How to Properly Operate a Woodburning Stove
Wood stoves are a fantastic way to heat your home. They're also affordable. Smoke from wood stoves can be harmful to your health. It is crucial to know how these appliances function and to use them correctly.
Modern stoves employ catalytic or secondary combustion to control 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. 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 with walls and an enclosure. Most fireplaces come with an already-built metal firebox or masonry firebox. The type of box you choose will depend on your preferences and the kind of fireplace you have.
Most fireplaces with wood burning make use of a constant flow of air to start the fire and burn 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 the toxic gases caused by unburnt or incomplete combustion. The exhaust gases will be dragged through the chimney and safely away from your home.
Modern stoves with catalytic secondary combustion use a special catalyst that allows unburned gases to be reburned to create additional warmth. This results in a much cleaner and less polluting emission than traditional wood stoves that have no secondary combustion. Modern non-catalytic stoves are also available, but they're usually less efficient than stoves with catalytic secondary combustion.
Some wood-burning stoves include backboilers that can be used to heat water as well as for space heating. They are known as "combination" or "hybrid" stoves and have been in use since the early 20th century.
Wood burning stoves should be lit with well-seasoned wood. Freshly cut (green) wood has a high moisture content and can result in low flue temperatures and a lot of creosote buildup in the chimney. This can cause chimney fires that cause damage to the stove, and they can be hazardous to your family's health.
If you're looking for a professional who can inspect your wood-burning stove or perform repairs to your firebox, be sure the chimney professional you hire is certified by CSIA certification and has customer testimonials on their site. Find out their rates and the kind of work they can perform.
The pipe for ventilation
Wood stoves require ventilation to remove fumes from combustion and help keep your home warm and healthy. Venting carries away carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and excess moisture from the process of combustion. It also helps reduce the amount of air pollution and loss of heat to the outdoors. Gas, wood and pellet stoves all have distinct venting requirements. Properly maintaining the stove's venting 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 ventilation pipe work together to create draft that draws smoke from the stove through the fireplace. The difference in densities and temperature between the hot wood smoke and the cold outside air creates draft. The higher the temperature, more smoke rises through the vent pipe and chimney.
The majority of modern wood stoves are EPA-certified low-emission units. This means that they emit far fewer pollutants than older models, and contribute to global warming as well as other environmental issues. Many newer stoves come with pollution controls built-in to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide they release while ensuring the emissions are burned efficiently.
Older stoves that have open flues produce more carbon dioxide. It is a poisonous gas that is toxic and cannot be escaped into your home. This can happen if the chimney is not clean or there is inadequate ventilation, so it is important to install carbon monoxide detectors within your home.
Before installing a brand new or used wood stove measure the distance from the point where the stove is on the floor to the chimney opening on the wall or ceiling. Multiply this number by two to find the minimum length of stovepipe you need. You can use either single-wall or a double-wall stovepipe but you must ensure the adequate clearance from burning combustibles.
When the stove first starts to burn and the flame is first lit, adjust the vent until a proper flame has been established and combustion process is stable. It is advised to stay clear of using wood logs in the stove because they may contain volatile chemicals that could cause the air vents to malfunction.
The chimney
The chimney may not seem like something that homeowners pay a lot of attention to, but it's actually an intricate system that requires careful attention. From top to bottom, the chimney is made up of several important components, all of which are crucial to ensuring that your stove operates effectively and safely.
The firebox, the ventilation pipe and chimney work together to release the gases from combustion produced by your woodburning stove to the outside. This is essential to reduce carbon dioxide levels as well as prevent harmful emissions. To accomplish outdoor wood burning stove and flue should be hot enough to remove the gases from the fireplace without cooling. This can be achieved by using a wood-burning fireplace that has a high heat output, and by adding new logs frequently to the fire.
Modern woodburning stoves are taller chimney than older models to improve the drafting effect. This could cause problems 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 can restrict the gas flow and cause creosote accumulation which could pose a fire risk.
The most frequent mistake that homeowners make is to open the fireplace door and close it often. This can negatively affect combustion. It's important to leave the fireplace door closed whenever possible, and only open it when you need to add additional firewood or ash. Keeping the door open too long permits the hot air to escape from the stove, which causes the logs to become cooler and harder to light, and also releases unburned volatile compounds into the room.
Other types of combustibles could cause higher emissions or even a chimney fire. Woodburning stoves were designed and optimised for burning firewood. They are not suitable for other combustibles.
The flu
To ensure that the airflow is proper, woodburning stoves require flues that are the proper size. The flue must be at least 25% larger than the stove pipe that connects the chimney and the stove to allow sufficient smoke passage. Additionally the wood stove should be set on a hearth that is made of a non-combustible substance and has a clear, unobstructed area in the front of the opening for the fireplace.
Modern stoves are equipped with a catalytic combustion system that reduces the amount harmful byproducts that get released into the chimney. This feature is also able to increase the efficiency of wood stoves by burning a flame 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.
When burning wood in a stove or fireplace it is essential to use dried or seasoned wood. If your wood isn't seasoned or dry it will release high levels of water vapor and creosote into the chimney. This could lead to low flue temperatures, and even a chimney fire.
A professional can also help you avoid the possibility of a chimney fire by regularly checking and cleaning the flue system. This should include the stovepipe, chimney and the chimney itself to ensure that everything is in good working order.
A dirty stove and flue system could result in a poor chimney draft which can produce carbon monoxide in your home. This can be dangerous to your family members and you should never allow it to happen.
A good rule of thumb is to have your stove and chimney cleaned by a professional at least every year. This will also help to keep the stove and chimney working efficiently.