9 Lessons Your Parents Taught You About Wood Heater Stove

Proper Use and Maintenance of a Wood Heater Stove

A wood stove can be a cozy place to warm up and also provide warmth to a whole house. However, some of these appliances emit harmful gases like creosote, which can be hazardous to the health of your family and property.

The proper care of these stoves is essential. Some of the most important points to consider include making sure the room isn't overheated, not messing with the fire, and using appropriately dried firewood.

Fuel

Wood stoves can burn a variety of fuels, including dry wood, as well as manufactured solid fuels, such as briquettes or fire logs. These cleaner burning alternatives are healthier and more sustainable than traditional household coal or wet wood. However, they do still emit toxic gases and smoke. They also require regular maintenance to ensure they are operating at their peak.

Before you purchase or use any fuel, check the instructions of the manufacturer and ensure that the fuel you choose to use is suitable for your stove. Unsuitable fuels can damage your chimney or stove and cause costly repairs and voiding your warranty. Utilizing a fuel that has not been approved may also be illegal, particularly in smoke control areas. Look for the 'Ready to Burn' logo, which confirms that the fuel meets the sulphur and smoke emission standards, and can be legally sold for domestic use. The logo is typically displayed on the packaging, or along with the name of the brand and price.

The fuels that are suitable for burning should be dried or seasoned to reduce the moisture content. This will improve the heat output and efficiency of combustion. The type of wood selected should also meet your heating needs. Softwoods such as pine and spruce are excellent value for money, however, hardwoods such as oak or beech generate more hot embers, and they do so over a longer time. Fruitwoods like apple and cherry not only offer efficient heating, but also enhance the ambience by releasing pleasant aromas.

If you own a multi-fuel stove, consider a mixed fuel stove; combining wood with smokeless briquettes will help keep the flames burning and warm up your home for longer. Briquettes are a great alternative and can keep a chimney from burning by ensuring that the air is moving.

A well-maintained stove will generate more heat, burn less fuel, and produce less harmful particles. If you own an oil or gas-fired wood stove, ensure it is installed by an approved installer (on a competent person scheme such as HETAS, APHC, BESCA, Certsure or NAPIT). A regularly serviced appliance is more economical to run and protect your health and the environment by preventing harmful emissions.

Design

Wood stoves are a fantastic source of heat, however their design is crucial to consider. Unwanted byproducts from combustion, like smoke and carbon monoxide, are a concern for the environment and health. A well-planned and efficient operation are essential to reducing the emission.

Modern wood stoves are more environmentally green than older models. All EPA certified stoves must comply with strict emission and energy efficiency regulations to maximize the amount of heat produced. Look for a metal EPA certification mark on the back of the stove or go through the EPA's latest database to determine if a particular wood stove is certified. Local hearth products retailers can also be a great source to learn more about wood stoves, and the size and capacity that is ideal for your home.

One of the most important aspects of EPA emission regulations is the control of air flow through the stove. The stove's firebox is surrounded by a wall of fireproof material, and air vents are located within the walls to allow controlled airflow. Controlling airflow is vital to ensure that the combustion process is in the best possible way and that emissions are reduced.

A majority of modern stoves have a baffle to increase the time to burn the fire, which reduces the amount of smoke and harmful gases. Certain wood burning fires stoves employ a catalyst converter to reduce NOx emission. This system is more expensive and is utilized only in high-end wood burning stoves.

Stoves also employ different kinds of air control systems to regulate the airflow through the stove. The majority of wood stoves utilize a basic passive supply of air which requires that the operator (you) control the stove correctly to achieve maximum efficiency. A few wood stoves are also available with active air supply, which are controlled by sensors that monitor the combustion process and adjust the amount of air based on the need.

Wood stoves are a great alternative heating solution for homes in remote areas or without access to the electric grid. If you do not have a backup source of heating in the event of a power outage, or if there is snow, then the wood stove isn't your only option to warm your home.

Heat output

A lot of wood stoves advertise their peak heat output in BTUs. This is not accurate because the actual output of a wood-burning stove is dependent on many factors, including the size of the room and how well it is insulated.

The climate of the region can also influence the heating demands. To ensure comfort the colder regions require stoves with higher BTU ratings.

The type of wood used and the frequency at which you refill your fireplace are other elements that affect the amount of heat produced. Dry, seasoned shed wood burner produces more heat than freshly-cut and wet logs. A stove fan can also aid in the circulation of heat produced by the wood burner in the room rather than have the hot air rise up.

It is vital to keep in mind that the maximum output of a wood heater stove should not be reached frequently because continuous high-fire can cause damage to the stove's interior and may cause carbon monoxide gas to leak into the home.

Regular refueling can also enhance the efficiency of an fireplace. When adding a log, make sure it's not too large wood burner and set it on the glowing embers so that it doesn't touch the wall of the stove or glass pane. Add smaller logs more frequently instead of waiting too long between additions.

High efficiency stoves are designed for greater heat output using the same amount fuel. This is accomplished by prewarming combustion air, and by incorporating other features into the design. They produce less carbon monoxide, toxic gases and smoke than earlier models.

Some people opt to install a boiler stove as a component of their heating system. The heat generated by a wood burning stove is used to heat water for central heating systems or a hot water tank. This allows the heat to be distributed throughout the home. This is an efficient and cost-effective method to heat a home however the process of installation can be very extensive. This method requires an additional flue, and the energy needed to run the boiler will add to the total cost.

Safety

Fireplaces and wood stoves can be a convenient and attractive way to heat your home. However, they are not without their risks. Sparks and embers can spout from a burning fire and ignite furniture or carpeting and a burning chimney that is hot can cause destruction to the structure of your house. The proper use and maintenance of a wood-burning stove reduces the dangers.

To keep cheap wood burner-burning stoves safe and in good shape they must be regularly checked and maintained. This includes inspecting the flue and chimney at least two times a year for signs of rust or wear and cleaning them. 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 wood-burning fireplace select one that is certified by Underwriters Laboratories or another recognized testing laboratory. This will assure you that the stove is built to meet the safety standards of the federal government, and is designed to allow proper venting. It is also important to inspect the hinges, legs and grates of a stove to ensure that they are in good condition and are securely fastened to the floor.

If you opt to install a wood-burning stove inside your home, make sure the floor beneath it is reinforced and made from non-combustible material. You may also want to lay a sheet of non-combustible floor tiles on top of the flooring you have, particularly if you live in an old mobile home that has flooring that is combustible.

Only burn hardwoods that are seasoned and dry. Wood that is damp and green produces an excessive amount of smoke and creosote. It is a flammable byproduct that can build up in your chimney and release toxic chemicals into your home. Avoid burning trash, cardboard, newspaper or other combustibles in your wood stove as they could release dangerous fumes and could not burn completely.

Never "over fire" your wood stovewhich is to generate a larger flame than the stove can handle. Over-fired stoves can result in flames escaping from the combustion chamber, causing damage to the chimney connector, the stove and the chimney itself, as well as burning other combustible material in your home. It is also crucial to make sure the fire is completely snuffed out before leaving your home or going to bed. Finally, you should always have working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in your home.