How to Maintain a Woodburning Stove

A wood-burning stove is a reliable, effective way to heat the home. It is crucial to maintain your woodburning appliance to ensure it is operating at its best.

Tip: Select seasoned wood that has a low content of moisture. This will result in more time to burn and a higher heat output.

State environmental agencies are grappling with how to tackle the problem of particulate air pollution from old wood fire stove burning stoves.

How They Work

Wood-burning stoves, as the name suggests are made of wood that produces heat. They do this by enclosing the fire within a metal and glass body. This also helps to keep the temperature in your home at an even level. It also acts as a barrier to stop smoke from entering your living space.

Stoves manage combustion by controlling the amount of oxygen they let into the fire. This is accomplished by opening and closing one or more air vents.

Modern stoves typically use either non-catalytic or catalytic technology to control this. Catalytic stoves have a catalytic convertor that is designed to reburn the gases that are generated during primary combustion to ensure they don't escape the room. Non-catalytical stoves don't have a catalyser and rely on secondary combustion within the firebox in order to reduce emissions.

It is recommended to only use seasoned wood in your woodburning stove. It must have a moisture level less than 20%, which allows the fire to burn effectively. This will decrease the amount of the amount of smoke and harmful pollutants that are released from the flue. It will also stop the glass of your stove from being stained by creosote. Creosote is a byproduct of wood burning and can accumulate over time.

The use of seasoned wood can reduce emissions and save money in your heating bills. It generates more heat per unit of fuel. This is because dry wood has a greater surface area and consequently produces more heat for a given quantity of fuel.

Wood smoke is harmful to anyone, however it is particularly harmful to children and older adults with weakened lungs. It can also irritate those suffering from lung diseases such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). If you reside in a designated smoke control zone, make sure your stove is properly maintained. It must also be fitted with a chimney that meets the requirements of the local area.

Burning Wood

Woodburning stoves provide a clean, renewable heat that is also a great option to keep the house warm during power cuts. They also reduce carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels, such as gas and oil, which are harmful to the environment.

Modern woodburning stoves operate more efficiently than older models and are engineered to stop the build-up of creosote, but it is still important to monitor the combustion process. Creosote is a potentially dangerous result of incomplete combustion, can clog the chimney and cause it to lose its efficiency. It also creates the risk of fire. By using seasoned logs, you can reduce the amount of creosote in your chimney, and save you money on logs. It also can help you avoid having to hire a professional to clean your chimney.

You can also get stoves that can burn coal and wood giving you a choice of carbon neutral energy sources. It is crucial to keep in mind that coal is not a green fuel, and there are some concerns regarding the method by which it is extracted.

It is best to use an Defra approved stove and ideally one that is also Ecodesign ready, since they are in line with the most current emission regulations. The UK building regulations specify the type of flue as well as the size of the hearth and the distance between the stove and combustible material. It is best to speak with our stove experts before purchasing the stove.

Other combustibles, like paper and garbage are not suitable for use in woodburning stoves, as they can cause pollution, or even an explosion in the chimney, and at best cause them to operate less effectively. Other combustibles are lighter than firewood and therefore produce less heat and produce more particles.

It is also important to use only dry, seasoned, split, and dried firewood because it will burn more efficiently. Dry or damp wood generates more smoke and pollution. It is recommended to use a stove pipe of high-quality in order to ensure that the temperatures of the flue are sufficient and that it is set up correctly.

Emissions

Wood-burning stoves release a variety of gasses and particles. They release a lot of fine particulate (PM2.5), which can enter the lungs, get into the bloodstream and potentially damage the liver, heart, and brain. They also produce carcinogenic substances such as polycyclic aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) as well as nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide. Some of them even release poisonous metals, such as mercury and arsenic, depending on the fuel they're burning.

There have been numerous attempts in the US to regulate how much wood-burning stoves emit pollution, with varying degrees success. In 1988, the Environmental Protection Agency set emissions guidelines that basically limited how much pollution new stoves could emit. Since then, there have been two modifications to the guidelines. The most recent one, in 2015 stipulates that all stoves catalytic or non-catalytic release no more than 4 grams of pollutants every hour.

Although these rules were strict, they caused a major shake-up in the industry leading hundreds of smaller manufacturers to shut down their operations, they also spurred on the creation of well-designed and efficient stoves that were durable and capable of producing lower emission levels than traditional models. To improve their products, multifuel stove (http://shinhwaspodium.com/bbs/board.php?bo_table=free&wr_id=1213700) designers studied and analyzed combustion flow baffles, combustion chamber shapes. They also analyzed insulating materials and recirculation systems. They eventually succeeded.

The moisture content of the wood is a major element in determining the emission. The greater the moisture content, the greater the pollutants that a stove produces. Therefore, the best method of reducing emissions is to use well-seasoned firewood that has been properly dried over 6-8 months.

According to several studies that compare pollution from exhaust only, a woodburning stove can produce as much particle contamination as 15 diesel vehicles. These tests were not scientifically based. These studies do not consider that the majority of particle pollution from cars comes from its brakes, engine and tyres, rather than its exhaust.

Ten blue states have been putting pressure on the EPA to review its carbon emissions and guidelines for air quality of wood-burning stoves. Attorney generals from New York, Washington, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, California, Alaska, Oregon and Vermont have announced plans to take on the EPA for allowing high-emitting stoves to be installed in homes across the nation.

Maintenance

While woodburning stoves can be extremely efficient in heating homes but they can be difficult to maintain. The stove must be regularly cleaned to keep it looking and operating efficiently. A dirty stove could have an impact on the health of occupants and also the amount of heat it generates. Cleaning the stove is not the only maintenance task that needs to be done to keep it running smoothly.

Cleaning the interior and exterior of a stove is simple to do. Cleaning your stove is recommended every week or every two weeks based on how often it is used. It is also recommended to empty the ash from the firebox each time the stove has been used. Spread newspaper on the floor before scooping ashes from the stove, and then wear gloves to protect your hands. It is also a good idea to utilize a ash container made of metal instead of a bucket as this will prevent rusting.

Maintaining the chimney and flue clean is also essential. It is a good idea to employ an expert chimney sweep at least once or twice a year to thoroughly clean the chimney and stove. This will stop the buildup of creosote and lower the risk of chimney fires.

Additionally, chimneys should be inspected for cracks in the flue liner, the masonry as well as creosote deposits excessively, bird nests, and other debris. A professional chimney sweep is in a position to fix these issues and restore a safe, functional chimney.

Finally, the clear glass that is used on a wood-burning stove may become smudged and cloudy as soot builds up over time. Spray a mixture of ammonia and water onto the glass and wipe it clean with a clean cloth. Be careful not to scratch the glass, since this can cause it to weaken and shatter when it's hot.

If the paint on a woodburning stove starts to chip it is easily painted over with a high-quality paint that is heat resistant. These paints are typically found at stores where stoves are sold and are available in various colors.