How to Properly Operate a Woodburning Stove

Wood stoves can be a cozy and inexpensive way to heat the home. Smoke from wood stoves can be hazardous to your health. It is important to know how these appliances function and to use them correctly.

Modern stoves employ secondary or catalytic combustion to control emissions. Older stoves and open flames release high levels of particulates.

The firebox

The firebox is the heart of any fireplace system. It's where you create a fire to heat your home and provide ambiance. It's a simple concept, but there are many important details that must be accounted for to keep your wood burning stove safe and efficient.

The most simple way to think about the firebox is that it's an enclosed combustion chamber that has walls and a door. Most fireplaces have a prefabricated metal or brick fireboxes. The type of firebox you choose will depend on your preferences and the type of fireplace you have.

Most wood-burning fireplaces utilize a continuous flow of air to create the flame and burn fuel. Fresh air is drawn through the adjustable dampers within the doors of the stove. This allows the fuels to be burned properly, and reduces toxic gases produced by burning that is not complete or properly burned. The exhaust gases will then be dragged up the chimney and safely away from your home.

Modern stoves that have catalytic second combustion make use of a specific catalyst to reburn unburnt gases to produce additional warmth. This produces a more clean and less polluting exhaust than traditional wood stoves with no secondary combustion. Modern non-catalytic stoves are available, but they're usually less efficient than stoves that have secondary combustion catalytically.

Some wood-burning stoves have backboilers that are used to heat water as well as for space heating. These stoves are referred to as "hybrids" or "combination". They have been around since early 20th century.

Cheap wood burners burning stoves should only be lit with well-seasoned wood. Freshly cut wood (green) has a high water content. This could lead to low flue temperatures, and an excessive accumulation of creosote in the chimney. This could lead to chimney fires, which could damage your stove and even be harmful to the health of your family members.

If you're in search of a professional to inspect your wood-burning stove or to make any repairs to your firebox Make sure the chimney expert you hire is CSIA certified and provides testimonials from customers on their website. It is also essential to inquire about their pricing and what kind of work they perform.

The pipe that allows for ventilation

Ventilation is a must for wood stoves in order to eliminate fumes and keep the house healthy and warm. Venting carries away carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and excess moisture from the combustion process. It also helps to reduce air pollution and loss of heat to the outdoors. Wood, pellet and gas stoves have different requirements for venting to adapt to the way they operate. Properly maintaining the stove's ventilation system on a regular basis is crucial to ensure safety and efficiency.

The ventilation system consists of the firebox, the ventilation pipe and the chimney. The chimney and the vent pipe work together to create draft, which draws smoke from the stove through the fireplace and into the outside air. Draft is caused through the differences in density and temperature between hot wood smoke and cold air outside. The higher the temperature, more smoke rises through the pipe of ventilation and chimney.

Most modern wood stoves have been certified as low-emission models by the EPA. They produce far less pollutants than older models that contribute to global heating and other environmental problems. The majority of modern stoves come with pollution controls built-in to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide they release while ensuring the emissions are burned in an efficient manner.

Older stoves with open flues emit much more carbon dioxide, which is a poisonous gas that must not be allowed to escape into your home. This could happen if the chimney is not properly maintained or if there is not enough ventilation, which is why it is important to install carbon monoxide detectors into your home.

Before installing a new or used wood stove, take note of the distance from the point where the stove is on the floor to the chimney opening in the wall or ceiling. Multiply this distance by two to determine the minimum length of stovepipe you need. You can use either single-wall or a double-wall stovepipe however, you must ensure the proper clearance from combustibles.

When the stove is lit for the first time and the flame is first lit, adjust the vent until a proper flame has been created and the combustion process is stable. It is recommended to stay clear of using wood briquettes in the stove, since they aren't logs and can contain volatile chemicals that could cause the air vent to malfunction and cause a hazardous situation.

The chimney

The chimney is a complicated system that requires careful care. From top to bottom, the chimney is comprised of a number of important components, all of which are essential to ensure that your stove works safely and efficiently.

The firebox, ventilation pipe and chimney work together to release the combustion gases generated by your woodburning stove the outside. This is essential to lower carbon dioxide levels as well as prevent harmful emissions. To achieve this, the flue and chimney must be sufficiently hot to remove the gases from the fireplace without cooling. This is achieved by using a woodburning stove with an extremely high heat output, and by adding regularly new logs to the fire.

Modern woodburning stoves have a taller chimney than older systems to enhance the drafting effect. This can be a problem when the chimney's height is higher than the maximum height for your area. If this happens the chimney could be competing with the house stack for draft, causing gases to cool prior to exiting. This can restrict the flow of gases and create creosote buildup that could be a fire danger.

One of the most frequent mistakes homeowners make is to open and shut the fireplace door too often, which can negatively impact the combustion. It is important to keep the door of your fireplace as closed as possible, and only open it to add firewood or ash. The door should not be open for long. This allows hot air from the stove to escape, making the logs cooler and less likely to light.

Other types of combustibles could cause higher emissions or even the possibility of a chimney fire. The fact is that woodburning stoves were designed and optimized to burn wood and not other types of combustibles.

The flue

To ensure proper air flow for a woodburning stove, it requires an exhaust pipe that is the right size. Usually, the size of the flue has to be at 25 percent greater than the stove pipe (which connects the stove to the chimney) to provide enough space for smoke passage. A wood stove must be placed on a non-combustible hearth that has a clear space in front of fireplace opening.

Modern stoves come with catalytic combustion systems that reduces the amount harmful byproducts that are released into the chimney. This feature can improve the efficiency of wood stoves by burning a wood that produces more heat and emitting less pollution. Using other types of combustibles, other than firewood however, can cause problems like lower efficiency and higher emission levels.

When you are burning wood in a stove or fireplace it is essential to use dried or seasoned wood. If the wood isn't properly seasoned or dried, it could release a large amount of water vapor into your chimney. This can cause low flue temperatures, and even a fire in the chimney.

Another way to prevent the possibility of a chimney fire is to have a professional inspection and clean your flue system regularly. This includes the stovepipe, the chimney, and the chimney itself.

A dirty flue and stove wood burning could result in a poor chimney draft which could result in carbon monoxide being released into your home. This can be harmful to your family and should never be allowed to occur.

It is a good idea to have your chimney and stove cleaned by a professional once a year. This will also help to keep the chimney and stove working efficiently.