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Wood-burning stoves
Feature
A growing awareness of the environmental impact of fossil fuels such as natural gas, oil and coal, along with the desire to be more energy independent, have encouraged a renewed interest in heating with wood.
Beyond their romantic glow and homely crackle, modern wood stoves produce low-cost heat and burn cleanly and efficiently, producing minimal ash and smoke.
When fossil fuels are taken out of the earth and burned, they produce an overload of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Once burned, fossil fuels are gone forever. Wood is different. As all plants grow, they absorb carbon dioxide from the air and convert it to fibre. The carbon dioxide is released after they die, whether they are burned or simply left to rot in the forest. This process is part of nature’s cycle.
Wood-burning stoves today offer a great variety of looks and designs to suit any home style, from a retro Victorian house to minimalist loft-style apartment. Painted black, brushed steel or even red, with stovepipe to match, wood-burning stoves with generous glass doors allow you to admire the dancing flames during the winter.
Wood-burning stoves can be installed in any room of your house, but most often they are placed in living or dining rooms. While traditional fireplaces generally work as a piece of décor, free-standing wood-burning stoves are generally used for more practical purposes, namely, for heating. Thanks to new designs, your wood-burning stove will look attractive and still remain perfectly functional. Because it isn’t attached to the wall, a wood-burning stove will radiate more heat throughout a small or large room.
Most often, wood-burning stoves are usually built of stainless steel, soapstone or ceramics study stone and brick, but can remain sleek and contemporary thanks to new materials such as fireproof glass and stainless steel details.
When choosing a new wood-burning stove, keep in mind that the size should be determined by the size of the space that needs to be heated. The fire of the stove should be substantial enough to please the eye as well as heat the room, but too much fire can literally turn your place into an oven.
When picking a place to put your new stove, avoid areas near doors. A stove surrounded by windows may be a good solution. The fire chamber door should face the room. Don’t forget to take stovepipe requirements into the account, making sure they are in compliance with your local building codes.
Conventional wood-burning stoves vary in heat efficiency because their construction can be very different, too. The efficiency of a wood-burning stove depends on how much of its combustion energy turns to heat, which in its turn depends on how well it burns wood. Even the best wood-burning stoves don’t burn all wood completely. The smoke is actually composed of unburned wood particles. Another factor that impacts the wood-burning stove’s efficiency is how much heat escapes through the chimney.
To improve the efficiency of your wood-burning stove, consider having your chimney swept. This should be done by a professional. If you notice that a lot of smoke is produced during the wood burning, you may need to alter the size of your stove opening, or reconfigure the existing fire chamber. If you notice that a lot of hot air escapes through the chimney, you should consider replacing the fire basket – the metal rack that supports the burning logs. New designs of fire baskets can greatly improve air circulation and heat efficiency.
10 steps to maximum wood-burning efficiency
Wood smoke is caused by the incomplete combustion of wood. This can pollute the air indoors and outdoors as well as contribute to higher heating costs. Fortunately, the cure for cutting down on pollution and waste also cuts the costs by burning wood with safety and efficiency.
1. Burn seasoned wood as this burns hotter and more efficiently, helps decrease the amount of creosote buildup in your stovepipe, and saves you money.
2. Make your fires small and hot. This burns volatile gases more quickly, producing fewer safety hazards and air quality problems than a fire that is over-damped. Smaller, hotter fires mean more frequent loading and tending the stove.
3. Install a stack thermometer on the stove flue. This will help you monitor the temperature of the gases as they leave the stove. Optimum range for most efficiency and least pollution: about 300 to 400°F.
4. Remove excess ashes. Too much can clog your stove’s air-intake vents and cut down on the amount of oxygen needed for wood-burning.
5. Tighten up your house. Insulation, weather stripping, storm windows and caulking can all reduce the amount of wood required to heat your home, which in turn helps decrease the amount of air pollution.
6. Check your smokestack. Burn your stove at different rates, then go outside and check the emissions. The absence of smoke indicates that your stove is burning cleanly and effectively.
7. Inspect your stove. Once or twice a year, depending on how often it’s used, your entire stove and chimney should be inspected. Look for warping, check the baffle to make sure there are no gaps and check for creosote.
8. Choose the proper size stove. A properly sized wood stove will do its job efficiently even on the coldest days. One that’s too big needs to be damped down, which increases creosote production.
9. Buy the most efficient design you can afford. It’ll pay for itself in the long run. Research has made great strides in designing fireboxes, drafts, catalytic combustors and other devices that improve combustion and reduce smoke.
10. Burn only the fuel your stove was designed for. Don’t burn coal in a wood stove, for example, unless your stove was designed to handle both wood and coal. Rubbish shouldn’t be burned in your stove either. As well as increasing the chance of starting a chimney fire, some plastics and other rubbish emit harmful gases.
Picture caption: Wood-burning stoves bring romance and warmth to your home – and help the environment.
MyVillage 31st October
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