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How to Properly Operate a Woodburning Stove Wood stoves can be an affordable and cozy method to heat the home. But the smoke they emit can be harmful to your health. It is essential to understand how these appliances function and how to use them properly. A lot of modern stoves rely on secondary or catalytic combustion to control their emissions. However, older stoves and open fires produce 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 firebox is thought of as a combustion chamber that has walls and an enclosure. The majority of fireplaces come with prefabricated metal or a masonry fireboxes. The kind of firebox you select will depend on your preferences as well as the kind of fireplace you own. Most fireplaces with wood burning make use of a constant flow of air to start the fire and burn fuel. Fresh air is drawn through the adjustable dampers inside the stove's doors. This lets the fuels burn properly and reduces the harmful gases that are produced by burning that is not complete or properly burned. The exhaust gases will then be drawn through the chimney and away from your home. vintage wood stove with catalytic secondary combustion employ a special catalyst that allows the unburned gasses to create additional heat. This produces a more clean and less polluting exhaust than traditional wood stoves with no secondary combustion. Modern wood stoves that are not catalytic are available however they are usually less efficient than those that have secondary combustion that is catalytic. Some wood-burning stoves have backboilers that can be used to heat water in addition to space heating. These stoves are known as “hybrids” or “combination”. They are in use since the beginning of the 20th century. Wood burning stoves must be made use of seasoned wood. Freshly cut (green) wood has a high content of moisture and can result in low flue temperatures as well as excessive creosote accumulation in the chimney. This can lead to chimney fires that destroy the stove and can even be dangerous to your family's health. If you are looking for an expert who can examine your wood-burning stove or do repairs to your firebox, be sure the chimney professional you hire is certified by CSIA certification and provides reviews from customers on their website. It is also essential to inquire about their pricing and what type of work they do. The ventilation pipe Ventilation is essential for wood stoves to help eliminate fumes and keep the home healthy and warm. Ventilation is essential to remove carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide from the combustion process. It also reduces the impact of air pollution and heat loss to the outdoors. Gas, wood and pellet stoves have different requirements for venting. Properly maintaining the stove's ventilation system annually is critical for safety and efficiency. The ventilation system consists of the firebox, the vent pipe and chimney. The chimney and the pipe are used together to create a draft that draws smoke from the stove out through the fireplace. The difference in temperature and densities of the hot wood smoke and the cold outside air creates draft. The more hot the smoke, the better it can rise up the chimney and ventilation pipe. The majority of modern wood stoves are EPA-certified as low-emission units. They produce far less pollutants than older models which contribute to global warming and other environmental problems. Modern stoves are equipped with pollution control systems that limit the amount of emissions, while ensuring that they are burned efficiently. Older stoves with open flues emit lots of carbon dioxide, an extremely poisonous gas and should not be allowed to escape into your home. Carbon monoxide is produced when your chimney is dirty or if there is inadequate ventilation. Installing carbon monoxide alarms inside your house is therefore important. Before installing a new or used wood stove measure the distance from where the stove sits on the floor to the chimney opening on the wall or ceiling. Multiply this distance by two to find the minimum length of stovepipe you need. You can use single-wall or double-wall stovepipes, and you must account for proper clearances from combustibles with either type. When the stove is first lit, adjust the air vent until a stable flame has been established and the combustion process is stable. It is recommended to stay clear of using wood briquettes in the stove, since they are not logs, and can contain volatile chemicals that could cause the air vent to malfunction and create a dangerous situation. The chimney The chimney might not be something that homeowners give a lot of thought to, but it's actually an intricate system that requires careful attention. From top to bottom, the chimney is made up of a number of important components each of which is crucial to ensuring that your stove works effectively and safely. The firebox, ventilation pipe and chimney work together to exhaust the combustion gases generated by your woodburning stove to the outside. This process is critical to avoiding harmful emissions and reducing carbon dioxide levels in your home. To achieve this, the chimney and flue must to be hot enough to allow the gasses out of the fireplace without cooling. This can be achieved by using a woodburning stove that has a high heat output and by regularly adding new logs to the fire. Modern wood-burning stoves have a higher chimney than older systems to improve the drafting effect. However, this may be a disadvantage if the size of your chimney is greater than the maximum permitted for your particular location. If this occurs the chimney could compete with the house stack for draft, causing the gases to cool before exiting. This can cause a restriction in the flow of gas, and a buildup on creosote. The most frequent mistake that homeowners make is to open the fireplace door and close it frequently. This can adversely affect combustion. It's important to leave the fireplace door closed as much as possible and only open it when you're required to add additional firewood or ash. The door that is left open for too long can allow hot air to escape from the stove, which causes the logs to cool and more difficult to light. It also releases unburned volatile compounds into the room. Another mistake that many make is to use different types of combustibles in their woodburning stoves, which can result in higher emissions, or even a chimney fire. The fact is that woodburning stoves were designed and optimised to burn firewood and not other types of combustibles. The flu A woodburning stove requires an appropriately sized flue to allow for proper draft and air flow. The flue should be at a minimum 25% larger than the pipe connecting the stove and chimney to allow for sufficient smoke passage. A wood stove must be set on a non-combustible hearth with a clear space in front of fireplace opening. Modern stoves come with catalytic combustion systems which reduces the amount of harmful byproducts that get released into the chimney. This feature can also assist to improve the efficiency of wood stoves by burning a fire that produces more heat and emits less. However, using other types of combustibles like coal, could cause issues, including lower efficiency and higher emissions. It is essential to use dry or seasoned wood when burning wood in your fireplace or stove. If your wood isn't seasoned or dried, it will release a large amount of water vapor to the chimney. This can cause low flue temperatures, and even a chimney fire. A professional can also help you avoid the possibility of a chimney fire by regularly inspecting and cleaning the flue system. This should include the stovepipe, chimney and the chimney itself, to ensure that they are all in good working order. A dirty flue and stove could result in an unclean chimney draft that could result in carbon monoxide being released into your home. This could be harmful for your family members and you should not let it occur. A good rule of thumb is to hire a professional chimney sweep sweep your stove and chimney each year. This will also help to keep the chimney and stove functioning efficiently.