How to Maintain a Woodburning Stove

A woodburning stove is an efficient, effective way to heat the home. It is important to maintain your woodburning bio ethanol stove in order to ensure it is operating at its best.

Tips: Choose wood that is seasoned with a low moisture content. This will let you use the wood longer and produce more heat.

The state environmental agencies are battling to find a solution for the issue of particulate matter pollution caused by the old wood-burning stoves.

How They Work

As the name suggests, woodburning stoves burn wood in order to generate heat. They do this by enclosing 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 smoke entering the living area.

The primary way stoves control the combustion process is by controlling the amount of air 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 oxygen that is pumped into the fire.

Modern stoves typically use either catalytic or non-catalytic technology in order to control this. Catalytic stoves come with an catalytic convertor designed to reburn gases produced during primary combustion, so they do not escape from the room. Non-catalytic stoves, on contrary, don't have a catalyst, and rely solely on secondary combustion to occur within the firebox to minimize emissions.

It is recommended that you only use seasoned wood in your woodburning stove. It should have a moisture content lower than 20%, which will allow the fire to burn efficiently. This will eliminate smoke and harmful pollutant emissions from the flue system and will make the glass in your stove less likely to become blackened by creosote, which is a byproduct of burning wood which can build up over time.

In addition to reducing emissions well-seasoned wood can also save cash on heating bills because it produces more heat from a given amount of fuel. This is because dry wood has a greater surface area and therefore produces more heat from a certain quantity of fuel.

However, wood smoke can be harmful to anyone, but especially children and older adults who have vulnerable lungs. It can also cause irritation to those suffering from lung diseases such as asthma or chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD). If you reside in a smoke control zone, ensure that your stove is properly and properly seasoned. It must also be fitted with a chimney which meets the standards of the area.

Burning Wood

Woodburning stoves are a clean and renewable source of heat powered wood stove fan. They can be used to keep your home warm during a power outage. They also reduce carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels like oil and gas, 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 process of combustion. Creosote is a dangerous by-product of a poorly burned fire and can block the chimney if it is allowed to build up, resulting in less efficiency and creating an hazard to fire. Using seasoned logs will keep creosote low and help you save money on logs. It also helps you avoid hiring a professional to clean your chimney.

You can also select stoves that burn wood and coal, giving you a choice between carbon-neutral sources of energy. It is crucial to remember that coal is not a green fuel, and there are concerns about the way it is mined.

It is recommended to choose the Defra approved stove and one that is also Ecodesign ready, since these will comply with the most current emission regulations. The UK building regulations have specific rules for the way that the flue is positioned as well as the size of the hearth and the distance the stove is from combustible materials, so it's always wise to talk to one of our stove experts before buying a stove.

Paper and other combustibles such as trash and paper should not be put in woodburning devices. They could cause more pollution, and at worst the possibility of a chimney fire. At best, they will cause them to be less efficient. This is because combustibles other than firewood have different density properties than firewood, so they burn at lower temperatures and produce more particles.

It is also essential to only use dry, seasoned, split, and dried firewood since this will be more efficient in burning. If you use damp or wet wood, it can produce a lot of smoke, as well as producing more pollutant. It is recommended to use a stove pipe of high-quality to ensure that the flue temperatures will be sufficient and that it is installed correctly.

Emissions

Woodburning stoves emit a myriad of gases and particles. They mostly produce fine particulate matter (PM2.5) that is tiny enough to enter the lungs and get into the bloodstream, potentially damaging the liver, heart and brain. However they also produce carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and carcinogenic compounds like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or PAHs. Some even release toxic metals like mercury and arsenic, depending on what they're burning.

There have been a variety of attempts in the US to regulate how much wood-burning stoves produce pollution, with varying degrees success. In 1988, the Environmental Protection Agency established emission guidelines that restricted the amount of pollution new stoves were permitted to release. Since since then, there's been two changes to the regulations. The most recent one, in 2015 stipulates that all stoves, catalytic or non-catalytic, release less than 4 grams of pollutants every hour.

These strict regulations led to a major shake-up of the industry and forced hundreds of smaller companies out of business. However they also sparked an effort to create efficient stoves that could last and could emit less carbon dioxide than traditional models. To improve their products, stove designers looked at and analysed combustion flow, baffles and combustion chamber shapes. They also looked into the insulation materials and 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 is, the more pollutants the stove will produce. The best way to reduce the amount of emissions is using seasoned firewood which is properly dried over a period of 6-8 months.

According to a variety of studies, comparing exhaust-related particle pollution only, a woodburning stove can cause as much particle pollution as 15 diesel vehicles. These tests were not scientific. These studies don't consider that the majority of the particle pollution that cars emit comes from its engine, brakes, and tyres, not its exhaust.

Ten blue states are pushing on the EPA to review their carbon emissions and guidelines on air quality for wood-burning stoves. The attorney generals of 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

While woodburning stoves can be extremely efficient in heating homes, they can be difficult to maintain. A stove will need to be cleaned regularly to ensure that it looks and is functioning properly. A dirty stove can affect the health of occupants as well as how much heat it generates. Cleaning the stove isn't the only maintenance task that needs to be completed to ensure it is functioning properly.

Cleaning the exterior and interior of a stove is easy to do. It is recommended to clean your stove every week or on a fortnightly basis depending on how often it is used. It is also recommended to remove the firebox of ash each time the stove is used. Spread newspaper on the floor, and wear gloves prior to taking the ashes out. It is also recommended to make use of a metal ash container instead of a bucket because this will stop rust from forming.

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

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

Over time, the glass from a wood-burning stove may be smudged and clouded with soot. A mixture of ammonia and water can be sprayed over the glass, then wiped with a cloth until clean. It is best to avoid scratching the glass since it can weaken the glass and shatter it when it gets hot.

If the paint on a woodburning fireplace begins to crack it can be easily repainted with a quality paint that is heat resistant. These paints are generally available at the places where wood stoves are sold and can be found in many colors.