How to Properly Operate a Woodburning Stove
Wood stoves are a fantastic way to heat your home. They're also affordable. But the smoke they emit can be harmful to your health. It is important to know how these appliances work and how to use them safely.
Modern stoves employ secondary or catalytic combustion to limit emissions. However, older stoves and open fires generate 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 firebox is thought of as a combustion chamber with walls and an enclosure. Most fireplaces have an already-built metal or masonry firebox. The type of firebox you pick will depend on your personal preferences and the type of fireplace you have.
Most wood-burning stoves use the constant flow of air to generate the flame and burn the fuel. Fresh air is drawn into the stove via dampers that can be adjusted inside its doors. This allows the fuel to burn properly and helps to reduce toxic gases that are generated by unburnt or incomplete combustion. The exhaust gases will then be dragged up the chimney and away from your home.
Modern stoves with catalytic second combustion use a special catalyst to reburn unburnt gases to create additional warmth. This creates a more clean and less polluting smoke than traditional wood stoves without secondary combustion. Modern non-catalytic stoves are available, but they're generally less efficient than stoves that have secondary combustion catalytically.
Some wood-burning fireplaces come with backboilers that can be used for space heating or water heating. They are also known as "combination" or "hybrid" stoves and have been around since the beginning of the 20th century.
Wood burning stoves must be operated with seasoned wood. Freshly cut wood (green) has high levels of water. This can result in low flue temperatures, and an excessive accumulation of creosote in the chimney. This can cause chimney fires, which could damage your stove and even be hazardous to the health of your family.
If you're looking for an expert to examine your wood-burning stove, or perform any firebox repairs, make sure the chimney expert you hire is CSIA certified and provides customer testimonials on their website. Ask about their pricing and the kind of work they can perform.
The pipe that allows for ventilation
Wood stoves require ventilation in order to remove the smoke from the combustion process and keep your home warm and healthy. Venting carries away carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and excess moisture from the process of combustion. It also reduces the impact of heat loss and air pollution outside. Wood, pellet and gas stoves have different requirements for venting to adapt to the way they function. Maintaining the stove's ventilation system annually is critical to ensure safety and efficiency.
The ventilation system is comprised of the firebox, the ventilation pipe and the chimney. The ventilation pipe and chimney are used in conjunction to create draft, drawing smoke from the stove through the fireplace to the outside air. The difference in temperature and densities of the hot wood smoke and cold outside air creates draft. The higher the temperature, the more smoke rises through the vent pipe and chimney.
Most modern wood stoves are certified as low-emission units by EPA. This means they emit less pollutants than older models, and contribute to global warming as well as other environmental issues. The majority of modern stoves come with pollution controls built-in to limit how much they emit while ensuring that the emissions are disposed of efficiently.
Older stoves that have open flues create much more carbon dioxide, a poisonous gas that must not be allowed to escape into your home. Carbon monoxide is produced when your chimney is dirty or there is inadequate ventilation. Installing carbon monoxide alarms inside your home is therefore essential.
The distance you measure is between the chimney's opening in the wall or ceiling and the place where the wood stove is on the floor. Multiply this number by two to calculate the length of stovepipe you need. You can choose to use single-wall or double-wall stovepipe and must ensure that you have adequate clearance from combustibles with either type.
When the stove is first lit and the flame is first lit, adjust the vent until a proper flame has been established and the combustion process is stable. It is also a good idea to avoid using briquettes of wood in the stove, since they are not logs and can contain volatile chemicals that can cause the air vent to malfunction and lead to a risky situation.
The chimney
The chimney is a complex system which requires attention and care. From top to bottom the chimney is made up of a number of important components, all of which are crucial to ensuring that your stove works safely and efficiently.
The ventilation pipe, the firebox and chimney work together to exhaust the gases from combustion produced by your woodburning fireplace to the outside. This is crucial to preventing harmful emissions and reducing carbon dioxide levels within your home. To accomplish fireplacesandstove , the flue and chimney must be sufficiently hot to remove the gases from the fireplace without cooling. This can be accomplished by using a wood-burning stove which has a high output of heat, and by adding new logs regularly to the fire.
The majority of modern woodburning stoves are designed with a chimney that is taller than older systems in order to create a more drafting effect. This could be a problem in the event that your chimney's height exceeds the maximum allowed for your area. If this occurs, the chimney may compete with the house stack for draft, which can cause the gases to cool before exiting. This can result in a decrease in the flow of gas, and a buildup on creosote.
The most common mistake homeowners make is to open the fireplace door and close it often. This can adversely affect combustion. It is important to keep the door of your fireplace as closed as possible, and only open it to add ash or firewood. Keeping the door open too long can allow hot air to escape from the stove, which causes the logs to get cooler and harder to light, and releases volatile compounds that are not burned into the room.
Another common mistake that people make is to use different kinds of combustibles inside 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
A woodburning stove needs a correctly size flue to permit proper air flow and draft development. The flue must be at least 25% larger than the pipe connecting the stove and chimney to allow sufficient smoke flow. Additionally the wood stove should be installed on a hearth that is made of non-combustible materials and has a clear, unobstructed area that is in front of the fireplace opening.
Modern stoves have a catalytic combustion system which reduces the amount of harmful byproducts released into the chimney. This feature can also help to increase the efficiency of a wood stove by burning a fire that produces more heat and less pollution. Using other types of combustibles, other than firewood however, can cause problems with lower efficiency and more emission levels.
It is essential to use seasoned or dry wood when burning wood in your fireplace or stove. If the wood isn't properly seasoned or dried, it will release a large amount of water vapor into the chimney. This can lead to low flue temperatures, and even a chimney fire.
Another way to prevent a chimney fire is to have a professional examine and clean your flue system on a regular basis. This should include the stovepipe, chimney and the chimney itself, to ensure that they are all in good shape.
A dirty stove or system can cause an insufficient draft inside your chimney, which could cause carbon monoxide to accumulate in your home. This can be harmful to your family members and should never be allowed to happen.
It is a good idea to ensure that your stove and chimney are swept by a professional once a year. This will keep your stove and chimney in good condition.