Wood-burning stoves are a popular way to heat homes. They have many benefits, but they also come with some drawbacks. For example, wood is expensive and it takes time to find the right size pieces that will fit into your stove. Luckily there are some parts of a wood-burning stove that you should know about before making the decision on whether or not this type of heater is for you!
Parts Of A Wood Burning Stove
Wood-burning stoves are often used as a heating source for homes. Many people choose to use wood-burning stoves instead of their furnaces because they cost less and many times provide the same amount of heat, if not more. These devices come in different shapes sizes and colors but each one has similar parts that make up its structure.
There are five primary components of a wood stove. The first is the firebox which carries and stores the fuel for burning. Second, there’s an air supply that allows oxygen to come into contact with the fuel in order to create heat and flames for heating purposes. Thirdly, it contains a system that regulates airflow through vents or fans inside its body as well as those openings surrounding it on your home’s exterior surface.
Fourth, an exhaust stack lets out unwanted smoke from combustion outside where you need less hot air escaping your dwelling space. Lastly, there’s also a heat exchanger that’s responsible for transferring the warmth from smoke to air.
Firebox
The firebox is where the actual combustion occurs. It’s located at the bottom portion of a stove and contains an air inlet, ash drawer for collection, a grate to hold the wood while burning, and a door that can be opened or closed to control airflow within the unit. Fireboxes can be made of cast iron, steel, or masonry materials which have a direct correlation to the overall durability and life expectancy.
Cast Iron Firebox
This firebox is more expensive but lasts up to 50 years making it ideal for high-end units that are used frequently by homeowners who live in cold climates where they need additional heat sources inside their home during colder seasons. Cast iron stoves provide better insulation from external elements such as wind chill because this material does not transfer heat very well causing outside air temperatures to affect inner warmth levels of your dwelling space.
Steel Firebox
These models tend to cost less than cast iron ones but only last between 20-30 years due to their tendency of rusting over time when exposed regularly under low-humidity conditions. Steel fireboxes have to be maintained regularly with paint or other rust preventative coatings that help prolong their useful life expectancy.
Masonry Firebox
This type of firebox is made from clay, soapstone, marble, granite, and/or any other porous masonry material which are resistant to corrosion but can still develop problems over time if not properly cared for by regular cleaning and maintenance procedures such as sweeping out ashes at least once a day or when cooled off completely after use.
Air Supply
The air supply unit regulates the amount of oxygen coming into contact with fuel within the firebox in order to produce the heat necessary for heating purposes inside your home’s interior space during colder. This part comes in different configurations depending on the model you have in your possession. Some fireboxes can be connected directly to a chimney while others may require an exterior fan that pulls air from outside into the unit before it’s released through its vents or openings surrounding them around your home’s exterior structure.
Regulation System
The regulation system controls airflow by allowing users to open and close different valves, dampers, flaps, shutters, etc., located inside and outside of the wood stove body for better control over how much heat is being produced at any given time during operation. Venting systems carry the smoke away from internal combustion chambers where hot gases escape after burning wood pellets or other types of fuel available to homeowners who choose this type of heating method as their primary source for staying warm.
Exhaust Stack
The exhaust stack is located at the top of wood-burning stoves and allows for hot gases to be released through its open end outside your home where they can harmlessly dissipate into the atmosphere over time after passing through a series of baffles, filters, grates, chambers designed to trap particulates from the smoke created during combustion in order to reduce air pollution levels when compared with other types of heating systems that expel dangerous byproducts directly into your living space without any additional protections against their negative effects on health or indoor air quality.
Heat Exchanger
This part exchanges heat between inside and outside areas surrounding it so you don’t have to suffer from colder temperatures due to the lack of warmer pockets being trapped inside leading them to escape through the exterior of your home’s structure.
Wood Stove Pipe/Tubes
This part is used to connect or disconnect different parts of your heating system in order to suit specific needs for better efficiency and ease of use. It also comes with separate flanges, thimbles, adapters, etc., that can be purchased separately depending on which model you want to install inside your living space after purchase.
These pipes are usually made out of metal but some higher-end models may come with ceramic ones instead as they tend not to have issues with warping over time due to extreme heat levels being produced during operation. They’re also less prone than their steel counterparts to rusting if installed indoors without ventilation systems capable enough of preventing them from trapping dangerous gases produced by the appliance during combustion.
As a result, more expensive models tend to be safer to operate indoors without risk of becoming fire hazards even if not installed with exterior ventilation systems capable enough of dissipating hot gasses away from combustible materials nearby them as needed after purchase or installation into your home’s structure.
Air Vents
The air vents allow for more efficient burning and increased heat transfer. Different styles of air intake are available to fit your needs, but all should be placed on the back or sidewall of the firebox and angled slightly downward toward the center.
Coal Tending Grate
The coal-tending grate is an adjustable shelf that allows you to push the coals closer together for more heat when needed. It also makes it easier to remove clinkers, ash, and unburned chunks of fuel before they drop into the ash pit below.
The grates should be kept about half full with small pieces of wood or flame if possible so fine adjustments can easily be made for maximum efficiency in burning smaller sticks and logs. Larger pieces will need additional firewood placed under them on top of the grate, which is then poked up from underneath until hot enough to ignite larger pieces above without smoldering out too quickly due to lack of airflow beneath them. This helps keep you from having to use or stoke the stove more often than you would like.
The grates should be kept about half full with small pieces of wood or flame if possible so fine adjustments can easily be made for maximum efficiency in burning smaller sticks and logs. Larger pieces will need additional firewood placed under them on top of the grate, which is then poked up from underneath until hot enough to ignite larger pieces above without smoldering out too quickly due to lack of airflow beneath them. This helps keep you from having to use or stoke the stove more often than you would like.
Lid/Ash Drawer
Some models have a lid that swings open while others have an ash drawer that slides out allowing easy access to the ash pit without having to remove any other components. The lid or drawer should be placed on top of the stove and designed so that it will not fall into the firebox when opened, causing damage or injury.
An ash drawer makes for easier cleanout than a swinging door because you can push all of the ashes out at once rather than trying to scoop them out bit by bit with an iron poker as is necessary with some models. A hinged lid allows you only one hand free while manipulating large scoops full of hot coals, but these are typically more sturdy due to their design and larger size which helps prevent tipping over onto your toes if accidentally brushed against during normal use.
The model shown here has a swing-out hinged door that can be used to hold kindling.
Firebox/Burn Chamber
The firebox holds the burning fuel and is where all of the magic happens! It comes in several different shapes, depending on the manufacturer, but they are usually either square or rectangular with angled corners at one end for increased airflow (see image above). A large opening allows you to shovel more wood inside when necessary without having them fall down into an ash pit below.
Air intake holes should always be placed low enough so as not to allow smoke back up into your chimney if properly installed by a professional who knows what they’re doing. The same goes for air exhaust vents positioned high enough off of the ground so that wind will not blow smoke and ash back into the firebox and onto your stovetop. The opening should also be placed at least a foot away from any combustible material to prevent fires or dangerous fumes that can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning if not properly installed according to the manufacturer’s specifications (usually by a professional).
The same goes for air exhaust vents positioned high enough off of the ground so that wind will not blow smoke and ash back into the firebox and onto your stovetop. The opening should also be placed at least a foot away from any combustible material to prevent fires or dangerous fumes that can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning if not properly installed according to the manufacturer’s specifications (usually by a professional).
Flue/Chimney Connection
In order for a wood burner to function properly, it needs the help of an airtight chimney. The flue is responsible for venting toxic gases that are created when burning any organic material such as wood and pellet fuel pellets. It must meet all of your local building codes regarding size and placement within or on top of your home’s structure so look carefully at those before shopping around and decide which type would best suit your lifestyle and budget (see below).
Flues come in several different shapes but most will be either round or rectangular with angled corners like the one shown here next to an old-style firepot stove. Rectangular models are generally better because they can follow walls more easily without obstructions getting in their way while also providing greater area
for heat transfer to other flues or other heating units.
Fuel Storage & Kindling Tray
As a safety precaution, you want the ability to store enough fuel for several days’ worth of burning at least in case an emergency arises and your local power grid is taken offline unexpectedly. A large storage compartment should hold as much wood as possible while still allowing access from both sides so that it can be filled from either side without having to move heavy pieces around unnecessarily – another benefit of rectangular models over round ones!
Some stoves have separate compartments for storing kindlings which makes them even more convenient because they are usually located on top where they will get plenty of airflows and won’t interfere with anything else their contents during use (see image above).
Fireplace Safety
Regardless of the type or model that you choose, proper installation and safety precautions should be taken into consideration whenever using a wood-burning stove. While they are considered to be among the most efficient heating device on the market today (especially pellet fuel stoves), improperly built or installed units can cause serious injury if not used correctly! Always follow your local building codes closely when installing one in your home for maximum safety benefits.
For more information about making sure it is done right, contact an experienced professional who knows what they’re doing instead of trying to do it yourself because this could end up costing you even more down the line if something goes wrong later which will cost exponentially more than hiring someone else to get things right the first time.
If you are unsure about how to get started, call local heating professional today for more information on what types of wood-burning stoves they install and show you how everything should be done safely according to the manufacturer’s specifications! You can also find lots of great resources online that will give you even more tips on which models would work best in your home or office space.
Baffle Plate
This is a plate used to create turbulence in the flue gases as they pass through it. The baffle plates are usually placed vertically along the wall of the stove across from one another at regular intervals, or horizontally above and below each other on large stoves.
Doors
Door panels are usually made of cast iron, but there are also steel doors available. The door opening allows for fuel to be added and ash removed. Doors can have two or three parts that slide into the firebox chamber. The bottom piece is known as a “fire door,” and the top part slides into place. A cast-iron ash pan is installed under the firebox grate to catch ashes for removal from the stove, later on, every few days.
A “gas-tight seal” ensures that no flue gases can escape through gaps indoors or around them when they are closed. This requires both sides of the door gasket to be sealed firmly against their respective surfaces by use of a high-temperature caulking compound which becomes liquid at temperatures above, often called ‘mastic’. If one side has been damaged so it loses its gas tightness, then this also means replacing the other side with a new sealing ring. This ensures that there will be no smoke, gases, or heat lost from the fire chamber.
A draft control damper is used to adjust the stove’s burning rate, and a glass window allows for easy observation of the flame without opening doors when stoking. The ash pan door provides access to remove ashes in order to maintain performance and prolong the life of your appliance. Draft regulators lower oxygen levels at specific areas within your fireplace/stove system in order to achieve optimal combustion which results in fewer emissions being produced by your unit. This helps you save money on heating bills as well as protecting our environment.
Ash Pan
The ash pan is the place where ashes collect. It sits beneath the grate and can be accessed through a slide or door on the front of your stove. Therefore, it needs to have enough depth to hold all of this debris while still allowing room for airflow underneath. A good rule of thumb is that the pan should be long and deep enough to hold a full day’s worth of ashes.
The ash pan is the place where ashes collect. It sits beneath the grate and can be accessed through a slide or door on the front of your stove. Therefore, it needs to have enough depth to hold all of this debris while still allowing room for airflow underneath. A good rule of thumb is that the pan should be long and deep enough to hold a full day’s worth of ashes.
Damper
The damper is a metal plate with an adjustable flapper set in the chimney. The flapper can be opened and closed to control the flow of air through the firebox, allowing you to regulate the draft for more or less heat output.
A stove must have at least one functional door-latching type damper on each side of its combustion chamber, but most stoves will feature several dampers throughout their structure: two doors (a primary and secondary) and three crowns (primary top, secondary top, and bottom).
Catalytic Combustor
The catalytic combustor is a heat exchanger that allows the stove to burn cleaner and more efficiently. It contains ceramic fiber insulation which protects it from high temperatures while also being resistant to corrosion or erosion from smoke particles, acids, alkali salts, etc. Catalytic combustors can be upcycled for use in other products like water boilers and solar heating systems.
The catalytic combustor is a heat exchanger that allows the stove to burn cleaner and more efficiently. It contains ceramic fiber insulation which protects it from high temperatures while also being resistant to corrosion or erosion from smoke particles, acids, alkali salts, etc. Catalytic combustors can be upcycled for use in other products like water boilers and solar heating systems.