How to Maintain a Woodburning Stove

A woodburning stove can be a powerful, effective way to heat your home. It is important to keep your stove in good condition to ensure maximum performance.

Tips: Choose seasoned wood that is low in the amount of moisture. This will let you burn the wood for longer and generate more heat.

State environmental agencies are grappling with how to address the problem of particulate air pollution from older wood-burning stoves.

How They Work

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

The main way that stoves regulate the combustion process is through regulating the quantity of air they allow into the fire. This is accomplished through one or more air vents that can be shut and opened to control the amount oxygen entering the fire.

Modern stoves typically use either catalytic or non-catalytic technology in order to manage this. Catalytic stoves have a catalytic convertor that is designed to reburn the gas that is generated during primary combustion to ensure they do not escape from the room. Non-catalytic stoves on the other hand, do not contain a catalyst and rely solely on secondary combustion to occur inside the firebox to reduce emissions.

It is recommended to only use seasoned wood in your woodburning stove. This means that it should have a moisture content of less than 20, as this allows the fire to burn more efficiently. This will lessen the amount of smoke and harmful pollutants that escape from the flue and will also stop the glass of your stove from becoming blackened by creosote. Creosote is a byproduct of burning wood, and it can accumulate over time.

The use of wood that is seasoned will reduce emissions and save money in your heating bills. It generates more heat per unit of multi fuel stove. This is because dry wood has a larger surface area and therefore produces more heat from a given amount of fuel.

Wood smoke is dangerous to anyone, but it is especially harmful to children and 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 should also be installed with a chimney which meets the requirements of the local area.

Burning Wood

Wood-burning stoves are a safe, renewable heat that is an excellent option to keep your home warm in a power cut. They also help reduce carbon dioxide emissions, which are harmful to the environment from fossil fuels, such as oil and gas.

Modern woodburning stoves work more efficiently than older models and are engineered to stop the build-up of creosote, however, it is important to monitor the combustion process. Creosote, which is a risky byproduct of incomplete combustion, can clog the chimney and cause it to lose its efficiency. It also poses a fire hazard. The use of seasoned wood can aid in keeping creosote levels low and can reduce the cost of logs as well as helping to avoid the need for professional cleaning services.

You can also choose stoves that use wood and coal which gives you a choice between carbon-neutral energy sources. But it's worth remembering that burning coal is not a climate-friendly fuel and there are concerns over the way it is mined and transported.

It is best to choose an approved stove by Defra, and preferably one that is Ecodesign ready. They will be compliant with the latest regulations on emissions. The UK building regulations have specific requirements regarding the way that the flue is positioned as well as the size of the hearth and how far the stove can be from combustible materials, so it's always wise to speak with one of our stove experts prior to making a purchase.

Other types of combustibles like paper and garbage are not suitable for use in wood burner stoves-burning stoves as they can lead to more pollution, and at worst, a chimney fire or worse, cause them to operate less effectively. This is because other combustibles have different density properties compared to firewood, so they burn at lower temperatures and produce more particles.

It is crucial to only use properly seasoned, split and dried firewood. This will burn more efficiently. Wet or damp wood creates more smoke and pollutants. It is also recommended that you make use of a high-quality stove pipe to make sure that the flue temperatures are high enough and that it has been installed correctly.

Emissions

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

There have been numerous attempts in the US to regulate how much wood-burning stoves produce pollution and have had varying degrees of success. In 1988, the Environmental Protection Agency set emissions guidelines that basically restricted how much pollution new stoves could emit. Since then, there have been two more revisions to the regulations and the most recent in 2015 stipulates that all catalytic units and non-catalytic release less than 4.5 grams of pollutants per hour.

These rules imposed by the government caused a major shake-up in the industry, and forced hundreds of small manufacturers out of business. However they also sparked a race to design efficient stoves that were durable and could produce lower emissions than traditional models. To improve their products, stove makers looked at and analysed combustion flow baffles, the shape of the combustion chamber. They also analyzed insulating materials and recirculation systems. In time, they were successful.

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

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

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

Maintenance

Although wood-burning stoves are extremely efficient in heating homes however, they can be a challenge to maintain. The stove must be cleaned regularly to ensure it is clean and functioning correctly. A dirty stove can be detrimental to the health of those who live there and the amount of heat it generates. In addition to cleaning the stove, there are also maintenance tasks that must be completed to ensure that it functions properly.

It is simple to clean the exterior and interior of the stove. It is recommended to clean a stove on a weekly or biweekly basis, depending on how frequently it is used. It is also a good idea to empty the ash from the firebox each time the stove is being used. Spread old newspaper on the floor and wear gloves when scooping out the ashes. Use a container made of metal instead of a bucket to prevent rusting.

Cleaning the chimney and flue clean is equally important. It is a good idea to hire an experienced chimney sweeper once or twice per year to thoroughly clean the stove and chimney. This will stop the buildup of creosote and decrease the risk of chimney fires.

A chimney should also be checked for cracks and creosote buildup as well as bird nests, and other debris. A professional chimney sweep can fix these issues and restore a safe and working chimney.

Finally, the clear glass that is used on a wood-burning stove may become smudged and cloudy with soot build up over time. Spray ammonia and water on the glass, and wipe it off with a clean cloth. Avoid scratching the glass because this could cause it to weaken and shatter when it's hot.

Paint that is heat resistant can be used to re-paint woodburning fireplace if the paint starts to chip. These paints are generally available at places where stoves are sold and can be found in various colors.