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How to Properly Operate a Woodburning Stove Wood stoves are a great way to heat your home. They're also cheap. However, the smoke they produce can be harmful to health. It is essential to know how these appliances function and to operate them properly. Modern stoves use catalytic or secondary combustion to reduce emissions. But older stoves and open fires produce 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 that it's an enclosed combustion chamber that has walls and doors. Most fireplaces have an already-built metal or brick firebox. The type of box you choose will depend on your preferences as well as the kind of fireplace you have. Most wood-burning fireplaces make use of a constant flow of air to create the flame and burn fuel. Fresh air is pumped into the stove through dampers that can be adjusted within the doors. This lets the fuel burn properly and helps to reduce harmful gases caused by unburnt or incomplete combustion. The exhaust gases are drawn up through the chimney and safely out of your house. Modern stoves with catalytic secondary combustion use a special catalyst that reburns unburned gases to create additional warmth. This results in a cleaner and less polluting emission than traditional wood stoves that have no secondary combustion. Modern non-catalytic stoves are available, but they're generally less efficient than stoves that have catalytic secondary combustion. Certain fireplaces that burn wood have backboilers that can be used for space heating or water heating. best woodburners are known as “combination” or “hybrid” stoves and have been in use since the beginning of the 20th century. Wood burning stoves can only be made use of well-seasoned wood. Freshly cut (green) wood has an extremely high moisture content and can result in low flue temperatures as well as excessive creosote buildup in the chimney. This can cause chimney fires, which could damage your stove and even be hazardous to the health of your family members. If you're in search of a professional to inspect your wood-burning stove, or perform any firebox repairs ensure that the chimney specialist you choose is CSIA certified and offers customer testimonials on their website. Find out their rates, and what type of work they can perform. The pipe for ventilation Ventilation is a must for wood stoves to help eliminate fumes and keep the house healthy and warm. Ventilation is required to remove carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide from the combustion process. It also helps reduce the impact of heat loss and air pollution outside. Gas, wood and pellet stoves have different requirements for venting to accommodate the ways they function. Properly maintaining the stove's venting system every year is essential to ensure safety and efficiency. The ventilation system is made up of the firebox as well as the ventilation pipe. The chimney and the vent pipe are used in conjunction to create draft, drawing smoke from the stove through the fireplace to the outside air. Draft is created through the differences in temperature and density between hot wood smoke and cold air outside. The higher the temperature, the more smoke can rise through the ventilation pipe and chimney. Modern wood stoves have been certified as low-emission models by the EPA. This means that they produce significantly less pollution than older models, and contribute to global warming as well as other environmental concerns. Many newer stoves include pollution controls that limit the amount they emit while ensuring that the carbon emissions are burned efficiently. Older stoves with open flues produce much more carbon dioxide, which is a poisonous gas that must not be allowed to escape into the home. This could happen if the chimney is not clean or there is insufficient ventilation, so it is important to install carbon monoxide detectors within your home. Before installing a brand new or used wood stove, determine the distance between the point where the stove is on the floor to the chimney opening on the ceiling or wall. Multiply this distance by two to determine the minimum length of stovepipe you need. You can choose a single-wall or double-wall stovepipes, but you must ensure proper clearance from combustibles. When the stove is first lit and the flame is first lit, adjust the vent until a stable flame has been established and the combustion is stable. It is advised to stay clear of using wood logs in the stove because they could contain volatile chemicals that can cause the air vents to fail. The chimney The chimney may not be something that people pay a lot of attention to, but it's an intricate system that requires care and attention. The chimney is comprised of a variety of components that are essential to ensure the safety and efficiency of your stove. The firebox, ventilation pipe and chimney work together to release the gases from combustion produced by your woodburning fireplace to the outside. This is essential to reduce carbon dioxide levels and to prevent harmful emissions. To do this, the flue and chimney must be hot enough to allow the gases to exit the fireplace without cooling. This can be accomplished by using a wood-burning stove which has a high heat output and by adding new logs on a regular basis to the fire. The majority of modern woodburning stoves are built to work with a chimney that is taller than older models in order to achieve a better drafting effect. This could be a problem in the event that your chimney's height exceeds the maximum allowed for your area. If this happens the chimney could compete with the house stack for draft, which can cause the gases to cool prior to exiting. This could impede the gas flow and cause creosote buildup that could be a fire risk. The most frequent mistake that homeowners make is to open the fireplace door and close it often. This can adversely affect the combustion. It's important to leave the door shut as much as possible and only open it when you are required to add more ash or firewood. Keeping the door open too long allows hot air to escape the stove, causing the logs to become cooler and harder to light, and releases volatile compounds that are not burned into the room. Another common error that people make is using other kinds of combustibles with their woodburning stoves, which could result in higher emissions, or even a chimney fire. Woodburning stoves were developed and optimised for burning firewood. They are not suitable for other combustibles. The flu A woodburning stove requires a properly sized flue to allow for adequate draft development and air flow. Usually, the size of the flue has to be at least 25 percent greater than the stove pipe (which connects the stove to the chimney) to provide enough space for smoke circulation. In addition, a wood stove must be set on a hearth that is made of non-combustible materials and is clear and unobstructed area in the front of the fireplace opening. Modern stoves come with a catalytic combustion system that reduces the amount of harmful byproducts released into the chimney. This feature can also help to increase the efficiency of wood stoves by burning a flame that produces more heat and emits less. However, using different types of combustibles, such as coal, can cause problems, including lower efficiency and greater emissions. When burning wood in a stove or fireplace it is essential to use dried or seasoned wood. If your wood is not seasoned or dry it will release high levels of creosote and water vapor into the chimney. This could result in low flue temperatures and even a chimney fire. A professional can also assist you in avoiding a fire in your chimney by regularly checking and cleaning the flue system. This includes the stovepipe, the chimney and the chimney itself. A dirty stove or system can cause a poor draft in your chimney, which could cause carbon monoxide to build up within your home. This could be hazardous for your family members and should not be allowed to occur. It is a good idea to have your chimney and stove swept by a professional every year. This will also help to keep your chimney and stove operating efficiently.