Wood Stove Parts

S.A. Smith asked:


FUEL EFFICIENT

Wood pellet stoves are a clean burning and efficient source of heat energy. Many wood pellet stoves on the market have been rated to have burning efficiencies higher that 85% and have no issues meeting stringent local and federal air quality standards. Compared to wood stoves that have substantial soot and ash buildup after one use, pellet stoves can run for weeks at a time and still not produce as much ash as one days use with a woodstove.

ECO-FRIENDLY

The wood pellets that fuel these stoves are made from recycled sawdust that would otherwise be disposed of in landfills or incinerated in waste burners typically found at sawmills. Wood is also a natural renewable resource and by selecting wood pellets as a fuel source you are helping to recycle forestry related waste byproducts.

CONSISTENT HEAT SOURCE

Pellet stoves deliver the wood pellet fuel into the stoves combustible chamber on a regular and consistent basis. What this means is that you have a very steady and consistent source of heat for up to 72 hours before you have to refill the hopper with more wood pellets. No more feeding a woodstove chopped wood every couple of hours and facing hot and cold heating cycles as the wood burns strong then dies out.

HEATING CONVENIENCE

Fill up the hopper, start and go. That’s it! No more messing around with kindling or chopped wood, stoking, and refilling every couple of hours. You can even run pellet stoves connected to a thermostat to regulate the temperature. Pellet stoves offer true heating convenience without the hassles associated with traditional wood burning stoves.

COST EFFECTIVE

Pellet stoves are the most efficient solid fuel source on the planet, and because the pellets are made from a wood waste product the cost is very inexpensive to run a pellet stove compared to other heating sources. The rising cost of other energy sources like electricity, oil and natural gas have also added to the gaining popularity of pellet stoves.

EASY TO CLEAN

Pellet stoves are simple to clean. Most have simple lift out ash pans that need to be dumped every couple of weeks, depending upon your usage patterns. Furthermore, there is no wood pile mess, bark scraps, or having to sweeping out piles and piles of ash.

[ -- ARTICLE USE POLICY -- You are permitted to freely copy and use this article on your website, RSS, or e-zine ONLY IF the article text is not changed or altered in any way and the hyperlinks inside the article are active and working. Sites found violating this reprint condition will be subject to legal action for copyright infringement. When using this article you may remove this legal notice -- ]

Michael Flatley asked:


As with most things around the house, stoves need a little bit of tender loving care in order to serve you well throughout its life. Below are the main parts of your stove that you would need to check in order for your stove to work efficiently:

Fire Grate: This is the part on the bed of your stove that the fuel sits on. If it is a Multi Fuel Stove ensure that the grate can be riddled easily enough. If the grate does not move or is restricted in its movement remove the grate when cool and check for distortion and cracks. Please note that these do occasionally wear out and the normal reason behind this is often due to the ashpan not being cleaned regularly enough. Remove the ash daily as the ash can catch fire and will put direct heat onto the bar which will reduce the life of the grate.

Fire Bricks: are the concrete looking bricks that you normally find in side the stove on the inside walls and at the back of the stove. The job of the fire bricks are to protect the cast or steel shell from damage by the direct heat produced. From time to time the bricks can crack or start to crumble in places. If the crack is very small you can normally cover the crack in fire cement just to seal the crack but this should only be a short term fix and you should look to replace the fire bricks as soon as possible to avoid damaging your stove.

Stove Throat plate: This is the steel plate at the top of the stove that normally rests on top of the Fire Bricks. This is designed to stop all the heat going directly up the chimney and reflects the heat back into the stove. Over time these can sometimes warp slightly if the stove is run frequently at a high heat. If this gets too warped it could cause problems when sweeping the chimney or trying to remove fire bricks.

Ashpan: This is what catches the ash in a Multi Fuel Stove. Ensure that there are no holes in the ash pan to avoid having hot ash falling out. this should be emptied regularly as to protect the Fire Grate and the Ashpan itself as continued heat could cause damage.

Stove Rope Seal: This is the heat resistant roap that goes around the door or the stove and the inside of the glass. the road will wear out over time and will need to be replaced. you will normally know when the rope needs replacing as there may be air getting into the stove making it burn less efficiently or there may be smoke seeping out of the door or glass. The rope will also go very flat and hard and crispy over time and this is another sign of wear and tear.

Heat Resistant Glass: The glass can get brittle over time and can crack if knocked. Occasionally the glass will become too brittle because of the heat it will crack with the slightest touch. This is normal and can happen after a period of time. Try not to over tighten the glass screws on the in side of the door as these could make the glass crack once heated.

The above mentioned are the main things that can have an effect on the way the stove works. It is recommended that you check the above items regularly. This will ensure that your stove looks after you through out the cold winter months, year after year.

Wood Pellet Production Guide

Joel Hemmings asked:


A Wood Stove dates back hundreds of years, but these days they are a small fireplaces designed to look attractive and most importantly radiate heat around the home efficiently. A Wood Stove can be made from several materials, it really depends upon your choice whether you like the look of modern ceramic or old styled cast iron.

Why choose a wood stove? Well, they are safer than other heat options. A wood stove does not use gas so there is no chance of an unexpected gas leak. So a wood stove cuts out the danger of inhaling fumes and the chance of unexpected gas explosion, two of the real fears with a gas fire.

A wood stove is a decorative piece within the heart of a house, they draw everyone’s eyes. There are many styles to choose from, but your stereotypical wood stove is free standing on four small legs. These legs provide foundations for intricate bodies of many designs. Following on from here is the pipe which diverts all the smoke created out of harms way.

A wood stove is an effective and attractive way to heat your home. Placing the wood stove on the ground floor in the main room is the most efficient way to take advantage of the heat provided.

The price of a wood stove ranges but when you compare the price of a wood stove to other sources of heat what you get with a wood stove far out weighs the others, not only do you get a heat source with a wood stove but a decorative item as well.

Lastly, the environment is very important these days and with the use of inexpensive and plentiful wood the wood stove will contribute to a green world. Wood is renewable source and is the perfect fuel for a wood burner.

A wood stove is a real option to take when deciding on a heat source, they are contemporary, efficient, safe, well priced and do there part for the environment.

www.woodstovesite.info has been created to give a collection of facts, instructions, advice and general information all based around a wood stove.

David W Miller asked:


Wood burning stoves the comparison between steel and cast iron. Steel stoves heat up quick and start giving off heat right away. When the fire in the steel stove cools down so does the stove. A cast iron wood stove can take a couple hours to heat up, but when the fire dies down the cast iron will radiate out heat for hours. When comparable sized stoves are heated and operating both generate comparable heat into your home. What we will look at is the time it takes a wood stove to heat up and the time it takes to cool down.

If you plan to purchase a wood stove and burn it 24-7 late fall till early spring either stove will heat the same. Where the heat up and cool down times play into the comparison is the home owner who burns a wood stove just a few times a week and wants to heat up a cold home quickly. Many people have cabins or cottages that the sole source of heat is a wood stove. When entering a cold cabin in the dead of winter you want heat right away verses waiting for it to heat up.

Cast iron stoves have more features like upper air controls that allow you to add more or less air into the catalytic chamber for more combustion. Lower air controls are for the fire box. Most steel stoves only have lower air controls for the fire box.

Most cast iron stoves have ash drawers. The bottom of the fire box is either a cast grate with slots for the ash to fall into the clean-out drawer or some have shaker grates. Shaker grates are controlled from the side of the stove with a special wrench type tool. Steel stoves are lined with firebrick. Most steel stoves do not have ash drawers. Ashes are removed with a shovel. As stated above steel stoves are lined with firebrick this is to help the stove hold heat. Firebrick is easily broken when logs are tossed in and from normal wear of heating and cooling. Firebricks can be replaced.

While steel stoves are welded together, cast iron stoves are held together with furnace cement. Heating the stove under normal circumstances the expanding and contracting will cause the seams to crack. After a few years of burning the cast iron stove should be broke down and all the seams re-cemented.

Both steel and cast iron stoves have gaskets around the door and glass. The rope gaskets should be replaced annually. This is minor maintenance and it keeps the stove airtight.

Cast iron stoves are available in decorator porcelain enamel colors. A word of caution the colors will darken over time after the stove is heated. If the wood stove is overheated the finish can crack. It is similar to crazing that appears on your diner plates and other ceramic pieces. If there is water on the stove clean it ASAP. If the stove is hot do not spill water on it. The enamel finish will stain and the water marks are noticeable.

A wood burning stove is a great source of heat. Wood stoves last for 15 plus years and are inexpensive to operate. Whichever wood stove you choose enjoy it!

Shirley A Steed asked:


Multifuel stoves are fast becoming the new trend. With Gas and Electric prices’ shooting up it is the new alternative source of heat. There are many makes and models and this is fast becoming a very competitive market. A good multifuel stove consists of a steel or cast iron body with usually cast iron doors. A Steel stove will heat up quicker but cool down faster. Cast iron will take longer to heat up but will retain the heat for a while after the fire has gone out. You will generally need more room around it for the air to circulate than a steel stove would, if there is limited circulation around a cast iron stove it could crack. There is an airwash to keep the glass clean, which is usually a top slider or spinner. This works by bringing air into the stove and drawing it in front of the glass to prevent the smoke blacking it up. The primary air supply is usually at the bottom and again is a slider or a spinner. This is usually left open whilst you are lighting your fire as you need to give it plenty of air to get it going. Once the fire is established then you can start to turn the fire down and just leave it ticking over nicely. Most small fires will burn for 2 – 4 hours on wood depending on hardwood or softwood and how well it is seasoned. It will burn longer on smokeless fuel between 6 – 12 hours, depending on the load size and fuel quality. A few models have a tertiary air supply which makes the stove much more efficient as it burns off any excessive gasses in the stove so there fewer emissions out of the chimney. A lot of areas are now smoke exempt. You will need to contact your local council to check if you are in a smoke controlled area; if you are and you want to burn wood then you will need to buy an approved stove. If you are not bothered about burning wood then you need to burn a smokeless fuel. There are plenty available now from your local coal man who will deliver fuel to you. Over the last few years many modifications have been made to multifuel stoves making them easier to use, more modern and ultimately much more efficient. Multifuel stoves come complete with ash pan and grate. Some have superior external riddling grates and some are pretty basic or don’t riddle at all.

Wood burning stoves are carbon neutral; it only gives off as much carbon as the wood has taken in while it has been growing. There are many different types of wood you can burn. Most need at least two winters outside to the elements and then six months under cover where the wind can still get in but the rain can’t to dry out. Wood that is seasoned correctly will give no smoke emissions out of the chimney, making it better for the environment. Hardwoods take longer to season up to three to four years. Ash can be burnt as soon as it is felled. Stoves that are wood burning only don’t usually come with a grate or ash pan. This is because wood burns best in its own ash and burns from the top down, With smokeless coal you need a grate to get air under the coal to make it burn.

If you have a chimney with a stack and a pot fitting of a stove is pretty straight forward, this has to be carried out by a Hetas registered engineer. You will need to get your chimney swept and tested; if you chimney fails a smoke test then it will need to be lined before a stove is fitted. There are two main types of liner, 316 grade which comes with a ten year guarantee and 904 grade which comes with a 25 year guarantee. If the stove is fitted by a non registered engineer you will need to contact the building inspector from your local council to check it has been fitted to manufacturers instructions and issue a certificate of compliance, however this can be pretty expensive. Stoves that are not fitted by Hetas registered engineers or passed by the building inspector will not be covered under the manufacturers guarantee.

If you don’t have a chimney you can use a prefabricated chimney in most cases. This is usually twin wall insulated flue; this is much cheaper that building a new chimney and will probably last the life of the stove providing you are burning the recommended fuels, and have it swept on a regular basis. Alternatively you can build a chimney and line it with pumice or terracotta liners. You will need to contact your local council for building regulations and in some cases planning permission.

A lot of wood burning and multifuel stoves can now run central heating or domestic hot water boilers. They can be linked into existing systems. If you have an open vent system they can be linked by a Dunsley Neutraliser, if you have a pressurised system (combi boiler) this can be linked through a Thermal storage unit but this can be expensive and requires somewhere to site the cylinder. Once you have felt the warmth and comfort a real fire gives you will be impressed. Wood burning and multifuel stoves are a sealed unit so they don’t burn as much fuel as an open fire and are about three times more efficient. This is because with an open fire you have all the heat going up the chimney and it is constantly pulling cold air from into the room. With a sealed appliance the only air that it gets is what you give it through the air controls which enable the heat to build up and come out into the room. Most stoves need 2″ of space at the back, 6″ at each side and 12″ of hearth in front, the hearth needs to be 2″ thick of non combustible material. The stove and pipe also need to be 18″ away from anything combustible, these are the current building regulations in England; however manufacturer’s instructions override building regulations so if it states you need more room in the installation instructions you should have more room. If you are unsure when purchasing a stove you need to go to a reputable dealer who is well established and Hetas registered to ensure you get all the correct information.

A real fire cannot be beaten it is a different kind of warmth that seems to spread around the house not just in the room where the fire is. When purchasing a fire you need to make sure you get the correct size for the room that it is going in. your local dealer will be able to help you with this if you have your room sizes, height of ceilings and approximate age of property. They will also be able to advise you on materials to use around your fire and all current building regulations regarding multifuel and wood burning stoves. Most companies now offer free site surveys to check suitability of installation and have engineers who can knock out fireplace openings and lay hearths etc.

Wood Pellet Stove And Boiler Guide