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How to Properly Operate a Woodburning Stove Wood stoves can provide an affordable and cozy method to heat your home. Smoke from wood stoves can be dangerous to your health. It is important to know how these appliances work and how they operate. Modern stoves use secondary or catalytic combustion to reduce emissions. Older stoves and open flames release high levels 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 prefabricated metal or a the masonry firebox. The type of firebox you choose depends on your preferences as well as the type of fireplace you have. Most wood-burning fireplaces use a constant air flow to create the fire and burn fuel. Fresh air is drawn in through adjustable dampers that are located in the stove's doors. This lets the fuel burn efficiently and helps reduce the toxic gases produced by incomplete or unburnt combustion. The exhaust gases will then be drawn up the chimney and away from your home. Modern stoves with catalytic secondary combustion use a special catalyst to reburn the unburnt gasses to generate additional heat. This results in cleaner and less polluting fume than traditional wood stoves that do not have secondary combustion. Modern wood stoves that are not catalytic are available however they are generally less efficient than stoves with catalytic second combustion. Certain wood-burning stoves come with a backboiler that can be used to heat water in addition to space heating. These stoves are called “hybrids” or “combination”. They are in use since the beginning of the 20th century. Wood burning stoves must be operated with well-seasoned wood. Freshly cut (green) wood has a high content of moisture, which can cause low flue temperatures as well as excessive creosote buildup in the chimney. This can lead to chimney fires that destroy the stove and can be hazardous to your family's health. If you're looking for an expert to examine your wood-burning stove, or make any firebox repairs Make sure the chimney professional you choose is CSIA certified and provides reviews from their customers on their website. It's also important to ask about their rates and what kind of work they perform. The ventilation pipe Ventilation is a must for wood stoves in order to remove smoke and keep the house healthy and warm. Venting carries away carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and excess moisture from the combustion process. It also helps reduce air pollution and heat loss outside. Gas, wood and pellet stoves have different requirements for venting to adapt to the way they function. Properly maintaining the stove's venting system on a regular basis is crucial for safety and efficiency. The ventilation system consists of the firebox, the ventilation pipe and the chimney. The chimney and the vent pipe are used in conjunction to create draft, which draws smoke from the stove through the fireplace to outside air. Draft is caused by the variation in temperature and density between hot wood smoke and cold air outside. The higher the temperature, the more smoke can rise through the vent pipe and chimney. The majority of modern wood stoves are certified by the EPA as low-emission units. They produce far less pollutants than older models that contribute to global heating and other environmental concerns. Most modern stoves have built-in pollution control systems that reduce the amount of emissions while making sure that they burn efficiently. Older stoves with open flues emit a lot more carbon dioxide, which is 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 inside your house is therefore important. Find the distance between the opening of the chimney in the ceiling or wall and the spot where the wood stove is on the floor. Divide this measurement by two to calculate the minimum length of stovepipe you require. You can use a single-wall or double-wall stovepipes, but you must ensure the proper clearance from combustibles. The vents for the stove's air should be adjusted whenever it first starts to light up, until a good flame is created within the stove and its combustion process has stabilised. It is best to stay clear of using wood logs in the stove since they could contain volatile chemicals which can cause the air vents to fail. The chimney The chimney may not seem like something that people give a lot of thought to, but it's an intricate system that requires care and attention. From top to bottom the chimney is comprised of several important components each of which is crucial to ensure that your stove works efficiently and safely. The firebox, the ventilation pipe and chimney work together to vent the combustion gases produced by your woodburning stove the outside. This is crucial to preventing harmful emissions and reducing carbon dioxide levels within your home. To achieve this the chimney and flue must be hot enough to move the gases from the fireplace without cooling. This can be achieved by using a woodburning stove with 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 systems in order to achieve a better draft effect. However, this could have its drawbacks if the size of your chimney is greater than the maximum allowed for your particular location. In this scenario the chimney could be competing with the house's stack for airflow, which causes gases to cool before they leave. This could result in a pause in the flow of gas, and the formation of creosote. One of the most frequent mistakes that homeowners make is to open and close the door to the fireplace too often, which can negatively impact the combustion. It is important to keep the door shut as much as possible and only open it when you are required to add additional firewood or ash. The door that is left open for too long allows the hot air to escape from the stove, causing the logs to cool and more difficult to light, and releases volatile compounds that are not burned into the room. Another common error that people make is to use different kinds of combustibles with their woodburning stoves, which could cause higher emissions, or even a chimney fire. Woodburning stoves are designed and optimized for burning wood for fire. They are not suitable for other combustibles. The flue A woodburning stove needs a correctly large flue that allows for adequate air flow and draft development. Typically, the dimensions of the flue should be at 25 percent greater than the stove pipe (which connects the stove to the chimney) to ensure adequate room for smoke circulation. A wood stove should be set on a non-combustible hearth that has a clear space in front of the fireplace's opening. Modern stoves are equipped with an engineered combustion system that reduces the amount of harmful byproducts released into the chimney. contemporary wood burning stoves can also assist to improve the efficiency of a wood stove by burning a fire that generates more heat and emits less. Making use of other types of combustibles than firewood, however, can result in problems like lower efficiency and higher levels of emissions. When burning wood in a stove or fireplace, it is important to use dried or seasoned wood. If your wood isn't well-seasoned or dried, it could release a lot of water vapor into your chimney. This could result in low flue temperatures, and even a fire in the chimney. Another way to prevent a fire in your chimney is to have a professional inspect and clean your flue system regularly. This includes the stovepipe, the chimney and the chimney itself. A dirty flue and stove could result in an unclean chimney draft that can produce carbon monoxide in your home. This could be hazardous for your family members and should never be allowed to happen. It is a good idea to ensure that your stove and chimney are cleaned by a professional at least every year. This will also help to keep the stove and chimney working efficiently.