Why a Wood Burning Stove Should Be Properly Sized and Installed Wood stoves can be an effective, eco-friendly method of heating your home. However, a wood stove needs to be properly sized and installed to maximize efficiency. Do not open and shut the wood stove door frequently. This creates a vortex that pulls smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned into the room. Energy Efficiency A wood burning stove utilizes radiant heat to warm your home instead of relying on hot air that is carried in by the home's ventilation system. source web page is a more efficient method to heat your home as the heat radiates from all sides. Modern wood stoves have been designed to be as efficient as possible. Manufacturers are expected to comply with more and more rigorous regulations regarding emissions and the best method to do this is by making their stoves more efficient. The majority of our stoves (both DEFRA approved and EPA certified) have official efficiency ratings of 70%, which means that a large portion of the heat produced is used to warm your home, instead of being lost up the chimney. Another benefit of a wood burning stove is that it gives you a completely independent heat source. A wood burner can provide warmth during power outages or gas shortage, as long as you have enough logs stored. Wood burning stoves are also more reliable than other forms of heating since they do not depend on electric or oil power to function. This is especially important in remote areas where other sources of energy could be interrupted for long periods of time. A high-quality stove will warm your home to 80% efficiency. This is a significant improvement over older stoves that typically operated at less then 20 percent efficiency. It is also one of the reasons why a new stove is a wise investment. A catalytic wood stove can burn the gasses that are not burned and smoke that escapes the firebox through secondary combustion to further improve efficiency. Non-catalytic wood stoves are also becoming more commonplace, as they don't require costly catalyst technology in order to achieve the same levels of efficiency. They can also be purchased for a lower price. This is especially beneficial for those who want to save money on cost of fuel and reduce their carbon footprint. Clean Burning A wood stove burns wood and generates heat however, it also releases particulates and gases into the atmosphere. In some areas it can cause poor air quality, which impacts our health and wellbeing. It is essential to use clean-burning technology on your wood stove. If you own a brand modern, contemporary wood stove equipped with Clean Burn technology, it dramatically reduces the amount of airborne dust and particulate emission. This will not just make your home healthier, but you can also save money since you will get more heat from each log. Today's ECO design stoves have one of the strictest requirements in the world when it comes to particle emissions. They are permitted to emit not more than 5 grams per kilogram of wood burned. At Jotul, we have far more ambitious goals - we'd like to give you the very top quality when it comes to the environment and your health. We've created a technological solution, which means our wood stoves contain less than half of the statutory requirement - and in some cases less than 1 grams! A modern stove has many ways to improve the combustion of the wood. It is crucial to keep track of air flow and only reduce it once the fire is hot and well-established. Cleaner stoves produce less creosote. This sticky substance could create serious fire hazards. The lower production of creosote will also save you time and money on chimney sweeping expenses. Our 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 helps ensure that all particles are burned. This is the bulk of the outstanding performance that is found in our latest stoves, such as the Defra approved Hi-Flame Graphite 5. You should always make sure that your wood stove is only used in smoke control zones (or exempt zones) in areas that permit to use it. Smoke from the wood stove isn't only harmful to those within the immediate vicinity however, it can also travel far distances and contribute to poor air quality in neighbouring communities. Eco-Friendly Wood burners provide a low-carbon alternative to fossil fuel stoves. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release it back when they are burnt as part of the closed CO2 cycle. This process is far less damaging to the environment than emitting carbon dioxide into air when using oil, gas or electricity for heating your home. Modern stoves are significantly higher efficiency than previous models, which means you can heat your home with much less firewood. Some models are so efficient that they release virtually no smoke, generate minimal ash and require 70 percent less wood than traditional stoves. The latest EPA-certified stoves come with additional safety features, like an automatic shutoff to avoid overheating. Eco-friendly stoves can also help you save money on energy bills. Electricity and gas prices appear to be increasing each year. With a wood-burning stove you can take control of your heating needs and cut out the middlemen. You can also make use of reclaimed wood or salvaged wood to make your stove even more environmentally friendly. Many people salvage wood from construction projects that would otherwise be thrown away or disposed of. However, it's crucial to ensure that the wood is completely dry prior to burning. This is especially crucial when you reside in a smoke control area where it is an offence to use damp or wet wood. Wood burning stoves are ecologically sustainable because they make use of renewable energy sources. If you purchase your wood from sustainable forests, one tree is planted for every tree that is cut down for use. This helps in reducing the deforestation brought on by fossil fuel production. It is important to keep in mind that even though wood-burning stoves have lower emissions than other stoves, they produce fine particulate pollution. These small, toxic particles can reach deep into the lungs, and could be extremely detrimental to your health. The independent body that sets standards for heating appliances HETAS has led an effort to improve the efficiency of wood stoves so that they reduce this type of pollution as much as is possible and a variety of manufacturers are working on eco-friendly wood burners that meet the most recent standards. Cooking Wood stoves are safe if employed correctly. If you are not familiar with wood burning it is recommended to consult an expert to examine your fireplace and ventilation systems to ensure they are working correctly. Modern wood burners utilize chimneys and fireboxes to draw in air and then release smoke. The ventilation pipe and chimney help to regulate the amount of creosote (a volatile organic compound) that is created when wood is burned. The accumulation of creosote in the chimney can cause a decrease in efficiency and create a fire risk therefore it is essential to maintain 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. In addition, cooking with a wood burning stove adds a distinct flavor that cannot be replicated with electric or gas stoves. The smoky flavor of roasted meats, as well as soups that are hearty give meals a unique and memorable taste that cannot be achieved with other methods of cooking. Cooking with a wood burning stove is also known to be healthier than other types of cooking. For instance, if roast meats or vegetables on your wood-burning stove, the heat generated by the flames helps to preserve nutrients that can be lost when cooking foods for long durations. Many people choose to use a wood burning stove as an alternative to gas or electricity to heat their home. It's a reliable method of heating that is especially useful during power outages or in regions where there is a shortage of fossil fuels. A majority of people also believe that a wood stove could be a more affordable way to heat their homes than purchasing an electric or gas stove. It is also more eco friendly because wood is a renewable fuel source and emits less CO2 into the air when it is harvested and burned correctly.
