10 Unexpected Wood Burning Stove Tips
Why a Wood Burning Stove Should Be Properly Sized and Installed Wood stoves are a fantastic way to provide affordable, clean heat for your home. However the stove has to be installed and sized correctly for maximum efficiency. Be sure to shut and open the door to the wood stove frequently. This creates a vortex which pulls smoke and unburned volatile compounds into the room. Energy Efficiency A wood burning stove utilizes radiant heat to warm your home, rather than relying on hot air being carried in by the home's ventilation system. This is a more efficient method of heating since it gives radiant warmth that radiates across the entire stove, warming the entire house instead of just one central area. Modern wood stoves are designed to be as energy efficient as they can be. Manufacturers are expected to comply with more and more rigorous regulations with regards to emissions and the best method of achieving this is through making their stoves more efficient. The majority of our stoves (both DEFRA approved and EPA certified) have efficiency ratings of over 70%, meaning that a significant portion of the heat generated is actually utilized to heat your home, instead of going up the chimney. Another benefit of a wood burner is that it provides a completely independent heat source. In contrast to electricity and gas it is possible for a wood burner to still provide you with warmth, even in the event of an outage of gas or electricity in the event that you have enough wood stored. Wood burning stoves are also more reliable than other forms of heating as they do not depend on oil or electricity to operate. This is particularly important in remote regions where other sources of energy can be disrupted over a long time. A good quality log burner will operate at around 80% efficiency, meaning that a large portion of the heat that is produced is used to heat your home. This is a significant improvement over older stoves which generally operated at less than 20% efficiency and is one of the main reasons why a brand new stove would be a wise investment. A catalytic wood stove can burn the gasses that are not burned and smoke that leaves the firebox by secondary combustion to further increase efficiency. Non-catalytic wood stoves are becoming more common, as they don't require expensive catalyst technology to achieve the same levels of efficiency. They are also available for purchase at a lower price. This is particularly advantageous for those who want to reduce their carbon footprint and save money on fuel costs. Clean Burning A wood stove burns wood and produces heat, but it also releases particulates and gases into the air. This can lead to poor air quality in certain areas and can affect our health. This is why it's important to make use of clean burning technology for your wood burner. With modern wood stoves that uses Clean Burn technology, you can cut down on dust and airborne particles. This is not only a way to make your home more healthy and safe, but it also can help you save money as you will get more heat from every log. Today's ECO design stoves meet one of the most strict requirements in the world with regards to emissions from particles – they are allowed to release not more than 5 grams per kilo of wood used. At wood burning stove outdoor have higher ambitions – we want to give you the very highest quality in terms of the climate and your health. We have created a solution that lets our wood stoves emit less than half of the required standards – in certain cases, less than one grams! A modern stove comes with a variety of ways to improve the combustion of wood. It is essential to monitor the air flow and only decrease it after the fire has become hot and well-established. Cleaner burning stoves produce less creosote. This sticky substance could cause serious fire dangers. The reduced production of creosote can save time and money in chimney cleaning. Our new wood stoves' superior performance is also due to the pre-heated secondary air. This is an additional layer of air which is added above the fuel load, and assists in ensuring that all particles are burned. This feature is responsible for a large portion of the performance that is superior in our new stoves, such as the Defra-approved Hi-Flame Graphite 5 Always ensure that you only use your wood stove in areas where it's legal. Smoke from wood stoves is not just harmful to people living in the immediate area, but can be transported over long distances, causing poor air quality for communities in the vicinity. Eco-Friendly Wood burners provide a low-carbon alternative to stoves that burn fossil fuels. They absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release it when they are burnt as part of a closed CO2 cycle. This process is far less damaging to the environment than release carbon dioxide into the air when using gas, oil or electricity for home heating. A modern stove has a greater efficiency than earlier models, meaning that you can heat your home with significantly less wood. Some models are so efficient that they emit little smoke, produce less ash and use 70 percent less wood than traditional stoves. Modern EPA certified stoves also have safety features such as an automatic shut-off to avoid overheating. Eco-friendly stoves can also help you save money on your energy bills. Gas and electricity prices seem to be increasing every year. With a wood-burning stove, you can manage your heating needs and eliminate the middlemen. You can also make use of reclaimed wood or salvaged wood to make your stove more eco-friendly. Many people gather wood from construction projects that would otherwise be thrown out or disposed of. However, it's crucial to ensure that the wood is completely dry before burning. This is especially important for those who live in a smoke-control zone where wet or damp wood is not permitted. The green aspect of a wood stove is due to the fact that it is a renewable energy source. If you purchase your wood from a sustainable forest, one tree will be planted for every one that is removed to be used, and this helps to stop the destruction of forests caused by fossil fuel production. While wood burning stoves emit fewer emissions than other stoves, they emit fine particulate pollutants. These tiny, harmful particles can reach deep into the lungs and can be extremely damaging to your health. The independent standards body for heating appliances HETAS has been leading a campaign to improve wood stoves in order that they minimize this kind of pollution as much as possible, and a number of manufacturers are working on eco-friendly wood stoves that comply with the most recent standards. Cooking When properly used, wood stoves can be extremely safe. If you're not experienced with wood burning it is best to hire a professional to check your fireplace and ventilation systems to ensure that they are operating correctly. Modern wood burners include a chimney and a firebox that work together to draw fresh air in and then release smoke. The ventilation pipe and the chimney work together to limit the amount of creosote produced when burning wood. The accumulation of creosote in the chimney could reduce efficiency and create a fire hazard, so it is essential to keep your stove. The smell of burning wood and the crackle of the flames create an inviting atmosphere that can transport you back to simpler times. A wood-burning stove can also provide an unmistakable flavor that can't be replicated with electric or gas stoves. The smoky taste of roasted meats, as well as hearty soups provide meals with a distinctive and memorable taste that can't be replicated by other methods of cooking. Cooking on a wood-burning stove is also known to be healthier than other methods of cooking. For example, if you roast meats or vegetables on your wood-burning stove, the heat from the flames helps to retain nutrients that could be lost when cooking foods for extended periods of time. Many people choose to use a wood burning stove as an alternative to gas or electricity to heat their home. It's a reliable source of heating that's particularly useful during power outages or in areas where there is a shortage of fossil fuels. Furthermore, the majority of people find that using wood stoves are a more cost-effective way to heat their homes, as opposed to buying and installing a traditional gas or electric stove. It is also more environmentally friendly because wood is a renewable fuel source and emits less CO2 to the air when it is gathered and burned properly.