EPA-Certified Wood Stoves May Not Meet Your Health and Safety Standards

Many communities have provided financial incentives to replace old wood stoves with EPA certified models that emit less pollution. Undark discovered that some of the latest stoves might not meet EPA standards.

In these times of high energy prices, a lot of cities are looking for ways to reduce wood burning, especially in areas with poor air quality. Here are 10 ways you can improve indoor air quality and get more heat from each log burning stoves.

Efficiency

Wood stoves are among the most efficient ways to heat your home. Modern EPA certified wood stoves burn logs extremely quickly and produce less creosote compared to older models. This lets you make use of a larger percentage of the potential energy from your fire in a shorter period of time and lower your heating costs by as much as 30 percent. The efficiency of wood woodburning stoves also grows over the lifetime of the stove when you only use seasoned hardwood.

Older wood stoves have an efficiency of 50 percent or less. This means that half the potential energy generated by the fire is lost because smoke and carbon monoxide are released into the atmosphere. Modern stoves have efficiency of 85 percent or more, which is similar to the efficiency of oil and gas furnaces.

The higher efficiency of wood stoves are achieved by controlling the air, fuel, and combustion process. Wood stoves that control airflow can slow down the speed at which the fire is moving through the wood and allow the gases produced to remain hot and combust completely.

Modern wood stoves can also reuse the byproducts of incomplete combustion to create a new fire that produces more efficient combustion. This process, called reburn, can increase the efficiency of wood stoves by up to 10 percent.

Wood is also carbon neutral which is a further benefit. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air as they are growing and release oxygen in return when they burn. Wood is also an environmentally sustainable resource, particularly when it comes from woodlands in the local area that are managed in a way that encourages the growth of healthy trees.

Cleanliness

With 8.8 million households using wood stoves in the United States, cleaning and maintenance are a crucial part of keeping the home warm. A filthy stove or flue pipe can cause carbon monoxide and fire hazards. Clean stoves, chimneys and flue pipes are also more efficient.

Cleaning the ashes is the most common task you can do when cleaning your wood stove. Wear gloves that are protective and wait until the stove is cool down. Choose a container made of metal that is big enough to accommodate all the ashes, and then dump them outside away from anything that could be able to ignite. You can also add the ashes into your compost to make an excellent addition to your garden.

While the ashes have been removed from the stove, you can sweep the floor to get rid of dust. It is recommended to have at three feet of space between your wood stove and any other combustible objects like curtains, pillows or toys. This prevents a fire from getting out of control and burning these things.

A clean glass door interior of your stove will allow you to see the dancing flames, and can help you determine when to start a fresh fire. Make sure that you have a glass cleaner on hand to remove any tarred or smudged areas that may be present. Newspaper dipped into water and ash can be used to wash the glass if it is extremely dirty. Avoid scratching the glass as this can cause it to shrink and break when heated.

Creosote build-up on the inside of your flue is a major cause of chimney fires. Creosote is highly flammable, so a layer of even a few millimeters can cause the chimney to catch fire. Clean the flue frequently, especially if you burn pine or other soft woods that produce more creosote than other kinds of wood.

Burn only seasoned, dry wood that is split in half or smaller. Do not burn artificial trash, logs or other items inside your wood stove.

Safety

outdoor wood burning stove stoves can emit toxic gases like carbon monoxide or particulates. These toxins can enter the home, wood stove burning and have negative health effects for children, older adults, or people suffering from respiratory ailments like COPD or asthma. In time exposure to wood smoke may cause lung damage and heart disease.

To avoid these risks to avoid these risks, it is vital to adhere to the correct wood stove burning practices. This includes ensuring that the stove is working properly and that it has sufficient heat output for the space and style. Only dry, well-seasoned, hard woods are suitable for burning in the stove. The moisture content of the firewood must be less than 20 percent. If the moisture content is higher, it will burn faster and produce a smoky fire, with more creosote accumulation on the chimney vent pipe walls.

A well-drawn chimney is an additional important safety feature. This can be accomplished by monitoring how much air flows into the firebox as well as through the chimney. Modern stoves come with several options to alter the flow of air, and the owner's manual has documented the procedures. Properly operating the air controls will ensure the highest heating efficiency.

The chimney and flue pipe should be free of combustible material, such as drapes, trash or paper. A lack of clearance between combustibles and wood-burning appliances is a major cause of fires in homes caused by wood stoves.

It is also important to keep children out of wood stoves while the fire is in progress or when ashes are being removed. Kids are naturally curious and may try to touch the hot surfaces of a wood stove or put their hands into the flame. It is recommended to set up a child-proof barrier around the fireplace or to make use of the fireplace screen. It is also important to regularly inspect the fireplace and wood stove for signs of wear.

Finally, it is essential to have your stove and chimney professionally checked every year for the accumulation of creosote, bird nests and other problems that can affect the safety of your chimney and stove. This will prevent fires and health hazards and will also reduce the need for smoke or CO2 remediation services.

Maintenance

Although wood stoves are an excellent method of saving money on home heating however, they require additional maintenance. If you do not perform the required maintenance, your wood stove can cause a dangerous fire to escape from the chimney or flue or even start fire in your home. It is important to clean the surfaces of the stove fireplace and flue. Keep a fire extinguisher in your desk and check it frequently. Smoke detectors are a great idea throughout the home, but they are especially useful in the area where the stove is.

As a rule cleaning your chimney and stove at least once per year. The schedule of cleaning should be altered in accordance with how frequently the stove is used. It may be necessary to clean it more frequently in winter. Only use dry and seasoned wood to use in the stove. It is advised to avoid using lots of kerosene or oil for starting the fire, as these fuels have different burning patterns and generate toxic gases that can be very detrimental to your health.

It is recommended to check the gaskets in your door during your regular cleaning. They are usually made of rope-like braids that may degrade with repeated opening and closing. If you notice the gasket is leaking and needs to be repaired, buy a new gasket seal made of fiberglass and adhesive. The hinges of these doors need to be inspected as well.

It is important to inspect chimneys and flues to ensure that they are free of creosote and obstructions. During the inspection, check for cracks and other signs of damage to the chimney lining. Stovepipes need to be checked as well and any gaps or dents must be fixed.

If you have a glass door on your wood stove, it is important to keep this clean. You can accomplish this by mixing water with ammonia. A rag or sponge should be saturated with the solution and wiped across the surface of the glass until it is clean. For tougher staining, you can leave the solution on for a couple of minutes before wiping it off again.