Wood Burning Stoves - Are They Efficient?

Written by Molly Webster Sunday, 29 May 2011 09:14

Wood burning stoves are occasionally unjustly criticized as inefficient or bad for the environment; the simple truth is, this is only the case if the wood isn't burned correctly. With a modern EPA authorized stove and correct burning practices, a wood burning stove could be extremely efficient.

Wood burning stoves are occasionally unjustly criticized as inefficient or bad for the environment; the simple truth is, this is only the case if the wood isn't burned correctly. With a modern EPA authorized stove and correct burning practices, a wood burning stove could be extremely efficient.

In the past, wood burning stoves contaminated the air with massive amounts of smoke. Nevertheless, the Environmental Protection Agency now demands that wood burning stoves meet very strict efficiency demands, ensuring that the stoves will burn the wood more completely and produce considerably less smoke if operated correctly.

Wood burned correctly should yield almost no smoke. Constantly use dry, split firewood that has been aged for at least six months, preferably hardwoods. Dried out wood will generate a hot, clean-burning fire. Never burn household garbage or treated wood, as these can release toxic chemicals when burned. Begin your fire with newspapers and dry kindling, and do not let it smolder. A smoldering fire won't burn as efficiently as a hot fire.

To keep your wood burning stove working efficiently, it needs to be frequently cleaned and maintained. Always clean out the ashes, and have a licensed professional look at your chimney once a year to check for any possible safety hazards or factors that may be causing your stove to burn much less efficiently.

If you are using your wood burning stove as a supplement to your home's heating systems, you will find a couple of other actions it is possible to take to improve efficiency and save some dollars on heating. When choosing your stove, select a model that's the correct size to heat your room and home. A stove which is too big will smolder. You are able to also decrease your overall heating requirements by making sure that your property is properly insulated.