Wood Stove Parts

Peter Emerson asked:


A wood stove insert serves several purposes. First of all, they can keep heat from escaping through the fireplace. Wood stove inserts also raise the heating efficiency of the fireplace, allowing it to spread more heat to a wider area. Fireplaces with wood stove inserts are cleaner and easier to manage than open fireplaces.

Wood stove inserts fit mostly inside of the fireplace. They consist of a shell that lines the inside of the fireplace and a glass door that can close the fireplace as well. Wood stove inserts keep heat from escaping through the masonry of the fireplace. The lining provides and extra layer between the fire and the hearth that keeps the hot air in the house. The glass door can keep heat in the fireplace when the fireplace is in use or it can keep heat in the house when there is no fire present.

Wood stove inserts make fireplaces more heat efficient. They prevent heat loss through the masonry, allowing the heat to warm up the house. Many wood stove inserts have small, unobtrusive electric fans that blow the warm air out into the surrounding room rather than letting it stay in the hearth. The glass door that covers the fireplace opening can keep heat that is already in the house from escaping up the flue when the fireplace is not in use.

Fireplaces with inserts are easier to clean than open fireplaces. The floors of the inserts are straight and flat, allowing people to simply sweep or scoop up any ash or dust. Also, the door can keep any soot from being blown out onto the floor surrounding the fireplace.

Kathryn Whittaker asked:


Wood-burning stoves can be installed in any room of your house, but most often they are placed in living or dining rooms, as well as in patios. While traditional fireplaces generally work as a piece of décor, free-standing wood-burning stoves are generally used for more practical purposes, namely, for heating and even cooking. Thanks to new designs, your wood-burning stove will look attractive and still remain perfectly functional. Because it isn’t attached to the wall, a wood-burning stove will radiate more heat throughout a small or large room.

Most often, wood-burning stoves are usually built of stainless steel, soapstone or ceramics study stone and brick but can remain sleek and contemporary thanks to new materials such as fireproof glass and stainless steel details. The shape of these stoves is most commonly tall and cylindrical, with built-in wood storage under the burning chamber.

When choosing a new wood-burning stove, keep in mind that the size of your wood-burning stove is determined by the size of the space that needs to be heated. The fire of the stove should be substantial enough to please the eye as well as heat the room, but too much fire can literally turn your place into an oven.

When picking a place to put your new stove, avoid traffic areas such as doors. A stove surrounded by windows may be a good solution. The fire chamber door should face the room. Don’t forget to take stovepipe requirements into the account, making sure they are in compliance with your local building codes. Since wood-burning stoves are not strictly fireplaces, they don’t require any clearance between the fire chamber and surrounding combustible materials, such as wood or fabric.

Conventional wood-burning stoves vary in heat efficiency because their construction can be very different, too. The efficiency of a wood-burning stove depends on how much of its combustion energy turns to heat, which in its turn depends on how well it burns wood. Even the best wood-burning stoves don’t burn all wood completely. The smoke is actually composed of unburned wood particles. Another factor that impacts the wood-burning stove’s efficiency is how much heat escapes through the chimney.

To improve the efficiency of your wood-burning stove, consider a chimney sweep in the first place. This should be done by a professional fireplace expert. If you noticed that a lot of smoke is produced during the wood burning, you may need to alter the size of your stove opening, or reconfigure the existing fire chamber. If you notice that a lot of hot air escapes through the chimney, you may consider replacing the fire basket – the metal rack that supports the burning logs. New designs of fire baskets can greatly improve air circulation and heat efficiency.

Wood burning stoves today offer a great variety of looks and designs to suit any home style, from a retro Victorian house to a steel loft condo. Painted black, brushed steel or even red, with stovepipe to match, wood burning stoves with generous glass doors allow you admire the dancing flames during the cold winter season.

Wood Pellet Production Guide

Gerald Nevels asked:


In the modern days, quite a number of people still choose wood-burning stove as a heating source due to fluctuations in fuel, oil, and electricity costs. Especially during times of crisis, people tend to migrate back to wood stoves, which is the traditional heating method. With the advancement of technology, EPA-certified wood-burning stoves are prevalent, delivering cleaner air in the household and producing higher efficiency rate. However, before you purchase your next wood stove, there are a number key points to keep in mind.

First, you need to determine the major function of the wood stove. Will it be the primary heating source or more for aesthetic purposes? What is the size of the area? It will be extremely beneficial and advantageous to the buyer if you have a wood stove installer in the area. Most dealers will ask you the square footage of the desired heating area, however this is only a guideline. The actual output level of the wood stove depends on the convection, location, operation, and the type of wood used. The specialist will be able to assist you with the calculation of heat loss and energy output level that is required to maintain comfortable heat throughout the home. Thus, you may be able to deduce the size of the wood stove appropriate for your purpose.

In contrast, if the wood stove is merely for beautification and added accent to your home, your next step will be selecting the size and style of your choice.

In selecting a wood stove, your options consist of standalone wood stoves, fireplace inserts, and outdoor woodstoves. If an insert is your choice, a flue or chimney is required. A flue is also required even if you already have a masonry fireplace due to the fact that the flue in place usually exceeds the recommended size, which is 6 inches. If the size of the flue is too large, drafting will be a challenge. On the other hand, outdoor woodstoves are generally much higher in costs because it does produce much higher BTUs and utilizes hot water system to increase performance. Finally, the choices available for standalone wood stoves are virtually unlimited, ranging from pure functionality to chic elegance.

After you have determined your specific expectations from the wood stove, you will need to research on fuel availability in your area. Since earlier generations, wood-burning stoves have improved dramatically in terms of emissions and pollution control. Depending on your area, you may consider corn or wood pellets; resort to the conventional cutting, splitting, and stacking or own firewood; or benefit from cordwood fuel for heat enjoyment multiple times throughout the day.

One major factor to consider prior to purchasing your wood stove, you need to be aware of the local building codes in your area. There are some areas that may not issue permits for certain types of wood stoves. Understanding the requirements in the area is your responsibility as it could pose some challenges when the time comes for the installation of your wood stove.

Once you have gone through the major key points, it will now come down to personal preference in style and decor which you may research online, request for brochures and catalogs, or visit your local dealers who have a showroom. Remember to use to dealer as your resource, ask questions, and have them further research questions that you have. Ultimately you want to select a stove that will fit your lifestyle, do the work you expect, and most of all, fit your budget.

Peter Emerson asked:


Wood-pellet stoves were invented in the 1980’s and have gained in popularity in the last few years. These are small electric stoves that burn small pieces of recycled sawdust that are compressed into pellets. There are a number of advantages to using wood-pellet stoves. They are extremely efficient, produce very little waste, and use inexpensive fuel.

Wood-pellet stoves are fueled by tightly compressed pieces of sawdust. They have complicated machinery that adds new pellets to the fire when more fuel is needed. The user merely has to add the pellets to the hopper, and the mechanical auger moves pellets to the fire as needed.

Wood-pellet stoves have average efficiency ratings of 80- to 85-percent. They heat more efficiently than bigger and more expensive gas heaters. These stoves have negative pressure systems that propel the hot air they produced outward, making the heat go farther than it would naturally. The pellets are burned so completely that they hardly give off any smoke, meaning that it is not necessary to build a large chimney to channel smoke out of the home. Wood-pellet stoves only need a small pipe leading outside to dispose of excess smoke.

Since wood stoves are so efficient, they hardly produce any waste. An entire 40-pound bag of pellets produces less than a cup of ashes. People can use a wood pellet stove for months without having to empty the ashes.

The pellets used as fuel are made of sawdust from lumberyards and wood mills. The sawdust is compressed at high temperatures and is not held together by any type of chemicals or glue. A 40-pound bag of pellets sells for less than five dollars, with discounts available for people who buy in bulk.

Wood-pellet stoves are a great alternative to gas or electric heating systems. They are economical and can produce enough heat to warm an entire house.

Wood Pellet Production Guide