How to Maintain a Woodburning Stove

A woodburning stove can be a powerful, effective way to heat the home. It is important to maintain your woodburning appliance to ensure its maximum performance.

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

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

How They Work

Wood-burning stoves, as the name implies, burn wood to produce heat. The fire is contained in a metal-and-glass body which allows for a steady temperature in the home. It also serves as a barrier to prevent smoke from entering the living space.

The primary way stoves control the process of combustion is by controlling the quantity of air they allow 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 come with catalytic converters that are designed to reburn the gases produced during primary combustion, to ensure that they do not escape into the room. Non-catalytic stoves, on the contrary, do not have a catalyst, and rely solely on secondary combustion taking place within the firebox to minimize emissions.

It is recommended to only use seasoned wood in your woodburning stove. This means it must have a moisture level of less than 20 and this will allow the fire to burn more efficiently. This will decrease the amount of the amount of smoke and harmful pollutants that escape from the flue. It will also prevent the glass of your stove from becoming blackened by creosote. Creosote is a byproduct of burning wood, and it will build up over time.

The use of seasoned wood can reduce emissions and save you money in your heating bills. It produces more heat per unit of fuel. This is because dry wood has a greater surface area and therefore produces more heat for a given quantity of fuel.

Wood smoke can be dangerous to anyone, but it is especially dangerous to children and adults with weak lungs. It can also cause irritation to those with lung conditions like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). If you reside in an area designated as a smoke control zone, it is important to ensure that your stove is properly maintained and has a chimney that meets the standards required for the location.

Burning Wood

Wood-burning stoves are a safe energy source that is also a great option to keep the house warm in a power cut. They also aid in reducing carbon dioxide emissions, which are harmful to the environment from fossil fuels like oil and gas.

Modern wood burning stoves are more efficient than earlier models, and are designed to prevent the accumulation of creosote. However it is essential to monitor combustion. Creosote is a potentially dangerous result of incomplete combustion can block the chimney and cause it to lose its efficiency. It also creates an hazard to fire. The use of seasoned wood can aid in keeping the levels of creosote at a minimum and reduce the cost of logs and also help avoid the need for professional cleaning services.

You can also select stoves that burn both coal and wood which gives you a choice between carbon-neutral sources of energy. It is crucial to remember that coal is not a sustainable fuel, and there are some concerns regarding the method by which it is extracted.

It is recommended to select a Defra-approved stove, preferably one that is Ecodesign ready. These will meet the most recent emission regulations. The UK building regulations have specific rules for how the flue is fitted, the size of hearth and how far the stove is from combustible materials It is therefore advisable to speak with one of our stove experts before making a purchase.

Other combustibles, such as paper and rubbish are not suitable for use in wood-burning stoves as they could cause more pollution, and at worst, the possibility of a chimney fire and, at best, make them operate less effectively. This is because other combustibles have different density properties compared to firewood, so they burn at a lower temperature and produce more particles.

It is essential to use only properly seasoned, split and dried firewood. This will burn more efficiently. Wet or damp wood produces lots of smoke and also create more pollution. It is also recommended to make use of a top quality stove pipe to ensure that the flue temperatures are sufficient and that it has been installed correctly.

Emissions

Wood-burning stoves emit many gasses and particles. They produce a large amount of fine particulate (PM2.5) which could enter the lungs, penetrate the bloodstream, and cause damage to the heart, liver, and brain. They also produce carcinogenic compounds like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as well as nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide. Based on the type of multi fuel stove they are burning, some release toxic metals, such as mercury and arsenic.

In the US, there are a variety of attempts to regulate the amount of pollution woodburning stoves produce with varying degrees of success. In 1988, the Environmental Protection Agency set emissions guidelines that basically limited the amount of pollution that new stoves could emit. Since then, there were two more changes to the regulations, and the latest in 2015 mandates 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 within the industry and forced hundreds of smaller manufacturers out of business. However, they also sparked a race to design efficient stoves that could last and could emit less carbon dioxide than conventional 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 materials and recirculation systems. Over time they succeeded.

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

Several studies have shown that a single woodburning stove, in the event of frequent use, can generate particles as large as 15 diesel cars based on non-scientific tests which compare exhaust-related PM2.5 only. However these studies fail to consider that around half of car's particle pollution is caused by the engine, brakes and tyres instead of its exhaust.

Ten blue states have been putting pressure on the EPA to review its carbon emissions and guidelines for air quality for 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 stoves to to be sold in homes across the nation.

Maintenance

Wood burning stoves are efficient in heating homes, but can be a challenge to maintain. A stove needs to be cleaned regularly to keep it looking and functioning properly. A dirty stove could have an impact on the health of occupants as well as how much heat it produces. In addition to cleaning the stove, there are additional maintenance tasks that need to be carried out to ensure that it works well.

Cleaning the interior and exterior of a stove is easy to do. It is recommended to clean a stove on a weekly or biweekly basis based on the frequency it is used. It is recommended to remove ash from the fire box each time after the stove has been used. Spread old newspaper on the floor and put on gloves prior to taking out the ashes. It is also recommended to utilize a ash container made of metal instead of a bucket because this will stop rust from forming.

It is important to keep the chimney and flue clean. It is a good idea to hire 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 examined for creosote and cracks, bird nests and other debris. A professional chimney sweep is in a position to fix these issues and restore a safe, functional chimney.

The clear glass that is used on a wood-burning stove can become smudged and cloudy due to the buildup of soot over time. Spray a mixture of ammonia and water onto the glass and wipe it with a clean cloth. It is best to avoid scratching the glass since it can weaken the glass and cause it to shatter when it gets hot.

If the paint on a woodburning fireplace begins to crack, it can easily be replaced with a high-quality paint that is heat resistant. These paints are usually available at places where wood stoves are sold and can be found in various colors.