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Proper Use and Maintenance of a Wood Heater Stove A wood stove provides a cozy place to warm up and also provide warmth to a whole house. However, certain appliances release harmful gases, like creosote which could be harmful to health and property. Proper care of these stoves is vital. Some important things to remember are: not overheating the space, not messing around with the stove, and using dried firewood. Fuel Wood stoves can burn a variety fuels that include dry wood, as well as manufactured solid fuels such as briquettes or fire logs. These fuels that are clean burning are less polluting than traditional house coal and wet wood, so are more eco-friendly and safer to use. They still emit some harmful smoke and gases, and require regular maintenance to perform at their best. Read the instructions of the manufacturer prior to purchasing or using any kind of fuel. Be sure that it's the right one for your stove. Incorrect fuels can cause damage to your chimney or stove which can result in costly repairs and invalidating your warranty. It's illegal to use fuel that is not approved particularly in smoke control zones. Look for the “Ready to Burn” logo. This indicates that the fuel is within the limits of sulphur and smoke emission limits and can be sold legally for domestic use. The logo is usually placed on the package or beside the name of the brand and its price. Fuels that are suitable for combustion should be dried out or seasoned to reduce the moisture content. This can increase heat output and combustion efficiency. The type of wood you select should also meet your heating needs. Softwoods such as spruce and pine provide good value heat however, hardwoods like oak and beech produce a higher output of hot embers over longer periods. Fruitwoods such as cherry and apple not only provide efficient heating but also improve the ambience of your home with their pleasant aromas. If you own a stove that uses multiple fuels, you may be interested in a mixed fuel fire. Combining wood with smokeless Briquettes will allow the flame to last longer, and will keep your home warm. Briquettes can be used as a back-up and also help prevent a chimney fire by keeping the air moving. A stove that is maintained will produce more heat and burn less fuel while releasing fewer harmful particles. If you have a gas or oil-fired wood stove, ensure that it is installed by a registered installer (on a competent person scheme like HETAS, APHC, BESCA, Certsure or NAPIT). Regularly serviced appliances are more efficient and protect the environment and your health by preventing harmful emission. Design The design of wood stoves is an important factor to be considered when evaluating them as a primary or supplementary heat source. Smoke and carbon monoxide are unwanted byproducts that can cause harm to health and the environment. Correct operation and careful design are the most important factors in reducing these emissions. Modern wood stoves are designed to be more eco conscious than traditional models. All EPA-certified stoves comply with strict emission and energy efficiency regulations that optimize the amount of heat they produce. You can verify whether a stove is certified by looking for the metal EPA label on the back of the stove or by checking the EPA database. Visiting local hearth products retailers who are aware of the performance capabilities of their inventory is also an excellent way to learn more about wood stoves and which size and capacity might be the best fit for your home. A key part of the EPA emission regulations involves controlling the flow of air through the stove. The stove's firebox is surrounded by a wall of fireproof material, and air vents are placed in the walls to provide controlled airflow. Airflow control is essential to ensure that combustion is at its best and emissions are reduced. A lot of modern stoves come with baffles that extend the amount of time that the fire burns which reduces the amount smoke and harmful gases. Some wood stoves use catalyst converters to cut down on NOx emissions. This is more costly and is used only in top-quality wood burning stoves. Stoves also use different types of air control systems to regulate the airflow in the stove. The majority of wood stoves still utilize a passive air supply which requires the owner (you) to operate the stove correctly in order to achieve peak performance. Some wood stoves come with active air sources, which are controlled by sensors that monitor the combustion process and adjust the supply of air as needed. Wood stoves are a great alternative heating solution for homes in remote areas or that aren't connected to the electric grid. If you do not have a backup source of heating in the event of an outage or an imminent snow storm, a wood stove shouldn't be the only option to heat your home. Heat output Many wood stoves advertise their peak 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 size of the room, and how well it is insulated. The climate of the region is also a factor in the heating requirements. Regions that are colder require stoves with greater BTU rating to maintain the temperature. The type of wood you use and the frequency with which you refuel your fireplace are additional factors that influence heat production. Dry, seasoned firewood generates more heat than fresh cut and wet logs. simply click the up coming webpage of a stove fan also assists in move the heat generated by the wood burner throughout the room, rather than having the hot air rise. It is crucial to keep in mind that the maximum power of a wood heating stove should not be exceeded frequently because a continuous fire can cause damage to the stove's internals and cause carbon monoxide leaking into the home. Regular refueling can also improve the efficiency of the fireplace. When adding a log ensure it's not large and set it on the embers glowing so that it doesn't touch the wall of the stove or the glass pane. simply click the up coming article can add smaller logs more frequently, rather than being too long between additions. High efficiency stoves are designed for more heat output from the same amount of fuel. This is accomplished by prewarming combustion air and employing other design features. They produce less carbon monoxide, toxic gases and smoke than older models. Some homeowners also choose to install a back boiler stove as part of their heating system. It uses the heat produced by the wood-burning stove to warm water in hot water tanks or a central heating system, which allows the heat to be distributed throughout a home. This is a cost-effective and cost-effective method to heat the home. However the installation process can take quite a long time. This method requires an additional flue and the energy required to run the boiler can increase the overall cost. Safety Fireplaces and wood stoves are attractive and a convenient method of heating a home. However, they are not without risk. A fire can cause furniture or carpets to catch fire, and a hot fireplace can cause structural damage to your home. These risks can be avoided by using and maintaining a wood-burning fireplace. To keep wood-burning stoves safe and in good shape they must be regularly inspected and maintained. This includes checking the flue and chimney at least twice a year for signs of rust or wear, and cleaning them. The chimney should also be checked halfway through the season to check for creosote accumulation, which is highly flammable and can cause chimney fires. When purchasing a fireplace with wood burning select one that has been certified by Underwriters Laboratories or another recognized testing laboratory. This will assure you that the stove is constructed to meet the safety standards of the federal government, and is designed for proper venting. Examine the hinges, legs and grates to make sure they are in good shape 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 non-combustible and reinforced. You might also want to lay a sheet of non-combustible floor tiles over the flooring that is in place, especially when you live in an old mobile home that has flooring that is combustible. Burn only seasoned, dry hardwoods. Dry and damp wood creates excessive smoke and creosote. This is a flammable byproduct that can build up in your chimney and release harmful chemicals into your home. Avoid burning trash, cardboard, paper or other combustibles in your wood stove, since they can release dangerous fumes and could not fully burn. Do not “over fire” your wood stove — that is, generate a larger flame than the stove is able to handle. Over firing can result in flames escaping from the combustion chamber, causing damage to the chimney connector, the stove and chimney itself, as well as burning other combustible materials in your home. It is also important to ensure that the fire is fully extinguished prior to leaving your home or going to bed. In addition, you should have functioning carbon monoxide and smoke alarms in your house.