How to Properly Operate a Woodburning Stove Wood stoves can be an affordable and cozy method to heat your home. Smoke from wood stoves can be hazardous to your health. It is important to know how these appliances work and how they operate. Many modern stoves rely on a catalytic or secondary combustion to limit their emissions. However, older stoves and open fires produce 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 an open-air combustion chamber with walls and a lid. Most fireplaces have either prefabricated metal or a brick fireboxes. The type of firebox you select is based on your personal preferences and the kind of fireplace you have. Most wood-burning fireplaces use a constant air flow to start the fire and burn fuel. Fresh air is introduced into the stove via dampers that can be adjusted inside the doors. This allows the fuels to burn properly, and reduces toxic gasses that result from burning that is not complete or properly burned. The exhaust gases are then drawn up through the chimney, and safely out of your home. Modern stoves with catalytic second combustion use a special catalyst to reburn the unburnt gasses to produce additional heat. This results in a much more clean and less polluting exhaust than traditional wood stoves with no secondary combustion. Modern wood stoves that are not catalytic are available however they are usually less efficient than those with catalytic second combustion. Some wood-burning stoves include backboilers that are used to heat water, in addition to space heating. They are also known as combination or hybrid stoves and have been around since the beginning of the 20th century. Wood burning stoves should only be lit with well-seasoned wood. Freshly cut wood (green) has high levels of water. This can lead to low flue temperatures, as well as excessive creosote accumulation in the chimney. This can cause chimney fires that damage the stove, and they can be hazardous to your family's health. If you're in search of an expert to examine your wood burning stove or make any firebox repairs, make sure the chimney professional you choose is CSIA certified and provides customer testimonials on their website. Ask about their pricing and the type of work they do. The pipe for ventilation Ventilation is required for wood stoves to help eliminate fumes and keep the home safe and warm. Ventilation is necessary to remove carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide from the process of combustion. It also reduces air pollution and heat loss outside. Gas, pellet and wood stoves have different venting requirements to adapt to the way they function. Properly maintaining the stove's ventilation system annually is critical for safety and efficiency. The ventilation system consists of the firebox, the vent pipe and the chimney. The chimney and ventilation pipe work together to create draft that draws smoke from the stove through the fireplace. Draft is caused by the difference in temperature and density between hot wood smoke and cold outside air. The higher the temperature of the smoke, the better it is able to rise through the chimney and through the ventilation pipe. Modern wood stoves are certified as low-emission models by the EPA. They emit less pollution than older models which contribute to global warming and other environmental problems. Modern stoves are equipped with pollution control systems that reduce the amount of emissions 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 your home. Carbon monoxide is produced when the chimney is dirty or has inadequate ventilation. Installing carbon monoxide alarms in your home is therefore crucial. Find the distance between the opening of the chimney in the ceiling or wall and the place where the wood stove is on the floor. By multiplying this measurement by 2 will provide you with the minimum length of stovepipe you will require. Single-wall or double-wall stovepipes, and you must ensure that you have adequate clearance from combustibles with either type. When the stove is first lit, adjust the air vent until a proper flame has been established and the combustion process is stable. It is best to avoid using wood logs in the stove because they may contain volatile chemicals that can cause the air vents to malfunction. The chimney The chimney is a complex system that requires careful care. From top to bottom the chimney is made up of several important components each of which is crucial to ensure that your stove operates efficiently and safely. The wood burning stove's combustion gasses are vented to the outside by the firebox, the vent pipe, and the chimney. This is crucial to reduce carbon dioxide levels and to prevent harmful emissions. To do this, the flue and chimney must 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 fresh logs frequently to the fire. Modern wood-burning stoves have a higher chimney than older systems to increase the effect of drafting. This could be a problem in the event that your chimney's height exceeds the maximum for your location. If this happens the chimney could be competing with the house stack for draft, causing gases to cool before they exit. This can impede the gas flow and cause creosote buildup that could be a fire risk. The most common error homeowners make is to open the fireplace door and close it frequently. This can adversely affect the combustion. It is important to keep the door shut whenever you can and only open it when you need to add additional firewood or ash. The door shouldn't be left open for too long. This lets hot air from the stove to escape, making the logs cooler and more difficult to light. Another common mistake that people make is using other types of combustibles in their woodburning stoves, which could result in higher emissions, or even a chimney fire. Woodburning stoves were designed and optimized for burning wood for fire. They are not suitable for other types of combustibles. The flu A woodburning stove requires a properly sized flue to allow for adequate air flow and draft development. Typically, the size of the flue has to be at 25 percent greater than the stove pipe (which connects the stove to the chimney) to allow enough space for smoke passage. A wood stove must be placed on a non-combustible hearth with a clear space in front of the fireplace's opening. Modern stoves have the feature of catalytic combustor which can help reduce the amount of harmful byproducts that are released into the chimney. This feature can also help to improve the efficiency of wood stoves by burning a fire that produces more heat and emits less. Using other types of combustibles than firewood, however, can cause problems with lower efficiency and higher levels of emissions. It is important to use seasoned or dry wood when burning wood in your stove or fireplace. If your wood isn't seasoned or dry it will release high levels of creosote and water vapor into the chimney. outdoor wood burning stove can result in low flue temperatures, and even a chimney fire. Another way to avoid a fire in your chimney is to have a professional examine and clean your flue system on a regular basis. This includes the stovepipe, the chimney and the chimney itself. A soiled stove or flue system can cause an unclean draft in your chimney, which can cause carbon monoxide to accumulate in your home. This can be dangerous for your family members and you shouldn't let it happen. A good rule is to ensure that your stove and chimney are swept by a professional once a year. This will help keep your chimney and stove in good condition.
outdoor wood burning stove
