Why a Wood Burning Stove Should Be Properly Sized and Installed
Wood stoves are a fantastic way to provide clean, economical heat for your home. However, a wood stove needs to be installed and sized correctly to ensure maximum efficiency.
Be careful not to open and close the doors to your wood stove too frequently as this creates an atmosphere that draws smoke and unburnt volatile compounds back into the room.
Energy Efficiency
A wood-burning stove makes use of radiant heat to warm your home, instead of relying on hot air that is brought into the home by its ventilation system. This is a better way to heat your home as the heat radiates from all sides.
Modern wood stoves are designed to be as efficient as they can. Manufacturers are expected to comply with ever-more stringent regulations with regards to emissions and the best method to achieve this is by making their stoves more efficient. Our stoves have an official efficiency rating of 70% or more. This means that a larger percentage of the heat generated will be used to heat your home, rather than being lost to the chimney.
A wood burner also provides an energy source that is totally independent. A wood burner can provide warmth during a power outage or gas shortage, as long as you have enough logs stored.
Wood burning stoves are also more reliable than other types of heating since they do not depend on oil or electric power to function. This is particularly important in remote locations where other energy sources may be interrupted for long durations.
A high-quality log burner will operate at around 80% efficiency which means that a significant proportion of the heat created is actually being used to warm your home. This is a significant improvement over older stoves which typically operate at less than 20% efficiency and is one of the reasons why a brand new stove would be a wise investment.
A catalytic wood burning stove can re-burn the unburned gases and smoke that leave the firebox via secondary combustion, further increasing efficiency. However non-catalytic stoves are becoming increasingly common as they do not require expensive catalyst technology to achieve the same efficiency levels and are often much less expensive to purchase. This is especially beneficial for those who wish 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 particles and gases into the atmosphere. This can cause poor air quality in certain regions and impact our health. This is why it is important to make use of clean burning technology in your wood stove.
If you have a brand modern, brand new wood stove with Clean burn technology, it dramatically reduces the amount of airborne dust and particulate emissions. This not only makes your home more healthy and safe, but it also can save you money as you will get more heat from each log.
ECO stoves today have one of strictest emission requirements in the world. They can only emit 5 grams of particles per kilogram of wood burnt. At Jotul, we have far greater goals - we want to give you the very best when it comes to climate and your health. We have created an approach that lets our wood stoves emit less than half of the statutory requirements - in some cases, less than one gram!
A modern stove comes with a variety of ways to improve the combustion of wood. It is crucial to keep track of the flow of air and then only slow the airflow when the fire is hot and stable - else you might kill the fire.
Cleaner stoves also produce less creosote. This is an impervious substance that forms on the inside of the chimney and can be a serious fire risk. The reduced production of creosote can also save you time and money on chimney sweeping costs.
Our new wood stoves' top-level performance is also due to the pre-heated secondary air. It is an additional layer of air that is inserted above the fuel and helps to ensure all particles are completely ignited. This feature accounts for a significant portion of the superior performance found in our latest stoves, such as the Defra approved Hi-Flame Graphite 5.
Always ensure that you only use your wood stove in areas that are legal. Smoke from wood stoves is not only harmful to those living in the immediate vicinity however, it can also travel far distances and result in poor air quality for communities in the vicinity.
Eco-Friendly
Wood burners are a low carbon alternative to stoves made of fossil fuels. As part of a closed carbon cycle, trees absorb CO2 from air and release it when burnt. This process is much less damaging to the environment than releasing carbon dioxide into the air when using oil, gas or electricity for home heating.
Modern stoves are more efficient than previous models. This means you can heat up your home using less firewood. Some models are so efficient that they release almost no smoke, produce less ash, and require 70% less logs than traditional stoves. Newer EPA certified stoves also have safety features such as an automatic shut off to prevent overheating.
Eco-friendly stoves can also aid in saving money on energy bills. The price of electricity and gas seems to increase year on year, and with a wood burning stove you can cut out the middlemen and be in charge of your own heating needs.
You can also use reclaimed wood or salvaged wood to make your stove more eco-friendly. Many people collect wood that would otherwise be thrown away from building projects or dumped however it is essential to ensure it's dry before you burn it. This is especially important for those who live in a smoke control zone where it's an offense to use wet or damp wood.
Wood burning stoves are eco green because they utilize renewable energy. If you purchase your wood from a sustainable forest then one tree will be planted for every one that is cut down to be used which helps stop the destruction of forests caused by fossil fuel production.
Although wood-burning stoves emit fewer emissions than other stoves, they produce fine particulate pollution. These are small, toxic particles that can travel deep into your lungs and are extremely dangerous to your health. HETAS, an independent standards body for heating appliances has been leading an effort to improve wood stoves to reduce the air pollution as much as they can. Many manufacturers have created eco-friendly wood-burning stoves that comply with the latest standards.
Cooking
If used properly, wood stoves can be extremely safe. However, if you're not familiar with wood burning, you should to consult a professional to inspect your fireplace and ventilation system to ensure they are working correctly. Modern wood burner s make use of a chimney and firebox to draw in air and then release smoke. The chimney and ventilation pipe are used to control the amount of creosote (a volatile organic compound) produced when wood burns. Creosote buildup in the chimney could lead to reduced efficiency and a fire hazard therefore it is essential to keep your stove clean.
The crackle of the flame and the scent of burning wood create a cozy ambience that will take you back to simpler times. Additionally, cooking with wood burning stoves adds a distinct flavor that cannot be replicated using gas or electric stoves. The smoky flavor of roasted meats and hearty soups make meals unique and unforgettable taste that cannot be replicated by other cooking methods.
Cooking with a wood burning stove is also thought to be healthier than other methods of cooking. The heat of the flames can help to preserve nutrients when you cook vegetables or meats in your wood-burning oven.
Many people utilize wood-burning stoves to heat their homes instead of using electricity or gas. It's a reliable method of heating that is especially helpful during power outages or in regions with limited access to fossil fuels. Most people also find that a wood stove can be a more economical way to heat their home than buying an gas or electric stove. It is also more eco friendly because wood is a renewable resource and emits less CO2 into the atmosphere when it is harvested and burned correctly.