How to Properly Operate a Woodburning Stove
Wood stoves are a fantastic method of heating your home. They're also inexpensive. Smoke from wood stoves can be hazardous to your health. It is important to know how these appliances operate and to use them correctly.
Many modern stoves rely upon secondary or catalytic combustion to control their emissions. But older stoves and open fires generate 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 most straightforward way to think of the firebox is to think of it as a box-like combustion chamber with walls and a door. Most fireplaces have an already-built metal or the masonry firebox. The type of firebox you choose will depend on your personal preferences as well as the type of fireplace that you have.
The majority of wood-burning stoves employ an air flow that is constant to create the fire and burn the fuel. Fresh air is drawn into the stove through adjustable dampers that are located within the doors of the stove. This lets the fuel be properly burned and also helps reduce toxic gases that are produced by incomplete or unburnt combustion. The exhaust gases are then taken up by the chimney, and safely out of your home.
Modern stoves that have catalytic second combustion employ a special catalyst to reburn unburnt gases to create additional warmth. This produces a cleaner and less polluting fume than traditional wood stoves with no secondary combustion. Modern wood stoves that are not catalytic are available however they are generally less efficient than those that have catalytic second combustion.
Some wood-burning stoves include backboilers that can be used to heat water as well as for space heating. These stoves are referred to as "hybrids" or "combination". They have been around since early 20th century.
Wood burning stoves should only be lit with seasoned wood. Freshly cut wood (green) has a high water content. This can lead to low flue temperatures, as well as excessive creosote accumulation in the chimney. This can cause chimney fires, which can harm your stove or be harmful to the health of your family.
If you're looking for an expert to examine your wood-burning stove, or perform any firebox repairs ensure that the chimney specialist you choose is CSIA certified and has customer testimonials on their website. It's also important to inquire about their rates and what is the type of work they can do.
The ventilation pipe
Ventilation is essential for wood stoves to help remove fumes and keep the house healthy and warm. Ventilation is essential to remove carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide from the combustion process. It also reduces air pollution and heat loss outside. Gas, wood and pellet stoves have different requirements for venting. Properly maintaining the stove's ventilation system every year is essential to ensure safety and efficiency.
The ventilation system consists of the firebox, the vent pipe and chimney. The chimney and the vent pipe work together to create draft, bringing smoke from the stove through the fireplace and into the outside air. Draft is created by the differences in temperature and density between hot wood smoke and cold air outside. The more hot the smoke, the better it can rise through the chimney and vent pipe.
Modern wood stoves are EPA-certified as low-emission units. This means that they produce significantly less pollution than older models, and contribute to global warming as well as other environmental concerns. Many newer stoves come with pollution controls built-in to limit how much they release while ensuring the emissions are burned in an efficient manner.
Older stoves with open flues produce much more carbon dioxide, an extremely poisonous gas and should not be allowed to escape into the home. Carbon monoxide can be produced when the chimney is dirty or there is inadequate ventilation. Installing carbon monoxide alarms inside your house is therefore important.
The distance you measure is between the chimney's opening in the wall or ceiling and the location where the wood stove is on the floor. Multiply this distance by two to determine the minimum length of stovepipe that you require. You can choose a single-wall or double-wall stovepipes but you must allow for the adequate clearance from the combustibles.
The stove's air vent must be adjusted when it first gets lit, until a good flame has been established in the stove and the combustion process has stabilised. It is recommended to avoid using wood briquettes in the stove, as they aren't logs and can contain volatile chemicals that could cause the air vent to malfunction and cause a hazardous situation.
The chimney
The chimney is a complicated system that requires careful care. From top to bottom, the chimney is comprised of a variety of essential components each of which is essential to ensure that your stove functions safely and efficiently.
The wood-burning stove's combustion gases are vented outwards through the firebox, the ventilation pipe and the chimney. This process is critical to preventing harmful emissions and reducing carbon dioxide levels within your home. To accomplish this the chimney and flue must to be sufficiently hot to remove the gases out of the fireplace without them cooling. This can be achieved by using a wood-burning stove that has a high heat output and by adding new logs regularly to the fire.
Modern wood-burning stoves have a higher chimney than older systems to improve the drafting effect. However, this may have its drawbacks when the height of your chimney is higher than the maximum allowed for your area. In this case the chimney could be competing with the stack of your house for airflow, causing the gases to cool down before leaving. This could result in a pause in the flow of gas, and an accumulation of creosote.
The most common mistake homeowners make is to open the fireplace door and close it frequently. This can adversely affect the combustion. It is essential to keep the fireplace door closed whenever possible, and only open it when you need to add more firewood or ash. The door should not be open for long. This lets hot air from the stove to escape, making the wood cooler and more difficult to light.
Other types of combustibles can create higher emissions, or even a chimney fire. The fact is that woodburning stoves were designed and optimized to burn wood and not other kinds of combustibles.
The flue
To ensure proper air flow, woodburning stoves require flues that are the right size. Usually, the size of the flue has to be at least 25 percent larger than the stove pipe (which connects the stove to the chimney) to provide enough space for smoke passage. In addition the stove must be installed on a hearth that is made of a non-combustible substance and is clear and unobstructed area in the front of the fireplace opening.
Modern stoves come with catalytic combustion systems that reduces the amount of harmful byproducts released into the chimney. This feature can improve the efficiency of wood stoves by burning a flame which produces more heat while emitting less pollution. However, using different types of combustibles, such as coal, can cause issues, including lower efficiency and more emissions.
It is crucial to use dry or seasoned wood when burning wood in your stove or fireplace. If your wood isn't dry or seasoned it will release high levels of creosote and water vapor into the chimney. This could lead to low flue temperatures, and even a chimney fire.
A professional can also help you avoid a fire in your chimney by regularly inspecting and cleaning the flue system. This includes the stovepipe, chimney and the chimney itself.
A dirty stove or flue system could cause an insufficient draft inside your chimney, which can cause carbon monoxide to accumulate within your home. This could be harmful to your family members and you shouldn't allow it to occur.
A good rule of thumb is to have your chimney and stove cleaned by a professional at least every year. This will help keep the chimney and stove operating efficiently.