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With the increased use of wood burning appliances for home heat, education for properly using such appliances can reduce home hazards and loss of property. Home heating is now the number one dollar loss in residence in the United States. Northwest hospitals report that 45% of burn injuries treated were related to wood heating, most of which were children.
Problems that result in hazards/damage to homes can be reduced or eliminated if proper installation and maintenance are performed. Specific installation standards for Snohomish Building Department, for wood frame houses. Mobile home installation is quite different and information for this type of installation can be obtained from the Department of Labor and Industries. Cities may have their own ordinances. Check with your cities building inspector.
Whether you are installing a stove or ensuring yours is properly installed, one thing to bear in mind is required clearances from combustibles such as furniture, curtains and even the house itself. If air spaces are not maintained between the stove and the wood framing or the chimney flue and the wood framing a process takes place called pyrolysis. For instance, a normal 2 x 4 will spontaneously ignite at 600 degrees F., if the heating appliance is too close it will draw the moisture from the 2 x 4. When this happens repeatedly, the 2 x 4 can spontaneously ignite as low as 200 degrees F. Generally this happens in 3 to 5 years. So ensure you have proper wall and floor protection and required clearances.
If you and a "0 CLEARANCE" fire place, be sure it has not been altered. This type is safe only if installed to the manufacturer's specifications.
Wood supply is another important factor. Green wood should never be burned. It puts out less heat and more creosote. Split and stack wood and allow it to season for at least six months prior to burning. Do not burn cardboard, milk cartons, trash, or artificial logs (unless specifically manufactured for this purpose) in your stove because this type of product burns extremely hot and can crack masonry and warp metal.
It will be easier to maintain your stove with frequent additions of wood rather than infrequent additions of large amounts. To reload your fire box, open drafts for a few minutes, then open door slowly, add wood, close door and allow to burn hot for about 15 minutes, then return draft to desired level. By doing this you can reduce creosote build up by as much as 30%.
Creosote vapors are produced when wood burns and condenses in the relatively cool chimney flue of a slow burning fire, these vapors collect on the inside of the chimney flue in the form of a charcoal called creosote. This build up is much more rapid in airtight stoves as the air flow is reduced. Reports of complete chimney blockage due to creosote have been found within 2 hours of installation. When a chimney fire occurs this creosote build up ignites and can cause temperatures of up to 2,000 degrees F. Chimneys are not designed for this temperature and damage to the flue can be the result.
Learning how your appliance operates is an important factor in the safe operation. Experimenting with different woods and draft settings will give you a good idea of the most efficient combination, producing the most heat and least amount of creosote.
Generally creosote can be reduced or prevented if you follow these steps:
1. Burn only dry, seasoned wood.
2. Allow the appliance to burn at a hotter, more efficient rate.
3. If a warm fire is not needed, let it die and re-light it when needed.
4. Each time you refuel the fire let it burn hot for about 15 minutes to allow the moisture to burn off. Ashes removed may contain live coals. Never use a vacuum cleaner to remove ashes. Place ashes in a metal container with a lid. Then, remove it outside, well away from anything that can burn. Allow it to cool thoroughly before disposing of it. It is recommended you have your chimney checked/cleaned at least 2 times a year.
Thank you for taking the time to make your home fire safe.... If you have any questions regarding your wood stove
call us at Fire District #7, 360-668-5357 or 425-486-1217. NOTE: If you live in Fire District #7 and have a foreign exchange phone number, contact us for your emergency phone number, otherwise dial 9-1-1.
Questions conerning out door burning? CALL : 1-800-552-3565 |
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