Wood Stove Parts

Hayi Mansoor asked:


Back in history our forefathers performed heating homes with stoves and fireplaces, of course. Times have gone by and as always, good things come around once more as evidenced in the resurgence of stoves and fireplaces to heat our homes.

Wood stoves that are placed in a bedroom, dining room, kitchen or family room are popular once more. Wood is a renewable resource, unlike natural gas, or liquefied propane gas, thus it appeals to many. Also, whereas the old wood stoves were always black, today’s wood stoves come in many colors and thus will blend into any décor. Even styles vary so that they fit into period homes as well as modern contemporary homes, and every style in between.

Modern times have also brought modern innovations, and a wood stove may be equipped with a blower. Blowers disperse the heat from the firebox and into the room quickly and efficiently, thereby saving the occupants from having to rally around the stove for warmth. Instead the entire room is kept cozily warm for you.

Fireplaces were used to warm the homes of our pioneers as well as used for cooking food. Once we learned the theories of heat displacement and such, fireplaces were considered only in the realm of those rich enough to heat their homes through other means and could afford for that heat to go up the flue when they lit their fireplaces!

Today, modern engineering has managed to tame even the fireplace. Not only has it been tamed but fireplaces have become an energy conscious means of heating. This has been accomplished by the use of fireplace inserts. Fireplace inserts allow you to burn wood, but the heat does not go off into the flue to be lost forever. Through the ingenious use of blowers as well as panels of steel, the room can remain very warm and cozy. When additional heat is needed you can simply turn on the unit. Modern engineering has also created blowers that attached to the fireplace insert so that it can even be thermostatically run! Thus heating homes with stoves and fireplaces has been modernized.

If the thought of burning wood either in a stove or fireplace is not appealing to you, you may switch to using wood pellets. These wood pellets are made from sawdust, that would ordinarily have been thrown out when cutting wood, thus they are considered a “green” method of heating. Pressing the sawdust into pellets makes this a clean easy to use product.

Pellet stoves do not create black creosote and thus are very easy to keep clean and work with. Thus, those who are allergic to smoke can easily manage with this type of heating. Heating with pellets also solves a lot of storage problems encountered with wood. Even when a home is heated by natural gas, kerosene or liquefied propane these items must be stored outside the home to prevent accidental fire, but pellets can be stored in the home and are safe to use and keep since they are nothing but compressed wood. Heating homes with stoves and fireplaces is now considered green living!

Wood Pellet Stove And Boiler Guide

AJ Vanderhorst asked:


That depends on the stove you have in your mind’s eye. The old-fashioned, pot-belly stoves that appear in most Western movies didn’t do the atmosphere any favors. But today’s wood burning stoves, engineered with fuel economy in mind, are a different story.

Back in the days of cowboys and general stores, wood stoves could have been mistaken for indoor smokestacks-and that wouldn’t have been too far from the truth. But modern stoves are actually one of the “greenest” sources of radiant heat available to home owners today. Here are some of the big reasons why.

Let’s start with a little history. In the early 20th century, even the most efficient wood burning stoves left a lot to be desired and it wasn’t hard to tell. The smoky haze these stoves produced was a telltale sign that an unknowing home owner was literally giving the torch to his heating budget. Fortunately, there has been a revolution in stove design since those days.

Around 1990, there was a growing interest in alternative heating sources, caused by the rising awareness of the impact of fossil fuels (oil, coal) on the environment. In addition, the goal of energy self-sufficiency caused home owners to reevaluate wood stoves as a heating method. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) got involved, instituting demanding emissions standards to make sure that new stoves would be kind to the environment.

As new stoves were produced, engineers incorporated the EPA standards, and the “modern” wood stove came into being. Since 1990, every new wood stove is approved by the EPA, and produces a mere trickle of smoke (2-5 grams per hour) and very little ash. This amounts to a 33 percent increase in fuel efficiency over the old potbelly stoves, and a 90 percent decrease in emissions. In plain English, this means that advanced wood burning stoves burn a lot less wood and are simultaneously kinder to the planet.

At this point, a natural question would be, “Don’t wood stoves put pollutants into the atmosphere just like other heating sources-gas, oil, or coal?” The answer is nuanced. When fossil fuels are extracted from the earth and consumed, they release carbon dioxide into the environment at unhealthy levels. And after the monumental costs of extracting and producing these fuels, once they’re burned, they’re gone for good.
As a fuel source, wood is different on several counts.

Trees, like all other green plants, take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and convert it to fiber in order to grow. When trees die, and wood decomposes, this CO2 is released back into the air. But in this case, it is a natural cycle, since all trees eventually die. The same thing is true when wood is burned. Making the wood-burning cycle sustainable is the fact that wood is a renewable source of fuel.

We started this article asking the question, “Are wood stoves good for the environment?” The answer, when you compare stoves to other heating methods, is yes. Today’s stoves are fuel efficient: they produce more heat with less wood, keeping emissions to a minimum by meeting strict EPA standards. Best of all, perhaps, they don’t deprive the earth of non-renewable fossil fuels.

So, call to mind that rusty, black iron stove you saw in a Western movie, a vacation lodge, or at your grandparents. Then prepare yourself for an updated picture as you explore the world of modern wood stoves. Environmentally speaking, today’s stoves are very green.

Wood Pellet Stove And Boiler Guide

Josh Sloan asked:


Think of all those energy bills that will soon be coming your way! They are bound to be more expensive than last year’s bills, we all know that. Efficiency in the home heating arena is even more crucial now as the price of energy and food goes up and wages hover around in the same place!

When you have been through a winter with a wood burning stove, you can really appreciate the unique warmth they offer. It is as if someone has wrapped you in a pre-heated blanket.

Wood stoves are now engineered to be extremely efficient, and little or no smoke escapes into the atmosphere with the new EPA certified wood stoves. Many areas give grants for existing stoves to be replaced by these new carbon-light EPA stoves.

Several factors are important when using a wood stove, the simplest precaution being to buy your wood in the spring so that you know it has weathered at least one season (two seasons are better, if you can keep it that long).

The other most important factor in stoves is the chimney; several aspects of a ‘good’ chimney are:

Getting the correct size flue to match the stove.
Getting the correct TYPE of chimney for the appliance.
Ensuring the chimney will go straight up with no offsets or elbow joints.
Insulating around the flue liner.
Insisting on it being installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions and the Builder’s Code by a reliable professional.

The local National Fireplace Institute (NFI) is a nonprofit organization that will advise you on competent installers. The EPA recommends that you ensure your fireplace or wood stove is installed by a certified installer.

You should never be able to smell smoke in your home, and if you did last year then you may need a chimney sweep and/or an appraisal to test its efficiency. Another no-no is for the smoke to exit out of the fire and into the home when you open the door to add more wood.

Either of these problems may indicate that your chimney is over loaded with creosote, or that the flue needs sweeping, or both. It is important to get a chimney swept, as excess creosote in a chimney can often cause a chimney fire.

The rush will be on as soon as the weather turns cold and then you will have to wait. Off peak is also a good time to try and negotiate some discount, both on a cord of wood and on the chimney check!

Wood Pellet Stove And Boiler Guide

AJ Vanderhorst asked:


If you’re reading this article, you probably own one or more wood stoves. Or maybe you’ve started exploring today’s stove market, and wonder how easy it is to get a maximum return on your investment in radiant heating. Either way, you’re in luck. Here are three suggestions that will help you stretch your heating budget to its limits while benefiting the environment and enjoying your stove in the process.

Before we dive in, you need to know that the primary cause of inefficiency in wood burning stoves is the incomplete consumption of fuel. When wood doesn’t burn completely, overly smoky fires and decreased heat output are the results. Fortunately, by ramping up wood burning efficiency, you will be cutting down on both airborne pollution and fuel waste.

Here are three ways you can use your wood stove with best results.

First, only burn seasoned wood in your stoves.

This is actually a familiar concept, similar to eating lean meat or low-fat yogurt. Recently cut, green wood, is full of moisture, which makes it hard to burn. Up to 50 percent of the weight of green wood can be moisture, which means that your stove has to work overtime to evaporate all that liquid before radiant heat is produced.

Dry, seasoned wood, by contrast, burns steadily and hot, causing top-rate heat output, money savings, and cleaner air. Therefore, when you purchase wood for your stove, buy the previous year’s harvest for the current year’s burning. If you have the foresight, you can also buy new wood and let it air dry for six months to a year (depending on the type), after which it will be ready for burning.

Second, make “Indian fires” in your stove.

Watched any Western movies lately? Back in the frontier days, Indian fires were the lean, green solar panels of back country heating. By burning small and hot, they were easily kindled, efficient to tend, and good to the environment. Today, not much has changed. Making small, hot fires allows your stove to dispense with unstable gases at an optimum pace, burning them off quickly. That results in better air quality and virtually no safety risks-not to mention better fuel economy. By carefully building a smaller blaze, you’ll be a little more involved in tending your stove. But great heating efficiency and better air quality are such good dividends that you probably won’t mind.

Third, feed your wood stove the right fuel.

This is basically common sense, but since common sense is so frequently uncommon, I’ll go ahead and say it. When your stove is blazing in the corner, it’s possible to get over enthusiastic and start treating it like an all purpose Master of the Blaze. Materials like plastic trash and junk mail can get thrown on the fire, in addition to more fuel-like items like charcoal briquettes, hunks of water-proofed wood from your decking project, etc. Admittedly, it’s kind of fun to throw all manner of things inside your stove (especially if you love pyrotechnics!), but by doing so, you can damage your stove’s inner workings, causes your heating efficiency to plummet, and release dangerous chemicals into the air. So resist the temptation. After all, they’re called “wood stoves” for a reason.

Follow these guidelines, and you’ll be well on your way to heating your home with wood stoves.

Wood Pellet Production Guide

Eamonn Horgan asked:


Multi-Fuel Stoves or Wood Burners are building a growing and loyal fan base in the SME heating market. There are varied and interesting reasons for this, I will be touching on a few of them in this article. Firstly though I’d like to look at the areas were multifuel burners can have a significant immediate and beneficial effect on a company’s bottom line.

The first and most obvious, Heating bills, horrendous rise of and the holy grail of their reduction. Using Multi Fuel Stoves, Stoves with Boilers and Cookers, to reduce utility bills, is open to companies in smoke control zones or those who have premises in a none controlled zone. Companies that can burn there own fuel, which gives them a zero heat source with a carbon neutral foot print. As well as companies that could use any of coke, pellets, peat, smokeless fuel, biomass etc. Due to space I’ll limit my list, but there are many organizations giving free impartial advice on the correct fuel for your needs and geographical area. The Solid Fuel Advisory Board or your local renewable fuel supplier are good example as is Business link. Just by comparing their heating bills with the estimated fuel costs for Multifuel Stoves. Companies are opting for the Mulitfuel option.

Unlike many other environmental heating sources which, because of the large capital outlay involved in their installation and lead time to break even point. This heat source is available at very low purchase and installation costs, meaning its available to have an immediate impact on utility bills, for the sole trader in a workshop up to large concerns with premises to match. With the smallest units costing around £300 plus flue pipes, its not hard to see the economic logic of Multifuel stoves.

There’s no doubt that a major factor in the rise of Multi Fuel has been the explosion in the Grants and Interest Free loans available to SME’s looking at reducing their carbon footprint or minimising energy usage. These can be for a few hundred pounds up to thousands, so linked with the lower purchase, installation and fuel costs means there can be minimal capital outlay from the company.Yet the owners gain a financial benefit from the heating bill reduction as soon as the system is in use.

This rising interest in multi-fuel is based on some hard facts that have a virtuous circle appeal about them. These heating systems are quickly and easily installed by HETAS & CORGI (for the central heating version see below) engineers, meaning minimum disruption to the all important business day. They are amazingly cost effective in set up capital. There are loans and grants available to many companies.The fuel is low cost meaning they have an immediate impact on the companies utility bills.

Looking at the environment side and its benefits.We could point to the gas liquefied in the Middle East and shipped to the UK, all at huge cost to the planet before we burn it to keep warm. Instead multi-fuel stoves fuel is easily sourced in every corner of the UK. It’s very cost effective plus low impact or, if your lucky enough to be able to burn wood, carbon neutral. On the subject of wood some of the biggest savings made on energy bills have been companies with their own heat source as a by product of their business. The interesting thing here is the double saving. Companies that had been paying to remove say, off-cuts of wood are now using them as fuel which is not only carbon neutral but cost neutral. Using any version of multifuel heating also has the added interest and kudos it attracts from clientele who visit the work spaces that have already installed it. With more individuals and organizations actively reducing their own energy use, its only natural (pun intended) for them to be more receptive to a closer business relationship.

Companies that have installed Stoves or Cooker in staff rooms, have noticed that the ability to cook fresh food and boil drinks is having an effect on staff moral. I’m sure we can agree that, some one who’s eating freshly prepared food has a better diet than one the lives for the ping of the microwave. Staff also appreciate” their ” company doing its bit for the environment. Leading by example like this is showing savings across entire companies. Employees are inspired to be aware of waste and its cost implications. Studies show that employee’s who are engaged with a company and their shared aspirations will be more involved in working for the companies good health.

All of the above things have an effect on the bottom line. Now we’ll take a look at the various options open to companies that are considering installing multi-Fuel Burners on their premises.

The most obvious one would be a free standing stove. These burners are ideal for workshops, small offices and retail units. There are a wide variety of sizes and shapes so there is generally one for any enclosed space. Because of their adaptability, free standing stoves look just as much at home in an office or a lock up. The available of models with hot plates, built in ovens, cookers or the tradition multi-fuel stove, gives an idea of the flexibility in the designs currently on the market. Companies that bought multiple stoves report great success in heating large open plan area’s.

All companies using this option have greatly reduced there fixed costs for very small outlays. The ways of using grants and interest free loans was discussed above.

The option having the greatest impact in the market today, the Multifuel central heating systems, offer the greater savings, but have a larger capital outlay. The beauty of this type is this, when the fire is lit not only is it performing any or all of the variants listed above, but due to its built in water jacket, its heating the entire building.Users of multiple roomed premises, that have installed this system, are enjoying the benefits of heating their entire premises from one heat source. True, for the cost of one fire its possible to heat an entire building!

The cost savings are huge, with this difference in price staying in the company. Straight to the Bottom Line.
Another option for the even larger concerns is slim high powered Multifuel Boilers, these can be set up with pellet hoppers which are auto regulated. Its just a matter of removing the ash. A time friendly cost effect heating system.

As we have seen Multi-Fuel stoves can have a massive effect on any sized business’s fixed costs and the all important bottom line. With opportunities for grants or loans and the relative low cost of the purchase, installation and fuel, any business owner should be looking at this heating option. Also remember its also helping our shared planet. Very much a virtuous circle, low capital outlay, reducing costs, aiding staff moral, reducing the companies carbon foot print and adding to the bottom line. Worth a look, it won’t cost the Earth, but, it might help save it.

HEATING COMFORT WITH A GREEN CONSCIENCE.

Wood Pellet Stove And Boiler Guide