How to Maintain a Woodburning Stove

A wood-burning stove is a reliable, effective way to heat the home. However, it's important to maintain your stove in order to ensure maximum performance.

Tip: Choose seasoned wood with a low moisture content. This will give you longer burn time and will produce more heat.

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

How They Work

As the name implies woodburning stoves burn wood in order to generate heat. The fire is contained in the body of glass and metal that assists in maintaining a constant temperature within the home. It also acts as a barrier to prevent smoke from entering the living space.

Stoves regulate combustion by regulating the amount of oxygen they allow into the fire. This is done via one or more air vents that can be shut and opened to control the amount oxygen flowing in to the fire.

Modern stoves typically employ non-catalytic or catalytic technology to manage this. Catalytic stoves are equipped with an catalytic convertor designed to reburn the gases that are produced during primary combustion so they do not escape from 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 use firewood that has been seasoned in your woodburning fireplace. This means that it must have a moisture content of less than 20 percent which allows the fire to burn more efficiently. This will decrease the amount of smoke and harmful pollutants that are released through 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 can accumulate over time.

In addition to reducing emissions seasoned wood can save you money on heating costs by producing more heat for the same amount of fuel. This is due to the fact that drier wood has a greater surface area and consequently produces more heat from a certain amount of fuel.

Smoke from wood can be dangerous to anyone, but it is especially dangerous to children and adults with weak lung. It can also affect those with lung disorders such as asthma or chronic obstructive respiratory disease (COPD). If you reside in an area designated as a smoke control zone, it is essential to ensure that your stove is seasoned and installed with a chimney that meets the requirements for that location.

Burning Wood

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

Modern wood-burning stoves are more efficient than older models, and they are designed to prevent the accumulation of creosote. However, it is important to keep an eye on the combustion. Creosote, which is a risky byproduct of incomplete combustion can block the chimney and cause it to become less efficient. It also creates a fire hazard. Using seasoned wood will help keep creosote levels low and can reduce the cost of logs as well as helping to avoid the need for professional cleaning services.

You can also select stoves that use wood and coal, giving you a choice between carbon-neutral energy sources. It is crucial to keep in mind that coal is not a sustainable fuel, and there are concerns about the way it is extracted.

It is recommended to pick the stove that is Defra-approved, and one that is Ecodesign ready. They will be compliant with the latest emission regulations. The UK building regulations specify the type of flue as well as the size of the hearth, and the distance between the stove and the combustible material. It is always best to talk to our stove experts prior to purchasing an appliance.

Paper and other combustibles like trash and paper should not be put in woodburning devices. They can cause more pollution, and at worst, a chimney electric fire stove. At best, they will make them less efficient. This is because combustibles other than firewood have different density characteristics than firewood, and therefore burn at a lower temperature and produce more particles.

It is also crucial to use only dry, seasoned, split, and dried firewood because this will be more efficient in burning. Wet or damp wood creates more smoke and pollutants. It is recommended to use a high-quality stove pipe to ensure that the flue temperatures will be sufficient and that it is set up correctly.

Emissions

Woodburning stoves emit a variety of gases and particles. Mostly they produce fine particulate matter (PM2.5) which is small enough to penetrate the lungs and penetrate into the bloodstream, potentially damaging the heart, liver and brain. However, they also produce carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and carcinogenic compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, also known as PAHs. Based on the type of fuel they are burning, some release toxic metals, such as mercury and arsenic.

In the US, there have been numerous attempts to regulate the amount of pollution woodburning stoves generate, with varying levels of success. In 1988, the Environmental Protection Agency set emissions guidelines that basically limited how much pollution new stoves could release. Since since then, there's been two modifications to the guidelines. The most recent one, in 2015 requires that all units whether catalytic or not, emit not more than 4 grams of pollution each hour.

While these strict regulations caused a major shakeup in the industry, leading hundreds of smaller manufacturers to close their doors They also sparked an effort to design and build efficient and well-designed stoves that were both durable and able to produce lower emission levels than traditional models. Stove designers studied and analyzed combustion air flows, baffles, combustion chamber forms, insulating materials and recirculation systems in order to make their products better. In time, they were successful.

The moisture content of the wood is an important factor in determining the emission. The more moisture content, the greater pollutants a stove will produce. Therefore, the best method of reducing emissions is to use seasoned firewood that has been properly dried for 6-8 months.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that a single woodburning stove, when used regularly and is regularly used, can produce more particle pollution than 15 diesel cars based on non-scientific tests comparing emissions-related PM2.5 only. However these studies don't take into account that about half of a car's particle pollution is caused by the engine, brakes and tyres, not its exhaust.

Ten blue states have been pressing on the EPA to review its carbon emissions and guidelines for air quality of wood-burning stoves. 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 sold and installed in homes across the country.

Maintenance

Wood-burning stoves are efficient in heating homes, but aren't easy to maintain. To ensure that your stove is clean and functioning efficiently, you'll need to clean it frequently. A dirty stove may affect the health of the people who live there and how much heat it produces. Cleaning the stove is not the only maintenance task that should be completed to ensure it is working well.

It is easy to clean the exterior and interior of a stove. Cleaning a stove is recommended every week or every two weeks based on how often it is used. It is also recommended to remove the firebox of ash every time the stove is used. Spread newspaper on the floor prior to scooping the ashes out of the stove, and wear gloves to protect your hands. It is also a good idea to use a metal ash container instead of a bucket since this will help prevent rust.

Maintaining the chimney and flue clean is also important. A professional chimney sweep should be employed once or twice a year to clean the chimney and stove thoroughly. This will help keep creosote off the chimney and reduce the risk of chimney fires.

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

Finally, the clear glass that is used on a wood-burning stove can become smudged and cloudy as soot builds up over time. Spray a mixture of ammonia and water on the glass and wipe it clean with a clean cloth. It is recommended to avoid scratching the glass since it can weaken the glass and shatter it when it is hot.

Paint that is resistant to heat can be used to paint a wood burning fireplace in the event that the paint starts chipping. The paints can be bought at the majority of wood stove retailers and come in a wide range of colors.