How to Maintain a Woodburning Stove

A wood-burning stove is an an efficient and effective way to heat your home. It is important to keep your stove in good condition to ensure maximum performance.

Tips: Choose wood that is seasoned with low moisture content. This will allow for more time to burn and a higher heat output.

State environmental agencies are struggling with how to tackle the issue of air particulate pollution from older wood-burning stoves.

How They Work

As the name suggests woodburning stoves burn wood to generate heat. They do this by containing the flame within a metal and glass body, which also helps keep the temperature of your home at a consistent level. It also serves as a barrier to stop smoke from entering the living space.

Stoves control combustion by controlling the amount of oxygen they let into the fire. This is accomplished through one or more controllable air vents that can be shut and opened to control the amount of oxygen entering the fire.

Modern stoves utilize non-catalytical or catalytical technologies to regulate this. Catalytic stoves have an catalytic convertor designed to reburn the gases that are generated during primary combustion to ensure they don't escape the room. Non-catalytic stoves, on contrary, don't have a catalyst and rely solely on secondary combustion taking place within the firebox, thereby reducing emissions.

It is recommended to burn seasoned firewood in your woodburning fireplace. It should have a moisture level below 20%, which allows the fire to burn effectively. This will reduce smoke and harmful pollutants that are released from the flue and will also prevent the glass of your stove from being stained by creosote. Creosote is a by-product of wood burning and can build up over time.

The use of seasoned wood can reduce emissions and save the cost of heating. It produces more heat per unit of fuel. This is because the surface area of dry wood is larger and generates more heat per unit volume.

Smoke from wood can be harmful to anyone, however it is especially dangerous to children and adults with weak lung. It can also cause irritation to those with lung disorders such as asthma or chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD). If you reside in an area that has been designated as a smoke control zone, it is crucial to ensure that your stove is properly seasoned and installed with an appropriate chimney that meets the required standards for that location.

Burning Wood

Wood-burning stoves are a safe and renewable source of heat. They can also be used to keep your home warm during an power outage. They also reduce carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels such as oil and gas which can be harmful to the environment.

Modern woodburning stoves operate more efficiently than older models and are engineered to prevent creosote build-up, however, it is important to keep track of the combustion process. Creosote is a potentially dangerous result of incomplete combustion can block the chimney and cause it to become less efficient. It can also pose the risk of fire. The use of seasoned wood can help to keep the levels of creosote low and save on the cost of logs, and also help avoid the need for professional cleaning services.

There are stoves that can burn coal and wood burner stoves giving you a choice of carbon-neutral energy sources. But it's important to remember that burning coal is not a sustainable fuel and there are concerns regarding the manner in which it is mined and transported.

It is recommended to choose the Defra approved stove and one that is Ecodesign ready, since they will be in compliance with the most current emission regulations. The UK building regulations specify the kind of flue used, the size of the hearth and the distance between the stove and the combustible material. It is best to speak with our stove experts prior to purchasing the stove.

Other types of combustibles like paper and garbage should not be used in woodburning stoves, as they can lead to more pollution, and at worst, an explosion in the chimney, and at best cause them to operate less efficiently. This is due to the fact that other combustibles have different density properties compared to firewood, so they burn at lower temperatures and produce more particles.

It is essential to use only seasoned, split, and dried firewood. This will allow the wood to burn more efficiently. Wet or damp wood creates more pollutants and smoke. It is also recommended that you use a good quality stove pipe to ensure that the flue temperatures are sufficient and that it is installed correctly.

Emissions

Wood-burning stoves emit many gasses and particles. They mostly produce fine particulate matter (PM2.5) which is small enough to pass through the lungs and enter the bloodstream, which could harm the heart, liver and brain. However they also produce carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and carcinogenic compounds like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs. Depending on the kind of fuel they're burning, some release toxic metals like arsenic and mercury.

There have been numerous attempts in the US to regulate the amount wood-burning stoves emit pollution with different degrees of success. In 1988 the Environmental Protection Agency established emission guidelines that restricted the amount of pollution new stoves were allowed to release. Since then, there were two more changes to the regulations, and the latest in 2015 mandates that all units both catalytic and non-catalytic release less than 4.5 grams of pollutants per hour.

While these strict regulations did cause a significant shake-up in the industry leading hundreds of smaller manufacturers to shut down their operations, they also spurred on a race to create efficient and well-designed stoves that were both durable and capable of producing lower emission levels than traditional models. To improve their products, stove designers examined and analyzed the flow of combustion, baffles and the shape of the combustion chamber. They also looked into the insulation of materials and the Recirculation systems. They eventually succeeded.

The emission levels are mostly influenced by the moisture content of the wood being burned. The more moisture content, the greater the pollutants that a stove produces. This is why the best method to reduce emissions is to use well-seasoned firewood that has been properly dried for 6-8 months.

According to several studies, comparing exhaust-related particle pollution only, a woodburning stove can cause as much particle pollution as 15 diesel vehicles. These tests were not scientifically based. These studies do not take into account 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. Attorneys general from New York, Washington and Illinois have announced that they will sue the EPA in the event that it continues to allow high-emitting wood-burning stoves to continue to be sold in homes across the country.

Maintenance

While woodburning stoves can be extremely efficient in heating homes however, they can be a challenge to maintain. A stove will need to be cleaned on a regular basis to keep it looking and functioning properly. A dirty stove can have an impact on the health of the occupants and also the amount of heat it produces. Cleaning the stove is not the only maintenance task that needs to be completed to ensure it is functioning properly.

It is easy to clean the interior and exterior of the stove. It is recommended to clean your stove every week or on a fortnightly basis based on the frequency it is used. It is recommended to remove ash from the firebox each time the stove has been used. Spread newspaper on the floor before scooping ashes out of the stove, and put on gloves to protect your hands. It's also an excellent idea to make use of a metal ash container rather than a bucket, as this will prevent rusting.

It is crucial to keep the chimney and flue in good condition. It is recommended to employ a professional chimney sweep at least once or twice a year to thoroughly clean the stove and chimney. This will help prevent the buildup of creosote and reduce the risk for chimney fires.

A chimney should also be inspected for cracks and creosote buildup along with bird nests, and other debris. A professional chimney sweep will be able to repair these problems and restore a safe, working chimney.

Over time, the glass of the wood-burning stove will become clouded and smudged with soot. Spray ammonia and water on the glass and wipe it with a clean cloth. It is best to avoid scratching the glass since this can weaken it and break it when it gets hot.

Paint that is heat-resistant can be used to paint a wood burning fireplace in the event that the paint begins to chip. These paints can be purchased at the majority of wood stove retailers and are available in a wide variety of colors.