15 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Be Ignoring Wood Burning Stoves Uk
Wood Burning Stoves A wood-burning stove is a great addition to any home. They are available in a variety of sizes and styles to meet your individual preferences. They can either be built into the wall or be free-standing. Modern wood stoves adhere to strict EU legislation (often referred to as Ecodesign) to ensure high efficiency in fuel use and low emissions. Some wood stoves are DEFRA exempt, and can burn briquettes or other fuels that are smokeless. 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 have been used for hundreds of years, and they can be an environmentally friendly alternative to heating your home using oil or gas. Modern stoves feature a variety of technological advancements and you can choose from a variety of designs to meet your needs. They operate on the same principle of fireplaces, but generate more heat since they utilize wood to generate radiant heat. A high-quality stove will give you efficient heat and will be certified safe to use. The EPA label will indicate when the stove is manufactured and the emission standards it meets. The older stoves are typically not EPA-certified, so it's best to choose newer models that have been tested and proved to be safe and efficient. Modern stoves typically use creosote to burn the vapours that are released in the process of combustion before they are released into your home. They also burn fuel much more efficiently, which helps prevent sooting or smoke problems in the chimney. If you are buying a wood stove it is essential to have access to sufficient firewood and storage space to keep it well-stocked. You will also need an appropriate class A chimney to vent the stove, and the proper clearance between your wood stove as well as the floors and walls around it. You'll require that your chimney regularly inspected and cleaned by a professional to ensure the integrity of your stove and chimney. Wood smoke can cause respiratory problems for any person, but is particularly harmful to older adults, children and those suffering from respiratory issues such as asthma or chronic obstructive lung disease. You can safeguard your family members and yourself from the negative effects of smoke from wood. Limit the amount of time you spend in rooms with a stove, use the recirculate feature on the air conditioner, and keep doors closed. Size Wood-burning stoves can bring a real sense of warmth and charm to your home. They are also efficient and can save you money on heating costs. It's important to choose the proper size stove for your space, but. If you choose a stove that is too small, it won't provide adequate heat to your home. If you choose an appliance that is too big, the fuel will be wasted. Ask your installer for advice if are unsure. They'll conduct a site assessment and give you advice on the right size stove for your home. Stoves are evaluated in terms of their nominal output in heat, shown as a kW figure. This is a guideline to the maximum amount of heat they are able to produce under test conditions. This number should not be relied upon when deciding on a stove. The exact amount of heat produced depends on the type and quality fuel you choose to employ. It is also important to consider how well-insulated your property is and how draughty it is. There are many stoves to choose from, each with a different design and style. Some are more traditional, with rustic features, basic color scheme, and others are more modern with clean lines, big windows, and innovative shapes. Ecodesign is the standard that the majority of modern stoves follow which ensures high efficiency and low emissions. If you want to make sure that your stove is Ecodesign compatible check for the ClearSkies logo. They're between 80 and 90 percent more efficient than older stoves and open fires. This will help you save money on your energy bills, and is also an environmentally friendly choice. Efficiency Wood burning stoves, if properly designed and used, can be extremely efficient heaters. The most recent models are very low emissions and a kilowatt hour's worth of heat is available at a fraction of the cost of gas, electricity or oil. One of the most important aspects of a stove's effectiveness is its capacity to create an effective flame that burns logs efficiently and for the longest duration possible. This helps to prevent a fire from 'going out' or releasing excessive smoke. Making sure you use only clean, kiln dried logs from reputable British suppliers will help increase the effectiveness of your stove, and also ensure that you do not over-load the firebox or over-heat it to the maximum capacity. Stoves are built with great care and designed to perform optimally. The best wood-burning stoves are made with high-quality components and materials and feature insulated fireboxes that are sealed. The firebox should be kept at a constant temperature, so that the logs burn evenly and the flue does not overheat. Choosing the correct size stove for your space is also important to optimize the efficiency of your heating. A stove that is too big for the room is less efficient, whereas an appliance that is too small could burn out and create excessive smoke. 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 a renewable source of energy and is better for the environment than fossil fuels like coal or mineral. It is crucial to use only kiln-dried wood that have been cultivated and harvested in a sustainable manner. Avoid using wet or treated wood, oiled wood, waste or pallet wood. They will release unattractive fumes that can harm your stove and the flue. Buying your wood from a trusted supplier with the Defra-approved 'Ready to Burn logo means that you're buying high-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 and contemporary, and others are more traditional. Some stoves are multi-fuel, while others are exclusively for wood. The style of your stove will determine the type of heat it provides and how well it fits into the overall design of your home. Generally speaking, when you burn wood in a stove it undergoes two separate processes which are combustion and pyrolysis. woodburning fireplace occurs when hot wood is burnt and releases carbon monoxide and other byproducts that enter the air. Pyrolysis is when the wood is heated to a higher temperature and evolves gasses such as hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide. The gases that result are burnt again in the firebox to create more carbon monoxide as well as other byproducts. Many modern wood stoves utilize secondary combustion, which is catalytic combustor, which burns off the byproducts from primary combustion. This helps reduce smoke and other pollutants significantly. It also allows wood stoves to function at lower temperatures, meaning less wood is required, and an increased efficiency. Older stoves that do not have secondary combustion are less efficient and more polluting as unburned products are left to flow out through the flue. They are still popular due to their ease of use, and the air they create. Modern wood burners must meet the emission limits set by Ecodesign. They are based on a minimum rating of efficiency and a reduction in maximum levels for carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides. They are usually DEFRA-approved and have space for a stack of logs underneath. Some models come with cleanAir technology that draws air into the unit to cleanse the glass and stop sooting or blackening. Maintenance Wood stoves require regular maintenance and care in order to perform at their best. This includes cleaning it frequently and removing the ashes after fires, and making sure that gaskets are in good working order. Gaskets are used to protect the combustion process from air leakage, and if they are damaged, this can lead to problems such as smoke leakage and decreased efficiency. To prevent chimney fires, it is important to clean the chimney regularly. This should be done twice every year at minimum, however it could be necessary to do so more often based on how often the stove is utilized. Stoves are available in various sizes and shapes. Some are better suited for certain spaces than others. A cylindrical, curved shape can be a modern and sleek design for any room while still offering warmth. Color can also affect maintenance. The lighter shades show more dirt and soot while darker shades conceal stains. The grates, which are a metal plate in the bottom of the stove, which holds the firewood, wears down with use, but can be easily replaced. If the grate is not regularly cleaned, it may crack. The interior of the combustion chamber can be prone to cracking or snapping. Rope seals can be damaged through repeated opening and closing. Over time, the glass can become milky or scratched. However this isn't as easy to replace like a home window. It is essential to only burn wood that has been properly seasoned in your stove. Insufficiently seasoned logs will create more smoke and creosote. It is also important to ensure that your stove is properly fuelled by changing the amount of wood that you add and making sure that it doesn't overheat. This will ensure proper combustion and reduce the amount of pollution.