How to Maintain a Woodburning Stove

A wood-burning stove is an an efficient and effective way to heat your home. It is essential to maintain your woodburning stove in order to ensure that it performs at its peak.

Tip: Select seasoned wood that has a low content of moisture. This will give you more time to burn and a higher heat output.

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

How They Work

Wood-burning stoves, as the name implies use wood to generate heat. They do this by containing the flame within a metal and glass body, which also helps to keep the temperature in your home at a consistent level. It also acts as a barrier against smoke from entering your living space.

The main way that stoves regulate the combustion process is through controlling the quantity of air they allow into the fire. This is accomplished by opening and closing one or more air vents.

Modern stoves typically employ catalytic or non-catalytic technology to manage this. Catalytic stoves come with a catalytic convertor designed to reburn gases produced during primary combustion, so they don't escape the room. Non-catalytic stoves, on the contrary, do not have a catalyst and rely on secondary combustion to take place within the firebox to minimize emissions.

It is recommended to only burn firewood that is seasoned in your fireplace that burns wood. This means that it must have a moisture content less than 20, as this allows the fire to burn more efficiently. This will help reduce the amount of smoke and harmful pollutants from the flue system and will make the glass in your stove less likely to be blackened by creosote, a byproduct of burning wood that can develop over time.

In addition to reducing emissions, using well-seasoned wood can also save money on heating costs because it produces more heat for a given amount of fuel. This is due to the surface area of drier wood is larger and generates more heat per unit volume.

Smoke from wood can be harmful to anyone, however it is particularly dangerous to children and adults with weak lungs. It can also cause irritation to 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 important to ensure that your stove is properly seasoned and installed with a chimney that is in compliance with the required standards for that location.

Burning Wood

Woodburning stoves are a clean and renewable source of heat. They can be used to keep your home warm during an power outage. They also reduce carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels such as gas and oil, which are harmful to the environment.

Modern woodburning stoves are more efficient than previous models, and are designed to stop the accumulation of creosote. However, it is important to monitor combustion. Creosote is a dangerous by-product of incomplete combustion. It can clog up the chimney if it is allowed to build up, resulting in less efficiency and creating the risk of a fire. Using seasoned wood will aid in keeping the levels of creosote at a minimum and save on the cost of logs, as well as helping to avoid the need for professional cleaning services.

You can also get stoves that can burn wood and coal giving you a choice of carbon neutral energy sources. But it's important to remember that burning coal is not a green fuel and there are some concerns regarding the manner in which it is mined and transported.

It is recommended to use a Defra approved stove, and ideally one that is also Ecodesign ready, since they are in line with the most recent emission regulations. The UK building regulations have specific rules for the way that the flue is positioned as well as the size of the hearth and the distance the stove must be from combustible materials, so it's always wise to talk to one of our stove experts prior to purchasing a new stove.

Other combustibles, such as paper and rubbish are not suitable for use in wood-burning stoves as they could cause more pollution, and at worst, an explosion in the chimney and, at best, cause them to operate less effectively. This is due to the fact that other combustibles have different density properties than firewood, which means they are able to burn at lower temperatures and produce more particles.

It is essential to only use seasoned, split, and dried firewood. This will allow the wood to burn more efficiently. Wet or 5829186.xyz damp wood can produce lots of smoke and 5829186 also create more pollutants. It is also recommended to use a stove pipe of high-quality to ensure that the temperature of the flue will be sufficient and that it's installed correctly.

Emissions

Wood-burning stoves release a variety of gasses and particles. Mostly they produce fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which is small enough to pass through the lungs and enter the bloodstream, potentially damaging the heart, liver and brain. However they also produce carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and carcinogenic substances like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, 5829186.xyz also known as PAHs. Some even release poisonous metals, such as mercury and arsenic, depending on the fuel they're burning.

In the US there have been a number of attempts to regulate how much pollution woodburning stoves can produce with varying degrees of success. In 1988 the Environmental Protection Agency set emissions guidelines that basically restricted the amount of pollution that new stoves could release. Since since then, there's been two modifications to the guidelines. The most recent revision in 2015 stipulates that all units whether catalytic or not, emit not more than 4 grams of pollution each hour.

These rules imposed by the government led to a major shake-up of the industry, forcing hundreds of small manufacturers 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. To improve their products, stove designers studied and analyzed combustion flow baffles, combustion chamber shapes. They also studied insulating materials and Recirculation systems. Over time they succeeded.

The moisture content of the wood is an important factor in determining the emissions. The higher the moisture content, the greater emissions a stove can produce. The best way to reduce the amount of emissions is by making use of seasoned firewood that has been properly dried over a time of 6-8 months.

According to several studies which compare the impact of exhaust-related particles only wood burning stoves could cause as much particle pollution as 15 diesel vehicles. These tests were not scientifically based. These studies do not consider that the majority of particle pollution emitted by cars is caused by its engine, brakes, and tyres, not its exhaust.

Ten blue states are pushing on EPA to review their carbon emissions as well as air-quality guidelines for wood-burning appliances. Attorneys general from New York, Washington and Illinois have announced that they will sue EPA if it continues to allow high emitting wood-burning stoves to continue to be sold in homes across the country.

Maintenance

Wood burning stoves are efficient in heating homes, but they aren't easy to maintain. A stove will need to be cleaned on a regular basis to keep it looking and operating properly. A dirty stove can affect the health of those who use it and the amount of heat it generates. Cleaning the stove isn't the only maintenance task that needs to be completed to ensure it is running smoothly.

Cleaning the exterior and interior of a stove is easy to do. Cleaning your stove is recommended every week or every two weeks based on the frequency at which it is used. It is also a good idea to empty the ash from the firebox each time the stove is used. Spread newspaper on the floor and wear gloves when scooping out the ashes. It's also an excellent idea to use a metal ash container rather than a bucket, as this will prevent rusting.

It is important to keep the chimney and flue clean. A chimney sweep professional should be hired once or twice a year to clean the chimney and stove thoroughly. This will help keep creosote off the chimney and reduce the risk of fires on chimneys.

In addition, a chimney should be inspected for cracks in the flue liner, masonry as well as creosote deposits excessively or bird nests, as well as other debris. A professional chimney sweep can fix these issues to create a safe and functioning chimney.

Over time, the glass of a wood-burning stove can become clouded and smudged with soot. Spray ammonia and water on the glass and wipe it off with a clean cloth. It is recommended to avoid scratching the glass as it can weaken the glass and 5829186 cause it to shatter when it gets hot.

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