Wood Burning Stoves
A wood burning stove can be a wonderful addition to your home. They come in various sizes and styles to meet your personal preferences. They can be built into a wall or free-standing.
Modern wood stoves comply with strict EU regulations (often called Ecodesign) to provide high efficiency in fuel use and low emissions. Some wood stoves are DEFRA exempt, and can burn briquettes, or any other smokeless fuel.
What is a wood-burning stove?
A wood stove is a freestanding heating appliance that burns wood to create radiant heat within your home. Wood burning stoves have been used for centuries, and they can be an environmentally friendly alternative to heating your home with oil or gas. Modern stoves are equipped with a number of technological advances and you can choose from a variety of designs to meet your needs. They operate similar to fireplaces, but produce more heat since they utilize wood to generate radiant heat.
A top-quality stove will generate efficient heat and be certified safe to use. You should look for the EPA label, which informs you the year the stove was made and which emissions standards it meets. Antique stoves are often not certified by the EPA, so it's best to choose the latest models that have been tested and proved to be safe and effective.
All wood-burning stoves release vapors of creosote during the process of combustion however, modern stoves use the vapors to burn before they escape into your home. They also generally burn fuel much more efficiently, which helps prevent sooting or smoke problems in the chimney.
If you are buying a wood stove, you will need access to sufficient storage space and firewood to keep it well-stocked. You'll also require a class A chimney to vent the stove, and an appropriate distance between the wood stove and the walls and floors that surround it. You'll require that your chimney checked regularly and cleaned by a professional to maintain the structural integrity of the stove and chimney.
Wood smoke can trigger respiratory issues for everyone, but it is particularly dangerous to children, older adults and those suffering from respiratory ailments such as asthma or chronic obstructive lung disease. You can protect your family and yourself from the health negative effects of smoke from wood by limiting time spent in the rooms where the stove is running, using the recirculate function on air conditioning and closing doors.
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 heating costs. It is crucial to select the correct size stove. If your stove is too small, it will not be sufficiently heated or too big, and you will be wasting fuel. If you're unsure about the size of your stove, you should seek advice from your installer. They'll conduct an assessment of your property and offer advice on the right size stove for your home.
Stoves are evaluated in terms of their nominal output in heat, shown as a figure of kW. This is a guideline to the maximum amount they can produce under testing conditions. This number should not be used as a guideline when deciding on the stove. The amount of heat produced will depend on the type and the quality of fuel you use. It is also important to be aware of how the insulation of your home is and whether it's humid.
There are a myriad of styles of stoves on the market and each providing a distinct style and finish. Some are more traditional with rustic features and a basic colour scheme, whereas others are more modern, featuring clear lines, large glass windows and unique shapes.
Best wood burning stoves 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 are around 80-90 per cent more efficient than older stoves or open fires. This is a big saving on your energy bills and is a greener alternative.
Efficiency
If properly designed and operated, wood burning stoves can be very efficient heaters. The latest models emit very low levels of pollution and can provide warmth at a fraction of the cost of electricity gas or oil.
One of the most important factors in a stove's efficiency is its capacity to create an effective flame that burns logs correctly and for the longest period possible. This helps to prevent the fire from "going out' or producing a lot of smoke. Making sure you use only clean, kiln dried logs from reputable British suppliers will help maximise the efficiency of your stove, and also ensure that you do not overload the firebox or exceed its maximum heating capacity.
A great deal of care is taken to ensure that stoves are well-built and designed for optimum function. The best wood-burning stoves constructed with top-quality materials and parts, and have closed fireboxes with insulated walls. The firebox should ideally be kept at a constant temperature so that the logs can burn properly and to prevent the flue from overheating.
It is also essential to select the appropriate size stove for your room to ensure maximum efficiency in heating. A stove that's too large for the space is less efficient, and a stove too small will cause excessive smoke and overfire.
Eco-friendly wood-burning stoves are becoming more popular. They can reduce household dependence on fossil fuels, and provide warmer, more comfortable heating. Wood is an energy source that is renewable and is better for the planet than fossil fuels or coal.
It is important to use only kiln-dried wood that have been cultivated and harvested in a sustainable manner. Beware of treated or wet timber such as oiled wood, waste or pallet wood since they emit unpleasant fumes and can damage the stove and flue. Buying logs from a supplier who is registered with the Defra approved 'Ready To Burn" logo will ensure that you get an excellent dry, smokless, and carbon-neutral fuel for your stove.
Design
Wood burners come in many different styles and designs. Some are modern and sleek, while others have a more traditional feel. Some stoves are multi-fuel, while others are exclusively for wood. The style of your stove will affect the type of heat it produces and how well it fits in with the overall aesthetic of your home.
Generally speaking, when you burn wood in a stove it undergoes two separate processes: combustion and pyrolysis. When wood is heated, it creates carbon monoxide, as well as other byproducts which are released into the air. Pyrolysis occurs when wood is heated at higher temperatures, releasing gases like hydrocarbons or carbon dioxide. The resulting gases are then burned again in the firebox to produce more carbon monoxide as well as other byproducts.
Many wood stoves are equipped with secondary combustion that is a catalytic unit that burns byproducts resulting from primary combustion. This reduces smoke and other pollutants significantly. It also lets wood stoves function at lower temperatures, meaning less wood is needed and more efficiency.
Older stoves that don't use secondary combustion are less efficient, and they're also more polluting as unburned materials are allowed to escape through the flue. They're still in high demand due to their simplicity of use and the atmosphere they create.
Modern wood burners must meet a set emissions limits called Ecodesign. They are based on a minimum efficiency rating and a reduction in maximum levels of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. They are typically approved by DEFRA and can accommodate a stack of logs underneath. Some models come with the cleanAir system that draws in air to cleanse the glass and avoid blackening or sooting.
Maintenance
Wood stoves require regular maintenance and care in order to work at their peak. Cleaning it regularly, taking out the ashes from fires and examining the gaskets is all part of this. Gaskets are used to protect the combustion process from air leakage If they're damaged, it could lead to problems such as smoke leakage and reduced efficiency. It is also essential to sweep the chimney on a regular basis to prevent chimney fires. It is recommended to do this twice each year at minimum, however it could be necessary to do so more frequently depending on how often the stove is used.
Stoves come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Some are better suited for certain areas than others. A curved, circular shape can be a stylish and contemporary addition to any space, while still providing warmth. Colour is another factor that can influence maintenance, with lighter colours showing more dirt and soot and dark colours hiding staining better.
The grate (a metal plate at the bottom of the stove) will wear down with use but can be replaced easily. If the grate is not regularly cleaned, it can crack. The interior of the combustion chamber can be prone to cracking or snapping. The repeated opening and closing of the door may degrade the seals on the rope. Glass can also get stained or milky with time, though it isn't as easy to replace as a home window.
It is important to only burn wood that has been properly seasoned in your stove, as unseasoned logs produce more smoke and creosote than seasoned ones. It is important to fuel your stove properly by adjusting the amount of wood you add and ensuring that it isn't overheated. This will ensure proper burning and will reduce the amount of pollution.