Wood - Pellet - Gas
WOOD
WOOD BURNING: CLEAN, EFFICIENT,
RESPONSIBLE HEAT
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How and what you burn determines
the economy, environmental consequence and efficiency of your
wood burning stove or insert.
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Use dry, seasoned and split
wood.
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Select an EPA-certified wood
stove or insert which produce up to 85% less emissions than
appliances manufactured before July 1, 1986
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Make sure the stove’s
installation and flue system is safe and functioning properly
with an annual chimney inspection and cleaning if needed and
maintain your stove or insert to manufacturer recommendation.
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NEVER burn garbage in a wood
stove or fireplace.
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If you have an old stove, insert
or fireplace and cannot afford a newer stove or insert,
enhance the capabilities of your current appliance by
following the tips in the” Responsible Wood Burning” section
below.
THE BENEFITS
Many benefits
result from the decision to heat with wood:
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Wood heat contributes to the
conservation of the world’s non-renewable fossil fuels.
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Wood heat enhances the nation’s
energy independence
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In most instances, heating with
wood will save you money.
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Growing trees clean the air of
carbon dioxide having a positive effect on our carbon
footprint
However, linked to these benefits
is the environmental responsibility to burn clean and as
efficiently as possible. This guide will provide information on
proper wood burning, with tips to help you burn smart for lower
emissions for a cleaner environment.
RESPONSIBLE WOOD BURNING
When heating with wood, there are
four critical elements necessary to achieve optimal economy,
environmental responsibility and efficiency from a wood stove or
wood burning fireplace insert.
(1)
Wood
Stove or Fireplace Insert
(2)
Installation
(3)
Operator
(4)
Fuel
THE WOOD STOVE OR FIREPLACE INSERT
Q. “How can I tell if a
wood stove is a new clean burning, high efficiency model?”
A. Regulations enacted by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) require all wood stoves
and fireplace inserts manufactured and sold after July 1, 1992
to pass stringent emission tests. An EPA label identifies as a
new clean burning, high efficiency model, and is found on every
certified stove and insert.
Q. “How can I tell if a
stove or insert is sized right for my home?”
A. Consider your geographic
location and climate, the number of rooms you wish to heat, and
the construction of your home such as room size, ceiling height,
number of windows, and insulation. Most stoves and inserts
provide a range of square feet each model is expected to heat.
Your local Hearth Specialist will tell you where your situation
will fall within that range.
Q. “I already have an older
stove. Is there anything I can do to make it burn cleaner?”
A. Yes. Even if you can’t upgrade
to a new EPA certified stove or fireplace insert right away, you
can still improve the performance of your current stove. Have
your wood heating system inspected and cleaned by a certified
specialist. Make sure all the gaskets are sound and the door
shuts tight for better air control. Read and follow the
suggestions for optimal operation of your stove.
THE INSTALLATION
Q “Can I install my own
stove, or should I have the installation done professionally?”
A. Having the installation done professionally ensures that
it will be installed safely and will meet all codes. It’s
strongly recommended by the stove, insert and fireplace
manufacturers that the installation be done by a professional. A
Hearth Specialty Retailer can provide you with professional
installation assistance. Installers are certified by HEARTH, a
nonprofit foundation that trains installers and fire code
inspectors. For owners who choose to do their own installation,
follow the manufacturer’s instructions explicitly. To locate a HEARTH
certified specialist, go to
www.HPBEF.org.
THE OPERATOR
Q. “Why is wood smoke undesirable?”
A. Smoke, in the form of solid
particles (or “particulates”) and volatile gases, is unburned
fuel. When a stove fails to achieve the high combustion
temperatures necessary to burn the particulates and ignite the
gases, you have smoke, and a loss of up to half the heating
potential of your firewood.
A smoking stove is not an efficient
heater, and it can also adversely affect air quality. The
secondary burn system on EPA certified stoves and inserts,
combined with proper burn techniques, can decrease the level of
polluting emissions by up to 85%.
Q. “How can I tell if I
am operating my wood stove properly?”
A. Check the exhaust coming out of
your chimney; the smoke is your operational barometer. If your
fire is burning properly, you should see the white transparent
steam of evaporating water, some darker and opaque smoke will be
slightly visible. The darker
the color of the exhaust, the less
efficiently you are burning the appliance. It
may be necessary to adjust the operation, such as giving the
fire more air or using smaller (or drier) wood for a longer
time, to decrease the density of the smoke. A 15% opacity, or
wispy white smoke, indicates efficient operation. Some states
regulate opacity levels from wood stove chimneys.
Q. “Are there times when
my wood stove or fireplace insert will emit more smoke?”
A. There are two periods in the
operation of a wood stove most vulnerable to creating smoky
emissions – during startup and when you refuel. However, these
smoky periods can be dramatically minimized by proper operation.
Q. “What can I do to minimize
the amount of smoke at startup and refueling?”
A. Create and maintain drafting
conditions necessary for clean combustion. A good draft occurs
when your chimney consistently draws enough air into the firebox
providing adequate oxygen to completely burn the fuel. To create
this draft, you must preheat the chimney. The amount of time
that will take will vary with the height of the chimney, outside
exposure and construction, and barometric conditions. Typically,
preheating requires at least 5-15 minutes of a hot and vigorous
fire.
When reloading, place small split
pieces of wood on the bed of coals and fully open the air supply
before adding larger pieces of wood. Using smaller pieces of
wood during reloading encourages rapid reheating of the chimney.
You will know the chimney is
drafting when each large piece of dry wood you add ignites
quickly, without a loss in the intensity of the fire. Listen for
the sound of air entering the firebox. A constant movement of
air signals that a good draft has been achieved.
Some manufacturers provide
specific guidelines involving indirect monitoring of the chimney
exhaust temperatures. Typically, chimney connector temperatures
must reach 500-600 degrees F. before the chimney is fully
primed. Always follow your manufacturer’s instructions when
temperature and startup procedures are specified.
Q. “How do I preheat my
chimney?”
A. At startup, remove all but a thin layer of ashes from your
firebox. Insert five or six crumpled individual pieces of newspaper
and dry finely split kindling or a firelighter. Firmly open
the air supply (dampers) to the woodstove and ignite the paper
on all aides. You may find it necessary to leave the stove door
slightly ajar during the first few moments of the fire. After
the first load ignites, add more kindling until the chimney
is preheated. The fire should burn briskly and full of flame
during the startup if you are operating the wood stove properly.
When reloading, place finely split pieces of wood on the charcoal
bed and fully open the air supply. Using smaller pieces of wood
during reloading encouraged rapid reheating of the chimney.
You’ll know the chimney is preheated when each large
piece of wood you add to the fire burns vigorously, without
a loss in intensity of the fire. Keep listening to the sound
of the air entering the stove. A constant and rising movement
of air signals that good drafting conditions have been achieved.
Some wood stove manufacturers provide specific guidelines for
startup and preheating phases involving the indirect monitoring
of chimney exhaust temperatures. Typically, chimney connector
temperatures must reach 500-600 degrees F. before the chimney
is fully primed. Follow your manufacturer’s instructions
when temperature and startup procedures are specified.
Q. “Once I have preheated
my chimney, how should I operate the stove?”
A. Always refer to your wood stove
manufacturer’s operation manual and follow the instructions
for your particular make and model.
Q. “Do I operate my stove
differently in cold vs. warm weather conditions?”
A. Yes. During the warmer seasons of spring and fall, control
the total heat output by limiting the amount of fuel (wood)
rather than by closing down the air supply. Make shorter, hot
fires using more finely split wood. The actual air supply setting
will vary according to your stove instruction, but the fuel
loading will be consistently smaller. Let the fire burn out
rather than smolder at low air supply setting. When your home
requires more heat, restart the fire with kindling as always,
but add smaller fuel loads. This allows your stove to operate
at maximum efficiency and with minimum emissions. Avoid the
temptation of building a big fire and then starving it for air.
Q. “Is it important to
have my stove and chimney cleaned?”
A. Yes. Smoke rising through your chimney may condense and
build up on the cooler inside walls forming a substance known
as creosote. The volatile substance can ignite and burn in the
chimney. Many chimneys and installations are unable to withstand
these dangerous creosote fires; the results can be tragic. Chimneys
and vents for wood stoves and inserts also perform the necessary
function of directly venting the hot gases from a fire away
from the house. If the chimneys or vents are obstructed by debris
or animals the hot gases can be forced back into the home. At
the same time, wood stoves and inserts require service to ensure
they are operating correctly.
Q. “Is it important to have my
stove, insert or fireplace and its chimney cleaned?”
A. Yes. Smoke rising through your chimney may condense
and build up, forming a substance known as creosote. This
volatile substance can ignite and burn in the chimney. The
results can be tragic. The Chimney Safety Institute of America
recommends that all chimneys be inspected and cleaned annually,
or more frequently depending on usage. The stove, insert or
fireplace should also be inspected annually and serviced, if
needed, to ensure that it is operating correctly.
THE FUEL
Q. “Does it matter what
kind of wood I use?”
A. When trees are initially cut
down, they contain a great deal of moisture. To dry the wood it
should be split and stacked loosely in a crosswise pattern to
enable good air circulation. Cover the wood pile to protect it
from rain, snow and dew, but leave the sides open for air flow.
A sunny location is best, keep it off the ground and away from
buildings. Softwoods should be allowed to dry in this fashion at
least six months. Hardwood takes longer to dry and may take more
than a year to be fully cured.
Q. “What is the
difference in the types of wood?
A. Softwoods such as fir and
cedar, grow fast and burn fast and hot. They are best for
starting the fire. Hardwoods are primarily deciduous trees such
as oak and maple and they burn longer than softwoods. See a
chart of “wood heating values” at
www.lrapa.org for more information on which wood is best.
Q. “Is it important to
season wood before burning it?”
A. The seasoning, or drying, process allows most of the natural
moisture found in wood to evaporate, making it easier to burn.
A properly seasoned log will have 20%-30% moisture content.
Wood only dries from the surface inward so un-split pieces dry
very slowly. To properly season wood, split the logs as soon
as possible and stack them in a dry spot for 6-18 months. Pile
the wood loosely, allowing air to circulate through the split
logs. Hardwoods take longer to dry than softwoods. Humidity
and temperature levels also impact drying time.
Q. “What’s the best
way to load wood into my stove or insert?”
A. Avoid placing pieces of wood in parallel directions, where
they may stack too closely. Vary the position of the wood in
the firebox to maximize the exposed surface area of each piece
of wood. Only use wood properly sized for your stove’s
fire chamber. Complete wood combustion requires wood (fuel),
temperature (heat), and oxygen (air) to burn completely and
cleanly.
Q. “Is there anything I
shouldn’t burn?”
A. Never burn garbage, plastic, foil, or any kind of chemically
treated or painted wood. They all produce noxious fumes; these
are dangerous and highly polluting. Additionally, if you have
a catalytic stove, the residue from burning plastics may clog
the catalytic combustor.
A. Ask a certified wood hearth specialist.
To find a specialist near you, click the Where to Shop
button on the left.
