How to Properly Operate a Woodburning Stove
Wood stoves are a great way to heat your home. They're also affordable. However, the smoke they produce can be harmful to your health. It is important to know how these appliances operate and to use them correctly.
Many modern stoves rely on a catalytic or secondary combustion to control their emissions. Older stoves and open flames emit large amounts 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 most simple way to think of the firebox is to think of it as an open-air combustion chamber that has walls and a door. The majority of fireplaces come with a prefabricated metal or brick fireboxes. The type of firebox you choose will depend on your personal preferences and the type of fireplace you have.
The majority of wood-burning stoves utilize the constant flow of air to generate the fire and burn the fuel. Fresh air is drawn in through adjustable dampers that are located inside the stove's doors. This allows the fuels to burn properly, and reduces toxic gasses that result from incomplete or unburnt burning. contemporary wood burning stoves are then drawn up through the chimney and safely out of your house.
Modern stoves with catalytic second combustion use a special catalyst to reburn the unburnt gasses to produce additional heat. This creates a cleaner and less polluting fume than traditional wood stoves that do not have secondary combustion. Modern non-catalytic wood stoves are available, but these are typically less efficient than those that have secondary combustion that is catalytic.
Some fireplaces with wood burning have backboilers that can be used for space heating as well as water heating. These stoves are called "hybrids" or "combination". They have been around since early 20th century.
Wood burning stoves must be used with well-seasoned wood. Freshly cut wood (green) has a high water content. This can lead to low flue temperatures and an excessive accumulation of creosote in the chimney. This can lead to chimney fires that destroy the stove, and they could be harmful to your family's health.
If you're looking for a professional to inspect your wood-burning stove, or to make any repairs to your firebox ensure that the chimney professional you choose is CSIA certified and offers reviews from their customers on their website. Find out their rates, and what type of work they can perform.
The pipe for ventilation
Ventilation is a must for wood stoves to eliminate fumes and keep the home safe and warm. Ventilation helps remove carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and excess moisture from the combustion process. It also helps reduce air pollution and heat loss outside. Wood, gas and pellet stoves all have different requirements for venting. It is important to maintain the stove's venting system on every year to ensure security and efficiency.
The ventilation system consists of the firebox as well as 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. Draft is generated by the variation in temperature and density between hot wood smoke and cold outside air. The higher the temperature, more smoke will rise through the vent pipe and chimney.
Most modern wood stoves are EPA-certified low-emission units. They emit less pollution than older models, which contribute to global warming and other environmental issues. Most newer stoves also include pollution controls that reduce the amount of carbon dioxide they emit, while also ensuring that the emissions are disposed of efficiently.
Older stoves that have open flues create much more carbon dioxide, poisonous gas that should not be allowed to escape into the home. Carbon monoxide can be produced when your chimney is dirty or if there is inadequate ventilation. Installing carbon monoxide alarms inside your home is therefore crucial.
Before installing a brand new or used wood stove, take note of the distance from the place where the stove is placed on the floor to the chimney opening in the wall or ceiling. Multiplying this distance by 2 will provide you with the minimum length of stovepipe that you need. You can use either single-wall or a double-wall stovepipe however, you must allow for the adequate clearance from the combustibles.
When the stove is first lit then adjust the air vent until a proper flame has been created and the combustion is stable. It is also a good idea to avoid using briquettes of wood in the stove, as they are not logs, and could contain volatile chemicals that can cause the air vent to malfunction and cause a hazardous situation.
The chimney
The chimney is a complicated system which requires attention and care. The chimney is made up of numerous important parts which are all essential to the safe and efficient operation of your stove.
The ventilation pipe, the firebox and chimney work together to release the combustion gases generated by your woodburning stove to the outside. This is essential to lower carbon dioxide levels and to prevent harmful emissions. To achieve this the chimney and flue must be hot enough to move the gases from the fireplace without cooling. This can be achieved by using a wood-burning stove which has a high output of heat and by adding new logs frequently to the fire.
Most modern woodburning stoves are designed to operate with a chimney that is taller than older systems in order to get a better drafting effect. This can be a problem if your chimney height exceeds the maximum allowed for your area. In this situation the chimney may compete with the house's stack for airflow, causing the gases to cool down before leaving. This could impede the flow of gases and create creosote accumulation, which poses a potential fire danger.
The most frequent mistake that homeowners make is to open the fireplace door and close it often. This can cause problems with combustion. It is essential to keep the fireplace door as shut as you can and only open it to add firewood or ash. The door should not be open for long. This lets hot air from the stove to escape, making the logs cooler and more difficult to light.
Other kinds of combustibles may cause higher emissions or even an explosion in a chimney. The truth is that woodburning stoves are built and optimized to burn wood and not other types of combustibles.
The flu
A woodburning stove requires an appropriately size flue to permit adequate air flow and draft development. The flue should be at least 25% larger than the stove pipe that connects the stove and chimney to allow for sufficient smoke flow. Additionally the wood stove should be placed on a hearth constructed of a non-combustible substance and has a clear, unobstructed space in front of the fireplace opening.
Modern stoves have an element called catalytic combustor which can help reduce the amount of harmful by-products which are released into the chimney. This feature can also assist to increase the efficiency of wood stoves by burning a fire that produces more heat and emits less. Utilizing other kinds of combustibles other than firewood however, can result in problems with lower efficiency and higher emission levels.
It is crucial to use seasoned or dry wood when burning wood in your stove or fireplace. If your wood isn't seasoned or dried, it will release a lot of water vapor to the chimney. This can result in low flue temperatures and possibly a chimney fire.
A professional can also help you avoid an explosion in your chimney by regularly inspecting and cleaning the flue system. This includes the stovepipe, the chimney, and the chimney itself.
A dirty stove or flue system can cause an insufficient draft inside your chimney, which can cause carbon monoxide to accumulate in your home. This can be harmful to your family members and should not be allowed to happen.
A good rule is to have your stove and chimney cleaned by a professional at least every year. This will help keep your stove and chimney in good order.