Installing Small Woodburners Safely
A small woodburner can bring warmth to any room, whether it is a small house or an outdoor cabin. However, there are certain rules you must adhere to to ensure your stove is set up in a safe manner.
These rules include keeping certain distances between your stove and combustible materials. To assist you, we've put together this guide.
Room Size
Woodburners can be found in a variety of outputs and it is important to consider the size of your home when choosing the stove. Many people make the error of buying a woodburner that is too large for their home. This could negatively impact the efficiency and performance. It is essential to visit the showroom in order to determine the size of the woodburner that will work most suitable for your home and to use a stove-sizing calculator calculate how much heat it will produce.
Multiply the length, width, and height of a room in meters. Then divide the result by 14 to discover the approximate heat output required. However, this is just a rough guideline and other factors like the insulation quality of the building as well as whether there are exterior walls, or how large the windows are in the room could influence the actual output needed.
It is also worth noting that any stove with an output of greater than 5kW will require proper ventilation and a ventillation kit or basic air brick is required. This is to ensure that the combustion of the wood is completed efficiently and that the stove doesn't get too hot, which could reduce its efficiency and cause excessive soot deposits on the glass of the stove and in the chimney.
It is important to remember that your small woodburner needs to be installed at a certain distance from both combustibles as well as non-combustibles surfaces. This distance will be predetermined. These values will be detailed in the manual of the manufacturer, so ensure that you use this when installing your stove and follow these guidelines. Make sure your stove is free of combustibles as well as non-combustibles, to avoid fire safety issues and ensure safe operation of your wood burner.
Flue System
The flue system is the passageway through which the exhaust gases generated by your woodburning stove travel to be expelled out. This helps maintain clean indoor air quality, preventing the buildup of harmful pollutants and odours. The flue prevents heat from being transferred to combustible materials within your home. This reduces the risk of smoke or fire damage.
Your flue is a crucial part of your stove or fireplace and it is essential to maintain it. This can be done by regularly cleaning your chimney and ensuring it is ventilated properly. You may have to hire an expert to examine and clean your chimney if it is clogged. The flammable byproducts of burning wood in your stove can cause creosote to accumulate inside the flue. If it builds up to an excessive level it could ignite and cause chimney fires, among other problems.
There are many different kinds of flues you can use for your woodburning stove or fireplace, including masonry chimneys and double-wall flue systems. Masonry chimneys are usually constructed from bricks and mortar double-wall flue systems comprise a chimney liners made of stainless steel. Masonry chimneys can be used with all fireplaces, however they should be inspected by an engineer registered with Gas Safe with a flue-gas analyzer to ensure that the lining and chimney are working properly.
If you have an older chimney made of masonry that requires relining, then you can make use of a flexible chimney liner to ensure an unbroken and smooth surface from the fireplace to the outlet. Liner options are available in a variety of sizes and can be used either externally or internally depending on the arrangement of your fireplace. These liners can also be made of insulation, which keeps the flue gas warmer and enhances the performance.
The twin wall flue system is a popular choice for homes that do not have chimneys. They are easy to install and feature a double-skinned Stainless Steel that is smooth inside and curved outside. This is perfect for high temperatures. They can be installed with double-wall chimneys or masonry. However, they are only allowed to be installed in homes that have strict building codes.
Distances from combustible Surfaces
When you are choosing a woodburner the space around your stove will be an important factor. You don't need to place your small woodburner close to combustibles as they can quickly get extremely hot and cause a fire.
The instruction manuals for most woodburners will include guidelines for how far you need to keep the stove away from flammable materials. These guidelines are typically defined in terms of distances between the front side, back and sides. These guidelines can vary depending on the type of wood burner and the heat output of the wood stove.
To prevent any risk from arising, we strongly advise you to adhere to the guidelines set by the manufacturer for your woodburner. Regular inspections and maintenance performed by an expert are essential to ensure the safety of your woodburner.
During these inspections your woodburner technician can check for any potential problems or safety issues and make sure you are following the correct guidelines to protect your family and home. It is also recommended to install carbon monoxide detectors around your woodburner, and keep them in working order.
To reduce the risk that combustibles can reach their ignition point, certain woodburners require a very long distance between them and combustibles. This is usually specified by the manufacturer in the stove's instruction manual, which is available to be downloaded from their website.
If you want to preserve this space, you could make use of a wall protector to decrease the minimum clearances for your stove. These are subjected to rigorous tests, and are deemed by the manufacturers to be safe to reduce the required clearances.
A wall shield is a thin steel frame that protects the flue system at the back of the stove. This type of barrier keeps the walls from heating and burning an ignitable material behind them. This is a great choice for new homes, where the construction is often composed of a sheetrock (gypsum) or brick veneer, which does not offer much protection against the high temperatures generated by a woodburner.
Shielding Combustible Surfaces
Woodburning stoves generate a lot of heat, and this means that there is a chance of damage to walls around the stove as well as in the vicinity. Installing a wall protector can reduce the heat generated by the stove while protecting the wall. These wall protections come in a variety of forms that range from simple heat shields to more complex built-in models. The best wall protectors mix metal with brick to reflect heat away from the stove and stop it from transferring onto the walls.
The type of wood used to burn in the stove is an important consideration. Some types of wood are prone to create creosote deposits which can block the chimney and increase the risk of an explosion. It is best to use only seasoned hardwoods for your stove. This will ensure that the fire is burning at a high enough temperature to burn off any moisture that remains, thereby decreasing the accumulation of creosote deposits.
british wood burning stoves , Elm and Beech are examples of hardwoods that have been treated with. Pine is not a great choice as it produces lots of smoke and can cause creosote-like deposits within the flue system. The Larch wood is also not recommended due to its susceptible to Phytophthora ramorum disease. It can also pose health risks when it is removed of its natural habitat.
If you require a smaller woodburner for your loft or country nook, there is an option that will fit your living space and budget. Selecting the right type of woodburner is crucial to maximize the efficiency of your energy and provide comfort. You can cut down on fuel expenses by staying clear of larger and more costly stoves.