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February 3, 2010
Wood burning stove emissions have come a long way over the years – particularly the last twenty years. In the late 1980’s the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (or EPA) regulated that all wood burning stoves must meet or exceed an emissions limit of 7.5 grams of smoke per hour. A fireplace insert or wood burning stove that you buy today with newer technologies, may even have that emission level down to between 1 and 4 grams of smoke per hour.
Using different and improved combustible technology, today’s average wood burning stoves and fireplace inserts not only clean burning but one-third more efficient than its predecessor. That means less expense and less work for the homeowner (because one third less fuel used). Although the new stoves cost more, the premium will likely be covered with smaller fuel costs within two or three seasons.
Wood burning stove emissions are often in the form of particulate matter – or smoke. New woodstoves have smoke production that is up to 90 percent less than older models. This is because the environment created inside new wood burning stoves is better for complete combustion. Fires built inside the newer stoves also start or ignite easier, producing less smoke and emissions at the outset.
Most newer stoves use non-catalytic combustion – using a baffle for gas flow, as well as pre-heated air and insulation to create prime burning conditions. Better burning means less emissions. The other type of technology is called catalytic combustion. In this type, the gas and smoke particles are passed through a ceramic honeycomb inside where they burn up before exiting the stove. Catalytic stoves are slightly more hands on and may need regular, knowledgeable maintenance to continue working efficiently.
Also, advanced wood burning stoves of both types produce less creosote. This not only reduces the chance of chimney fire, but reduces the cleaning and maintenance needed in the flue pipe and chimney. All of these factors save you time, money and the environment together.
Reducing the emissions in wood burning stoves has been made possible with the new technology stove manufacturers have adopted. Any wood burning stove purchased today will met or exceed the EPA standards, as well as save you time and money to run. Enjoy the beauty, comfort and atmosphere of a wood burning stove without all of the filthy, polluted emissions they are famous for. Contact your professional wood burning stove dealer and discuss which type is better for you. Then bask in the glowing flames of your low emission, highly efficient wood burning stove.
February 2, 2010
While installing a wood stove is not a simple task, there are three basic things you will need to remember and take care of. Include a suitable, safe chimney system, keep the stovepipe where it’s supposed to be and protect your floors and walls. Once you work through these three steps, your wood stove installation is sure to be safe and efficient.
Many new wood stove installs utilize an insulated or high temperature chimney. There are situations where an existing masonry chimney can be used, but it’s more complicated and will likely require extensive retro-fitting. An insulated chimney works in single storey applications (either with sloped or flat roofs) and in two storey buildings where the chimney runs up along the side of the house. You want your chimney to be tall – a minimum of 2 feet above any structure within 10 feet and at least 3 feet above peaks. Place a chimney cap on the end to prevent birds from nesting and have the least amount of bends possible in it for better suction.
It is possible to update existing masonry chimneys to current industry standards using a stainless steel chimney liner. Check with your hearth dealer and local chimney sweep to find out exactly what else will need to be done. You may find it easier and cheaper to simply install a new High Temperature chimney for your wood stove.
Never use a stovepipe to pass through walls, floors or ceilings. Normally stovepipe must be kept at least 18” away from any combustibles (such as your drywall, framing or flooring). Even with combustible protection, a heat shield added or an insulated, double-walled pipe, you should not be any closer than 6-9” from those surfaces. A stovepipe is only for installation between the stove and its chimney. Don’t push the pipe beyond its intended use.
Protect your floor with concrete, either bare or covered in tile or brick. Alternatively, pre-fab stove boards and mats or cement underlay boards can be used as well, covered with tile or stone. This protection should cover underneath the entire woodstove, as well as 12” out from the sides and 18” out from the doors. If the stovepipe runs along the floor, the same protection will be needed underneath it.
Treat your walls in a similar fashion. Stove manufacturers will specify at what distance you need to install their stove from the wall, usually anywhere from 8 – 36”. If a non-combustible surface is attached to the wall you may be able to get closer. Things such as brick, stone or cement board will work. Also heat shields attached to the wall or the rear of the stove may work to protect the combustible surfaces.
Cover these three main items: install a proper chimney (either new or retro fit), keep the stovepipe out in the open and protect all walls and floors nearby. Then your wood stove will be sure to provide heat for your home with safety and efficiency.
February 1, 2010
Woodstoves are a popular alternative heating source for many homeowners, especially those who own older model homes and those in colder climates. Make sure to take proper precautions when burning a wood stove. Proper woodstove operation will ensure that you enjoy the added comfort while minimizing the risk to your family and home.
- Open the dampers before starting a fire in a wood stove.
- Vent your stove properly and insulate vent from flammable materials.
- Keep dry wood away from the stove.
- Remember that slow burning fires can create creosote and soot problems. Small hot fires in a wood stove are more efficient.
- Have your wood stove and chimney cleaned and inspected annually for creosote build-up and cracks in mortar or chimney flues.
- Use only firewood that is properly seasoned to reduce creosote build-up.
- Properly remove and store ash in a sealed metal container.
Fireplace Village use the Heating Safety guide from the New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning. The guide provides good common sense advice regarding wood stove, fireplace and fireplace insert operation and maintenance. As well as, furnaces, chimneys and carbon monoxide dangers and detection.
January 27, 2010
- Adding a wood stove to a house must be undertaken properly to ensure a safe installation. Fireplace Village always recommends using a certified wood stove installer or professional chimney sweep.
- Install a stove with adequate clearance from any combustible surfaces, including floors, walls or furniture.
- Any chimney must have adequate capacity, the correct height, proper location, proper clearance from combustibles and proper mechanical support to be safe.
- When an efficient airtight stove is selected and installed with a proper chimney, the efficiency and safety of the stove operation is largely dependent on the skill of the operator.
- The type of firewood can materially impact stove operation and efficiency.
- A wood stove requires regular maintenance: proper cleaning of the chimney to remove creosote deposits, regular inspection of the installation, and handling of ashes. Fireplace Village recommends annual maintenance of wood stoves and chimneys to ensure efficient and clean burning operation and to minimize risk of fire.
January 25, 2010
Free standing wood stoves are an efficient way to heat a specific area of a house. They are a great way to use renewable energy sources to supplement expensive gas or electric heat. They also provide an independent source of heat and light in the case of a power outage, and provide a warm and inviting atmosphere. Even some wood burning stove accessories, such as a blower, which circulates warm air around the room, do not use electricity and will keep the house warm during a power outage.
Wood stoves have come a long way in efficiency ratings. Many new wood stoves are EPA rated and produce 7.5 grams or less of smoke per hour. Many older wood stove models burn at a staggering 40 grams of smoke per hour.
Fireplace Village carries a wide variety of wood burning stoves. Looking to purchase an energy efficient clean burning wood stove then visit one of our New Hampshire locations or buy wood stoves online. Since 1972, Fireplace Village has been the largest retailer of wood stoves in New England. This is a great time to buy a new wood stove and take advantage of the federal tax credit.
January 5, 2010
To ensure safe and efficient use of a wood burning stove it is important to keep the stove in proper working order, which means keeping it clean to prevent chimney fires. A wood burning stove chimney needs to be cleaned at least once a year, but if being used frequently, should be cleaned as often as every few weeks. Hiring a chimney sweep to clean a chimney is the safest way, and can also be educational for future cleaning.
After the chimney has been cleaned remove the seal from the stove and sweep out the soot and creosote into containers. After the initially sweep out, use a wire brush to scrape off the deposits from the inside of the stove. Wood burning stoves work best and burn most efficiently when clean, and pose the least possibility of chimney fire. When cleaning a wood stove always exercise caution and never attempt to clean the stove while burning or when hot.
December 30, 2009
Looking to purchase a wood stove that is right for your home? Some of the biggest and best-known hearth manufacturers make some good wood stoves. There are many factors to consider and lots of products to choose from. Finding a high quality clean burning wood stove that meets your needs may require some digging. The specifications and terms used by the manufacturers and the EPA are technical and generally confusing. Understanding the specifications and ratings (and how they are determined) will help you make a better buying decision.
On top of confusing ratings and specifications there generally are not independent third-party reviews such as Consumer Reports to rely on. Underwriters Laboratory (UL) can evaluate gas fired solid-fuel fired hearth appliances, including fireplace stoves and fireplace inserts, to applicable U.S., Canadian and global requirements. The UL mark will appear on hearth products that have been evaluated. The largest trade group in the industry, Hearth, Patio & Barbeque Association (HPBA), provides general product information and guidelines pertaining to buying, installing and operating hearth products (i.e., fireplace inserts, gas fireplaces, gas logs) but does not recommend hearth products.
Wood stoves are not part of the energy star program, so it’s not as easy to know what are the most efficient stoves (aside from the wood stove efficiency rating which is discussed below). However, as of this year, wood stoves that are 75% efficient or more will be designated (see sticker on back of stove) as such in order to show that they are eligible for the 30% Biomass Federal Tax Credit that is (up to $1,500 federal tax credit) available in 2009 and 2010.
In order to properly evaluate wood stoves and fireplace stove inserts the best place to start is a basic understanding of the more significant ratings and specifications that accompany wood stoves and fireplace stove inserts.
Stove Dimensions
Size of the stove (height, width and depth). Make sure the space you have chosen will accomodate the stove.
Stove Weight
Wood stoves are quite heavy, generally weighing 300 to 800lbs. The weight makes delivery and installation a cumbersome task and can be an issue relative to the flooring that is supporting the wood stove.
Catalytic versus Non-Catalytic
A catalytic combustor is a device used on some wood stoves to increase combustion efficiency of wood stoves by lowering flue gas ignition temperatures of wood stoves.
The two general approaches to meeting EPA smoke emission limits are catalytic and non-catalytic combustion. Both approaches have proved relatively effective, but there are performance differences. In catalytic combustion the smoky exhaust is passed through a coated ceramic honeycomb inside the wood stove where the smoke gases and particles ignite and burn. Catalytic stoves are capable of producing a long, even heat output. All catalytic stoves have a lever-operated catalyst bypass damper which is opened for starting and reloading. The catalytic honeycomb degrades over time and must be replaced, but its durability is largely in the hands of the stove user. The catalyst can last more than six seasons if the stove is used properly, but if the stove is over-fired, garbage is burned and regular cleaning and maintenance are not done, the catalyst may break down in as little as two years.
EPA certified wood stoves have a particulate emissions limit of 7.5 grams per hour for non catalytic wood stoves and 4.1 grams per hour for catalytic wood stoves. All wood heating appliances subject to the New Source Performance Standard for Residential Wood Heaters under the Clean Air Act offered for sale in the United States are required to meet these emission limits.
Firebox Size
Size of the chamber where the firewood burns. Usually referenced in cubic feet and firewood capacity of the chamber in weight. Big fireboxes can be nice. They are easier to load, and can often accomodate those extra-long pieces of firewood that somehow find their way into the woodpile. When choosing your woodstove, however, keep in mind that stoves with large fireboxes tend to produce higher heat output, and easy fueling is a dear price to pay for being cooked out of the house.
Maximum Log Size
Largest log length that will fit into firebox. The standard firewood length for wood stoves and fireplace stove inserts is 16”, mostly because it is the most practical length for handling. Knowing maximum log length is useful because for convenient loading, the firebox should be about three inches bigger than your average piece of firewood.
Heating Efficiency
Measure of how much of the heat value contained in the firewood is extracted and delivered into the living space. This is the equivalent of the MPG rating of your car or truck. Remember the quality of the firewood will impact actual results.
The heating efficiency rating is determined by the stove manufacturer by testing full loads of seasoned cordwood. When testing for heating efficiency, two criteria are examined: extraction efficiency; the firewood load is weighed going in, and the particulate emissions and ashes are weighed after the fire to determine how effectively a given firebox design breaks down the fuel to extract the available heat and heat transfer efficiency; this testing is performed in calorimeter rooms equipped with temperature sensors. Similar temperature sensors are installed in the exhaust flue. The degree changes in the room and flue are monitored for the duration of the test fires to determine how much of the heat extracted by the fire is delivered into the room, as compared to the heat lost up the flue.
Emissions
Measurement of particulate matter emissions in grams per hour. Particulate Matter is a fancy term for air pollution and means small pieces of matter such as dust and soot that are suspended in the air.
Emissions testing is performed in EPA-approved test labs using the EPA’s prescribed protocol. When testing for emissions, a nailed-together “charge” of kiln-dried Pine is burned, and the particulate matter in the exhaust is measured throughout the duration of several fires at various draft control settings. In this way, an average grams/hour particulate emissions rating is derived. Heating efficiency is not measured during EPA emissions testing.
The internal design of wood stoves has changed entirely since 1990, as the result of the EPA regulation established in the late 1980’s. The EPA’s mandatory smoke emission limit for wood stoves is currently 7.5 grams of smoke per hour. Today, all wood stoves and fireplace inserts, and some factory-built fireplaces sold in the U.S. must meet this limit. Stove manufacturers have improved their combustion technologies over the years, and many newer wood stoves have certified emissions in the 1 to 4 g/h range. The EPA certified emission rate is a reliable number that can be compared from one model to the next, but a one or two gram per hour difference in smoke emissions does not mean much in day-to-day use.
Heat Output
Usually represented as maximum heat output (you sometimes see a heat output range) of the wood stove expressed in BTU’s per hour. The British Thermal Unit (BTU) is the primary heat measurement unit used by the hearth industry to indicate heat output. It is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 lb. of water by 1 degree F. Typically 10,000 BTU can heat approximately 500 square feet. All wood stoves and wood burning fireplace inserts are rated by BTU output.
The heat output ratings can be misleading. In determining a maximum heat output rating, test labs used by manufacturers (usually using hardwood fuel) cram the firebox full of firewood and crank the draft control wide open. This raging, short-duration fire is just the opposite of how people burn their wood stoves, and can be misleading: if the only thing you look at is the maximum heat output rating, a small wood stove with a really big air intake can seem just as powerful as the largest wood stoves. Some manufacturers use the heat output rating from EPA testing, which uses softwood fuel. Another way these figures can be misleading is that non-catalytic wood stoves tend to produce a higher peak heat output, but that alone doesn’t mean they’ll produce more heat over an eight hour burn cycle, which is a more relevant performance indicator. The result is that you can’t compare the heat output of stoves because the ratings are not standardized.
Heating Capacity
The estimated square feet of space the wood stove will heat. Many manufacturers display very wide ranges like 1,000 to 2,000 square feet or suggest the maximum area the unit will heat. The reason for the big ranges and vague estimates is that a particular wood stove might heat 1,000 sq. ft. in Maryland, but only a 500 sq. ft. house in New Hampshire due to the climate difference. In addition, an old house might have twice the heat loss of a new house of the same size in the same climate zone. Also, the layout of the house could materially impact capacity. For example, if your house is divided into many small rooms, you probably won’t be able to move the heat around the rest of the house, so the square footage rating is useless to you. And lastly, a stove burning softwood will put out much less heat per firebox load than it will burning a hardwood. Heating capacity ratings based on square footage are unreliable.
Burn Time
Maximum estimated wood stove burn time. Burn time depends on wood species and moisture content, and on how much heat is needed during the burn. How long will a given stove burn on a single load of wood? The only reasonable answer is: It depends. One advantage of catalytic wood stoves is that the good ones can deliver a lower burn rate over a longer period than non-catalytic wood stoves and yet still burn clean. But the disadvantage of these long burn times is that the door glass tends to get dirty at very low firing rates. In other words, a stove that has a claimed burn time of ten hours may not be better or more convenient to use than one that delivers an eight hour burn.
December 10, 2009
Fireplace Village carries the Easy Sweep Creosote Destroying Firelog. These cleaning firelogs are safe to burn in wood stoves, fireplaces or fireplace inserts, contain no wax and will not void the warranty of your hearth appliance. They destroy built-up creosote and help prevent further creosote build-up. Creosote build-up is a leading cause of chimney fires in the U.S. Each package contains four treatments. Burn your fire as usual; each split wood piece will produce 8,000 BTU’s of heat when burned.
Visit one of our NH fireplace and stove shops for Creosote Cleaning Logs.
December 9, 2009
From recycled cast iron wood burning stoves to vent free gas fireplaces, Vermont Castings is a unique brand of high quality cast iron wood stoves, gas stoves, fireplace inserts and fireplace accessories.
Vermont Castings prides itself on being the “best in class,” meaning that each hearth product is hand-carved in their foundry in Vermont. Vermont Castings is the only North American manufacturer with both the casting and enameling under one roof. This means that every step of production is carefully monitored, leaving the customer with the highest quality cast iron stove.
Their gas fireplaces are made with the most realistic wood-like gas log flame currently on the market. Many of their gas fireplaces come with a handheld remote to change the heat output and flame with the click of a button.
Fireplace Village, the largest dealer of fireplaces and wood stoves in New England, and is a proud supplier of Vermont Castings hearth products.
December 4, 2009
Fireplace Village NH is currently offering outstanding discounts on select hearth appliances, including wood stoves, fireplace inserts and gas fireplaces, as well as floor display fireplace tools and accessories. We are offering a 20% discount on select Napoleon Fireplace wood stoves, fireplace inserts and gas fireplaces. We are offering a 50% discount on floor display fireplace tools ands accessories from Pilgrim. These deals will not last long.
On top of these deals, many of our hearth appliances qualify for a federal tax credit of up to $1,500 on the purchase and installation of qualified wood stoves, fireplace inserts, pellet stoves and wood pellet inserts. The tax credit for hearth appliances applies to the purchase of a 75% efficient biomass-burning appliance. Professional installation of the appliance is also subject to the credit. For more information on the tax credit and how to claim it, see the Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Association website.
If you live in Keene, NH you may also qualify for rebate vouchers valued at $1,000 for replacement of currently operating non-EPA-certified wood stoves with new certified wood, pellet, fireplace insert stoves. Fireplace Village is a participating dealer in the wood stoves changeout program.
There has never been a better time to buy wood stoves, pellet stoves or fireplace inserts in nh. Fireplace Village is the largest fireplace and stove shop in NH and New England. Stop by one of our New Hampshire locations today or visit us online.
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