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How to Properly Operate a Woodburning Stove Wood stoves can provide an inexpensive and cozy way to heat the home. Smoke from wood stoves can be hazardous to your health. It is essential to understand how these appliances function and how to use them safely. Modern stoves employ secondary or catalytic combustion to control emissions. Older stoves and open flames release large amounts of particulates. The firebox The firebox is the heart of any fireplace system. It's where you create a fire to heat your home and provide ambiance. It's a simple concept, but there are many important details that must be accounted for to keep your wood burning stove safe and efficient. The most simple way to think about the firebox is to think of it as an open-air combustion chamber that has walls and an entrance. The majority of fireplaces come with an already-built metal or the masonry firebox. The type of firebox you choose depends on your preferences as well as the type of fireplace you own. Most wood-burning stoves use a constant flow of air to create the flame and burn the fuel. Fresh air is pumped into the stove through dampers that can be adjusted inside its doors. This allows the fuel to burn properly and helps to reduce toxic gases that are produced by incomplete or unburnt combustion. The exhaust gases are taken up by the chimney, and safely out of your home. Modern stoves that have catalytic second combustion use a special catalyst that reburns unburned gases to generate additional warmth. This produces a cleaner and less polluting smoke than traditional wood stoves with no secondary combustion. Modern non-catalytic wood stoves are also available, but these are typically less efficient than those with secondary combustion that is catalytic. Some fireplaces with wood burning have a backboiler, which can be used for space heating and water heating. These stoves are referred to as “hybrids” or “combination”. They have been around since early 20th century. Wood burning stoves should be burned with seasoned wood. Freshly cut (green) wood has a high content of moisture that can lead to low flue temperatures as well as excessive creosote build-up in the chimney. This can cause chimney fires, which could cause damage to your stove and could cause harm to the health of your family members. If you're looking for an expert to examine your wood-burning stove, or to make any repairs to your firebox ensure that the chimney professional you choose is CSIA certified and has customer testimonials on their website. It is also essential to inquire about their pricing and what type of work they do. The pipe for ventilation Wood stoves require ventilation to eliminate emissions from the combustion process and keep your home warm and healthy. Ventilation helps remove carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and excess moisture from the combustion process. It also reduces the impact of air pollution and heat loss to the outdoors. Gas, pellet and wood stoves have different venting requirements to adapt to the way they function. Maintaining the stove's ventilation system annually is critical to ensure safety and efficiency. The ventilation system is made up of the firebox and the vent pipe. The chimney and the ventilation pipe are used in conjunction to create draft, drawing smoke from the stove through the fireplace and into the outside air. Draft is generated by the variation in temperature and density between hot wood smoke and cold outside air. The higher the temperature, more smoke can rise through the pipe of ventilation and chimney. Most modern wood stoves are EPA-certified as low-emission units. This means that they produce less pollutants than older models, which contribute to global warming as well as other environmental issues. The majority of modern stoves come with pollution control systems to limit the amount of emissions while making sure that they burn efficiently. Older stoves that have open flues create lots of carbon dioxide, an extremely poisonous gas and should not be allowed to escape into the home. Carbon monoxide can be a source when the chimney is dirty or has inadequate ventilation. Installing carbon monoxide alarms in your home is therefore crucial. Before installing a new or used wood stove, measure the distance from the point where the stove is on the floor to the chimney opening on the wall or ceiling. Multiply this number by two to find the minimum length of stovepipe that you require. You can choose to use single-wall or double-wall stovepipe and must be aware of the proper clearances from combustibles with either type. The stove's air vent should be adjusted when it first starts to light up and maintained until a stable flame is established in the stove and its combustion process has stabilized. It is recommended to stay clear of using wood briquettes in the stove, since they aren't logs and could contain volatile chemicals that can cause the air vent to malfunction and cause a hazardous situation. The chimney The chimney is a complicated system which requires attention and care. The chimney is composed of numerous important parts which are all essential to the safety and efficiency of your stove. The firebox, the ventilation pipe and chimney work together to vent the combustion gases generated by your woodburning stove to the outside. This is essential to reduce carbon dioxide levels as well as prevent harmful emissions. To accomplish this, the chimney and flue have to be sufficiently hot to allow the gases out of the fireplace without cooling. This is accomplished by using a woodburning stove that has an extremely high heat output, and by adding regularly new logs to the fire. Most modern woodburning stoves are built to work with a chimney that is taller than older models in order to get a better drafting effect. This can be a problem when the chimney's height is higher than the maximum height for your area. In this case the chimney could be competing with the stack of your house for airflow, which causes gases to cool before they leave. This can impede the gas flow and cause creosote accumulation which could pose a fire hazard. The most common mistake homeowners make is to open the fireplace door and close it too often. This can cause problems with the combustion. It is essential to keep the fireplace door closed as much as possible and only open it when you're required to add more firewood or ash. The door that is left open for too long can allow hot air to escape the stove, which causes the logs to cool and harder to light. It also releases unburned volatile compounds into the room. Another common error that people make is using other types of combustibles in their woodburning stove, which can result in higher emissions or even chimney fire. The truth is that woodburning stoves are designed and designed to burn firewood and not other types of combustibles. The flu To ensure proper air flow, a woodburning stove needs flues that are the proper size. Typically, the size of the flue must be at least 25 percent larger than the stove pipe (which connects the stove to the chimney) to ensure adequate room for smoke circulation. A wood stove must be placed on an uncombustible hearth that has a clear space in front of fireplace opening. Modern stoves have an engineered combustion system that reduces the amount harmful byproducts that get released into the chimney. This feature is also able to increase the efficiency of wood stoves by burning a fire that produces more heat and less pollution. However, using other types of combustibles, like coal, could cause issues, such as lower efficiency and higher emissions. When burning wood in a fireplace or stove it is essential to use dried or seasoned wood. If the wood isn't properly seasoned or dried, it will release a lot of water vapor to the chimney. This can lead to low flue temperatures and possibly a chimney fire. wood burning stoves for sale Fireplaces And Stove can also help you avoid the possibility of a chimney fire by regularly inspecting and cleaning the flue system. This includes the stovepipe, chimney and the chimney itself to ensure that they are all in good shape. A dirty stove and flue system could result in a poor chimney draft that can produce carbon monoxide in your home. This can be dangerous for your family members and should never be allowed to happen. A good rule of thumb is to have an experienced chimney sweep sweep your stove and chimney once per year. This will keep your stove and chimney in good condition.