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Coal Stove

Posted July 20, 2011 By admin and has no comments yet.

Coal Stove

Wood burning and multi-fuel stoves

Wood burning and multi-fuel stoves are increasingly being favoured by homeowners, as a cost effective and environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels. If you are considering of one of these stoves for your home, the following article includes information regarding installation and the different types of fuels that are available. We will also examine the basics of stove maintenance.

Installation

There are several issues you should consider in the installation of a wood or multi-fuel burning stove. In certain circumstances, for example if you need to make structural changes to a room in order to support a stove, you may need to seek planning permission from your local council.

The work which is carried out, must also be compliant with building regulations, so if you are planning to install a stove yourself, you should make sure that you are aware of these before you start work. These state that both wood burning and multi-fuel stoves require a Class 1 Chimney. This is an air tight construction with a minimum diameter of 7″.

Stoves also require what is known as a flue, which is essential for air circulation.. This is not to be confused with a stovepipe, which connects to the chimney to flow outside. If you already have a chimney, then it may be possible to fit a flue to it, however, this may be a costly addition.

If you are planning to employ someone to install a stove in your home, you should first check that they are fully certified and if possible, ask for references from other clients who they have worked for.

Obviously, stoves get very hot, which can cause damage to your floors and walls. To prevent this, you should consider installing non-combustible protection, as leaving a significant gap between the stove and any surfaces.

Choice of fuel

It is important to make the distinction between wood burning stoves and multi-fuel stoves.

Woodburners are fuelled exclusively by wood, also known as "woody biomass". This usually comes in the form of wood pellets, wood chips and wood logs. Most modern wood burning stoves "dual-fire", which means that they can use any of these fuels. Many people find that the quality of this wood, in particular that of logs, has a positive effect on the quality of their stove's performance.

"Multi-fuel" stoves on the other hand are capable of burning both wood and coal. This can make a stove more cost-effective and lead to faster burning, however it largely defeats the object of having a stove, as it is highly un-environmentally friendly. Coal is by far the worst material in terms of CO2 pollution however, wood coal is also available. Wood Coal is a natural product formed in the Earth from compressed organic material over a long period. It is an intermediate material between peat and coal. In many EEC countries it is approved as a smokeless product and can produce 25% less carbon emissions than coal.

On the subject of the environment, wood pellets are a near carbon neutral alternative solution to natural gas and other fossil fuels. Pellets create substantial heat and have an excellent efficiency rating. Due to their uniform nature they can be regulated, much like a tap by using a feeder to your stove.

Stove maintenance

After you have installed a stove, it will need to be correctly maintained. The following are some handy hints and tips to help you to do this effectively. Firstly, and most importantly, the build up inside your chimney cause by a stove will mean that you need to have it cleaned at least once a year. You can do this yourself, however, it is a very dirty job, which is why most people choose to have it done professionally. An easy way to check whether or not your chimney needs to be cleaned it to tap on it. If it does not sound hollow, then it is likely that that there is a build up inside which needs to be removed. To help prevent build up you could use logs that have no additives and logs that burn at a high temperature.

You will also need to remove the ashes, at least once every few days. Be sure to check your chimney regularly for cracks, as this could lead to a very serious fire risk.

About the Author

Paul is an expert on renewable energy, sustainability and environmentally friendly fuels and resources. He currently works as a consultant for logs direct.

Tending a Hand Fired Coal Stove