the drafting effect. However, this could have disadvantages if the size of your chimney is greater than the maximum allowed for your location. In this case the chimney could be competing with the stack of your house for airflow, which causes gases to cool down before leaving. This can restrict the flow of gases and lead to a buildup of creosote that could be a fire danger. The most common error homeowners make is to open the fireplace door and close it frequently. This can negatively affect combustion. It is essential to keep the fireplace door closed as much as possible and only open it when you're required to add more firewood or ash. If you leave the door open for too long allows hot air to escape from the stove, causing the logs to get cooler and harder to light. modern wood burning stoves releases volatile compounds that are not burned into the room. Another mistake that many make is to use different kinds of combustibles inside their woodburning stoves. This could result in higher emissions or even chimney fire. Woodburning stoves are designed and optimised for burning wood for fire. They are not suitable for other combustibles. The flu To ensure proper air flow, woodburning stoves require flues that are the proper size. The flue should be at least 25 percent larger than the stove pipe that connects the chimney and the stove to allow adequate smoke flow. A wood stove should be placed on an uncombustible hearth that has a clear space in front of fireplace opening. Modern stoves come with an element called a catalytic combustor that can help reduce the amount of harmful by-products that are released into the chimney. This feature can increase the efficiency of wood stoves by burning a fire that produces more heat and emitting less pollution. However, using different types of combustibles, like coal, can cause issues, such as lower efficiency and higher emissions. When you are burning wood in a fireplace or stove it is essential to use dried or seasoned wood. If the wood isn't properly seasoned or dried, it will release a lot of water vapor into your chimney. This can result in low flue temperatures, and even a chimney fire. A professional can also assist you in avoiding an explosion in your chimney by regularly checking and cleaning the flue system. This includes the stovepipe, chimney and the chimney itself. A dirty flue and stove can lead to a poor chimney draft which could release carbon monoxide into your home. This can be dangerous to your family and you should never let it occur. A good rule of thumb is to have an experienced chimney sweep sweep your stove and chimney once per year. This will help keep the chimney and stove operating efficiently.
modern wood burning stoves
