How to Maintain a Woodburning Stove

A woodburning stove is an efficient and effective method of heating your home. It is important to maintain your stove to ensure maximum performance.

Tip: Choose seasoned wood with a low moisture content. This will allow for more time to burn and a higher heat output.

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

How They Work

As the name implies, wood-burning stoves burn wood to generate heat. The fire is contained within an aluminum and glass body that allows for a steady temperature within the home. It also acts as a barrier to stop smoke from entering your living space.

The primary way stoves manage the combustion process is by regulating the amount of air they let into the fire. This is done through one or more controllable air vents that can be opened and closed to control the amount of oxygen that is pumped into the fire.

Modern stoves typically employ non-catalytic or catalytic technology to regulate this. Catalytic stoves feature catalytic converters that are designed to reburn the gases generated 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 in order to reduce emissions.

It is recommended to only burn firewood that is seasoned in your woodburning fireplace. It should have a moisture level less than 20%, which will allow the fire to burn efficiently. This will reduce the amount of smoke and harmful substances that escape from the flue. It will also prevent the glass of your stove from being stained by creosote. Creosote is the by-product of burning wood and can accumulate over time.

In addition to reducing emissions well-seasoned wood can also save money on heating costs, as it will produce more heat for a given amount of fuel. This is due to the surface area of drier wood is larger and generates more heat per volume.

Wood smoke is harmful to anyone, however it is especially harmful to children and adults with weakened lung. It can also cause irritation to those suffering from lung diseases such as asthma or chronic obstructive respiratory disease (COPD). If you reside in an area that has been designated as a smoke control zone, it is important to ensure that your stove is properly maintained and has a chimney that meets the required standards for the area.

Burning Wood

Woodburning stoves provide a clean and renewable source of heat. They are also a great choice to keep the home warm during power cuts. They also reduce carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels, such as oil and gas, which are harmful to the environment.

Modern wood burning stoves are more efficient than older models, and they are designed to avoid the accumulation of creosote. However it is essential to keep an eye on the combustion. Creosote, which is a risky byproduct of combustion that is not properly slowed can block the chimney and cause it to lose efficiency. It also creates an hazard to fire. The use of seasoned wood can aid in keeping the levels of creosote low and save on the cost of logs, and also help avoid the need for professional cleaning services.

You can also get stoves that burn wood and coal, which gives you a choice of carbon-neutral energy sources. It is crucial to keep in mind that coal is not a climate friendly fuel and there are concerns about the way it is mined.

It is recommended to use an Defra approved stove and ideally one that is also Ecodesign ready, as they are in line with the most recent emission regulations. The UK building regulations have specific rules for how the flue is installed as well as the size of the hearth and the distance the stove can be from combustible materials and therefore it is always advisable to talk to one of our stove experts before making a purchase.

Other combustibles like paper and garbage are not suitable for use in wood-burning stoves as they could cause more pollution, at worst the possibility of a chimney fire or worse, cause them to function less efficiently. This is because combustibles other than firewood have different density characteristics than firewood, and therefore burn at lower temperatures and produce more particulates.

It is important to use only seasoned, split, and dried firewood. This will help the wood burn more efficiently. Dry or damp wood generates more smoke and pollutants. It is also recommended to make use of a high-quality stove pipe to ensure that the flue temperature is high enough and that it has been installed correctly.

Emissions

Woodburning stoves emit a variety of gases and particles. Mostly they produce fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which is small enough to pass through the lungs and penetrate into the bloodstream, potentially damaging the heart, liver and brain. However, they also produce carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and carcinogenic substances like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or PAHs. Depending on the kind of fuel they're burning, some can even release toxic metals, such as 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 levels 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 the regulations and the most recent in 2015 mandates that all catalytic units and non-catalytic emit no more than 4.5 grams of pollutants per hour.

Although these rules were strict, they caused a significant shakeup in the industry, leading hundreds of smaller manufacturers to shut down their operations They also sparked the creation of well-designed and efficient stoves that were durable and able to produce lower levels of 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 the insulation materials and recirculation system. In time, they were successful.

The moisture content of wood is an important element in determining the emission. The higher the level of moisture of the wood, the more pollutants the stove can produce. Therefore, the best method to reduce emissions is to use seasoned firewood that's been properly dried for 6-8 months.

According to a variety of studies that compare pollution from exhaust only wood-burning stoves can produce as much particle contamination as 15 diesel vehicles. These tests were not scientifically based. However, these studies fail to consider that around half of a car's particle pollution is caused by the brakes, engine and tyres rather than its exhaust.

Ten blue states are pushing on EPA to examine their carbon emissions and air-quality guidelines for wood-burning appliances. The attorney generals of 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 sold and installed in homes across the nation.

Maintenance

Although wood-burning stoves are extremely efficient in heating homes, they can be difficult to maintain. To ensure that your electric stove fire is clean and functioning properly, you will need to clean it frequently. A dirty stove may affect the health of those who use it and how much heat it produces. Cleaning the stove isn't the only maintenance task that must be done to keep it working well.

It is simple to clean the interior and exterior of a stove. Cleaning a stove is recommended on a weekly basis or every two weeks depending on how often it is used. It is also recommended to remove the firebox of ash every time the stove is used. Spread an old newspaper over the floor prior to scooping ashes out of the stove, and put on gloves to protect your hands. It is also a good idea to use a metal ash container instead of a bucket because this will stop rust from forming.

Keeping the flue and chimney clean is also essential. It is a good idea to hire an experienced chimney sweeper at least once or twice a year to thoroughly clean the chimney and stove. This will prevent creosote off the chimney and reduce the risk of fires on chimneys.

In addition, a chimney must be examined for cracks in the flue liner and the masonry, excessive creosote deposits or bird nests, as well as other debris. A professional chimney sweep is able to repair these problems and restore a safe, functional chimney.

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

If the paint on a woodburning stove starts to crack it can be easily replaced with a high-quality paint that is resistant to heat. The paints can be bought at the majority of retailers for wood stoves and are available in a wide range of colors.