How to Maintain a Woodburning Stove

A wood-burning stove can be an effective and efficient to heat your home. It is crucial to maintain your woodburning stove to ensure that it performs at its peak.

Tips: Choose wood that is seasoned with a low amount of moisture. This will give you more time to burn and more heat output.

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

How They Work

Like the name suggests woodburning stoves burn wood to generate heat. The electric fire stove is contained within the body of glass and metal that allows for a steady temperature inside the home. It also serves as a barrier to smoke entering the living area.

The most common way stoves regulate the combustion process is by controlling the quantity of air they allow into the fire. This is accomplished through one or more air vents that can be shut and opened to regulate the amount of oxygen that is pumped into the fire.

Modern stoves usually use non-catalytic or catalytic technology to manage this. Catalytic stoves are equipped with a catalytic convertor designed to reburn gases generated during primary combustion to ensure they do not escape from the room. Non-catalytic stoves, on contrary, do not have a catalyst and rely on secondary combustion taking place within the firebox, thereby reducing emissions.

It is recommended that you only burn seasoned firewood in your wood-burning fireplace. It must have a moisture level less than 20%, which will allow the fire to burn efficiently. This will eliminate smoke and wood harmful pollutants in the flue system and it will also make the glass in your stove less likely to be blackened by creosote, which is a result of burning wood burning stove sale that can accumulate over time.

In addition to reducing emissions the right kind of wood can save money on heating costs, as it will produce more heat for the same amount of fuel. This is due to the surface area of dry wood is greater and produces more heat per unit.

Smoke from wood can be harmful to anyone, however it is especially harmful to children and older adults with weak lung. It can also irritate those with lung disorders such as asthma or chronic obstructive respiratory disease (COPD). If you live in an area that has been designated as a smoke control zone, it is crucial to ensure that your stove is cleaned and fitted with a chimney that meets the required standards for the location.

Burning Wood

Woodburning stoves provide a clean, renewable heat that is also a great choice to keep the home warm in a power cut. They also aid in reducing carbon dioxide emissions, which can be detrimental to the environment, from fossil fuels like oil and gas.

Modern wood burning stoves are more efficient than older models, and are designed to prevent the build-up of creosote. However, it is important to monitor the combustion. Creosote, a dangerous byproduct of incomplete combustion, can clog the chimney and cause it to become less efficient. It can also pose the risk of fire. By using seasoned logs, you can reduce the amount of creosote in your chimney, and save you money on logs. It also helps you avoid having to hire an expert to clean your chimney.

There are stoves that use coal and wood, giving you a choice between carbon-neutral sources of energy. It is crucial to keep in mind that coal is not a climate friendly fuel, and there are some concerns about how it is extracted.

It is recommended to pick the stove that is Defra-approved, and one that is Ecodesign ready. These will meet the most recent emission regulations. The UK building regulations dictate the type of flue and the size of the hearth, and the distance between the stove and the combustible material. It is best to talk to our stove experts prior to purchasing a stove.

Paper and other combustibles like rubbish and paper should not be placed in woodburning appliances. They can cause more pollution and, at worst the possibility of a chimney fire. At most, they can make them less efficient. Other combustibles have less density than firewood and therefore burn at a lower heat and produce more particles.

It is essential to use only well-seasoned, split, and dried firewood. This will allow the wood to burn more efficiently. Using wet or damp wood produces a lot of smoke, and also create more pollution. It is also recommended that you use a good quality stove pipe to make sure that the flue temperatures are high enough and that it has been installed correctly.

Emissions

Wood-burning stoves produce a myriad of gasses and particles. They release a lot of fine particulate (PM2.5) that can enter the lungs, penetrate the bloodstream and possibly harm the liver, heart, and brain. They also produce carcinogenic compounds such as polycyclic aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) as well as nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide. Depending on the kind of fuel they're 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 generate, with varying degrees of success. In 1988, the Environmental Protection Agency set emissions guidelines that basically restricted how much pollution new multifuel stoves could emit. Since then, there have been two additional revisions to these regulations and the most recent in 2015 stipulates that all stoves, catalytic and non-catalytic release less than 4.5 grams of pollutants per hour.

These strict regulations caused a major shake-up within the industry and forced hundreds of smaller companies out of business. However they also sparked an effort to create efficient stoves which were durable and could emit less carbon dioxide than conventional models. Stove designers looked at and analysed combustion air flow, baffles, combustion chamber shapes, insulating materials, and recirculation systems to improve their products. Over time they succeeded.

The emission levels are mostly influenced by the moisture content of the wood burned. The higher the level of moisture of the wood, the more pollutants the stove will produce. For that reason, the best method of reducing emissions is to use firewood that has been seasoned that has been properly dried over 6-8 months.

According to several studies that compare pollution from exhaust only wood-burning stoves can create as much particle pollution as 15 diesel vehicles. These tests were not scientific. These studies don't consider that the majority of particle pollution emitted by cars is caused by its brakes, engine, and tyres, instead of its exhaust.

Ten blue states have been pushing on the EPA to review its carbon emissions and guidelines for air quality of cheap wood burning stoves-burning stoves. Attorney generals from New York, Washington, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, California, Alaska, Oregon and Vermont have announced plans to suit the EPA for continuing to allow high-emitting stoves to be sold and installed in homes across the country.

Maintenance

While woodburning stoves are very efficient in heating homes, they can be difficult to maintain. To keep your stove looking and functioning efficiently, you'll have to keep it clean regularly. A dirty stove may affect the health of those who use it and how much heat it generates. Cleaning the stove isn't the only maintenance task that must be carried out to keep it functioning properly.

Cleaning the exterior and interior of a stove is easy to do. Cleaning your stove is recommended every week or every two weeks depending on how frequently it is used. It is recommended to remove ash from the firebox each time after the stove has been used. Spread an old newspaper over the floor prior to scooping ashes out of the stove, and put on gloves to protect your hands. Use a container made of metal instead of a bucket to prevent the rusting.

Cleaning the chimney and flue clean is equally important. It is recommended to employ a professional chimney sweep once or twice per year to thoroughly clean the stove and chimney. This will prevent creosote buildup and lower the risk of chimney fires.

A chimney should also be examined for creosote and cracks as well as bird nests and other debris. A professional chimney sweep is able to repair these problems and restore a safe, working chimney.

Finally, the glass on a wood burning stove may become smudged and cloudy with soot build up over time. A mixture of water and ammonia can be sprayed over the glass and then cleaned with a clean cloth until it is clear. It is advised to avoid scratching the glass since it can weaken the glass and cause it to shatter when it gets hot.

Paint that is resistant to heat can be used to re-paint a woodburning fireplace in case the paint starts chipping. These paints are usually available at places where wood stoves are sold and are available in many colors.