Proper Use and Maintenance of a Wood Heater Stove
A wood stove is a great method to warm your home and it can also be used to heat your entire home. However, some of these appliances release harmful gases, such as creosote that can be hazardous to your health and property.
The proper care of these stoves is essential. The most important things to keep in mind include: not overheating the area and not tinkering with the fire, and using dry firewood.
Fuel
Wood stoves can be used to burn a variety of fuels, including dry wood as well as manufactured solid fuels like briquettes or fire logs. These cleaner burning alternatives are healthier and more eco-friendly than traditional household coal or wet wood. They still emit some harmful gases and smoke, and require regular maintenance to work at their best.
Before you purchase or use any fuel, read the manufacturer's directions and make sure that the fuel you choose to use is suitable for your stove. Unsuitable fuels could damage your chimney or stove, leading to expensive repairs and invalidating your warranty. Using an unapproved fuel could be illegal, especially in areas with smoke control. Look for the 'Ready To Burn logo, which demonstrates that the fuel is in compliance with sulphur and smoke emission limits and can be legally sold for domestic use. The logo is usually displayed on the package or beside the name of the brand and price.
The fuels that are suitable for use are seasoned (stored and split for several months prior to use) or kiln dried to reduce the amount of moisture, which increases the amount of heat produced and improves the efficiency of combustion. The type of wood you select must also be suited to your heating requirements. Softwoods like spruce and pine provide good value heat however, hardwoods like oak and beech produce greater quantities of hot embers for longer durations. Fruitwoods such as apple and cherry do not just provide efficient heating but also improve the ambience of your home by their pleasant scents.
If you have a stove that is able to use multiple fuels, you may want to consider a mixed-fuel fire. Combining wood burning stoves ideas with smokeless Briquettes will help maintain the flames for longer and help keep your home warm. Briquettes can be used as a backup and can help to prevent a chimney fire by keeping the air moving.
A well-maintained stove will create more heat, use less fuel and generate less harmful particles. If you have a gas or oil-fired wood stove, ensure that it is fitted by a registered installer (on a competent person scheme such as HETAS, APHC, BESCA, Certsure or NAPIT). Regularly serviced appliances are more efficient and help protect your health and the environment by preventing harmful emissions.
Design
Wood stoves are a great source of heat, however their design is important to take into consideration. Unwanted byproducts from combustion, like carbon monoxide and smoke are a concern for environmental and health impacts. A well-planned and efficient operation are key factors in minimizing these emissions.
Modern wood stoves are designed to be more eco conscious than traditional models. All EPA certified stoves must meet strict energy efficiency and emission 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 see if a particular wood stove is certified. Hearth stores in your area can also be a great resource for learning more about wood stoves, including the size and capacity that is ideal for your home.
Controlling the flow of air through the stove is a key element of EPA emission regulations. The stove's firebox is surrounded by a wall of fireproof materials and air vents are positioned within the walls to allow controlled airflow. Controlling airflow is vital to ensure that combustion is efficient and emissions are reduced.
Modern stoves often have a baffle to increase the combustion time of the fire, which decreases emissions of smoke and harmful gases. Certain wood stoves include an catalytic converter to lower NOx emissions. This is more expensive and used only in high-end wood burning stoves.
Stoves employ different types of air control systems to regulate air flow. The majority of wood stoves still employ a basic passive air supply which requires the owner (you) to operate the stove in order to achieve peak performance. Some wood stoves have active air supplies that are controlled by sensors. These sensors monitor the combustion process and adjust the air supply as needed.
Wood stoves are an excellent alternative to heating homes in remote areas or that aren't connected to the electric grid. However, if your home does not have a backup energy source to rely on during an interruption or a snowstorm, a wood stove is not the only option for warming your home.
The output of heat
A lot of wood stoves advertise their maximum heat output in BTUs. This is misleading as the actual heat output of a wood-burning fireplace is contingent on a variety of factors including the dimensions of the room and how well insulated it is.
Climate can also affect the heat requirements. The colder regions require stoves with a a higher BTU rating to maintain comfort.
Other factors that influence heat production include the type of wood used and the frequency of refilling. Dry, seasoned firewood creates more heat than freshly cut and wet logs. The stove fan also assists in move the heat generated by the wood burner throughout the room, instead of having the hot air rise up.
It is important to remember that the highest output of a wood heater stove should not be reached frequently because continuous high-fire can cause damage to the stove's internals and can cause carbon monoxide to leak into the home.
The performance of a stove could also be improved by regular fueling. When adding a log ensure that it's not too large and then place it on the glowing embers so that it doesn't touch the wall of the stove or the glass pane. It's also best to add smaller logs more often instead of allowing too much time between additions.
High efficiency stoves are engineered to produce a higher heat output with the same amount fuel. This is achieved by prewarming combustion air before heating it and using other design features. These stoves produce less carbon monoxide, toxic gases and smoke than earlier models.
Some people also opt to install a back boiler stove as part of their heating system. The heat produced by the wood-burning stove to warm water in hot water tanks or a central heating system, allowing heat to be distributed throughout a house. This is a more efficient and cost-effective method of heating a home, although the installation process is quite lengthy. This method requires an additional flue and the energy required to run the boiler can increase overall costs.
Safety
Fireplaces and wood stoves are a practical and attractive way of heating your home. However, they are not without risk. Sparks and embers can fly out of a flame and ignite carpeting or furniture and a hot chimney can lead to fire damage to the structure of your home. Proper use and maintenance of a wood-burning stove minimizes these dangers.
To ensure that wood-burning stoves are safe and in good condition They should be regularly inspected and maintained. This includes checking the chimney and flue at least twice a year for signs of rust or wear and cleaning them. The chimney must be inspected for creosote about halfway through the season. It is extremely flammable, and can cause an explosion in the chimney.
When buying a stove for wood burning be sure to choose one that is certified by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or another lab recognized for testing. This guarantees that the stove complies with the safety standards of the federal government and is designed to vent properly. Examine the hinges, legs and grates to make sure they are in good condition and securely secured to the floor of the stove.
If you choose to install a wood stove in your cabin, make sure that the floor beneath it is reinforced and non-combustible. You can also put tiles that are not combustible over the flooring you have in place in the event that it is combustible.
Always burn only seasoned and dry hardwoods. Green and damp wood produces an excessive amount of smoke and creosote. It is an ignitable byproduct that could build up in your chimney and release harmful chemicals into your home. Don't burn trash, cardboard, paper or other combustibles in your wood stove, as they could release dangerous fumes and could not burn completely.
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 causing damage to the stove, chimney connector and the chimney itself, as well as burning other combustible material in your home. Make sure the fire has been completely extinguished before leaving your home or retiring to the bed. In addition, you should have functioning carbon monoxide and smoke alarms in your home.