Why a Wood Burning Stove Should Be Properly Sized and Installed
Wood stoves can be a great, clean way to heat your home. However, a wood stove needs to be installed and sized correctly to maximize efficiency.
Be careful not to open and close the wood stove door too frequently as this creates an air-tight seal that draws smoke and volatile compounds that have not been burned back into the room.
Energy Efficiency
Radiant heat is used to heat the home instead of hot air being carried into the home by its ventilation system. This is a more efficient method of heating because it produces massive warmth that radiates out across the entire stove, heating your entire house rather than only one central area.
Modern wood stoves are designed to be as efficient as they can. Manufacturers are expected to comply with more and more rigorous regulations with regards to 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 efficiency ratings of over 70%, meaning that a lot more of the heat produced is utilized to heat your home instead of going up the chimney.
Another advantage to using a wood burner is that it gives you a completely independent heat source. Unlike gas and electricity the wood burner can still provide you with warmth, even in the event of an outage in gas or electricity in the event that you have enough logs in your.
Wood burning stoves are more reliable than other types of heating as they do not rely on oil or electric power to operate. This is particularly important in remote regions where other sources of energy could be interrupted over a long period of time.
A quality log burner will operate at a rate of around 80% efficiency which means that a substantial proportion of the heat generated is being used to warm your home. This is a huge improvement over older stoves that typically operated at less than 20% efficiency. This is one of the main reasons why a new stove is a smart investment.
A catalytic wood stove will burn the gasses that are not burned and smoke that leaves the firebox by secondary combustion to further increase efficiency. Non-catalytic wood stoves are also becoming more commonplace, as they don't require expensive catalyst technology in order to attain the same level of efficiency. They can also be purchased for a lower price. This is especially beneficial for those looking to cut costs on their cost of fuel and reduce their carbon footprint.
Clean Burning
Wood stoves burn wood to generate heat however, they also release particles and gases into the air. In certain regions this can result in poor air quality, which can affect our health and well-being. This is why it's essential to use clean burning technology in your wood burner.
With modern wood stoves that uses Clean Burn technology, you can cut down on airborne particles and dust emissions. This will not only make your home more healthy, but you can also save money as you will get more heat from each log.
Today's ECO design stoves have one of the strictest standards in the world with regards to particle emissions - they are allowed to release no more than 5 grams per kilogram of wood burned. At Jotul, we have far more ambitious goals - we'd like to provide you with the absolute highest quality in terms of the environment and your health. We've developed a technical solution which means that our wood stoves are less than half of the legal requirement - and in some cases less than 1 gram!
Modern stoves offer a variety of ways to optimize the efficiency of combustion. It is essential to monitor the flow of air and then reduce it after the fire is hot and well-established.
modern wood burning stove burning stoves also produce less creosote. It is a sticky substance that builds up on the inside of the chimney. It can pose a serious fire danger. Reduced creosote production can also save time and money in chimney sweeping.
Our new wood stoves' superior performance is also a result of the pre-heated secondary air. It is an additional layer of air that is placed over the fuel, and helps to ensure that all particles are completely burned. This is the reason for a significant portion of the superior performance in our new stoves, such as the Defra-approved Hi-Flame Graphite 5
Make sure you use your wood stove in areas that are legal. Smoke from a wood stove is not only harmful to those in the immediate area however, it can also travel a long distance and contribute to poor air quality in neighbouring communities.
Eco-Friendly
Wood burners are a low carbon alternative to fossil fuel stoves. As part of the closed carbon cycle trees absorb CO2 from the air and release it when burnt. This process is less damaging to the environment than releasing CO2 into air by using oil, gas, or electricity for home heat.
Modern stoves are much higher efficiency than older models, which means that 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 logs than traditional stoves. The newest EPA-certified stoves include additional safety features, like an automatic shutoff to prevent overheating.
Alongside being a good source of heat, eco-friendly stoves are an excellent option to cut down on your energy bills. The price of electricity and gas appears to increase year on year and with a wood-burning stove, you can cut out the middlemen and take control of your heating requirements.
You can also make use of recycled or salvaged wood to make your stove to make it more environmentally friendly. Many people gather wood from construction projects that would otherwise be thrown out or disposed of. However, it is important to make sure it's completely dry prior to burning. This is especially crucial if you reside in a smoke-control area where wet or damp wooden is illegal.
Wood burning stoves are eco green because they utilize renewable energy. If you purchase your logs from a sustainable forest, one tree will be planted for each one that is felled to be used and helps counteract the deforestation caused by fossil fuel production.
While wood burning stoves emit less emissions than other stoves, they do produce fine particulate pollutants. These are tiny, toxic particles that can travel deep into your lungs and are extremely dangerous to your health. The independent body that sets standards for heating appliances HETAS has led a campaign to improve wood stoves in order that they minimize this kind of pollution as much as possible and a lot of manufacturers are developing eco-friendly wood stoves that comply with the latest standards.
Cooking
Wood stoves are safe when used correctly. However, if you're familiar with wood burning, it's recommended to consult a professional to inspect your fireplace and ventilation system to make sure they're working correctly. Modern wood burners include chimneys and fireboxes that work together to draw fresh air in and let smoke out. The ventilation pipe and the chimney work together to regulate how much creosote is produced when burning wood. Creosote buildup within the chimney can lead to reduced efficiency and a fire hazard It is therefore essential to maintain your stove.
The crackle of the flame and the scent of burning wood create a warm atmosphere that can transport you back to simpler days. In addition, cooking with wood burning stoves adds a unique flavor that cannot be replicated using electric or gas stoves. The smokey flavor of roasted meats, as well as hearty soups make meals unique and unforgettable taste that cannot be achieved with other methods of cooking.
Cooking on a wood-burning stove is also known to be healthier than other forms of cooking. For example, if you roast meats or vegetables on your wood-burning stove, the heat from the flames can help keep nutrients that are lost when cooking food for extended durations.
Many people utilize a wood-burning stove to heat their homes, instead of relying on gas or electricity. It is a reliable method for heating that is particularly useful during power outages and in regions where fossil fuels are in short supply. Many people also find that a wood stove could be a more economical way to heat their home, as opposed to installing and purchasing a traditional electric or gas stove. It is also more eco friendly because wood is a renewable fuel source and emits less CO2 to the air when it is burned properly.