EPA-certified stoves have been a new phenomenon. However, many older stoves can still be used. Most of the stoves are in need of a proper chimney to remove smoke from the environment. It is highly recommended for people to consider buying a kitchen chimney which can help you keep a clean environment.
There are few chimney brands which have a huge reputation of offering quality products. Some of the best Elica Chimneys have a good collection of auto clean chimneys for better usage. If you are looking at a commercial angle, you should check out Inalsa Kitchen chimneys.
Table of Contents
Different Types of Stoves
Franklin stoves
These cast-iron stoves are also known as Franklin Fireplaces. They look almost exactly like a fireplace, except that they can stand on their own and connect to the chimney via a stovepipe. They are not airtight because they have loose fitting doors. They can be used with the doors closed or open. While Franklin stoves can be beautiful and have the charm of open wood fires, their overall efficiency is low, even when the doors are closed. An open fireplace or campfire is the only thing that has a lower efficiency. .
Non-air-tight stoves
There are many other models of non-airtight stoves than the Franklin. There are many other types of stoves that were made without the use of air-tight technology, such as barrel stoves. These stoves consist of an oil barrel with legs and a load door. Despite their low efficiency, these stoves burn cleanly in most situations. Because you can’t control the air temperature, the fire will burn hot and consume most of the combustible material. You’ll be amazed at how they managed to keep their house warm with one!
Air-tight stoves
Everyone thought that air-tight stoves were fantastic before the EPA regulations. For those who still believe so, continue reading! The user has great control over the burner’s burn rate thanks to tightly fitted seams and gasketted load doors. Stoves that are tightly sealed can achieve long burning times by allowing low airflow rates into the stove. This creates a slow, low-burning fire.
What’s the problem with that?
Air-tight stoves provide a long, clean burn. You get a longer burn so you don’t need to add wood as often. The disadvantages are: you waste lots of fuel, since all that smoke represents unburned fuel; you pollute the environment (and maybe annoy your neighbors); you get less heat from a piece of wood, since, again, smoke is unburned fuel; and you run a much greater risk of creosote buildup in the chimney and potentially-disastrous chimney fires.
What is the reason for this?
This is because the stove’s “airtight” design allows for great control over the air coming into the stove but does not maximize combustion. Wood burning (or any other type of combustion) requires heat, fuel and oxygen. The wood is the fuel and stoves that are air tight can produce enough heat. Low-burns can starve the fire of oxygen and cause incomplete combustion. The chimney smoke is an indicator of wood burning that is incomplete or wasteful.
Modern stoves that are EPA-certified offer the best of both: a long burning time and a clean burn. This ensures maximum heat and minimal fuel consumption. Below, we’ll discuss how they do this.
What can you do with an older stove other than buying a new one?
Even though older stoves may not be as efficient as the new EPA-certified stoves in terms of overall efficiency, good operating practices can reduce pollution and improve fire safety. See “Tips for Woodstove Users”, page 52, for more information on stove operation.
Leave feedback about this