How to Maintain a Woodburning Stove

A wood-burning stove can be an efficient and effective way to heat your home. But, it's essential to keep your stove in good condition to ensure maximum performance.

Tip: Select seasoned wood that is low in the amount of moisture. This will result in a longer burn time and more heat output.

State environmental agencies are wrestling with how to address the problem of particulate air pollution from old wood burning stoves.

How They Work

Wood-burning stoves as their name implies are made of wood that produces heat. They accomplish this by enclosing the fire inside a steel and glass body, which can help keep the temperature of your home at an even level. It also acts as a barrier to smoke from entering your living space.

Stoves manage combustion by controlling the amount of oxygen that they let into the fire. This is done via one or more air vents that can be closed and opened to control the amount oxygen flowing in to the fire.

Modern stoves use either non-catalytical or catalytical technologies to control this. Catalytic stoves have a catalytic converter which is designed to reburn the gases generated during primary combustion so that they do not escape into the room. Non-catalytical stoves don't have an catalyser but rely on secondary combustion within the firebox in order to reduce emissions.

It is recommended to only burn firewood that is seasoned in your fireplace that burns wood. It should have a moisture level below 20%, which allows the fire to burn efficiently. This will reduce the amount of smoke and harmful pollutants that are released from the flue. It will also prevent the glass of your stove from becoming blackened by creosote. Creosote is a by-product of burning wood and can accumulate 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 due to the fact that drier wood has a larger surface area and therefore produces more heat from a given amount of fuel.

However, wood smoke can be harmful for anyone, but especially older adults and children who have vulnerable lungs. It can also irritate those with lung disorders such as asthma or chronic obstructive respiratory disorder (COPD). If you reside in a smoke control zone, make sure that your stove is properly and properly seasoned. It should also be equipped with a chimney which meets the requirements of the local area.

Burning Wood

Woodburning stoves are a clean and renewable source of heat. They can be used to keep your home warm during an power outage. They also reduce carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels like gas and oil, which are harmful to the environment.

Modern wood-burning stoves are more efficient than previous models, and are designed to stop the accumulation of creosote. However it is essential to monitor the combustion. Creosote is a risky by-product of a poorly burned fire and can block the chimney if allowed to build up, leading to less efficiency and creating an hazard to fire. The use of seasoned logs will reduce the amount of creosote in your chimney and help you save money on logs. It can also help you avoid hiring an expert to clean your chimney.

You can also get stoves that can burn coal and wood and give you a choice of carbon neutral energy sources. However, it's important to keep in mind that coal is not a climate-friendly fuel, and there are concerns regarding the manner in which it is mined and transported.

It is best to choose a Defra-approved stove, preferably one that is Ecodesign ready. These stoves will comply with the latest emission regulations. The UK building regulations have specific requirements for the way that the flue is positioned, the size of hearth and the distance the stove must be from combustible materials and therefore it is always advisable to consult one of our stove experts before buying a stove.

Other types of combustibles like paper and garbage should not be used in wood-burning stoves as they can cause pollution, at worst the possibility of a chimney fire or worse, cause them to function less effectively. This is due to the fact that other combustibles have different density characteristics than firewood, and therefore burn at a lower temperature and produce more particles.

It is also important to use only dried, seasoned, split and dried firewood because it will burn more efficiently. Wet or damp wood will create a lot of smoke, as well as generating more pollutants. It is also recommended to make use of a top-quality stove pipe in order to ensure that the temperature of the flue are adequate and that it is set up correctly.

Emissions

Woodburning stoves emit a myriad of gases and particles. Mostly they produce fine particulate matter (PM2.5) which is small enough to pass through the lungs and enter the bloodstream, potentially damaging the liver, heart and brain. However, they also produce carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and carcinogenic substances like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, also known as PAHs. Some of them even release toxic metals like arsenic and mercury, depending on the fuel they're burning.

There have been numerous attempts in the US to regulate the amount wood-burning stoves pollute the environment with different degrees of success. In 1988, the Environmental Protection Agency established emission guidelines that regulated the amount of pollution new stoves were allowed to release. Since since then, there's been two modifications to the guidelines. The latest one in 2015 mandates that all units whether catalytic or not, release no more than 4 grams of pollution each hour.

While these strict rules caused a significant shake-up in the industry leading hundreds of smaller manufacturers to close up shop They also sparked an effort to design and build efficient and well-designed stoves that could last and able to produce lower emission levels than traditional models. To improve their products, stove designers studied and analyzed combustion flow, baffles and combustion chamber shapes. They also studied the insulation of materials and the Recirculation systems. In time, they were successful.

Emissions are mostly dependent on the moisture content of the wood burned. The higher the level of moisture of the wood, the more harmful emissions the stove can produce. For that reason, the best method of reducing emissions is to use seasoned firewood that has been properly dried for 6-8 months.

According to several studies, comparing exhaust-related particle pollution only wood burning stoves could cause as much particle pollution as 15 diesel vehicles. These tests were not scientific. However these studies fail to take into account that about half of the car's particle pollution comes from the brakes, engine, and tyres, not its exhaust.

Ten blue states are putting pressure on the EPA to review their carbon emissions and guidelines for air quality for wood-burning appliances. Attorneys general from New York, Washington and Illinois have declared 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 nation.

Maintenance

While woodburning stoves can be extremely efficient in heating homes however, they can be a challenge to maintain. To ensure that your stove is clean and functioning correctly, you'll need to clean it regularly. A dirty stove wood can affect the health of the people who live there and how much heat it generates. Cleaning the stove isn't the only maintenance task that should be completed to ensure it is working well.

It is simple to clean the exterior and interior of a stove. It is recommended to clean a stove on a weekly or biweekly basis depending on how often it is used. It is also recommended to empty ash from the fire box every time the stove has been used. Spread an old newspaper over the floor before scooping ashes from the stove, and wear gloves to protect your hands. Make use of a metal container instead of a bucket in order to avoid the rusting.

Keeping the flue and chimney clean is equally important. It is a good idea to hire a professional chimney sweep at least once or twice a year to thoroughly clean the chimney and stove. This will help keep creosote off the chimney and decrease the chance of fires in chimneys.

A chimney should also be examined for creosote and cracks, bird nests, and other debris. A professional chimney sweep can repair these problems to restore a safe and functioning chimney.

Finally, the clear glass of a wood burning stove may become smudged and cloudy due to the buildup of soot over time. A mixture of ammonia and water can be sprayed on the glass and then cleaned with a cloth until it is clean. It is recommended to avoid scratching the glass since this can weaken it and break it when it gets hot.

If the paint on a woodburning stove begins to chip it is easily painted over with a high-quality paint that is heat resistant. These paints are usually found at stores where stoves are sold and can be found in many colors.