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 the best performance.

Tips: Choose seasoned wood that has a low content of moisture. This will allow you to burn the wood for longer and generate more heat.

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

How They Work

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

The most common way stoves control the combustion process is through regulating the amount of air they let into the fire. This is accomplished by opening and closing one or more air vents.

Modern stoves typically employ catalytic or non-catalytic technology in order to control this. Catalytic stoves feature catalytic converters that are designed to reburn the gases produced during primary combustion so that they do not escape into the room. Non-catalytical stoves do not use an catalyser but rely on secondary combustion inside the firebox to reduce emissions.

It is recommended to only burn wood that is seasoned in your woodburning stove. This means that it must have a moisture level of below 20 per cent which allows the fire to burn more efficiently. This will lessen the amount of the amount of smoke and harmful pollutants that are released through 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 build up over time.

In addition to reducing emissions, seasoned wood can save you money on heating costs 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 volume of fuel.

Wood smoke is harmful to anyone, but it is particularly dangerous to children and adults with weak lungs. It can also cause irritation to those suffering from lung diseases such as asthma or chronic obstructive respiratory disease (COPD). If you reside in a smoke control zone, ensure that your stove is properly seasoned. It should also be equipped with a chimney which meets the requirements of the local area.

Burning Wood

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

Modern woodburning stoves work more efficiently than older models and are engineered to avoid creosote build-up however, it is important to monitor the combustion process. Creosote is a dangerous by-product of incomplete combustion and it can block the chimney if allowed to build up, resulting in less efficiency and creating a fire risk. The use of seasoned wood can aid in keeping the levels of creosote low and save on the cost of logs, as well as helping to avoid the need for professional cleaning services.

You can also choose stoves that use coal and wood which gives you a choice between carbon-neutral energy sources. However, it is worth remembering that burning coal is not a green 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. These stoves will comply with the latest emission regulations. The UK building regulations specify the type of flue, the size of the hearth and the distance between the electric stove fires (http://www.hwajung.kr/g5/bbs/Board.php?bo_table=inj6luwmrp&wr_id=64734) and combustible material. It is always best to consult our stove experts before purchasing the stove.

Other types of combustibles such as paper and rubbish are not suitable for use in wood-burning stoves as they can cause pollution, and at worst, an explosion in the chimney, and at best cause them to function less effectively. This is because combustibles other than firewood have different density properties compared to firewood, which means they burn at lower temperatures and produce more particles.

It is crucial to use only properly seasoned, split and dried firewood. This will allow the wood to burn more efficiently. Wet or damp wood produces plenty of smoke as well as generating more pollution. It is also recommended to make use of a top quality stove pipe to ensure the flue temperature is high enough and that it has been installed correctly.

Emissions

Woodburning stoves emit a variety of gases and particles. They produce a large amount of fine particulate (PM2.5) which could enter the lungs, get into the bloodstream and potentially damage the heart, liver, and brain. They also produce carcinogenic compounds such as polycyclic aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) as well as nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide. Depending on the kind of fuel they're burning, some release toxic metals like mercury and arsenic.

In the US, there have been a number of attempts to regulate the amount of pollution woodburning stoves can produce with varying degrees of success. In 1988, the Environmental Protection Agency established emission guidelines that limited how much pollution new stoves were allowed to release. Since then there have been two additional revisions to these guidelines and the most recent in 2015 mandates that all stoves, catalytic and non-catalytic release no more than 4.5 grams of pollutants per hour.

Although these rules were strict, they caused a major shake-up in the industry causing hundreds of smaller manufacturers to close their doors, they also spurred on a race to create high-quality and efficient stoves that could last and capable of producing less emissions than conventional models. To improve their products, stove makers looked at and analysed combustion flow, baffles and the shape of the combustion chamber. They also looked into insulating materials and recirculation systems. In time, they were successful.

Emissions are mostly dependent on the moisture content of the wood that's burned. The higher the level of moisture of the wood, the more harmful emissions the stove will produce. The best method to cut down on the amount of emissions is by making use of seasoned firewood that is properly dried over a period of 6-8 months.

According to several studies, comparing exhaust-related particle pollution only wood burning stoves could create as much particle pollution as 15 diesel vehicles. These tests were not scientifically based. However these studies fail to consider that around half of car's particle pollution comes from the brakes, engine and tyres rather than its exhaust.

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

Maintenance

Wood-burning stoves are efficient at heating homes but can be a challenge to maintain. To keep your stove looking and working properly, you will need to clean it regularly. A dirty stove can affect the health of those who live there and the amount of heat it generates. In addition to cleaning the stove, there are additional maintenance tasks that should be carried out to ensure that it functions properly.

It is simple to clean the exterior and interior of a stove. Cleaning a stove is recommended on a weekly basis or every two weeks based 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 when taking out the ashes. It is also recommended to utilize a ash container made of metal rather than a bucket, since this will help prevent rust.

It is essential to keep the flue and chimney clean. It is a good idea to employ an expert chimney sweep every year or once to thoroughly clean the stove and chimney. 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, excessive creosote deposits as well as bird nests and other debris. A professional chimney sweep is able to fix these issues and restore an efficient and safe chimney.

The clear glass that is used on a wood burning stoves near me-burning stove can become smudged or cloudy with soot build up over time. A mixture of water and ammonia can be sprayed on the glass, then wiped with a clean cloth until it is clear. Be careful not to scratch the glass, since this can cause it to break and cause it to shatter when hot.

Paint that is heat resistant can be used to paint a woodburning fireplace if the paint starts to chip. The paints can be bought at the majority of wood stove retailers and are available in a broad range of colors.