In traditional wood stoves, as a fire is started in the firebox, air from an intake valve helps start and fuel the fire. Moisture from the wood starts to burn and vaporize, floating out of the chimney. When the wood itself begins to burn, it releases gases containing harmful organic matter like tar, carbon, and charcoal, which also float out of the chimney.
Once the stove reaches degrees Fahrenheit, these gases begin to burn, producing more heat. At 1, degrees F, charcoal wood begins to burn, producing even more. A contemporary stove expedites this process by using one of two methods, called catalytic and non-catalytic combustion.
In a catalytic wood stove, a honeycomb device coated in a reactive metal is built into the stove. Once vapors and gasses pass through the honeycomb, they burn at a temperature lower than normal—thus creating a reaction that forces gases to generate heat output quicker. They are more efficient than a non-catalytic stove, but they're slightly more technical and require more maintenance, too, so most consumers turn to non-catalytic woodstoves.
They convert gasses into heat by introducing a secondary air intake into the hottest part of the firebox. Non-catalytic stoves are more popular for traditional home buyers because they're less expensive, reasonably efficient, easier to operate, and offer a better view of the flames than their catalytic counterparts. A non-catalytic stove is a good option for intermittent heating, seasonal climates, and vacation or rental homes.
Some manufacturers offer hybrid models or allow you to choose which method is best for your needs-it all depends on the size of your home or cabin , budget, climate, and personal preferences.
The choice is yours. Once you find the right wood stove for your project, it's recommended to have it professionally installed. The size and heat capacity of your wood stove should be proportional to the room where it is placed. Safety precautions like a minimum clearing area around the stove also need to be considered, to avoid airborne sparks or soot.
Purchasing a wood stove that's appropriate for your space depends on various factors, including floor plan, ceiling height, surrounding insulation, and more. But you can generally base the size of your required wood stove on the square feet of the space you'd like to heat with it. Modern wood stoves are generally categorized into small, medium, or large sizes.
A small wood stove heats to 1, square feet. How should we burn and still have good indoor air quality??? I am hoping that you might be able to help us-we don't want to breath in all the toxins-smoke,mold,etc but love to look at the fire! If this reaches you-I could really use the help! Thank you so much! Hello Teresa and Gary Thanks for reading our article.
Air quality is certainly important. Home air quality can be be lowered if you get smoke back in the house while opening the door of your woodstove. Properly installed quality EPA woodstoves will not smoke back inside the house. Using split dry seasoned wood is also key in building 'clean' fires.
As you choose your woodstove, make sure the whole system with the black pipe and chimney is properly installed, and sized to your stove. This will make sure you do not get any smoke back into the house. One item to also consider, is the addition of a 'draw collar', which will keep your stove pipe warm when the stove is cooling down.
It makes 're-ignition' much easier. All the best!!! I'm just learning about this type of stove. We had a wood or coal burning stove most of my childhood. I'm looking to get one now and discovered this option. I've read a lot of good stuff about this, but I have a question. If the catalytic converter can't be replaced for some reason in the future, would you still be able to use the stove as a normal wood burning stove? Obviously it wouldn't be as efficient and that would not be ideal, but is there anything that would prohibit it from working in that way?
Hello Rebecca. Thanks for reaching out. You could use the stove with the damper open. It would be much less efficient, but it would work. The best is to buy a stove that you could have the catalytic combustor replaced if need be. The best brand we know of is Hearthstone. Bake pinecones in a degree oven for 25 minutes or until they feel dry to the touch. Watch pinecones carefully during the 25 minute baking time, because the pitch in pinecones can ignite at high temperatures. When the pinecones are dry, remove from oven and allow to cool, then sprinkle them with several drops of essential oils, like cinnamon, cloves or balsam.
Place pinecones in an airtight plastic storage bin or large Ziploc bag and shake to evenly distribute the fragrant essential oil.
Keep container sealed until a fragrant fire is desired, then place a few fragrant pinecones in a decorative basket near the fire place or wood stove and toss a pinecone onto the fire occasionally for a warming fragrance that will fill the room. Our 5-year prorated warranty guarantees our quality.
Check Price on Amazon. Heavy-duty cast iron construction, perfect for log cabins, large garages, and shops Accepts logs 23 inches in length Includes solid cooktop surface and a safety handle. Dimensions:Depth: 33in,Width: On high heat, the Princess will burn for up to 10 hours; on its lowest heat setting, the stove will burn for as long as 30 hours! This is the Pacific Energy Summit, an exclusively non-catalytic stove.
Simple to operate, this stove is both tough and reliable! The Vermont Castings Encore Flexburn along with its big brother the Defiant is unique in that it can function as a catalytic or non-catalytic stove. Its readily-accessible combustor chamber makes it easy to examine, maintain, and replace the combustor.
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