FIRE & CHIMNEY MAINTENANCE
A fire when burning properly is in many ways self cleaning.
Unfortunately it is not always possible to have our home wood heaters burning at maximum efficiency all the time.
One signal of inefficient burning is the blackening of the glass in the door of a wood stove. This is an indicator of:-
1. Fuel has an excessive moisture content.
2. The flue is becoming blocked.
3. The fire is not burning hot enough due to lack of air.
It is common for some residue deposit on the door glass when first lighting the fire but this should be burned off once the fire is established.
Overnight burning of a fire with reduced airflow is one of the main culprits for poor stove efficiency and increased pollutant emissions.
It is recommended that:-
1. Chimney flues are swept once a year. This will assist in getting the best efficiency from your stove.
2. Dry seasoned wood be used at all times.
3. Insulation of the home be undertaken to retain heat in the house thus removing the need for overnight burning.
The animation below shows the difference in Ekologs and Jarrah fuel being burned under the same conditions.
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A fire burning properly.
This is how the chimney emissions should be with a correctly burning fire.
An example of build up residue in a chimney.
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