How to Properly Operate a Woodburning Stove
Wood stoves can be a cozy and inexpensive way to heat your home. Smoke from wood stoves can be dangerous to your health. It's important to understand how these appliances function and to operate them properly.
Many modern stoves rely upon secondary or catalytic combustion to control their emissions. Older stoves and open flames release 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. wood burning stoves small '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 can be thought of as a combustion chamber with walls and lid. The majority of fireplaces come with an already-built metal or masonry fireboxes. The type of firebox you choose will depend on your personal preferences and the type of fireplace you have.
Most wood-burning stoves use an air flow that is constant to create the fire and burn the fuel. Fresh air is drawn into the stove through the adjustable dampers within the doors of the stove. This lets the fuels burn properly, and reduces toxic gases produced by incomplete or unburnt burning. The exhaust gases will then be drawn up the chimney, and then away from your home.
Modern stoves with catalytic second combustion use a special catalyst that reburns the unburned gasses to produce additional heat. This results in more clean and less polluting smoke than traditional wood stoves that do not have secondary combustion. Modern wood stoves that are not catalytic are available however they are generally less efficient than stoves with catalytic second combustion.
Some wood-burning stoves include backboilers that can be used to heat water, in addition to space heating. These stoves are referred to as "hybrids" or "combination". They have been in use since the early 20th century.
Wood burning stoves can only be made use of seasoned wood. Freshly cut wood (green) has high levels of water. This could lead to low flue temperatures, as well as an excessive accumulation of creosote in the chimney. This can lead to chimney fires that cause damage to the stove and could be harmful to your family's health.
If you are looking for an expert to inspect your wood-burning stove, or make repairs to your firebox, be sure the chimney professional you hire is certified by the CSIA certification and has testimonials from their customers on their website. Find out their rates, and what type of work they do.
The ventilation pipe
Wood stoves require ventilation in order to remove the smoke from the combustion process and keep the home warm and healthy. Venting carries away carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and excess moisture from the process of combustion. It also helps reduce the impact of heat loss and air pollution outside. Gas, wood and pellet stoves have different venting requirements to adapt to the way they function. It is crucial to keep the stove's venting system on every year to ensure security and efficiency.
The ventilation system is comprised of the firebox, the ventilation pipe and chimney. The ventilation pipe and chimney are used in conjunction to create draft, drawing smoke from the stove through the fireplace to outside air. The differences in densities and temperature between the hot wood smoke and the cold outside air creates draft. The higher the temperature, more smoke will rise through the ventilation pipe and chimney.
Modern wood stoves have been rated as low-emission units by EPA. They produce far less pollutants than older models that contribute to global heating and other environmental problems. The majority of modern stoves come with pollution control systems to limit the amount of emissions while ensuring that they are burned efficiently.
Older stoves with open flues produce lots of carbon dioxide, poisonous gas that should not be allowed to escape into the home. This could happen if the chimney is not properly maintained or if there is not enough ventilation, so it is important to install carbon monoxide detectors into your home.
The distance you measure is between the opening of the chimney in the ceiling or wall and the place where the wood stove is located on the floor. Multiply this distance by two to calculate the minimum length of stovepipe you require. You can use a 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 established and the combustion is stable. It is recommended to avoid using wood based logs in the stove because they could contain volatile chemicals that could cause the air vents to fail.
The chimney
The chimney might not be something that homeowners think about a lot to, but it's an intricate system that requires careful attention. The chimney is composed of a variety of components which are all essential for the safe and efficient operation of your stove.
The combustion gasses are vented to the outside through the firebox, the ventilation pipe, and the chimney. This is essential to preventing harmful emissions and also reducing carbon dioxide levels within your home. To do this the chimney and flue should be hot enough to remove the gases from the fireplace without cooling. This can be achieved by using a wood-burning stove that produces a large amount of heat, and by adding new logs on a regular basis to the fire.
Modern woodburning stoves are taller chimney than older models to increase the effect of drafting. small log burning stove can be a problem when the chimney's height is higher than the maximum height for your area. In this scenario the chimney could be competing with the stack of your house for airflow, which causes gases to cool down before leaving. This could result in a pause in the flow of gas, and the formation of creosote.
The most frequent mistake that homeowners make is to open the fireplace door and close it frequently. This can cause problems with the combustion. It is essential to keep the door of your fireplace closed whenever you can and only open it when you need to add more firewood or ash. The door should not be open for long. This allows hot air from the stove to escape, making the logs cooler and harder to light.
Another common mistake that people make is to use other types of combustibles in their woodburning stove, which can result in more emissions or even a chimney fire. Woodburning stoves were developed and optimized for burning wood for fire. They are not suitable for other combustibles.
The flu
To ensure proper air flow, a woodburning stove needs a flue that is the right size. Usually, the size of the flue must be at 25 percent larger than the stove pipe (which connects the stove to the chimney) to ensure adequate room for smoke passage. In addition the wood stove should be set on an open hearth made of non-combustible materials and is clear and unobstructed space in the front of the opening for the fireplace.
Modern stoves feature a feature called catalytic combustor which can cut down on the amount of harmful byproducts that are released into the chimney. This feature can help increase the efficiency of wood stoves by burning a fire which produces more heat while releasing less pollution. Using other types of combustibles other than firewood however, could cause issues, such as lower efficiency and higher emission levels.
When burning wood in a fireplace or stove it is crucial to burn seasoned or dried wood. If your wood is not seasoned or dry, it will emit high levels of creosote and water vapor into the chimney. This could result in low flue temperatures and even a fire in the chimney.
A professional can also assist you in avoiding an explosion in your chimney by regularly checking and cleaning the flue system. This should include the stovepipe, chimney and the chimney itself, to ensure that they are all in good working order.
A dirty stove or flue system could cause an unclean draft in your chimney, which can cause carbon monoxide to build up in your home. This could be harmful to your family and you should not allow it to happen.
A good rule of thumb is to hire a professional chimney sweep sweep your stove and chimney each year. This will help keep the stove and chimney functioning efficiently.