The Wood Fireplace Insert Blog

Technorati Tags: Wood Burning Insert, wood fireplace insert

According to energy management experts, heating a single area of the home to a comfortable temperature and keeping the rest of the home cooler may reduce heating costs.  The main methods of alternative heating are wood-burning, electric and gas.

Gas and wood stoves appeal to different customers for various reasons.  Those who prefer gas like the instant heat, the fact that their is no mess and the ability to control the temperature. Those who prefer burning wood like the ambiance of a real fireplace and typically have access to firewood, a way to haul it and time to gather it.  Some customers will opt for both.

If you want a wood burning insert but are concerned about wood sources, consider getting a pellet stove.

Pellet stoves burn a wood pellets (a renewable fuel made of saw dust and wood chips that are pressed into pellets). Pellet fireplaces are some of the cleanest-burning appliances available and are extremely efficient. Most pellet stoves require a power source to operate the fan and pellet feeder.

Pellets burn longer than wood. You can load the pellets in the morning and the stove will automatically feed itself throughout the day maintaining a set temperature.

Pellet stoves can be vented straight out of a wall the same way as a gas fireplace.

Like wood burning stoves, pellet stoves require a buildup of heat before the temperature will change in the room. But the pellet stove works better for maintaining a consistent temperature then a wood burning stove because the combustion process is controlled by a thermostat.

If you want instant heat at the flip of a switch you should probably go with a gas fireplace.

Pellet stoves do create ash, which will need to be removed, sometimes daily depending on the size and usage level of the stove.

If you have a source for fuel, wood burning stoves or fireplaces can provide the least expensive alternative heat source.

Technorati Tags: fireplace insert, gas insert, pellet stove, Wood Burning Insert, wood stove

A catalytic combustor is a ceramic honeycombed device coated with a noble metal such as palladium. It causes the smoke from the fire to be burned rather than allowing it to go up the chimney unused.  Although there are various sizes and shapes, the most common cataltyic combustor is circular in shape, measuring around 5-6 inches in diameter and 2 inches thick.

As long as a fire is burning at a temperature above 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit the gases given off by the wood will burn too. However, if the fire is turned down and the temperature is below 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, the gases will not burn. This is where the catalytic combustor comes in.  When the gases pass through the combustor, the metal acts as a catalyst causing the gases to burn at temperatures as low as 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

The catalytic combustor slows down the burning process in the stove so that the wood is slowly “Cooked” as opposed to being burnt which results in total combustion with virtually no waste. Coals and ash are reduced to a fine white powder.  The increased heat output while using less wood to heat your home creates a huge savings in time and money.

This increases the efficiency of the stove or insert by 10 percent, reduces creosote production by 20-90% and decreases air pollution by as much as 75%.

Catalytic Combustor Maintainence

By keeping your catalytic combustor operating properly you can add to the wood stoves efficiency. To maintain your catalytic combustor remove and clean it periodically using a shop vacuum to get the light coating of ashes that can accumulate on the surface. If the ceramic cells are clogged you can clear them using a pipe cleaner.

Just like your cars catalytic converter, a catalytic combustor has to be replaced periodically.  Once is starts to crumble it should be replaced. Used properly they will last 10,000 to 12,000 operating hours.  If a combuster is contaminated with foreign materials the operating capabilities will be reduced. To avoid contaminating the catalytic combuster you should burn only natural seasoned wood. Avoid burning trash, colored magazines, coal, paper logs, treated wood, painted wood and lighter fluid.

Technorati Tags: catalytic combustor, Wood Burning Insert, wood fireplace insert