Wood Burning Stoves
A wood burning stove can be a great addition to your home. You can pick from a range of sizes and styles to will suit your preferences. They can be a free-standing feature or incorporated into a wall.
Modern wood stoves are compliant with strict EU legislation, often called Ecodesign. They are able to provide efficient combustion and have low emissions. Some are DEFRA exempt and can burn briquettes or other smokeless fuel.
What is a wood-burning stove?
A wood stove is an independent heating device which makes use of firewood to create radiant heat for your home. Wood burning stoves are utilized for hundreds of year and are an eco-friendly alternative to heating your home with oil or gas. Modern stoves are equipped with a number of technological advancements, and you can find different styles to suit your tastes. They operate on the same principle of fireplaces, but produce more heat due to the fact that they use wood to create radiant heat.
A high-quality stove will produce efficient heat and be certified safe for use. Look for the EPA label, which tells you when the stove was manufactured and what emission standards it meets. Older stoves are usually not EPA-certified, so it's best to choose newer models that have been tested and proved to be safe and effective.
All wood-burning stoves release creosote vapors as they burn, but most modern stoves will use the vapors to burn before they escape into your home. They also burn fuel more efficiently, which prevents smoke and soot issues in the fireplace.
You will need to have enough firewood to maintain your wood stove as well as a storage area to store it. You'll also require a class A chimney for venting the stove, and an appropriate distance between the stove and the walls and floors that surround it. To maintain the safety and integrity of your stove and chimney you'll require an expert to inspect and clean it regularly.
Wood smoke can cause respiratory problems for anyone, but is especially dangerous to older adults, children and those suffering from respiratory ailments like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. You can shield yourself and your family from the harmful negative effects of smoke from wood by limiting your time in the rooms in which the stove is running, using the recirculate function on air conditioning, and keeping doors closed.
Size
Wood burning stoves bring warmth and a sense of style to any home. They are also energy efficient and can help you save money on your heating expenses. However, it's important to choose the right size stove. If it's too small, your stove will not be heated enough; too large, and you'll waste fuel. If you're unsure, it's best to seek advice from your installer. They can carry out a site assessment and give you advice on the right size stove for your home.
Stoves are rated on the basis of their nominal heat output in number of kW. This is a guideline for the maximum amount of heat they can produce, under testing conditions. It is not recommended to use this figure as a guideline when choosing a stove however, because the actual amount of heat produced will vary according to the type and quality of the fuel you are using. You should also consider how well-insulated your property is and the draughtiness of your home.
There are a myriad of styles of stoves available with each having a distinctive style and finish. Some are more traditional and have rustic features, simple color scheme, while others are more modern with clean lines, large windows, and unique shapes.
The majority of modern stoves are certified under the Ecodesign standard, which guarantees high efficiency and low emissions. If you're looking to make sure that the stove is Ecodesign conforming look for the ClearSkies logo. They're between 80 and 90 percent more efficient than older stoves and open fires. This is a significant savings on your energy costs and an environmentally friendly alternative.
Efficiency
Wood burning stoves, when properly designed and installed they can be very efficient heaters. Modern models have extremely low emissions and a kilowatt hour's worth of heat can be provided for a fraction of the price of electricity, gas or oil.
The capacity of a stove's burner to create a good flame, which burns logs efficiently and for as long as is possible is a key element in its effectiveness. This prevents the fire from "going out' or releasing excessive smoke. It is important to make sure you use only clean, kiln dried and hygienic logs from British suppliers. Also, avoid over-loading the firebox and exceeding its maximum heating capacity.
Stoves are built with great care and designed to function optimally. The best wood-burning stoves have sealed, insulated fireboxes, and are constructed with high-quality parts and materials. The firebox should be kept at a constant temperature so that the wood can be properly burned and to stop the flue from overheating.
It is also essential to choose the right size stove for your space in order to maximise heating efficiency. A stove that is too big for the room is less efficient, and the stove that's too small can cause excessive smoke and overfire.
Eco-friendly wood-burning stoves are becoming more popular. They can be a great option to reduce the dependence of your household on fossil fuels and can provide a warmer, more comfortable heat. Wood is a renewable energy source, so it is better for the environment than coal or mineral fuels.
It is important to only use kiln-dried logs that have been cultivated and harvested in a sustainable way. Avoid using wet or treated wood, oiled wood, pallet wood or waste. These will emit unpleasant fumes that can damage your stove and the flue. Buying your wood from an accredited supplier with the Defra-approved "Ready to Burn logo means that you are purchasing a good quality, dry, smokless and carbon-neutral fuel for your stove.
Design
Wood burners come in a wide variety of styles and designs. Some are sleek, contemporary, and others have a traditional feel. Some stoves are multi-fuel, while others are exclusively for wood. The design of your stove will determine the kind of heat it produces and how well it fits into the overall style of your home.
Generally speaking, when you burn wood in a stove it goes through two distinct processes which are combustion and pyrolysis. Combustion occurs when hot wood is burned and releases carbon monoxide as well as other byproducts that go into the air. Pyrolysis is when the wood is heated to a higher temperature and evolves gasses, such as hydrocarbons or carbon dioxide. The gases produced are then burned in the firebox again to create carbon monoxide and other byproducts.
Many newer wood stoves employ secondary combustion in the form of catalytic combustor which recycles the byproducts of primary combustion. This helps reduce the amount of smoke and other pollutants dramatically. This lets wood stoves run at lower temperatures. Less wood is needed and the efficiency of the stoves increases.
Older stoves that do not employ secondary combustion are less efficient and they're also more polluting because unburned materials are allowed to escape through the flue. They are still popular due to their ease of use, and the ambiance they create.
Modern wood burners must meet the emission limits set by Ecodesign. They are based on an efficiency rating that is a minimum and a reduction in maximum levels for carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides. They are usually certified by DEFRA and come with space for the storage of logs beneath. Some models come with an cleanAir system that draws in air to clean the glass and avoid sooting or blackening.
Maintenance
Wood stoves require regular maintenance and care to work at their peak. Cleaning it frequently, removing the ashes from fires and examining the gaskets is a crucial part of this. Gaskets seal the airtight process of combustion and if they are damaged, it can lead to problems like smoke leakage or reduced efficiency. To avoid cheap wood burner is crucial to clean the chimney regularly. It is recommended to do this twice a year at the very minimum, but it could be necessary to do so more frequently based on how frequently the stove is used.
Stoves are available in a variety of sizes and shapes and shapes, with some suitable for specific spaces than others. A cylindrical, curved shape can be a modern and sleek addition to any space, while still offering warmth. The color of the room is another factor that affects maintenance, with lighter colours displaying more dirt and soot and darker shades obscuring the stains better.
The grill, which is a piece of metal at the lower part of the stove that holds the firewood, will wear down over time however it can be easily replaced. The grate may also crack if it is not maintained regularly. The lining of the combustion chamber could also snap or crack. The repeated opening and closing of the door can degrade seals made of rope. As time passes the glass may turn damaged or milky. However this isn't as easy to replace like windows for homes.
It is essential to only burn wood that has been properly prepared in your stove. Unseasoned logs will produce more smoke and creosote. It is also crucial to ensure that your stove is properly fuelled by changing the amount of wood you use and ensuring that it does not overheat. This will ensure that the stove is burning properly and help minimise pollution levels.