Proper Use and Maintenance of a Wood Heater Stove
A wood stove is an excellent method to warm your home, and it can also heat the entire home. Certain stoves emit harmful gasses like creosote which could be harmful to the health of your family and your property.
Proper care of the stoves is crucial. Some of the most important points to consider include: avoiding overheating the room and not tampering with the fire and using correctly dried firewood.
Fuel
Wood stoves can be used to burn a variety of fuels that include dry wood, as well as manufactured solid fuels, such as briquettes or fire logs. These fuels that are clean burning are less prone to pollution than traditional household coal and wet wood, therefore they are better for the environment and safer to use. However, they emit some toxic gases and smoke. They also require regular maintenance to ensure they are operating at their best.
Check the manufacturer's instructions before purchasing or using any type of fuel. Be sure that it's the right fuel for your stove. Incorrect fuel could damage your chimney and stove and cause costly repairs or voiding the warranty. corner wood burning stove to use unapproved fuel particularly in smoke control zones. Check for the 'Ready to Burn' logo, which confirms that the fuel meets the smoke emission and sulphur limits, and can be legally sold for domestic use. The logo is usually placed alongside the price and details about the brand or on the packaging.
The fuels that are suitable for combustion should be dried or seasoned to reduce the moisture content. This will increase the amount of heat produced and improve the efficiency of combustion. The kind of wood you choose should also meet your heating needs. Softwoods such as spruce and pine offer good value heat, but hardwoods such as oak and beech produce greater quantities of hot embers over longer periods. Fruitwoods such as apple and cherry not only offer efficient heating, but also enhance the ambience with their pleasant aromas.
If you own an appliance that runs on multiple fuels, you may think about a mixed-fuel fire. Combining wood with smokeless Briquettes can help maintain the flames for longer and keep your home warm. The briquettes can be used as a back-up and also help prevent a chimney fire by keeping the air moving.
A stove that is maintained will produce more heat and burn less fuel while producing fewer harmful particles. If you have a gas or oil-fired wood stove, ensure that it is fitted by an authorized installer (on a competent person scheme such as HETAS, APHC, BESCA, Certsure or NAPIT). A regularly serviced appliance is more economical to run and will safeguard your health and the environment by reducing harmful emissions.
Design
The design of wood stoves is a crucial consideration for those considering them as a primary or secondary source of heat. Unwanted byproducts of combustion, like smoke and carbon monoxide, pose a risk to environmental and health impacts. Proper operation and a well-designed design are essential to reducing these emissions.
Modern wood stoves are much more environmentally friendly than older models. All EPA-certified stoves comply with strict emission and energy efficiency regulations that optimize the amount of heat they generate. Look for a metal EPA certification label on the back of the stove or check out the EPA's current database to determine whether a particular stove is certified. Visiting local hearth products retailers who know the performance characteristics of their inventory is also an excellent way to find out more about wood stoves and what size and capacity may be the best fit for your home.
One of the most important aspects of EPA emission regulations involves controlling the flow of air through the stove. The firebox of the stove is enclosed by fireproof walls and there are air vents in these walls to allow for controlled airflow. Controlling airflow is vital to ensure that the combustion is optimal and emissions are minimal.
A majority of modern stoves have a baffle that increases the combustion time of the fire, which reduces emissions of smoke and harmful gases. Some wood stoves use catalyst converters to cut down on NOx emission. This kind of system is a little more expensive and is typically only used in high-end wood stoves.
Stoves also employ different kinds of air control systems to regulate air flow through the stove. The majority of wood stoves utilize an inherently passive supply of air, which requires that the owner (you) control the stove correctly to achieve the best performance. Certain wood stoves have active air supply systems that are controlled by sensors. These sensors monitor the combustion process, and adjust the air supply when needed.
Wood stoves are an excellent alternative heating solution for homes in remote areas or those without access to the electric grid. However, if you do not have a backup heating source to rely on in the event of an outage or in case of a snowstorm, a wood stove should not be the only option for warming your home.
The output of heat
Many wood stoves are advertised with an output of heat at the peak in BTUs. This is misleading however, since the actual heating capacity of the wood stove is dependent on a variety of variables like the size of the room as well as the degree of insulation.
The climate of the region can also influence heat demands. To ensure comfort the colder regions require stoves that have higher BTU ratings.
The type of wood you use and the frequency at which you refuel your fireplace are also elements that affect the amount of heat produced. Dry, seasoned firewood produces more heat than fresh cut and wet logs. The use of a stove fan also helps to circulate the warmth produced by the wood stove into the room, rather than having the hot air rise up.
It is important to remember that the maximum output of wood heater stoves should not be reached frequently since continuous high fire can cause damage to a stove's innards and may cause carbon monoxide to leak into the home.
Regular refueling can also improve the efficiency of an fireplace. When adding a log ensure it's not large and set it on the embers glowing so that it doesn't touch the walls of the stove or the glass pane. It's also best to add smaller logs frequently rather than allowing too long between additions.
High efficiency stoves are engineered to produce a greater amount of heat output with the same amount of fuel, by providing pre-heated combustion air as well as other design features. These stoves typically produce less smoke, toxins, and carbon monoxide than older models.
A few people also decide to install a back boiler stove as part of their heating system. The heat produced by the wood-burning stove to heat water in hot water tanks or a central heating system, allowing the heat to be distributed throughout a house. This is a more efficient and economical method to heat a home even though the installation process is quite lengthy. This method requires a separate flue, and the additional energy needed to run a back boiler will increase the overall running costs of wood stoves.
Safety
Fireplaces and wood stoves are a convenient and attractive method of heating your home. They are not without risks. A fire could cause furniture or carpets to catch fire, and a hot fireplace can cause structural damage to your home. These dangers can be minimized by using and maintaining an open fireplace that burns wood.
Wood-burning stoves should be inspected and maintained regularly to ensure they are safe and in good condition. This includes examining the flue and chimney for signs of wear and rust, and cleaning them at least twice per year. The chimney must be inspected for creosote at the end of each season. This is highly flammable, and can cause a fire in the chimney.
When buying a stove for wood burning be sure to choose one that is certified by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or another recognized testing lab. This assures that the stove meets the safety standards set by the federal government and is designed to ventilate properly. It is also important to examine the hinges, legs and grates of the stove to ensure they are in good working order and are securely fastened to the floor.
If you decide to install a wood stove in your cabin, make sure that the floor beneath it is insulated and non-combustible. You might also want to lay a piece of non-combustible floor tiles over the existing flooring, especially when you live in an old mobile home that has combustible floors.
Only burn wood that is dry and well-seasoned. Wood that is damp or green can cause excessive smoke and creosote. This flammable byproduct could build within your chimney, releasing harmful chemicals. Do not burn cardboard, paper, trash or any other combustibles as these can cause dangerous fumes and not even ignite.
Never "over-fire" your wood stove, i.e. create a larger fire than the stove can handle. Over-fired stoves can result in flames escaping from the combustion chamber and cause damage to the chimney connector, the stove and chimney itself, as well as burning other combustible materials within your home. Also, make sure that the fire has been completely snuffed out prior to leaving your cabin or going to bed. Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors should be working at all times.