Rev 06/2007
22
Frequently asked questions
Q. “How can I tell if I am operating my
woodstove properly?”
R. Check the exhaust coming out of your
woodstove chimney. The smoke is your
operational barometer. If your fire is burning
properly, you should only see the white
transparent steam of evaporating water,
darker and opaque smoke will only be
slightly visible. The darker the color of the
exhaust, the less efficiently you are
operating the appliance. It may be
necessary to adjust the operation of your
woodstove to decrease the opacity of the
exhaust (that is, the density of the smoke).
Q. “Once I have preheated my chimney, how
should I operate the stove?”
R. Although all woodstoves require preheating
during startup and reloading, their operation
afterwards vary somewhat. Woodstoves that
use catalytic combustors require the
monitoring of temperatures and air supply to
ensure that the catalyst engages at
appropriate times in the combustion cycle.
Generally, catalytic stoves require lower
combustion temperatures in the firebox to
burn cleanly. At 500-1000 degrees F., the
catalyst ignites, burning the volatile gases
and particulate. Noncatalytic stoves attain
much higher temperatures in the combustion
path before the gases and particulate burn.
Always refer to your woodstove
manufacturer’s operation manual and follow
the instructions for your particular make and
model.
Q. Do I operate my stove differently in cold vs.
warm weather conditions?”
R. Yes, during the warmer seasons of spring
and fall, control the total heat output by
limiting the amount of fuel (wood) rather than
by closing down the air supply. Make
shorter, hot fires using more finely split
wood. The actual air supply setting will vary
according to your stove instructions, but the
fuel loadings will be consistently smaller. Let
the fire burn out rather than smolder at low
air supply settings. When your home
requires more heat, restart the fire with
kindling as always, but add smaller fuel
loads. This allows your stove to operate at
maximum efficiency and with minimum
emissions. Avoid the temptation of building
a big fire and then starving it for air.
Q. “Is it important to have my stove and
chimney cleaned?”
R. Smoke rising through your chimney may
condense and build up on the cooler inside
walls forming a substance known as
creosote. This volatile substance can ignite
and burn in the chimney. Many chimneys
and installations are unable to withstand
these dangerous creosote fires; the results
can be tragic.
Q. “How often should I have my chimney
inspected and cleaned?”
R. A professional, certified chimney sweep
should inspect and clean your flue system
regularly. Frequent stove use may require
monthly chimney inspection and cleaning
while even minimal use will require annual
servicing.
Woodstove connectors (stovepipes) should
be checked as often as every 2-4 weeks.
Your chimney sweep can show you the
proper methods for these more frequent
inspections.
Q. “Does it matter what kind of wood I use?”
R. Your fuel supply should consist of a mixture
of hardwoods, like maple or oak, and
softwoods, such as fir and pine. When first
starting your fire, use softwoods. They ignite
easily and burn rapidly with a hot flame.
Hardwoods provide a longer lasting fire and
are best used after pre-heating the chimney.
If hardwoods are unavailable, you can
control your fire’s burn rate by using larger
pieces of wood.
Q.
“Is it important to season wood before
burning it?”
R. The seasoning, or drying, process allows
most of the natural moisture found in wood
to evaporate, making it easier to burn. A
properly seasoned log will have 20%-30%
moisture content.
Wood only dries from the surface inward;
unsplit pieces dry very slowly. To properly
season wood, split the logs as soon as
possible and stack them in a dry spot for 6-
18 months. Pile the wood loosely, allowing
air to circulate through the split logs.
Hardwoods take longer to dry than
softwoods. Humidity and temperature levels
also will impact drying time.
