For a list of stove types see Stove (disambiguation)-Types of stove:* Air-tight stove* Bamboo stove* Beverage-can stove* Biomass cook stove, a fuel efficient and environmentally aware cookstove.* Buddy Burner* Electric stove* Franklin stove* Gas stove* Hobo stove* Kang bed-stove...
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A
wood-burning stove is a heating appliance capable of burning
wood fuelWood fuel is wood used as fuel. The burning of wood is currently the largest use of energy derived from a solid fuel biomass. Wood fuel can be used for cooking and heating, and occasionally for fueling steam engines and steam turbines that generate electricity. Wood fuel may be available as...
and wood-derived
biomassBiomass, a renewable energy source, is biological material derived from living, or recently living organisms, such as wood, waste, and alcohol fuels. Biomass is commonly plant matter grown to generate electricity or produce heat. For example, forest residues , yard clippings and wood chips may be...
fuel. Generally the appliance consists of a solid metal (usually
cast ironCast iron usually refers to grey iron, but also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys, which solidify with a eutectic. The colour of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due to its carbide impurities which...
or
steelSteel is an alloy consisting mostly of iron, with a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most cost-effective alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
) closed fire chamber, a grate and an adjustable air control. The appliance will be connected to a suitable chimney or flue which will fill with hot combustion gases once the fuel is ignited.
For a list of stove types see Stove (disambiguation)-Types of stove:* Air-tight stove* Bamboo stove* Beverage-can stove* Biomass cook stove, a fuel efficient and environmentally aware cookstove.* Buddy Burner* Electric stove* Franklin stove* Gas stove* Hobo stove* Kang bed-stove...
.
A
wood-burning stove is a heating appliance capable of burning
wood fuelWood fuel is wood used as fuel. The burning of wood is currently the largest use of energy derived from a solid fuel biomass. Wood fuel can be used for cooking and heating, and occasionally for fueling steam engines and steam turbines that generate electricity. Wood fuel may be available as...
and wood-derived
biomassBiomass, a renewable energy source, is biological material derived from living, or recently living organisms, such as wood, waste, and alcohol fuels. Biomass is commonly plant matter grown to generate electricity or produce heat. For example, forest residues , yard clippings and wood chips may be...
fuel. Generally the appliance consists of a solid metal (usually
cast ironCast iron usually refers to grey iron, but also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys, which solidify with a eutectic. The colour of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due to its carbide impurities which...
or
steelSteel is an alloy consisting mostly of iron, with a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most cost-effective alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
) closed fire chamber, a grate and an adjustable air control. The appliance will be connected to a suitable chimney or flue which will fill with hot combustion gases once the fuel is ignited. It is critical that the chimney or flue gases be hotter than the outside temperature as this will result in combustion gases being drawn out of the fire chamber and up the chimney.
Hardwood or softwood
Clearly there are different types of wood, but they will usually fall into either the hardwood or softwood types. Both types of wood have the same energy content (by mass) and will provide similar energy outputs. However, the essential difference will be in the rate at which the fuel burns. Hardwoods derived from slow-growing broadleaf trees will burn at a slower rate for sustained output. Softwoods are derived from evergreen trees such as conifers, which are fast growing but burn at a far greater rate.
Moisture content
One of the most critical factors in wood burning is the moisture content of the wood, as any water in firewood has to be boiled off during the burning process. But the moisture content can be reduced by seasoning. Freshly cut wood will contain a moisture content of around 65-90%. This wood should never be used for firewood. Apart from producing very low heat outputs this wet wood will also generate large amounts of soot and tar, which can potentially lead to chimney fires (as these particles will coat your chimney and will fuel a chimney fire).
For best results firewood should have a moisture content of less than 20%. The process of removing the excess moisture is called seasoning. Seasoning by air drying the wood can take up to two years. Wood should be stored in a well ventilated (but covered) structure, outdoors. A recent innovation is kiln dried wood. With interest and usage of wood burners at an all time high, some companies are now using large kilns to quickly dry their wood.
Air supply
High heating efficiencies on closed appliances can only be attained by controlling the supply of air to the fire chamber (operating the air control correctly). It is not recommended to leave the air control fully open, beyond the point of getting the chimney/flue hot initially. A fully open air control will lead to more heat being sent straight up the chimney rather than into the room (reduced efficiency). The biggest problem with leaving the air control fully open is “overfiring”. Overfiring is caused when too much heat is generated within the fire chamber, which will lead to warping, buckling and general damage to the stove and its internal components. Individual stoves will have their own quirks, so take a little time to get used to your settings.
Safety
Correct air flow and ventilation is also critical to efficient and safe wood burning. Specific requirements will be laid down by the stove manufacturer. Legal requirements for new installations in the UK can be found in Building Regulations Approved Document J, Section 2, Table 2.1 "Air Supply to a solid fuel appliance" .HETAS heating engineers act as a one stop shop. They fit and certify the stove, more expensive than using the council,but it takes away any hassle or worry
Smoke Control Areas
Under the Clean Air Act local authorities may declare the whole or part of the district of the authority to be a smoke control area. It is an offence to emit smoke from a chimney of a building, from a furnace or from any fixed boiler if located in a designated smoke control area. It is also an offence to acquire an “unauthorised fuel” for use within a smoke control area unless it is used in an “exempt” appliance (“exempted” from the controls which generally apply in the smoke control area). The current maximum level of fine is £1,000 for each offence.
In order to comply with the clean air act, an exempt appliances or fuel must be used should you reside in a "smoke control area". .
Types
- Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author and printer, satirist, political theorist, politician, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, soldier, and diplomat...
invented the Franklin stoveA Franklin stove, named after its inventor, Benjamin Franklin, is a metal-lined fireplace. It has baffles in the rear to improve the airflow, providing more heat and less smoke than an ordinary open fireplace. It is also known as a circulating stove...
, a more efficient type of wood-burning stove.
- Carl Johan Cronstedt
Carl Johan Cronstedt was a Swedish architect, inventor, Earl, noble, civil servant, scientist and bibliophile.-Biography:Cronstedt was the son of Jakob Cronstedt and Margareta Beata Grundel born in 1709 in Stockholm, Sweden. He married Countess Eva Margareta Lagerberg in 1744.Cronstedt became a...
is reported to have increased efficiency of wood-burning stoves by a factor of eight in the mid-18th century.
- Inserts- You can convert your wood burning fireplace to a wood burning stove with a fireplace insert. A fireplace insert is a self-contained unit that sits inside your existing fireplace and chimney. They produce less smoke and require less wood than traditional fireplaces. Fireplace inserts come in different sizes for large or small homes.
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