How to Properly Operate a Woodburning Stove
Wood stoves are a great way to heat your home. They're also inexpensive. Smoke from wood stoves can be hazardous to your health. It is important to know how these appliances function and to operate them properly.
Many modern stoves rely upon secondary combustion or catalytic to control their emissions. However, older open fires and stoves create 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 simplest way to think about the firebox is to think of it as an enclosed combustion chamber that has walls and doors. Most fireplaces have an already-built metal or the masonry fireboxes. The type of firebox you pick will depend on your preference and the type of fireplace that you have.
The majority of fireplaces that burn wood make use of a constant flow of air to create the flame and burn fuel. Fresh air is pumped into the stove through dampers that can be adjusted inside its doors. This allows the fuel to burn efficiently and helps reduce harmful gases caused by unburnt or incomplete combustion. The exhaust gases are then taken up by the chimney, and safely out of your home.
Modern stoves with catalytic second combustion make use of a specific catalyst to reburn unburnt gases to produce additional warmth. This produces a cleaner and less polluting smoke than traditional wood stoves that do not have secondary combustion. Modern non-catalytic stoves are also available, but they're usually less efficient than stoves with secondary combustion catalytically.
Certain wood-burning stoves come with backboilers that are 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 operated with well-seasoned wood. Freshly cut (green) wood has a high content of moisture and can result in low flue temperatures and excessive creosote build-up in the chimney. This could lead to chimney fires that destroy the stove and can even be dangerous to your family's health.
If you're in search of an expert who can examine your wood-burning stove or perform repairs to your firebox, make sure that the chimney professional you hire is certified by CSIA certification and also has reviews from customers on their website. You can inquire about their prices and the type of work they do.
The pipe for ventilation
Ventilation is essential for wood stoves in order to remove fumes and keep the home safe and warm. Ventilation helps remove carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and excess moisture from the process of combustion. It also reduces the amount of air pollution and heat loss outside. Wood, gas and pellet stoves all have distinct venting requirements. It is important to maintain the stove's venting system on an every year to ensure security and efficiency.
The ventilation system is comprised of the firebox, the ventilation pipe and chimney. The chimney and the pipe are used together to create a draft that draws smoke from the stove through the fireplace. Draft is created by the differences in density and temperature between hot wood smoke and cold air outside. The more hot the temperature, the more smoke can rise through the vent pipe and chimney.
Most modern wood stoves have been certified as low-emission models by the EPA. They produce far less pollutants than older models, which contribute to global warming and other environmental problems. Most modern stoves have built-in pollution control systems that limit the amount of carbon dioxide released while ensuring that they are burned efficiently.
Older stoves that have open flues create lots of carbon dioxide, a poisonous gas that must not be allowed to escape into the home. This can happen if your chimney isn't clean or there is inadequate ventilation, which is why it is crucial to install carbon monoxide detectors within your home.
Before installing a brand new or used wood stove determine the distance between the point where the stove is on the floor to the chimney opening on the ceiling or wall. Divide this measurement by two to find the minimum length of stovepipe you need. You can choose to use single-wall or double-wall stovepipes and ensure that you have adequate clearance from combustibles.
When the stove is first lit, adjust the air vent until a stable flame has been established and combustion is stable. It is recommended to stay clear of using wood briquettes in the stove, since they aren't logs and can contain volatile chemicals that can cause the air vent to fail and create a dangerous situation.
The chimney
The chimney is a complex system that requires careful care. The chimney is composed of numerous important parts that are essential to the safety and efficiency of your stove.
The wood burning stove's combustion gases are emitted outwards through the firebox, the ventilation pipe and the chimney. This is crucial to reduce carbon dioxide levels and prevent harmful emissions. To achieve this, the flue and chimney must be sufficiently hot to remove the gases from the fireplace without cooling. This can be achieved by using a wood-burning fireplace that has a high output of heat and by adding fresh logs on a regular basis to the fire.
Modern wood-burning stoves have a higher chimney than older models to increase the effect of drafting. However, this may have its drawbacks if the size of your chimney is greater than the maximum permitted for your location. In this case, the chimney could compete with the stack of your house for airflow, which causes gases to cool down before leaving. This can impede the flow of gases and lead to a buildup of creosote that could be a fire danger.
One of the most common mistakes that homeowners make is to open and close the fireplace door too frequently, which can negatively impact combustion. It is important to keep the door of your fireplace as shut as you can and only open it when you need to add firewood or ash. The door shouldn't be open for long. This allows the hot air from the stove to escape, making the logs cooler and more difficult to light.
Another common error that people make is to use other types of combustibles in their woodburning stoves. This could cause higher 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, woodburning stoves require an exhaust pipe that is the proper size. Typically, the size of the flue must be at 25 percent larger than the stove pipe (which connects the stove to the chimney) to allow enough space for smoke passage. A wood stove should be set on a non-combustible hearth with a clear area in front of fireplace opening.
Modern stoves are equipped with an engineered combustion system that reduces the amount of harmful byproducts that are released into the chimney. This feature can improve the efficiency of wood stoves by burning a flame which generates more heat while releasing less pollution. However, using small wood burning stoves of combustibles like coal, could cause issues, including lower efficiency and higher emissions.
It is important to use dry or seasoned wood when burning wood in your stove or fireplace. If your wood isn't dry or seasoned, it will emit 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 assist you in avoiding 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 system may lead to an insufficient draft inside your chimney, which could cause carbon monoxide to build up within your home. This could be harmful for your family members and you should never allow it to occur.
A good rule of thumb is to hire a professional chimney sweep sweep your stove and chimney every year. This will help keep your chimney and stove functioning efficiently.