A Guide to Residential Wood Heating

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Natural Resources Ressources naturelles Canada Canada A Guide to Residential Wood Heating This guide is distributed for information purposes only and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Government of Canada or constitute an endorsement of any commercial product or person. Neither Canada nor its ministers, officers, employees or agents make any warranty with respect to this guide or assumes any liability arising from this guide.

Cat. No. M92-23/2002E ISBN 0-662-31793-9

Aussi disponible en français sous le titre : Le Guide du chauffage au bois résidentiel Table of Contents

Introduction ...... 2

Chapter 1 Safety Tips – Burn It Smart! ...... 3

Chapter 2 Wood Burning in Canada ...... 5

Chapter 3 Wood Burning and the Environment ...... 6

Chapter 4 Advanced Wood-Heating Technologies ...... 7

Chapter 5 Heating Options ...... 9

Chapter 6 Wood-Heating Accessories ...... 18

Chapter 7 Installation Safety ...... 20

Chapter 8 Your Installation Checklist ...... 32

Chapter 9 The Chimney ...... 33

Chapter 10 Preventing Smoke, Smells and Cold Hearths ...... 38

Chapter 11 Maintaining Your Wood-Heating System ...... 41

Chapter 12 Burning Wood Efficiently ...... 43

Chapter 13 Purchasing and Preparing Your Fuel Supply ...... 49

Chapter 14 Comparing Annual Heating Costs ...... 54

Chapter 15 The Future of Residential Wood Heating ...... 58

For More Information ...... 59

1 Introduction

If you are thinking about buying a If you are already enjoying the wood-heating appliance or already benefits of wood heat in your heat your home with wood, you home, use this guide to help may be one of 3 million Canadian you make informed decisions on households that appreciate the such matters as the following: ambience and warmth of wood • consulting wood-heating heat. Wood heating has a long professionals; history in Canada and, with new available technologies, more • how to maintain your system households are returning to for safety and peak efficiency; wood for renewable energy. • how to purchase and store Wood-heating technologies have your fuel wood; changed a lot in the past decade. • how to use fire management Today’s advanced combustion techniques for cleaner, systems burn more cleanly and virtually smokeless fires; and efficiently than ever. • many other useful tips. If you are shopping for a wood-heating appliance or are This guide is part of a series of planning to replace or upgrade buyer’s guides on renewable your current unit, consider only energy systems for residential use. a highly efficient combustion More documents on residential appliance. You can identify these wood heating include these titles: advanced systems by looking for • All About Wood Fireplaces proof of certification to the per- • An Introduction to Home formance standards set by both Heating With Wood CSA International, formerly the Canadian Standards Association, • Buying a High-Efficiency (“CSA B415.1 Performance Wood-Burning Appliance Testing of Solid-Fuel-Burning • Getting the Most Out of Your Heating Appliances”) and the Wood Stove U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA 1990). Certified For electronic versions of these systems will give you a cleaner, guides, visit the Web site at more efficient burn. http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/es/erb/ reed/public_e.htm. You can also order copies free of charge by calling 1 800 387-2000 toll-free.

2 1 Safety Tips – Burn It Smart!

Enjoy the benefits of your wood Don’t let a small spark A hot new stove fire in comfort just by taking ignite a big blaze ✔ If you are using an open fire- a few simple precautions. ✔ The best way to start your place or your wood stove is Otherwise, in the blink of an fire is with newspaper and past its prime, you might eye, those warm friendly flames dry kindling. Never try to get consider buying a new model in your fireplace or wood stove a blaze roaring with gasoline, with improved safety and could turn into a devastating kerosene or charcoal starter – efficiency features. The best fire. You can easily prevent you will get more firepower choice is a high-efficiency dangerous situations such as than you bargained for. stove or fireplace approved chimney fires by taking the for safety by the Underwriters’ ✔ Remove ashes from your proper safety measures. Laboratories of Canada (ULC) stove or fireplace regularly or another testing body, and Here are some good tips on ways and store them in a covered certified as low-emission by to burn cleaner wood fires. metal container in a safe area the U.S. Environmental away from the side of your Protection Agency (EPA). house. The sparks in hot Safety ashes can easily start fires. Go to the professionals Keep creosote at bay ✔ Keep all household items – ✔ Any new stove or fireplace Creosote, a crusty deposit left drapes, furniture, newspaper should be professionally behind by the smoke that drifts and books – away from the installed. Make sure your up your chimney, can ignite into heat and the stray sparks of existing unit is inspected and a dangerous fire when it builds your woodstove or fireplace. cleaned at least once a year up. To reduce it: ✔ Protect floors from sparks by a technician certified ✔ Burn only clean, well- with a properly fitted screen under the Wood Energy seasoned wood that has been around your fireplace. A Technical Training (WETT) split and dried properly. Dry decorative screen does not program or, in Quebec, the wood lights faster, burns bet- provide protection. Association des profession- ter and produces less smoke nels du chauffage. than “green” wood – a major Detection devices culprit in creosote buildup. save lives ✔ Think twice before you chop ✔ Install carbon monoxide up that old coffee table and detectors and smoke alarms, toss it into your wood stove. as required by the National Burning garbage, plastic, parti- Fire Code of Canada, and keep cleboard, plywood, salted a fire extinguisher nearby. driftwood or any other You should never smell painted or treated wood smoke in your house. releases a toxic cloud of If you do, it usually means chemicals and can build your wood stove or fireplace up creosote. system isn’t venting properly – perhaps the chimney is blocked, a damper is faulty or the fireplace is competing with your range hood. Not only are these fire hazards, but they could also lead to deadly carbon monoxide poisoning.

3 Healthier Where there’s smoke… there’s pollution Wood Heat ✔ Burn dry, well-seasoned wood The hottest pollution that has been split properly. preventer Green wood produces ✔ The best way to reduce wood unhealthy smoke because smoke is by using a high- it is too wet. efficiency wood stove or ✔ Burning garbage, plastic, par- fireplace, certified low- ticleboard, plywood or any emission by the EPA. Used other painted or treated properly, these products cut wood releases a toxic cloud emissions by up to 90 percent, of chemicals – don’t toss and you will see virtually no these items into your fire. smoke coming from your chimney. Be energy efficient ✔ ✔ More efficient than Make sure your home is conventional models, high- energy efficient by insulating efficiency products use up walls, caulking windows and to one third less wood – repairing weatherstripping meaning less smoke, less around the doors. Don’t let work and hearty cost savings. your heat slip through the cracks! Burn small and burn smart Local Air Quality Advisory ✔ ✔ Keep the fire hot and small. Under certain weather condi- Feed it regularly with split tions, you will notice that wood and never let it smoul- the smoke is slow to thin der. A smouldering fire out and hangs in the air for creates more smoke. longer than usual. Sometimes Canadian municipalities will ✔ Don’t overload your stove issue local air quality advi- or fireplace. Air should sories in which people are move around inside for asked not to burn wood during a cleaner burn. this time. It’s important to respect these advisories.

4 2 Wood Burning in Canada

• pellet stoves that use com- Our houses have also become Scientific research and the pressed wood and other more energy efficient, with more co-operative efforts of govern- biomass wastes, capable of insulation, more effective air ments and industry make wood providing at least 24 hours barriers, and sealed doors and burning safer, cleaner, more of unattended, automated windows. These changes make convenient and more efficient than ever. heating; houses easier to heat. But they also mean that wood-burning • standards that provide clear systems must be better designed guidelines for safe installa- Wood was Canada’s original and sized and their installation tion; and heating fuel. Wood burning carefully planned so that they continues to be an effective and • professional training programs function properly within a economical way to heat your for installers and inspectors to tightly sealed house. home – as a primary heating ensure that you get depend- source or as a secondary heating able advice and service. The Keys to Safe source to complement conven- As recently as the mid-1970s, tional oil or gas furnaces, or basement wood furnaces or sim- and Successful electric baseboards. ple box stoves burned most of Wood Burning the wood in homes. Then came The keys to safe and successful Advances in the evolution to airtight stoves, wood burning are good planning, Wood Burning which were more efficient but carefully selecting a high-efficiency created more air pollution. appliance, installing and properly Major advances in the 1990s Pressured by environmental operating the appliance and prac- have made wood burning cleaner observers over the issue of smoke tising clean-burning habits. This and more effective, efficient pollution, stove designers began guide is intended to help you and convenient than ever. The to develop cleaner-burning plan and use your wood-burning following are some of these products. By the early 1990s, system in the safest, cleanest and advances: Canadian manufacturers led most effective way. • combustion designs that can the way, and new products burn more of the wood – and reached the market. burn it more cleanly and at Today, the efficiency of higher efficiencies; wood-heating systems has • performance standards improved significantly. Most (CSA B415.1 and EPA 1990) of the new wood-heating that identify newer, cleaner- appliances are attractive burning units; stoves and fireplaces designed for the main living areas of • technology that provides a home. They use advanced more efficient heating while technology and are cleaner- allowing you to view the burning. Such appliances, flame from behind a special properly installed in the right ceramic glass door that will place, can provide primary stay clear for long periods; or secondary heat for your home – while offering the beauty of a visible fire.

5 3 Wood Burning and the Environment

• Avoid smouldering fires by Wood, however, differs from Wood is a renewable energy using the clean-burn tech- fossil fuels such as oil and gas resource. And because trees niques covered in Chapter 10, because it is carbon neutral. The recycle carbon dioxide, wood “Preventing Smoke, Smells and term “renewable” refers to the burning doesn’t contribute to Cold Hearths.” Burning wood fact that trees recycle CO . As a the problem of climate change. 2 cleanly reduces up to half the tree grows, it uses CO from the As well, advanced combustion 2 technologies mean more heat amount of smoke produced. air as a source of carbon to build its structure. This carbon makes and less smoke from the wood • Use well-seasoned, dry, clean up about half of the weight of you burn. firewood that is split to the wood. When wood is burned, it right size for your appliance. decomposes rapidly, and CO is Any fuel you choose to heat your 2 • Make your house more released into the atmosphere home will affect the environ- energy efficient so that you again. A similar amount of CO ment. When wood is not burned 2 use less fuel to heat it. Using would be slowly released if the properly, it can have negative less fuel wood means less tree died and was left to rot on impacts on both outdoor and environmental impact and the forest floor. As a result, wood indoor air quality. Smouldering, less work on your part. heating doesn’t contribute to the smoky fires that produce a plume problem of climate change the of blue-grey smoke from the way fossil fuel use does. But chimney are the main cause of Wood Burning, wood fuel is truly renewable air pollution related to wood Climate Change only if it is produced by using burning. You can reduce the sustainable forestry practices. amount of smoke from wood and the Canada’s forests can be a perpet- heating in many ways. Carbon Cycle ual source of fuel – as long as Nearly every day, we read news • If possible, upgrade to a new, they are cared for and managed reports about the need to reduce cleaner-burning stove or properly. fireplace. Cleaner-burning emissions of greenhouse gases appliances are certified to CSA (GHGs) to prevent climate International’s CSA B415.1 change and related problems. smoke emissions standard or The main source of GHGs is the to U.S. Environmental burning of oil, gas and coal to Protection Agency rules. These produce the energy we use. appliances reduce smoke emis- These fuels are called fossil fuels sions by as much as 90 percent because they are taken from deep compared with conventional beneath the earth’s surface, wood stoves, fireplaces and where they have been formed furnaces. Ask your hearth over millions of years. When products retailer for details. fossil fuels are burned, GHGs are released. The main GHG is • Select an appliance that is carbon dioxide (CO2). Increased the right size for your home’s concentrations of these gases in heating needs, and place it in the atmosphere trap the sun’s the main living area to make heat close to the earth and cause the best use of the heat it the average global temperature produces. to rise. • Use a modern chimney ▲ The Carbon Cycle matched to your appliance.

6 4 Advanced Wood-Heating Technologies

In the mid-1980s, researchers Advanced and appliance designers began to develop new technologies to Combustion significantly reduce the amount Systems of smoke and other pollutants Highly efficient combustion that wood-burning appliances systems create the conditions produce. Complete combustion needed to burn the smoke before needs three simultaneous condi- it leaves the appliance. The tions: high temperature, enough technology has the following oxygen (air) and time for the characteristics: combustion gases to burn before • firebox insulation to keep being cooled. temperatures high; Today, these highly efficient • primary combustion air that technologies come in three is preheated so that it doesn’t categories: advanced combustion, cool the fire; catalytic, and densified pellet ▲ Advanced combustion system systems. • preheated secondary air that is fed to the fire through When wood in a combustion sets of small holes in the stove or fireplace is burning well, gas-burning zone, above and you may see nearly transparent behind the fuel bed; and flames swirling above the wood in addition to the normal flames • internal baffles that give the coming from the wood. gases a long and hot enough route so that they can burn Canadian manufacturers have completely. an international reputation as designers of some of the most effective wood-burning appliances in the world. Ask your hearth products retailer to point these appliances out.

7 Catalytic Stoves Densified Pellet Catalytic stoves rely on a catalyst Systems to help burn smoke before it Densified pellet systems burn leaves the appliance. The catalyst fuel made from dried ground in a wood-burning appliance wood or other biomass waste is a coated ceramic honeycomb- compressed into small cylinders shaped device through which the about 6 mm (1/4 in.) in diameter exhaust gas is routed. The catalytic and 25 mm (1 in.) long. The coating lowers the ignition pressure and heat created during temperature of the combustion their production binds the gases as they pass through it. pellets together with the lignin This allows catalytic appliances in the wood without using ▲ Densified pellet system to burn cleanly at low heat output additives. settings. The performance of Since pellet stoves have three or the catalyst deteriorates over Pellet burners include a hopper even four motors, they can use time and emissions rise accord- to hold 20–60 kg of fuel and a a lot of electricity. If possible, ingly, so you need to replace screw auger to automatically try to get a pellet stove that uses the catalyst now and then. move the pellets from the efficient electric motors. DC hopper into the combustion Because the catalyst restricts motors use the least amount of chamber. Pellets burn cleanly gas flow through the appliance, energy – only 40–120 watts in because they are fed to the catalytic stoves always include total. To ensure that your pellet chamber at a controlled rate a bypass damper into the flue. stove is efficient and clean- and are matched with the right The damper is opened when fuel burning, buy one that has amount of combustion air. If is loaded and is closed when been tested to CSA B415.1 or they are properly adjusted, you get a hot fire. This forces EPA 1990 standards. pellet-burning stoves can operate the gases through the catalyst at lower emissions levels than for an extended, cleaner burn. natural firewood appliances. The restriction of gas flow can also cause draft problems.

▲ Catalytic stove

8 5 Heating Options

Like any effective heating sys- Heat Output Most Canadian homes are tem, installing a space heater Wood stoves range from very heated by a central system, takes careful planning. If you small units, designed to heat either a furnace or boiler (usually intend to supply most of your only a small area, to large stoves located in the basement). The home’s heating needs with a that can heat large houses. heat is distributed around the space heater, consider these two house through ducts (hot air) or However, large-output stoves in pipes (hot water). Space important factors: work well only if your house has heaters tend to heat the area in 1) The heater should be located an open-plan design, where the which they are located. where household members heat can readily circulate to spend most of their time. other areas. You have many options for heat- 2) The heat must be able to Selecting a stove with the correct ing your home with wood. These circulate to other parts of heat output range can be tricky options, discussed below, include the house. because the stove’s appearance space heaters such as wood doesn’t always reflect its perfor- These conditions aren’t difficult stoves and fireplaces, as well as mance. If the stove’s output is to meet, but they do need to be central heating systems. too large for the space to be planned. heated, it will be turned down Space heaters come in several dif- low much of the time, producing SPACE HEATERS ferent forms. They include wood a smoky fire. An undersized Most wood-burning appliances stoves, cookstoves, pellet stoves, stove, meanwhile, may deterio- function primarily as space conventional fireplaces, high- rate because of constant heaters. A space heater is intended efficiency fireplaces, fireplace over-firing. What is the best way to heat a space directly, unlike a inserts and masonry heaters. to find a stove that is sized for central heating furnace or boiler, your needs? Get advice from an which supplies heat to the house experienced wood stove retailer. through a system of ducts or pipes. Wood Stoves Since these retailers know the In the past, when houses were The wood stove is the most com- performance of each of their poorly insulated and drafty, a mon wood-heating appliance. stoves, they can help you choose space heater could be expected It can be safely located almost one that has the right output for only to heat the room it was anywhere as long as there is the space you want to heat. installed in and possibly an enough space and a chimney adjacent space. Modern houses can be properly routed. The ideal conserve energy more effectively place for the space heater is in and need less heat to stay warm. the centre of the main-floor Now a single space heater can living area of the house, with provide most of the heat for a the flue pipe running straight well-insulated, average-sized home. up from the stove flue collar into the chimney. This type of installation provides the best performance and requires the least maintenance. However, keep in mind that all wood- heating appliances need regular upkeep for safety, efficiency and cleanliness. Wood stoves come in a wide range of sizes and designs.

9 Design Means of Heat Transfer When you shop for a stove, you The exterior designs of wood Various stove designs heat will notice that most new wood stoves owe more to aesthetics the room in different ways. stoves deliver heat to a room by and personal preference than to Depending on its design, a a combination of direct radia- performance. For example, there wood stove may deliver most tion and convection. The sides are no clear differences in perfor- of its heat by direct radiation, and rear of many stoves are mance between cast iron and by the convection flow of shielded so that they can be plate steel constructions or warmed air, or both. installed close to walls, and these shields create convection flow of between painted and enamelled Radiation is the direct transfer of warm air. The fronts of all stoves, finishes. The real difference is heat from the hot stove surfaces either with glass panels or solid the technology inside the con- to walls, furniture and people that metal doors, deliver heat directly ventional wood stove as opposed are in direct line of sight from the to the room. to the technology in the high- stove. Radiant energy will make efficiency wood stove. you feel warm, even though the air around you is cool. The Cookstoves ceramic glass in the new wood stoves has special properties that allow direct radiation from the flame to pass through it. So you get heat through the glass, as well as from the hot metal surfaces of the stove. Convection is the transfer of heat through the motion of air. In wood stoves that deliver heat by convection, the body of the stove is surrounded by an outer casing, usually made of sheet metal. Heat from the stove creates a current of air in the space between the body and the outer casing. This way, much of the heat from the stove is delivered ▲ to the room as warmed air, Generations of rural Canadians used wood-burning cookstoves not only rather than direct radiation. for preparing meals and heating ▲ The outer surfaces of convection water, but also for heating their CAST-IRON WOOD STOVES – Cast-iron homes. wood stoves deliver much of their stoves (and the shielded portions heat to the room by direct radiation. of other stoves) don’t get as hot Rear heat shields, however, are as unshielded surfaces. You may find that a cookstove is often used to reduce installation a desirable addition to your rural clearances. These shields create convection air flow. home. However, cookstoves aren’t designed for use as stand- alone home-heating devices. And even though their manufacturers have been developing efficient, clean-burning products, smoky fires can still be a problem.

10 Pellet Stoves At the same time, pellet stoves usually have three motorized Stoves that burn pellet fuels – systems that require electricity. made from wood, corn or other biomass wastes – have been 1) a fuel feed auger to move the widely available in Canada for fuel from the storage hopper several years. Pellet stoves have to the combustion chamber; some advantages over wood 2) an exhaust fan to move the stoves that burn firewood: exhaust gases through the • The automatic operation is appliance and into the vent- convenient. ing system while drawing in combustion air; and • One hopper-load of fuel can last 24 hours or more. 3) a circulating fan to force air through the heat exchanger • The fuel is supplied in com- and into the room. pact bags that store neatly. A few pellet stoves can operate ▲ • Most can use a special vent Pellet stoves have a more complex during electrical power failures interior than wood stoves. A motor- that costs less than wood- ized auger feeds the pellets to the by using batteries to operate stove chimneys. combustion chamber, and a fan the motors. forces the exhaust into the venting • They can offer low emissions system. An air circulation fan is Although stoves are the most and high efficiency. also standard equipment on pellet common pellet-burning appli- stoves. On the other hand, they are Balancing these advantages are ances, you may also find easier to use and you can control the temperature. some limitations that you should fireplaces and central heating consider: furnaces that burn pellet fuel in • Pellet stoves tend to your area. Depending on your cost more. circumstances, a pellet-burning appliance could be a very • Pellet fuel is more expensive practical heating option. than firewood in many areas. • Most pellet stoves need electricity to drive auger motors and fans.

• Flames produced by pellet stoves don’t look as natural as wood fires, although this feature has improved.

11 Conventional fireplaces perform poorly because Note, too, that the tempered they don’t have the characteristics glass used in most fireplace doors Fireplaces needed to convert the fuel to (unlike the ceramic glass used for Conventional fireplaces have a useful heat – such as tight-fitting new wood stoves) blocks much long history in Canadian home casketed doors, well-designed of the radiant heat coming from heating. They are built from combustion chambers and an the fire. masonry materials such as brick, adequate heat exchanger. You may think that installing a block and stone. More recently, Not only are conventional fire- tubular grate or special firebox factory-built models are con- places inefficient and drafty, they liner will improve the fireplace’s structed mainly of steel. These can create two other problems. heating efficiency. However, this fireplaces were designed for, and First, their simple fireboxes don’t option isn’t recommended because are only useful for, your enjoy- burn the wood completely, so air it makes only a minor improvement of the fire. pollution can be high. Second, ment. And continuous use of the Conventional wood-burning their large air consumption, poor fireplace could dangerously fireplaces don’t heat a home combustion and widely varying overheat the surrounding area. effectively. Tests show that they draft make them more likely Installing an outside combustion can cause major heat loss by than other types of wood-burn- air duct to the firebox is unlikely drawing heated air out of the ing systems to spill smoke into to improve performance and house while delivering little heat the room. These days, Canadians can become a fire hazard under to the room. This problem can are more concerned about indoor certain wind conditions. Air from actually make the house feel air pollution than ever. If you the outdoors can reverse flow drafty while the fireplace is oper- share that concern, avoid using direction, sending hot exhaust ating and can result in a near- or a conventional fireplace in gases through the duct. below-zero efficiency when it is your home. cold outside. Conventional If you use your open-pit fireplace If you already have a con- only occasionally to view a fire, ventional fireplace and artificial fire logs made of wax would like to upgrade it, and sawdust are a good alterna- be a little sceptical about tive to natural firewood. Efficiency the claims made for many won’t be high, but pollutants fireplace products. While will be reduced. manufacturers advertise many options that claim to However, if you want to use improve the performance your fireplace on a regular basis of a conventional fireplace, and want better all-round per- in reality most do little to formance, your best option is increase efficiency or to upgrade it with an advanced decrease pollutants. combustion fireplace insert or hearth-mount stove. By upgrad- For example, to reduce the ing your system, you will notice cold draft, you could install more heat, much fewer pollutants tempered-glass doors on the and fewer cold drafts while fireplace. The doors won’t enjoying your fireplace. Moreover, improve energy efficiency, you will still be able to view an but they may reduce the attractive fire. leakage of air when you aren’t using the fireplace.

▲ Conventional open-pit fireplace

12 High-Efficiency These new fireplaces, approved to CSA International or EPA per- Fireplaces formance standards, can meet If you are looking for a new fire- both heating and aesthetic objec- place installation, you can now tives. Their only real drawback is combine the beauty of a fireplace the complex installation, which with the heating power of a you should leave to trained wood stove by selecting one of professionals. the new breeds of advanced factory-built fireplaces. Advanced combustion, high-efficiency fire- Fireplace Inserts places are becoming as effective A fireplace insert is like a wood for space heating as the new, stove, but designed to be installed advanced wood stoves. They use within the firebox of an existing the same internal combustion masonry fireplace. Inserts are used features to reduce smoke emis- to convert masonry fireplaces into sions and boost efficiency. more effective heating systems. An insert consists of a firebox The firebox and heat exchanger ▲ Factory-built fireplaces feature surrounded by an insulated con- of these fireplaces are surrounded advanced combustion systems, vection shell. Air flows through tight-fitting ceramic glass doors by an insulated sheet-metal the shell to be warmed before casing. This means they can be and heat exchangers. Some have optional duct kits to distribute being returned to the room. The installed within a combustible warm air to other parts of outer shell ensures that most of construction without overheat- the home. the heat is delivered to the room ing it. A lumber or steel-stud Some advanced fireplaces are instead of being trapped behind frame is constructed and sheathed approved for additional duct the insert in the masonry structure. with drywall or other materials routing to any part of the house. to enclose the sides and rear of the fireplace. The enclosure can then be decorated with tile, brick or stone slices and a mantel to create either a traditional- or modern-style fireplace. In most cases, the fireplace and its decorative facing materials can be installed without a foundation or floor reinforcement. These fireplaces provide heat to the room by drawing air through a grille (below the firebox) into the circulation chamber (between the firebox and casing), where it is heated. This heated air is directed back into the room either through another grille above the fireplace opening or through one or more ducts. ▲ You can retrofit an existing masonry fireplace with an insert to improve its efficiency and reduce the amount of air exhausted from the house.

13 A decorative faceplate covers the installed from the insert flue col- the extent that today’s best fire- space between the insert body lar to the top of the chimney. place inserts, with ceramic glass and the fireplace opening. The result is better performance doors and insulated outer casing, and a safer system. are nearly as efficient as free- Fireplace inserts used to have a standing wood stoves. reputation for being unsafe, ineffi- The liner reduces the flue size to cient and expensive to maintain match the insert. It also isolates Perhaps you already have an because the exhaust wasn’t prop- the exhaust gas from the masonry insert installed in a masonry fire- erly vented to the outdoors. Many structure of the fireplace and its place. Adding a stainless-steel older installations allowed the chimney. Your new insert should chimney liner would greatly exhaust gas to exit the insert flue be certified for low emissions so improve performance and safety. collar and find its way up the that you get the full benefits of A few special inserts can be chimney. In an attempt to correct the advanced technologies. This installed in factory-built fire- this problem, homeowners some- design evolution and technology places. If you are considering times used a short length of have increased performance to using an insert to improve the stainless steel liner to connect performance of your conventional the flue collar to the base of the factory-built fireplace, be sure fireplace chimney. However, expe- that it is certified for this use. rience has shown that, even with a direct chimney connection, inserts didn’t work properly. Aside Hearth-Mount from poor combustion, many Stoves inserts did a poor job of trans- A hearth-mount stove is an ferring heat from one room to alternative to a fireplace insert. another. They were also hard to A hearth mount is a wood stove clean and generated a high level installed in front of a fireplace. of creosote. Creosote is an oily Or, if you have a large fireplace, liquid with a penetrating odour, it can be mounted partially obtained by distilling wood tar. inside its firebox and vented When your chimney is caked with through the fireplace chimney. creosote, your risk for chimney Like inserts, hearth mounts must fires increases significantly. be vented through a liner that is Municipal installation codes now continuous from the flue collar require that a properly sized, to the top of the chimney. It is stainless-steel chimney liner be usually more efficient than an

▲ Municipal installation codes now require that a properly sized, stainless-steel chimney liner be installed from the insert flue collar to the top of the chimney. The result is better performance and a safer system

14 insert, as heat from the casing With a masonry heater, you comes directly into the room. You need only one or two hot fires can use only certain wood stoves each day to provide all of the as hearth mounts. The certification heat that your home needs. label and installation instructions The wood is burned quickly indicate if the unit can be vented and the fire is allowed to go through a fireplace. out. But the heat stored in the masonry structure continues to radiate warmth for many High-Thermal- hours thereafter. Mass Masonry The Masonry Heater Heaters Association of North America High-thermal-mass masonry has developed guidelines heaters operate on a different for the efficient design and principle from high-efficiency, installation of these heaters. factory-built fireplaces. Masonry Be sure that your unit meets heaters take advantage of tonnes these requirements. Since a of mass – in the form of bricks masonry heater represents a or stone – to absorb and later considerable investment, con- release the heat from the fire. sult a professional installer ▲ Unlike conventional fireplaces, These heaters also have a com- experienced in its design, construction and installation. masonry heaters burn more cleanly pletely different interior from and are a more efficient source of conventional masonry fireplaces. heat. The heat from the fire is trans- The core of the heater, consisting ferred to the mass of the masonry before being slowly released to the of the firebox and heat exchange room. Masonry heaters aren’t rated channels, is built from high-tem- for emissions, but you can achieve perature firebrick and/or precast equivalent performance by following guidelines from the Masonry Heater masonry components. To com- Association of North America. plete the fireplace, the core is then surrounded by brick, tile or stone.

15 CENTRAL HEATING However, central heating with a Add-On Wood wood-fired furnace may still be A central heating system uses a Furnace Installation an option under the following network of air ducts or water Wood furnaces and boilers can conditions: pipes to distribute heat to all be installed to work automati- areas of the house. For example, • the house is old, large and cally with appliances that use furnaces heat air that is then not energy efficient; other fuels, such as oil, natural gas and electricity. Combination forced through ducts with a fan. • the house has many small Boilers heat water that is forced furnaces (such as wood-oil or rooms with no large wood-electric) have two energy through pipes with a pump. Most open areas; houses in Canada have central sources in a single packaged unit. heating systems that use oil, gas • there is no suitable place to Add-on furnaces and boilers can or electricity as energy sources. install a fireplace or wood be installed beside existing fur- stove; naces and boilers that use other Central heating with wood-fired fuels. In general, wood-burning • fire viewing is a low priority; furnaces and boilers is less com- furnaces must have greater clear- mon than it used to be. Houses • you have ready access to ances from combustible surfaces are now more energy efficient and large amounts of low-cost (e.g. ceiling joists, frame walls) easier to heat with wood-burning wood fuel; or than oil, gas or electric furnaces. space heaters and advanced • you clean your furnace and All units must be safety tested fireplaces, which also offer the venting system frequently. and certified. aesthetics of fire viewing. As well, furnace and boiler-combustion Because wood furnaces lack technology has lagged behind the advanced combustion features, advances in wood stoves. Presently, they produce more smoke and no commercial units come close deposit more creosote in their to achieving the low emission chimneys. If you choose a wood- levels – or the higher efficiencies – burning central furnace, be of advanced wood stoves. prepared to service the chimney, flue pipes and furnace heat exchanger regularly during the winter.

▲ The add-on is placed beside the existing furnace, and special ducts are installed to connect the two units. The air passes through the original furnace, then through the add-on and into the ducts to be distributed throughout the house. Note that only an experienced professional should install an add-on.

16 Outdoor Boiler There are many problems with An outdoor boiler is contained in outdoor boilers that make them a small structure that looks like a controversial and, in many cases, garden shed. Heated water from undesirable. Most outdoor boilers the boiler is pumped through a create a lot of smoke during oper- pipe underground to the house. ation for the following reasons: Here it either passes through a • they lack internal features heat exchanger, releasing its that promote complete heat to a forced air stream, or is combustion of the wood; distributed to various areas supplying heat to baseboard or wall • the relatively cool boiler registers or through floor-heating surfaces quench the flames; coils. The water is then sent back • the units are inefficient; to the boiler through a second • the units selected are often underground pipe to be reheated. too large for the heat load, Uncertified outdoor boilers have which results in smouldering; become more popular in the past • their large fireboxes encour- decade. These boilers confine the age owners to use large pieces mess of chips and bark from of unsplit, unseasoned firewood storage and handling to wood that burn inefficiently; the outdoors. You can use the boiler to heat tap water, as well • few municipalities authorize as your home. Another advan- permits for their installation; tage is that you can use one of • their on/off operating cycle these units to heat more than means excessive combustion, one building. which creates high creosote pollution during the off Some outdoor boilers make so cycle; and much smoke and air pollution • they smoulder for long that many neighbours complain. Numerous rural municipalities in periods when used to Canada have either considered produce domestic hot banning them or are proceeding water during the summer, to do so. producing high levels of smoke emissions.

17 6 Wood-Heating Accessories

You might consider buying some Ash Container Fire Screen accessories to enhance your You will want to set an effective For safety and performance wood-heating system. Some of routine for dealing with ashes. reasons, you must operate most the options discussed below can Following are three ways to wood stoves with their doors make wood burning more pleas- avoid creating dust as you closed. However, a few stove ant and convenient, while others remove the ashes: models are safety certified for can create problems. • if your stove has an ash pan, use with their doors open and a empty it regularly (don’t let special fire screen in place. The Tool Set it over-fill) and transfer the screen is offered as an option There are standard sets of tools ashes from the pan to a with these models. Be aware for managing a wood fire to heat larger, covered metal bucket that stoves operating this way your home. You will use these outdoors (never indoors); are less efficient and produce tools several times a day during more smoke emissions than they periods of regular heating, so get • use an accessory ash scoop would with their doors closed. At a set that is more practical than with a sliding lid to reduce any rate, never use a fire screen decorative. Tool sets for wood- the dust in your home; and that isn’t specifically certified for heating appliances are different • if you use a shovel and use with your stove. Screens used from the more decorative sets bucket, remove ashes from only for decoration are no substi- used with conventional fire- the stove slowly and never tute for a safely closed stove door. places. Stove tool sets have drop ashes from the shovel shorter handles and have an ash into the bucket. Warm splat- rake instead of a poker. Any tered ashes are a fire hazard. retailer that specializes in hearth Double-bottom ash buckets and accessories can help you identify ash scoops are available from which sets are best suited for wood-heating retailers. your appliance.

▲ Ash bucket

▲ Fireplace tool set

18 Domestic Humidifier Hot-Water Does the air in your house tend to be dry in winter? Do you Coil or Tank notice too much static electricity Heating household tap water and have a dry nose and mouth? with a wood stove may seem like If so, consider adding humidity an attractive idea, but it is rarely to your air. The simplest form feasible because such systems of humidifier is a cast-iron pot are complicated and expensive. of water left to evaporate on Poorly designed systems can also the stove. Decorative cast-iron be hazardous. Without proper humidifiers designed for this design and pressure-relief devices, purpose are available from wood steam can become trapped and heat retailers. However, you cause a violent explosion. The don’t need humidification if hot-water coil or tank must be you see any sign of condensation safety certified for use with your on windows during cold weather. stove. If you decide to have a Also, in new, energy-tight houses, hot-water system installed, get problems can arise from too much advice from an experienced stove moisture indoors. Experiment to retailer. Also, make sure that the find the best moisture balance manufacturer’s instructions for for your home. installing it are followed exactly. Such coils may also degrade the performance of a clean-burning, advanced combustion appliance, resulting in high emissions and creosote.

19 7 Installation Safety

The safest and most effective Look for these symbols as your service vehicles and in advertising wood-heating system consists assurance of reliable information, materials. When you want reliable advice and services. information, advice or installation or of a high-efficiency stove or maintenance services, look for the fireplace certified by the EPA The Wood Energy Technical WETT logo. or CSA B415.1 and a suitable Training (WETT) program modern, certified venting system is a comprehensive series Similarly, l’Association des of courses covering instal- professionnels du chauf- sized to match the appliance. lation codes, proper fage (APC) is certified When such a system is installed installation, maintenance to provide the same according to the manufacturer’s and inspection procedures. assurances in Quebec. Look for the instructions and safety codes, Graduates of the program receive APC logo. it will be as safe as any other certificates and wallet cards. WETT- It is worth getting the job done right home-heating option. At first, it certified retailers can also display the the first time. Your effort will pay off in will cost a little more than the WETT logo in their stores, on their peace of mind in the years to come. older, out-of-date system. But its higher efficiency and lower maintenance costs mean you • a thorough training program Support for Safe save every year and get a faster for retailers, installers, chim- return on your investment. Wood Burning ney sweeps, municipal fire Until the 1990s, stoves were not and building inspectors, and When installed and used tested for safety, and homeown- insurance inspectors (pro- correctly, certified clean-burning ers had little or no guidance on fessionals in every part of appliances significantly reduce installation. The result was house Canada have completed the the risk of chimney fires. Their fires that were avoidable. Today, WETT or APC programs). advanced combustion systems after years of co-operative efforts burn the smoke inside the by all levels of government, the Today, wood-heating technology firebox, so less creosote forms wood-heating industry and and its safe installation are more in the chimney. As a bonus, you groups such as Fire Prevention complicated. It isn’t safe to sim- save on chimney-cleaning costs, Canada, several measures are ply hook up a wood stove to an which can be significant for in place to help you heat with existing chimney and begin conventional systems that need wood – safely. These safety using it for heating. You should cleaning two or three times each measures include the following: get reliable advice from a trained heating season. professional and consider having • a reliable installation code the wood-burning system profes- (“CSA B365 Installation Code sionally installed. This way, you for Solid-Fuel-Burning will get the best performance Appliances and Equipment”); from the system and be assured • safety-testing standards for of its safety. Before starting the stoves, inserts, fireplaces, installation, get a building per- furnaces, chimneys and flue mit from your municipal office pipes (almost all equipment and inform your insurance agent for sale carries a certification of your intentions. label indicating that it conforms to safety tests); and

20 Product Testing Planning a Don’t Put the Appliance in the Basement and Certification Space Heater The basement isn’t usually a Agencies Installation good place for space heating These three agencies test wood- If you want your wood-burning unless you are living there. burning appliances for safety space heater to make a large con- Although some of the heated in Canada: tribution to your home’s total air from the stove does rise to higher levels of the house, it CSA International heating needs, do some planning doesn’t do so effectively. And (formerly the Canadian before you select the heater and usually, in an effort to keep the Standards Association) decide on its location. Whether you choose an advanced combus- main-floor living spaces warm, tion wood stove, a pellet stove, the basement becomes over- Underwriters’ a high-efficiency fireplace, a heated. This wastes fuel, and the Laboratories fireplace insert or a masonry constant high firing can damage of Canada heater, you should consider the stove’s internal components. the same issues. An unfinished basement with Intertek Testing poorly insulated walls and floor Services, Ltd. Put the Appliance is a particularly bad location for (formerly Warnock Where You Live a wood-burning space heater. Hersey Professional Choosing the right location for The walls and floor absorb much Services Ltd.) the space heater may be the most of the heat, which is lost to important installation decision the outside. you make. Put the heater in the Certified appliances carry a label part of the house that you want to Also, space heaters operating with the logo of the certification be the warmest. This is usually the in basements may over-fire or agency. They are your assurance main floor area – kitchen, living smoulder without anyone notic- that the product has been tested room and dining room – where ing. Finally, putting a stove in and conforms to safety standards. family members spend most of the basement can cause venting As part of the certification their time. By locating the space and indoor air quality problems. process, the manufacturer’s heater here, you will be warm and The basement is a good location installation instructions are comfortable while you eat meals for a space heater only if your checked and approved. They and relax in the evenings. family spends a lot of time in a must also contain certain basic recreation room there. A base- information and messages. ment space heater should have You can rely on these certified its chimney inside the house installation instructions to be envelope. accurate. When followed, they will result in a safe installation. Look for these logos when you are shopping for a wood- burning appliance.

21 Balance Stove Output Houses of open-plan design with Consider the With Room Size fewer separations between rooms Chimney Location The layout of your house can are the easiest to heat effectively The chimney type, location and affect your choice of an appli- with a space heater. In this situa- arrangement have a lot to do ance. If the house has small and tion, you can use a somewhat with how effectively a wood- separate rooms, you probably larger appliance without over- burning system functions. When can’t heat it well with a single heating the space, and the heat you are planning where to put space heater. A stove that is too can flow to other rooms. the space heater, consider where large for the room where it is An experienced wood-burning you can route the chimney. If installed can make the room appliance retailer is often your possible, avoid running the uncomfortably warm. A small best source of advice on appli- chimney up the outside wall of space heater, however, can ance sizing for your home. When the house. A chimney always supplement your heating needs, you visit a store to look over the works best when it runs straight while avoiding overheating options, take along the blue- up from the appliance through the area. prints or a floor plan of your the warm house interior. You house. This will save time and can learn more about chimney help the salesperson give you location and performance in better advice. Chapter 9, “The Chimney.” Consider Heat CLOSED FLOOR PLAN – A ▲ house with many enclosed Distribution rooms can be hard to heat Whether or not a stove or fire- with a single space heater. place has an internal fan, the However, a properly located small space heater can heat heat from a space heater eventu- much of the house if there ally rises to the ceiling of the is a way to move heat to room in which it is located. Heat other areas. collecting at this level tends to flow gradually through open stairwells to higher levels of the home. If there is no opening, the heat can stay close to the ceiling, while your feet are left cold.

▲ A ceiling fan, slowly circulating OPEN FLOOR PLAN – A house with an open air toward the floor, helps design has few walls to improve the overall effectiveness separate rooms on the main of the space heater. At the same floor. You can usually heat time, it distributes the heat more it effectively with a wood- burning space heater, if you evenly throughout the house. put it in the right place. Fans are particularly effective in rooms with cathedral ceilings or in homes without central forced- air heating systems.

22 ▲ USING A FURNACE FAN TO DISTRIBUTE HEAT – A central furnace fan on low speed slowly circulates the air in the house and ▲ CAUTION – Never try to use a wood distributes the heat from the wood stove to other areas. stove as a central furnace by putting a hood over the stove and connect- ing a furnace duct to the hood. This violates building codes and disrupts One of the best ways to distrib- operates, the room will not the air-circulating system. It can ute heat from a wood stove is to become depressurized; this also cause the stove to spill smoke use the air-circulating fan of a vacuum-type effect sucks air by depressurizing the room. The biggest danger? The chimney flow central furnace. By running the out of the house, pulling indoor can reverse, filling your house furnace fan on low speed, the air air elsewhere. with smoke and posing the risk is gradually mixed and distrib- of asphyxiation while you and In any case, most furnace fans your family are sleeping. uted throughout the house. use a lot of electricity on low If you plan to build a new home, speed. A better way is buying a consider having your heating furnace with a high-efficiency contractor install extra cold air electronically commutated return grilles on the wall at ceil- motor (ECM). ing level in the room with the Another useful fan is the small stove. Since the heated air from accessory fan designed to hang the stove will rise to the ceiling, in the upper corner of an open the grilles don’t need to be close doorway. It helps move heat to the stove in order to pick up down a hallway or into the next and circulate the heated air room. Finally, installing grilles in around the house. It is, however, floors and walls to allow air to important to balance the flow of flow passively into other rooms air into and out of the room or levels helps distribute heat through the ducts and registers. from a wood stove. This way, when the furnace fan

23 Installing Wood • Installation rules for uncerti- You can find guidelines for fied stoves are so complicated installing these uncertified stoves Stoves that you will need an experi- in the solid-fuel-burning installa- The guidelines for installing wood enced professional to interpret tion code, CSA B365. The lowest stoves can be grouped into two them or to install your stove. clearances to combustible materials categories. The first category is for for uncertified stoves are large – • The construction quality and stoves that have been tested and 1200 mm (48 in.) for radiant convenience features of new certified as meeting Canadian stoves and 900 mm (36 in.) for certified stoves are superior safety standards. The tests deter- stoves surrounded by jackets to older, uncertified stoves. mined the lowest clearances and behind which convection air other installation guidelines for • Uncertified stoves may con- can flow. the specific appliance. You can stitute a serious fire hazard. find this information in the man- • You may not be able to ufacturer’s instructions. All new get insurance, even at a advanced wood stoves for sale in high rate. Canada today have been safety certified, and most insurance companies will accept only certified appliances. The second category is for appliances that haven’t been tested and certified. These include used or antique stoves, most stoves built before the early 1980s and stoves built by small, informal welding shops. There are several good reasons to avoid uncertified appliances. • They are less efficient than new, certified appliances, so you will burn more wood to get the same amount of heat, which will produce high levels of smoke and creosote. • They require larger installation clearances than new certified stoves, making them more difficult and expensive to install. ▲ SIDE AND REAR WALL CLEARANCE FOR AN UNCERTIFIED STOVE – The manufacturer’s installation instructions specify the right clearances for the appliance. The clearances for certified appliances vary, but are less than those shown in the following table (from CSA B365) for uncertified appliances. Many of the new, certified appliances have heat shields on the sides and rear, reducing clearances by as much as 90 percent.

24 Clearances to Combustible Material for Appliances Rules for constructing heat Using Solid Fuel shields Source: CSA International B365-01, Table 2 • Minimum space between shield and combustible Minimum clearance, mm (in.) 7 material: 21 mm ( /8 in.). Sides, rear Fuelling and ash Application Top and corner removal side(s) • Minimum clearance along bottom of shield: 25 mm Appliances with 1500 (60) 1200 (48) 1200 (48) (1 in.). no shielding* • Maximum clearance along Appliances with 1500 (60) 900 (36) 1200 (48) bottom of shield: 75 mm shielding* (3 in.). * Shielding consists of protection such as external jacketing or a metal heat • Minimum clearance along shield attached to the sides and rear of the appliance and spaced out at least top of shield at ceiling: 50 mm (2 in.) by non-combustible spacers, with provision for air circulation at bottom and top. 75 mm (3 in.). Note: Clearances shall be measured from the outer surface of the appliance • Shield extension beyond to the combustible material; a non-combustible covering applied over the each side of appliance: combustible material shall be disregarded. 45 cm (18 in.). • Shield extension above convection flow of air when the Reduce Minimum appliance: 50 cm (20 in.). Clearances Safely stove is operating and prevents Like most homeowners, you the stove’s heat from reaching • Edge clearance for ceiling probably want your wood stove the wall. (The percentage shown shields: 75 mm (3 in.). to take up as little floor space as in the table on page 26 is the • Glues used in shield con- possible. As a result, heat shields amount by which you can reduce struction must not ignite are often used to reduce clear- the lowest clearance with the or lose adhesive qualities ances and protect walls and particular shield system listed.) at temperatures likely to ceilings. Some stove manufac- By using heat shields, you can be reached. turers offer certified accessory reduce wall and ceiling clearances. • Mounting hardware must shields with their products to Clearance-reducing shields are allow full vertical ventilation. provide reduced wall clearance. made from various materials, • Mounting hardware must not If you aren’t offered accessory from simple sheet metal to more be located closer than 200 mm shields for your stove or if you decorative brick, stone slices or (8 in.) from the vertical want to reduce the clearance ceramic tiles. Although CSA B365 centre line of the appliance. even further, you can buy effec- allows you to make shields from tive wall and ceiling shields or solid brick, this isn’t practical • Mounting hardware that have them built. because they are expensive and extends from the shield sur- You can safely reduce the clear- hard to build. You can achieve face into combustibles may ances for both certified and the same visual effect for less be used only at the lateral uncertified stoves by following money by using brick slices, extremities of the shield. the rules set out in standard rather than full bricks. In addi- CSA B365. The common feature tion, shields must be permanently of the clearance reduction rules mounted to walls – free-standing is air space behind the shield panels aren’t acceptable as material. This space sets up a clearance-reducing shields.

25 Reducing Clearances with Shielding Source: CSA 365-01, Table 3, Reduction in Appliance and Ductwork Clearance from Combustible Material with Specified Forms of Protection

Clearances may be reduced by these percentages Type of protection (shield) Sides and rear % Top % Sheet metal, a minimum of 29 gauge in thickness spaced out at least 67 50 7 21 mm ( /8 in.) by non-combustible spacers Ceramic tiles or equivalent non-combustible material on non-combustible 50 33 7 supports spaced out at least 21 mm ( /8 in.) by non-combustible spacers Ceramic tiles or equivalent non-combustible material on non-combustible 67 50 supports with a minimum of 29 gauge sheet metal backing spaced out at least 7 21 mm ( /8 in.) by non-combustible spacers

7 Brick spaced out at least 21 mm ( /8 in.) by non-combustible spacers 50 n/a Brick with a minimum of 29 gauge sheet metal backing spaced out at least 67 n/a 7 21 mm ( /8 in.) by non-combustible spacers

You can also reduce minimum clearances by using commercial shields. They are tested to determine how effectively they can reduce clearances. The shields are 45 cm (18 in.) certified and carry a label that wallstud confirms they have passed the tests and provides details on drywall clearance reduction. Some com- channel mercial shields can be attached spacer directly to combustible walls 50 cm without needing an air space. (20 in.) wall shield The first step in reducing clearances is to determine the lowest clearance, from either the stove label or the Table of Clearances for Uncertified Stoves (from the CSA B365 installation code). Then calculate the amount the clearance will be reduced with the type of shield you plan to use (from the table on clearance reduction).

▲ CUT-AWAY OF WALL SHIELD ASSEMBLY – By allowing air to flow between the shield and the combustible surface, a wall shielding assembly can safely reduce minimum clearances. The shield must extend at least 50 cm (20 in.) above the top of the appliance and 45 cm (18 in.) beyond each edge of the appliance.

26 Channel spacers are the most Protect the floor Uncertified stoves haven’t passed effective type because they give Certified wood stoves will not safety tests, so heat from the bot- good support to the shield and overheat a combustible floor. tom may overheat floors or cause don’t transmit heat through During safety testing, the floor a fire. These appliances have the mounting hardware to the temperature is checked and must different rules for floor protection, combustible wall. Metal wall not exceed safe limits. Although depending on the height of the strapping, available from most the floor won’t overheat during stove legs and any bottom protec- building supply stores, is made normal operation, you still need tion the stove might have. If of light steel channels that work to protect it from live embers you are installing an uncertified well as shield spacers. Note that that might fall from the stove appliance, contact a qualified the bottom of the channel is as you tend the fire or remove professional for details. Better notched to allow cooling air to ashes. The floor pad must be a yet, choose a new, certified stove – enter. The shield must extend durable, non-combustible mater- especially a highly efficient model. 45 cm (18 in.) beyond each edge ial, such as sheet metal, grouted of the appliance and 50 cm ceramic tile or mortared brick. (20 in.) above the top of the Floor pads must normally extend appliance. not less than 45 cm (18 in.) in front of the loading door and Parts of the Wood 20 cm (8 in.) beyond the other Stove Installation sides and the back. Don’t install A typical wood stove installation the floor pad on a carpet unless consists of the following compo- the pad is struc- nents, starting at floor level: turally supported • a non-combustible floor pad so that it doesn’t to protect flooring or carpets move, crack from embers that might or distort. fall from the stove during loading or ash removal; • a wood stove; • a flue pipe that connects the flue collar of the stove to the chimney; and • a chimney system that produces the draft that draws combustion air into the stove and expels the exhaust gases to the outside.

Each part of the space heater system deserves careful attention during installation in order to ▲ NON-COMBUSTIBLE FLOOR PAD SIZE AND TYPE – The produce effective heating. floor pad protects flooring from hot embers or ashes that might fall from the stove as you fill it or tend the fire. The pad must extend at least 20 cm (8 in.) beyond the sides and rear, and 45 cm (18 in.) in front of the loading door. Also, the floor pad must be a continuous, non-combustible surface. Do not mount the floor pad on carpet, unless the pad is strong enough to resist bending or cracking.

27 Installing flue pipes • Maximum unsupported Flue pipes carry the exhaust horizontal length: 1 m (3 ft.). gases from the stove flue collar • Maximum combined change to the base of the chimney. They in direction: 180 degrees have been called the weak link (i.e. not more than two in the wood-burning system, 90-degree elbows). because they are often improp- erly installed. As you will see • Minimum upward slope from the list below, several rules towards the chimney: 1 exist for safely installing flue 2 cm/m ( /4 in. per ft.). pipe assemblies. They apply to • The crimped ends (male) of flue pipes connected to all wood- the sections must be oriented burning appliances, including toward the appliance. central heating systems. • Each joint in the assembly Flue pipe assemblies should be must be fastened with at least as short and as direct as possible three screws, including the between the stove and the connections at the appliance entrance to the chimney. This flue collar and chimney. reduces heat loss and promotes • Flue pipes that are 15, 17.5 a strong and reliable chimney and 20 cm (6, 7 and 8 in.) in draft. The ideal assembly rises diameter must have at least straight up from the stove flue 24 gauge thickness. collar and fits directly into the ▲ THE IDEAL SINGLE-WALL FLUE PIPE chimney without elbows or ASSEMBLY – When the flue gas path • Don’t use galvanized flue is straight, the system produces a pipes – the coatings vaporize curves. A straight flue pipe stronger draft and needs less mainte- assembly allows the most gas nance than an assembly with at high temperatures and flow and results in a stronger elbows. The ideal flue pipe assembly release dangerous gases. Use rises straight from the appliance flue black-painted flue pipes. draft. Straight assemblies also collar into the chimney. A straight need less maintenance because single-wall flue pipe assembly needs • The assembly, including the there are no corners where cre- an inspection wrap or telescopic elbows, must have allowance osote deposits can accumulate. section so that you can install and remove it without having to move for expansion: straight the appliance. The wrap also allows assemblies should include some movement for expansion either an inspection wrap when the flue pipe gets hot. with one end unfastened or a telescopic section. Rules for single-wall flue pipe assemblies Certified double-wall flue pipe systems are also available. These • Minimum clearance from systems are tested to determine combustible material: the minimum clearance at which 45 cm (18 in.). they can be installed. You will • The minimum clearance may find the clearance information be cut in half to 22.5 cm on the labels attached to the (9 in.) if suitable shielding is pipe and in the manufacturer’s installed either on the pipe installation instructions. or the combustible surface. • Maximum overall length of straight pipe: 3 m (10 ft.).

28 The lowest clearances for The two general types of double- Installing installing certified double-wall wall flue pipes are sealed and flue pipes are less than those for vented. A sealed double-wall Advanced single-wall pipes. Also, the maxi- flue pipe retains heat in the Combustion, mum length of a double-wall flue gases because the air space pipe assembly may be greater between the inner liner and High-Efficiency than is permitted for a single- outer shell acts as an insulator. Fireplaces wall pipe. This extra length is A sealed pipe is a good choice for Advanced combustion fireplaces useful for installations in rooms most installations, particularly are installed within the structure with cathedral ceilings, because if the assembly must be long or of the house and surrounded by the distance to the base of if the appliance is expected to combustible building materials. the chimney may exceed produce low flue gas tempera- The fireplace and its heating 3m(10 ft.). tures. These pipes can improve flow paths, chimney and other the draft and reduce creosote components are safety tested deposits. together as a unit. Therefore, you can install only the chimney and Vented double-wall flue pipes the other components that the release more heat into the room fireplace was tested with. No as the gases flow through, by general instructions exist for allowing cooling air to pass installing such fireplaces; each between the inner and outer fireplace design has its own layers, removing heat from the installation guidelines, which inner surface. This can cause too you can find in the manufac- much creosote to form and cre- turer’s instruction manual. ate a poor draft. You may need to put the flue pipe a bit closer Once you find an advanced fire- to a combustible surface. place you like, ask the retailer for Partially shielded flue pipes, a copy of the installation instruc- which have a curved shield at tions. Study them at home so the back towards the wall and you can become familiar with expose the single-wall liner to the fireplace before making your the room, are a simple solution. decision. The manual will tell you about safe clearances, mantel heights, limitations on decorative finishing materials and guidelines for routing and ▲ DOUBLE-WALL FLUE PIPE ASSEMBLIES – installing remote heating ducts. Certified double-wall flue pipes have Spending some time getting to a stainless-steel inner liner and a sealed or ventilated outer shell. They know the product is worthwhile, cost more than single-wall pipes, even if you plan to hire profes- but last longer and produce a more sional technicians to install the stable assembly. You can place double-wall pipes closer to combustible fireplace. materials than single-wall pipes.

29 A fireplace insert or hearth-mount Installing The back of the fireplace and stove and its full chimney liner its heating paths and chimney are, in effect, permanently Masonry Heaters will be enclosed and out of installed. Usually, you must alter Masonry heaters are entirely dif- sight once the installation is the structure of the masonry fire- ferent in design, construction and completed. So it is important place to complete the installation, operation from conventional to follow the manufacturer’s and it may not be possible to masonry fireplaces. The core of instructions exactly to ensure return it to its original condition the heater, consisting of the fire- that clearances are adequate. if you change your mind later. box and heat exchanger, has a Installing an advanced factory- series of precast components When an insert or hearth mount is built fireplace is complicated and made of high-temperature brick installed in a fireplace, you almost not a do-it-yourself job – unless materials. They are assembled always need to extend the hearth you have plenty of carpentry by a mason and surrounded by at least 45 cm (18 in.) beyond the experience and are willing to the finish material (brick, tile front of the appliance to protect invest the time to ensure you or stone). The clearances of a the floor. This hearth extension get every part of the installation masonry heater from combustible must be permanently mounted to just right. A better option is to materials must meet the standards the floor. Fire-retardant hearth contract an experienced wood- found in building codes for rugs aren’t considered adequate heat technician to install the conventional fireplaces. floor protection. The installation unit for you. instructions may also specify a Someone without specialized minimum mantel height above training and plenty of experience Installing the insert. If your fireplace mantel would find it difficult to build a is lower, you may need to shield masonry heater that would per- Fireplace Inserts it so that it doesn’t overheat. form well and last a long time. A masonry heater is not only costly and Hearth- Although installing a fireplace but also a lifetime investment, so insert may appear straightforward, Mount Stoves select your heater mason care- One rule that applies to all it isn’t a simple do-it-yourself job. fully. Ask for references from fireplace inserts is that a full, Before installation, the existing previous customers, and call them stainless-steel chimney liner fireplace and chimney must be for their comments. Qualified must be installed from the insert cleaned thoroughly so that no heater masons are certified by the flue collar to the top of the combustible deposits remain. Masonry Heater Association of chimney. The liner reduces the Installing the liner can be chal- North America. size of the chimney flue to lenging, and the correct materials match that of the insert collar must be used. The connections and isolates the flue gas from the to the insert and between liner masonry structure. This retains sections must be secure, and all heat and produces a stronger materials must be corrosion- draft. The liner also makes clean- resistant. Look for a dealer with ing and servicing easier, since it years of experience installing can be cleaned from the top of inserts. Professional installers the chimney, and the deposits know the trouble spots and how can be removed from inside to avoid future problems. the insert. With a full liner, you don’t have to remove the insert for cleaning, a costly procedure that can damage the hearth.

30 Installing may smoke into the house if the Combination wood-oil, wood- power fails, because there is no electric and add-on furnaces are Pellet-Burning natural draft to draw it outside. the most popular central wood- Appliances Experienced pellet-stove heating options installed in You can find the installation installers often recommend basement furnace rooms. The guidelines for certified pellet- venting the stove vertically up controls and duct systems are burning appliances in the through the roof. At the least, linked, so the heat distribution manufacturer’s instructions. they install some vertical rise, system is shared by both energy The manual provides details so that you have enough natural sources. A certified wood-burning of clearances, the materials draft to draw the smoke outside add-on furnace can share a chim- used to vent the exhaust and during a power failure. ney with an oil furnace, provided the arrangement of vent the chimney is suited for use Since the exhaust fan puts pellet components. with a wood-burning furnace. stove vents under positive pres- However, if coupled with a gas Almost all pellet stoves use a sure, seal each joint carefully furnace, the add-on must have a small fan to force the exhaust with high-temperature sealant. separate chimney. through the venting system, This will prevent fine ash and so they do not rely on natural soot particles from leaking into All wood-burning furnaces and chimney draft for normal opera- the room. It is a good idea to boilers must be certified to meet tion. Also, since the fuel and air have a new pellet stove profes- the CSA International safety test mixture can be adjusted and set sionally installed and adjusted to standard. Installation details are once the unit is burning cleanly, burn properly. Annual servicing determined during testing. As a the fire in a pellet stove is unlikely by the dealer to ensure that the result, the installation rules for to smoulder and produce creosote. system is reliable is also a good each make and model of central For these reasons, pellet stoves investment. heating furnace or boiler differ don’t need the high-temperature somewhat. The specific infor- chimneys that wood stoves do. mation can be found in the Instead, they can use a light- Installing Central manufacturer’s installation weight double-wall pipe called a Heating Furnaces instructions. pellet vent. Some pellet stoves If you do decide to go with an can be vented horizontally out and Boilers When considering central heat- uncertified outdoor boiler, the through a wall, so you don’t ing with wood, a reputable installation should be done by an need a chimney. heating retailer or contractor is experienced dealer. Get references However, there are some draw- your best source of information and speak to other owners of out- backs to straight horizontal on available systems and their door boilers before making the pellet vent installations. First, suitability for your home. Since decision and choosing the dealer. the vent must be far from win- installing central heating appli- With an installed cost as high as dows and doors to keep the ances is complicated and requires $10,000, an outdoor boiler is a exhaust smell from getting into several specialized skills, you big investment. Make sure your the house – a location that may must hire professionals to do dealer has plenty of experience be difficult to find. Second, pellet the work. and a good reputation. stove exhaust fans aren’t powerful. If a strong wind blows against the vent wall, exhaust can be forced back into the house. And third, the stove

31 8 Your Installation Checklist

Before the While the System • Install smoke detectors on or near the ceiling at the exits System Is Is Being Installed to the room where the Installed • Make sure that the manufac- appliance is installed. Replace turer’s instructions are being • Call your municipal building the batteries annually, and followed exactly. If the department to discuss your consider installing a carbon installer deviates from the plans and find out if you monoxide detector. instructions, ask why. Any need a building permit. In • Buy a labelled and approved variation from the installa- some municipalities, you ABC-type fire extinguisher, tion guidelines should be need a permit to exchange and store it near the installa- reviewed by a third party an old stove for a new one. tion. Follow the instructions such as a building inspector. • Contact your insurance agent on the extinguisher label for to find out if the installation maintenance procedures. will affect your policy. Many After the • Read and follow the insurance companies add sur- Installation manufacturer’s operating charges to policies on houses instructions. with wood-burning equip- Is Completed • Check the installation to ment. If you think the quote be sure that it meets code is high, shop around – requirements. especially if you are having a high-efficiency combustion • Have your municipal building unit installed by a WETT- or fire department inspect the or APC-certified technician. installation. Some departments Some insurance companies are reluctant to inspect wood- reduce or eliminate surcharges heating systems. In some if the system is installed by cases, these departments will a certified professional and refer you to a local WETT- or the appliance is an advanced APC-certified retailer, installer technology model. or chimney sweep for the inspection. • Make sure the installer has general liability and errors • Notify your insurance agent. and omissions insurance. Your insurance company may send someone to inspect • Review the installation plans your installation. with your retailer, installer or contractor. Make sure you understand what is involved and what all the costs will be. If you are installing the system yourself, get advice from a trained professional so that you don’t misinter- pret or overlook any key safety issues. • Read the manufacturer’s installation instructions carefully.

32 9 The Chimney

draws combustion air into the Guidelines Modern, efficient appliances need appliance and expels the exhaust modern, efficient chimneys. The gas outside through the chimney. for Installing selection, location and installa- The hotter the gas compared tion of the chimney are as Chimneys with the air outside, the stronger important as the type of wood- 1) Install the chimney within the burning appliance you choose. A the draft. In this chapter, you house envelope, rather than properly designed and installed will also learn that a chimney up an outside wall. Chimneys chimney will provide many years should produce a small amount along an outside wall are of reliable service and allow your of draft even when no fire is exposed to wind and low tem- appliance to perform correctly. burning. In fact, some of the peratures; this chilling effect most serious flaws in chimney can reduce the available draft performance are revealed when to the appliance and cause How Chimneys the appliance is not being used. condensation. Outside chim- Work The chimney’s function is to neys also tend to create a produce the draft that draws cold backdraft when no fire is An effective chimney is an impor- combustion air into the appli- burning. This allows cold air tant part of any successful ance and safely exhaust the gases and odours to enter the house wood-burning system. Many of from combustion to the outside. and makes it hard to light a the reported problems with the To fulfil this role, the chimney fire without getting smoke in performance of wood-burning must do the following: the house. On the other hand, appliances can be traced to the chimneys that run up inside chimney. Knowing how chimneys • isolate nearby combustible the house benefit from being work is not only necessary in materials from flue gas heat; enclosed within a warm envi- selecting the correct type and • tolerate the high gas temper- ronment. Inside chimneys designing the installation, but also atures caused by overfiring produce stronger draft and useful in operating your wood- and chimney fires; accumulate less creosote when burning system from day to day. • conserve flue gas heat to a fire is burning. They usually produce a strong and produce a small amount of MINIMUM CHIMNEY HEIGHT ABOVE consistent draft; draft, even when there is THE ROOF – The top of a chimney no fire. should be high enough to be • resist corrosion and weather above the air turbulence caused effects; and 2) Building codes require that when wind blows against the the top of the chimney house and its roof. The chimney • be well sealed to prevent extends at least 1 m (3 ft.) must extend at least 1 m (3 ft.) leakage. above the point where it exits above the highest point of con- the roof. It should also be at tact with the roof, and at least 60 cm (2 ft.) higher than any roof line or obstacle within a horizontal distance of 3 m (10 ft.). 60 cm (2 ft.) minimum 1 m (3 ft.) minimum

3 m (10 ft.) Chimneys operate on the principle that hot air rises above cold air – thus, the hot gas in a chimney rises because it is less dense than the air outside the house. The rising gas creates a pressure difference called draft, which

33 least 60 cm (2 ft.) higher than wood-heating systems, some Suitable Chimney any roof, building or other experienced installers even obstacle within a horizontal choose a chimney that has a Options distance of 3 m (10 ft.). These smaller inside diameter than Two general categories of chim- rules are intended to place the the appliance flue collar. They neys are approved for use with top of the chimney higher usually do this when the wood-burning appliances: the than any areas of air turbulence chimney runs inside the house 650°C factory-built chimney caused by wind. In practice, and is fairly tall. Chimneys and the masonry chimney. chimneys must sometimes be taller than 8 m (about 26 ft.) raised even higher than these sometimes produce more draft The 650°C minimums in order to avoid than the appliance needs, so Factory-Built Chimney air turbulence caused by a smaller-diameter chimney nearby obstacles, such as trees doesn’t reduce performance. This type of chimney was devel- or other houses. Only an experienced techni- oped to withstand the high cian should decide whether temperatures produced by a 3) The most important factor in the flue should be smaller chimney fire. It features better chimney draft is temperature insulation than other factory- than the appliance flue collar. difference. If you experience built chimneys to isolate nearby draft problems, increase flue 5) Taller chimneys produce combustible material from the gas temperature by doing one stronger draft. A rule of high gas temperatures in the or more of the following: thumb is that the entire sys- flue when a fire is burning. At the same time, this increased tem (from the floor on which • burn smaller, hotter fires insulation keeps flue gases and the appliance is mounted to to avoid smouldering; inner flue surfaces warmer. As a the top of the chimney) must result, less creosote forms in the • keep the flue pipe assem- be at least 4.6 m (15 ft.) high. chimney, reducing the risk of bly as short and straight as Most installations are taller chimney fire significantly. possible (try not to use than this, but those in cot- right angles); tages with shallow-pitch • use a sealed double-wall roofs or in single-storey Specific types of factory-built flue pipe; buildings with flat roofs may metal chimneys can be used with not. If you experience draft wood-burning appliances. Wood • re-line a masonry problems with a short sys- stoves, wood-burning central chimney; tem, consider adding to the heating furnaces and some fac- • re-install the chimney chimney’s height. However, tory-built fireplaces must use the inside the house; or if your chimney runs up the 650°C metal chimney, approved to Underwriters’ Laboratories of • construct an enclosure or outside wall of the house, Canada (ULC) standard S629. chase around an outside making it taller may not The 650°C refers to the continu- chimney. improve draft, because the extra heat loss cancels out ous gas temperature for which it 4) The chimney flue should be any benefit. is designed; it is higher than for the same size as the appliance chimneys intended for other flue collar. In the past, many fuels. Most, but not all, 650°C chimneys were too large for chimneys have 5 cm (2 in.) of the appliance they served. But insulation between the inner bigger is not better when it liner and outer shell. comes to chimney size. Flue The 650°C chimneys were devel- gas flows faster and has less oped in the early 1980s because time to lose heat in a smaller earlier chimney designs couldn’t chimney flue. In planning withstand the heat from a

34 The Masonry Chimney Your masonry chimney will per- A conventional masonry chim- form better if you build it with ney consists of a clay tile liner new materials rather than tradi- surrounded by a structure of tional ones. For example, you brick, block or stone. Stainless- may wish to specify round flue steel liners can be installed in tiles instead of the standard masonry chimneys to correct square or rectangular tiles. Round internal damage caused by a clay flue tiles with shiplap joints chimney fire. A qualified chim- are also available. These joints ney sweep should inspect your give a better fit and help prevent existing masonry chimney before smoke and moisture from leaking your wood-burning appliance is into the surrounding masonry. installed. Alternatively, some brands of certified stainless-steel chimney Masonry chimneys that are liners are now approved for use built according to the guidelines in new chimney construction. found in all building codes may Specialized, poured-in-place be used with wood-burning ▲ Factory-built chimney chimney liners are also available appliances. If you are planning in some areas. A local chimney to have a masonry chimney sweep can tell you if there is a chimney fire. The 650°C chim- built, get a building permit. And contractor near you. ney has better insulation and a make it clear to the mason who stronger, more corrosion-resis- will be doing the work that the tant inner liner than the older chimney must conform to the types. This improved insulation building code. isolates nearby combustible materials from high gas temperatures in the flue. The insulation also makes a chimney fire less likely to occur. By keeping flue gases warmer, less creosote forms in the chimney. Most new factory-built fireplaces are approved for use with a special metal chimney that has a 25 mm (1 in.) wall thickness, but has the same upgraded liner found in the 650°C type. Your wood-heating retailer can show you the differences between these chimney types and which one you will need. All factory- built chimneys must have the proper chimney cap installed to produce reliable draft, to prevent ▲ Masonry chimney water from leaking in and to comply with the manufacturer’s installation instructions.

35 One important feature often Unsuitable Unlined Masonry Chimneys – missing from masonry chimneys Masonry chimneys must have a is a proper rain cap. The name Chimneys liner made of clay tiles, firebrick may imply that it just keeps Type A Chimneys – This type or stainless steel to be suitable. rain out of the flue, but it has of metal chimney, used before You can upgrade some old, another key role – it helps pre- 1983, is not suitable or accept- unlined chimneys by installing vent smoking and other draft able for wood-burning appliances a certified stainless-steel liner. under building code guidelines. problems caused by the wind. Air-Cooled Chimneys – Some This chimney was designed for When wind flows down toward decorative factory-built fireplaces oil furnaces, which is how it is the open top of a chimney, it are approved for use with chim- mainly used today. Type A chim- produces a positive pressure neys that use air flow, instead of neys cannot withstand the high zone. This works against chim- solid insulation between inner temperatures of chimney fires. ney draft and forces the exhaust and outer layers, to keep the back down the chimney. Even Type A chimneys normally had a outer surface cool. Never connect when wind flows horizontally 25 mm (1 in.) wall thickness and wood-burning heating appliances toward a chimney, its normal were available with either round to air-cooled chimneys, or flue turbulence can produce pressure or square outer casings. If your gas will cool excessively. that opposes or increases wood-burning system uses a Type A chimney draft. Every chimney, chimney, consider upgrading regardless of its design or materi- to the new 650°C chimney as als, should have a cap to reduce soon as possible. If it cannot be wind-related venting failures or changed right away, have your disruptions. chimney cleaned and inspected To have your existing masonry by a certified chimney sweep to chimney checked, your best determine if it is still safe to use. option is to hire a qualified Deteriorated metal chimneys can chimney sweep. If you see any be hazardous. deterioration of the bricks or Bracket Masonry Chimneys – mortar joints near the top of the The term “bracket chimney” chimney, dark stains or white refers to masonry chimneys that deposits on the brick work, rest on wooden or brick supports pieces of tile or liquid stains at within the wall of a house, rather the chimney clean-out, or brick than being supported on proper faces splitting off outside, have concrete foundations. Don’t the chimney inspected and use bracket chimneys. They repaired immediately. are potentially hazardous and Masonry chimneys that have cannot be upgraded to meet been damaged by a chimney fire, building code requirements. To or that are too large for your comply with the codes, masonry appliance, can be re-lined with a chimneys need a foundation certified, stainless-steel liner. The that extends below the frost liner can have either a rigid or line, which is a few metres corrugated flex design. below grade in most of Canada.

36 Creosote and You can prevent chimney fires. Have your chimney checked Chimney Fires for creosote deposits regularly, When wood burns slowly – as it until you find out how quickly often does in a conventional, air- it builds up in the system. tight stove or furnace – it makes Conventional wood heaters can a smoky fire and produces more produce creosote quickly because creosote deposits than a quick, they can’t burn the wood as com- hot fire does. Creosote is a highly pletely as advanced combustion flammable material. If it ignites designs. In severe cases of smoul- near the base of the chimney, it dering, it may take only a few can produce a raging fire that days for enough creosote to build travels up the chimney, creating up to sustain a chimney fire. The extremely high temperatures as it new, low-emission wood stoves spreads. The high temperature burn the wood so completely can damage the clay liners in a that, when operated properly, masonry chimney or the metal their chimneys normally need liner in a factory-built chimney. cleaning only once a year. Although 650°C chimneys can Never assume that the chimney withstand these temperatures, is clean. Check it regularly to be the heat causes extreme stress in sure, especially during the spring the chimney. and fall. If you do have a chimney Chimney fires result from poor fire, have the chimney inspected firing techniques combined with and repaired, if necessary, before a lack of maintenance. If unsea- using the system again. A chim- soned wood (wood that hasn’t ney fire is a clear sign of a problem been dried enough) is burned with the appliance, the fuel or the slowly in an old “airtight” heater, way the system is operated. Make creosote can build up quickly changes to avoid chimney fires in and the risk of a chimney fire the future. increases. Using an energy-efficient wood- When you operate wood-burning burning appliance, coupled with appliances properly, some cre- good installation and proper osote may still be deposited, burning techniques, dramati- but it will be less combustible. cally lowers the chance of a Instead of the black, tarry, highly chimney fire. flammable creosote from smouldering fires, proper firing may create small amounts of soft, flaky and dark brown deposits.

37 10 Preventing Smoke, Smells and Cold Hearths

The smell of wood smoke inside Negative Pressure Building codes cover the poten- your home is a sign that the in the House tial for excessive depressurization wood-burning system isn’t work- Energy efficiency practices and of airtight new houses. Two ing properly. Smoke contains new building codes are making options are normally permitted harmful air pollutants, which new houses more and more to ensure good indoor air quality: can be irritating or even danger- airtight. The reduced air leakage • installing a make-up air sys- ous in high concentrations. makes houses more comfortable tem to compensate for the air Wood-burning systems that are and easier to heat. But it can exhausted from the house; or properly designed, installed and create problems if you use high- operated will not spill smoke volume exhausts. For example, • installing a carbon monoxide into the house. If you have been a powerful downdraft kitchen- detector in the room con- using proper burning techniques, range exhaust can force more taining the wood-burning burning only dry wood, and still air out of a new house than system to detect and warn smell smoke in your home, have what leaks in through its tightly of spillage. your system inspected. sealed walls. Your wood-heating retailer or Appliances such as high-grade municipal building department Three Reasons bathroom or kitchen fans, can explain the local rules. clothes dryers and central vac- Why Smoke Spills uum cleaners can cause similar Improper Appliance- From Wood- problems. When this happens, Firing Technique Burning Systems the pressure inside the house One of the most common becomes negative compared to reasons for smoke spillage is a Poor System Design the outside, which works against smouldering fire. A wood fire Certain design characteristics chimney draft. In severe cases, that is starved for air will smoul- can make a wood-burning system this pressure draws smoke back der, and the exhaust temperature more likely to spill smoke. Most down the chimney into the will fall too low to produce of them result in low flue tem- house. This reverse flow is most enough draft. If you open the peratures and low draft. For likely to happen as the fire dies loading door during a smoulder- example, chimneys that run up down to a coal bed, when chim- ing fire, smoke will spill into the the outside wall of the house ney draft is weakest. room. Even when the loading lose heat and produce weak door is closed, severe smoulder- You can avoid negative pressure draft. Long, single-walled flue ing can produce smoke spillage, problems in your new home by pipe assemblies give up too which can be hazardous when it limiting the number, size and use much heat before the gases even happens during the night. By of exhaust fans. Avoid running reach the chimney. Each 90° using the suggestions on proper powerful fans such as a down- elbow in the flue pipe assembly firing techniques found in draft range exhaust while the restricts and slows down the flow Chapter 12, “Burning Wood wood-burning system is operat- of gases. More than one elbow Efficiently,” you will be able to ing. If you can’t avoid using the can restrict the flow enough to build effective fires and prevent fan, link the exhaust system to cause smoke spillage. Any of smouldering. a make-up fan that forces air these characteristics may or may into the house to replace the not cause smoke spillage on its exhausted air. This keeps the own. However, when an outside house pressure close to neutral. chimney is combined with a Contact your wood-heating long flue pipe assembly with retailer or heating contractor for several elbows, you will almost details on make-up air systems. certainly have smoke spillage.

38 Does Outdoor Is Your House Some houses act more like chimneys than others. Two- or Air Reduce Acting Like a three-storey houses produce more Smoke Spillage? Chimney? of a stack effect than bungalows It has been widely believed that An operating chimney is an because they have a taller column you could reduce or eliminate enclosed column of warm air or of warm air. A house with most smoke spillage by supplying out- gases surrounded by colder out- of its leaks or open windows at door air through a duct, either side air. The warm air or gas in the upper levels tends to produce directly to the appliance’s com- the chimney is more buoyant more of a stack effect because the bustion chamber or indirectly to than the dense, cold outside air leaks offer a ready path for warm the room in which the appliance so it rises. This produces the air to escape (like the open top of is located. However, research draft in the chimney. a chimney). Outside chimneys connected to heating appliances shows that outdoor air supplies In winter, your house is also an in the basement can backdraft if may not work. Smoke spillage enclosed column of warm, buoy- the stack effect is strong enough. occurs at the same level of room ant air creating a form of draft. In This allows cold outside air – or depressurization, whether or not effect, the warm air creates higher smoke and/or carbon monoxide if an outdoor air duct is installed. air pressures as it pushes toward there is a smouldering fire in the The same research shows that the top of the house. At the same appliance – to spill into the house. wind effects around the house can time, the pressure in the base- reverse the flow in these ducts, ment is lower than the pressure The stack effect is particularly which may create a fire hazard if outside. This is why the basement troublesome when an appliance the duct is connected directly to of a leaky house feels drafty and served by an outside chimney the combustion chamber. the rooms on the second floor are is installed in a single-storey Some building codes require that more comfortable – the cold out- section of a two-storey house you provide wood-burning fire- side air is drawn into the area of (as shown in the illustration places with outdoor combustion lower pressure. The difference in below). When no fire is burning air. You must comply with this pressure at various levels of the in the stove, the chimney can’t requirement, but be aware that house is called stack effect. It produce as much standby draft performance will not improve. can cause venting problems and as the house produces in the And take steps to protect com- smoke spillage when it competes stack effect because the chimney bustible materials around the with a chimney that serves a is shorter and colder. duct from overheating if the gas wood-burning appliance in the flow reverses. basement. ▲ PROBLEM INSTALLATION – The wood stove in this house will likely cause problems. Note that the chimney top is lower than the ceiling of the second storey – meaning that the house is a more effective stack than the chimney. Fires will be difficult to light because the system will produce a weak draft until the chimney is thoroughly warmed. Smoke may spill from the stove door when it is opened for loading wood. And there will be some risk of smoke spillage as the fire dies down to a coal bed. You could improve this installation by moving the appliance and chimney to the wall that is next to the two-storey section of the house. The chimney would run inside the house and be protected from the cold. You could also make it tall enough to clear the roof of the taller section of the house (without it being unsightly). However, it might lose a lot of heat if it is too exposed, resulting in flue gas condensation, perhaps creosote deposits, along with a poor draft.

39 You can expect chimney draft The Cold- Homeowners with installations and smoking problems if the that are susceptible to the syn- wood-burning stove or fireplace Backdraft- drome have found ways to get in the basement is installed with at-Standby the fire started. For example, an outside chimney. Avoid this they open a window on the same form of installation, if possible. Syndrome level, on the windward side of If you heat with wood, you may the house to relieve the negative Chimneys that run up through have experienced this situation: pressure. Then they light some the house and exit at or near the You go to the basement to build newspaper in the base of the roof peak can overcome the stack a fire in the wood stove. When chimney to get enough heat into effect because they always pro- you open the door to put in the the flue to produce some draft. duce a stronger draft than the newspaper and kindling, you are But this and other techniques house’s stack effect. Stack effect greeted by a blast of cold air. only mask the problem; they is always present in houses, but Then you light the kindling and don’t correct it. you can minimize its influence the smoke comes into the room by installing the chimney inside instead of going up the chimney. To ensure that you never the house and placing it where experience the cold-backdraft- This is the “cold-backdraft-at- it can penetrate the roof near at-standby syndrome, don’t standby” syndrome. Negative the peak. combine an outside chimney pressure in the house produced with a basement stove. Instead, by operating a powerful fan like install the stove on the main a kitchen exhaust fan can cause floor where you spend most of this reverse flow. Most often, it your waking hours, and use an comes from the combined effect inside chimney. of an outside chimney and a basement location for an appliance. Here’s how it works. When there is no fire in the appliance, the air in the chimney cools to the outside temperature. The chimney produces no draft whatsoever. The slight negative pressure in the basement, caused by the house’s stack effect, is enough to pull the cold air down the chimney and out through any openings in the stove.

40 11 Maintaining Your Wood-Heating System

Maintaining your wood-burning time to replace the flue pipes, on the outer shell of a metal system ranges from simple, fre- baffles, catalytic combustor (if chimney, and check for bulges quent tasks such as removing you have one) or door gaskets – or corrosion in its inner liner. and disposing of ashes to more and may even be able to do the When inspecting a masonry complicated jobs such as replac- work for you when the time chimney, look for black or white ing parts that have worn from comes. Your wood-heating stains on the outer bricks and usage and heat stress. Regular retailer may also offer sweeping cracks. Look for missing pieces upkeep also helps the system and maintenance services. in the chimney liner as well. operate efficiently and safely, Summer is a good time to sched- Locate the clean-out door for the since one of the most important ule maintenance, before you chimney – it is usually in the maintenance tasks is removing light the first autumn fire. It basement, below the point where combustible deposits from the can also be done in the spring, the flue pipe enters the chimney flue pipe and chimney. following the winter wood- (however, in some installations, Wood-burning systems operate heating season. it is outside the house). Open the under a variety of conditions dur- clean-out door at the base of ing each heating season, which the chimney and check for tile creates the need for many main- Important fragments and liquid stains. tenance tasks. In the spring and Maintenance Remove any deposits. Make fall, heat demand is relatively Tasks sure the door is tightly sealed low. So slow burning may cause Here are the most important afterwards. creosote to build up in the flue maintenance tasks to consider Check the condition of the pipe and chimney more rapidly. as you look over your wood- chimney in hidden spaces – This is a common problem with heating system. including the attic, wall and conventional wood-burning chimney chase areas – where stoves that can’t burn at low heat Clean and Inspect the corrosion and other deterioration outputs without smouldering. Chimney and Flue Pipes can occur. Do the most thorough During the colder months, wood- Check the chimney and flue cleaning and inspection of the burning systems operate closer to pipes regularly until you deter- system in the spring, just after their maximum heat output for mine the rate of creosote the heating season is over. Any long periods, creating stress on buildup. Chimney fires usually deposits left in the system, internal components. Many occur because users don’t know combined with warm, humid modern wood heaters have inter- how quickly the deposits develop summer air, may corrode the nal components, including and neglect to clean them. steel parts. Cleaning and inspect- baffles and catalytic combustors, Check often and clean off the ing the system in the spring also that wear out from exposure to creosote when it is visible and gives you time to order replace- high temperatures. Replace these clinging to the liner surface. Dry, ment parts and do any repairs components when necessary. flaky deposits are less dangerous before the heating season begins than black, shiny creosote. Older in the fall. If you see any prob- One of the best ways to ensure or smouldering systems may lems during your cleaning and that your wood-heating system need cleaning as often as every inspection and aren’t sure how is safe, clean and effective is to three weeks. to handle them, have a qualified hire a trained, insured and certi- technician inspect and repair the fied chimney sweep to conduct During a maintenance inspec- system before you use it again. a thorough maintenance check tion, check the chimney and flue each year. Professional chimney pipes for signs of deterioration. sweeps will clean the entire Check the flue pipes for corro- system and report any problems. sion that can weaken the joints. They might suggest that it is Look for corrosion or rust stains

41 Adjust Door Tension chimney top again. If you still Maintain Door Glass Many modern wood heaters have see smoke, remove the catalytic The glass door in a modern adjustment screws on their load- element and check it. wood-burner isn’t glass at all, but ing doors. They are designed to Examine the catalytic combustor a transparent ceramic material keep tension on the door gasket and its mount during your main- that can withstand very high to prevent smoke leakage. These tenance checks. The combustor temperatures. It is unlikely that adjustments are usually simple is fragile, so use a clean, soft the “glass” will break because of and keep the heater working. paintbrush to remove ash dust. heat, but it could be damaged if Adjust the door, for example, You may see cracks in the honey- struck with a hard object. If you when you see a haze of soot on comb of the catalyst, but they need replacement glass, visit the part of the door glass. You will will not necessarily affect opera- store where you bought your be able to tell where the leak is tion. If pieces are missing, replace stove or fireplace to get the right from the shape of these streaks the catalyst. A leaking bypass size, shape and material. of haze. damper seal can dramatically The door glass will need cleaning increase emissions from a periodically – wait until the Replace Door Gaskets catalytic stove. Therefore, make appliance has cooled before and Other Seals sure you check the bypass gasket. cleaning. A damp cloth or paper Appliance designers use gaskets towel should remove any ash to prevent unwanted air from The catalyst in a high-efficiency dust or light brown stains. For entering the firebox. Leaky gas- wood stove is certified by the darker, more stubborn stains, kets reduce efficiency and may EPA or CSA B415.1 and is buy special stove glass cleaner disable the combustion system usually guaranteed for up to six that will not scratch the surface. of an advanced wood burner. years. Under heavy use, however, Check the special gasket around Gaskets are located around the it may last only one to two the glass and replace it when it loading door, the glass panel and years. If in doubt about when gets worn or leaky. most ash-pan openings. You may to replace these parts, ask need to replace some gaskets as your hearth products retailer. Many of the new, high-efficiency often as once a year; others may stoves feature a forced-air mecha- be fine after several years of use. Examine Baffle Plates nism that helps to keep the door Check all gaskets at least once Components inside the glass clean. a year during a thorough mainte- combustion area of advanced nance inspection and occasionally wood-burning stoves and fire- during the heating season. places are exposed to extremely high temperatures and may dete- Check and Replace riorate with use. Internal baffles Catalytic Combustors may last as long as 10 years or If you have a catalytic stove, you as little as two, depending on can test the catalytic element’s the design and on how you use function by watching the smoke the appliance. as it exits the chimney top. With Internal air channels and tubes a well-established fire burning, may become disconnected or open the bypass damper and even fall into the firebox. Correct observe the top of the chimney – any such change to your stove you will likely see some smoke. immediately because perfor- Then close the bypass damper, mance will suffer and other wait 10 minutes and check the internal components will likely be damaged.

42 12 Burning Wood Efficiently

The Basics: What does, it produces the bright By firing your wood-burning flames that are characteristic of system correctly, you improve effi- Happens When wood combustion. If the smoke ciency and reduce air pollution. Wood Burns doesn’t burn in the firebox, it As firewood burns, it goes exits the appliance into the flue pipe and chimney. Here it either Owners must learn and practise through three phases. condenses – forming creosote the skills needed to operate their Boiling off the water – Up to deposits – or is expelled as air wood-burning system effectively. half the weight of a freshly cut pollution. Unburned smoke also By mastering the techniques log is water. After proper season- represents a less efficient appli- offered here, you will ing, the water content is reduced ance because smoke contains to about 20 percent. As the wood • reduce the amount of wood much of the wood’s total energy. is heated in the firebox, this you need to burn to heat Advanced combustion systems water boils off, consuming heat your home; are designed to burn the smoke energy in the process. The wetter • reduce outdoor and indoor before it leaves the stove, which the wood, the more heat energy air pollution from wood is one reason they are more is used to boil the water. That is smoke; efficient than older models. why wet firewood hisses and • reduce the frequency of sizzles and is hard to burn, The charcoal phase – After the chimney cleaning; and while seasoned wood ignites water has boiled off and most of the gases and tars have vaporized • increase the convenience and and burns easily. out of the wood, charcoal pleasure of wood burning. The emission of smoke – As the remains. Charcoal is almost wood heats up and passes the 100-percent carbon. It burns boiling point of water, it starts to with a red glow and some flame smoke. The smoke is the visible or smoke when enough oxygen result of the solid wood decom- is present. Charcoal is a good posing as it vaporizes into a fuel that burns easily. However, cloud of combustible gases and burning charcoal often produces tars. If the temperature is high carbon monoxide, a serious enough and oxygen is present, indoor air pollutant. the smoke will burn. When it

▲ PHASE 1 ▲ PHASE 2 ▲ PHASE 3 Evaporation of water Emission of smoke Charcoal

43 In practice, all three phases of Next, crumple four wood combustion usually occur or five sheets of at the same time. The wood gases newspaper and put can flame and the edges of the them in the fire- pieces can glow red as charcoal box. You may need burns, while water in the core of more newspaper if the piece is still evaporating. The your firebox is challenge in burning wood effec- large or your kin- tively is to boil off the water in dling isn’t dry or the wood quickly, while making finely split. Many sure the smoke burns with bright people make the flames before it leaves the firebox. mistake of using With the new, advanced combus- too little newspaper tion designs, two flame zones are – be generous and often visible: the primary flame you will have more that rises from the wood and the success. transparent secondary flame that Hold the paper swirls above the wood. Once a down with good fire is established and you ▲ TO BUILD A KINDLING FIRE – Use 10 to 15 pieces of dry kindling. turn down the air control, you plenty of crumpled newspaper and Softwoods, such as cedar and dry, finely split kindling. Never use can see the primary flames slow glossy paper or coloured advertising pine, make good kindling (of down and become smaller. To get flyers. Open the air control fully. course, use the species available a clean, efficient burn, make sure Light the newspaper near where the in your region). Place the combustion air enters the firebox. that there is always a secondary When a kindling fire is built kindling on and behind the flame. A welcome feature of properly, you should expect rapid newspaper, so that the combus- these advanced wood-burning ignition with no smouldering. tion air reaches the newspaper designs is that the better the Never use liquids to start a fire. first where you light it. It is also combustion and the cleaner the The first step in building a fire is a good idea to add one or two burn, the more interesting the to find out where the combus- small pieces of dry firewood to flame looks. tion air enters the firebox. In the kindling load before lighting. most advanced stoves and fire- Open the air control fully, light Starting a Fire places, some air enters the the newspaper and close (but You need the following ingredi- firebox through a narrow strip don’t latch) the door. When the ents to build and maintain a above and behind the glass paper is flaming brightly and the good wood fire: panel. This air wash flows down kindling catches, latch the door. across the glass to the front of Some appliances have more • a properly designed and the fire. (It flows downward restrictive air supplies than installed wood-burning because it is cooler and heavier others, so you may have to system; than the combustion gases.) leave the door ajar for as long as • newspapers (do not use Most models also have the 15 minutes – until there is a hot coloured or coated paper); primary air inlet near the bottom kindling fire and the chimney front of the firebox, usually just • dry, finely split kindling is producing strong draft. Since inside and below the loading in a variety of sizes; and leaving the door unlatched or door. This is where you light the open even slightly for extended • dry cord firewood split into fire, so that it gets plenty of air. periods may cause dangerously a range of sizes.

44 high temperatures, NEVER leave paper and close the loading door. the stove unattended in this The fire will start reliably and condition. progress to the large pieces of When starting a wood fire, your wood without any further poking goal is to light it once and make or adjustment. sure the fuel ignites rapidly. There are several advantages Practise this procedure a few to the top-down fire building times – you might be surprised at method: how quickly you can establish a • there is less visible start-up hot, bright fire. When the flames smoke at the top of the from the kindling load begin to chimney; subside, gradually add several small pieces of wood. Avoid • there is little chance that the smothering the fire with the new fire will collapse and smother wood. Place the pieces on and itself; and behind the burning kindling. • you do not need to open the loading door to add larger Note ▲ TO REKINDLE A FIRE FROM HOT COALS – The suggestions offered here pieces once you establish the Rake the charcoal toward the front are general and apply to many kindling fire. of the stove where the combustion air enters. Place the pieces of wood wood-burning appliances. However, The top-down fire technique on and behind the coals. Open the some combustion designs – notably isn’t appropriate for every type air inlet fully and leave it open until some of the new advanced combus- of wood-burning appliance, but the wood pieces are well charred. tion stoves, catalytic systems and This illustration shows how pieces it can be effective in some cases. are arranged for an extended fire. masonry heaters – may require special firing techniques. In this With some of the new, high- case, you should follow any detailed Rekindling a Fire efficiency combustion stoves, firing instructions in the operator’s from Charcoal you have to alter the procedure manual that came with your stove In many wood-burning stoves slightly. Read the manufacturer’s or fireplace. and fireplaces, there will be live instructions and experiment a coals toward the back of the fire- little. For example, some designs An Alternative – box, furthest from the air supply, require you to make a channel after the fire has burned down. through the ash pit from front Building a To rekindle them, first remove to back, underneath the wood. the ashes from the front of the Top-Down Fire Once you have added new wood firebox, then rake the live coals You may find it convenient to the charcoal, expect it to forward until they are just inside to build a wood fire using the ignite almost instantly. The the loading door. If only a small top-down method. To build a top- bottom pieces may even start amount of charcoal remains, you down fire, reverse the procedure flaming before you get the door will have to start with kindling. described in the “Starting a Fire” closed. Allow the fire to burn If you have a good quantity of section above – that is, place two with bright, turbulent flames glowing charcoal to work with, or three firewood pieces at the until the wood is charred. This place the new load of firewood back of the firebox and lean 10 to usually takes between 10 and on and behind the charcoal. 15 pieces of kindling against the 20 minutes, depending on the Open the air inlets fully and logs. Then place several crumpled size of the pieces and the mois- close the door. sheets of newspaper on and ture content of the wood. around the kindling. Open the air control fully, light the news-

45 When the wood is charred, grad- Firing in Cycles – Don’t expect hold routine. Be cautious about ually reduce the air setting to the fire to provide perfectly leaving the stove unattended produce the amount of heat and steady heat output. A wood fire when you are away. length of burn you desire. You burns best in cycles. A cycle Using a Flash Fire – A flash fire may want to try reducing the air starts when a new load of wood is a small amount of wood control setting in two or three ignites from a charcoal bed and burned quickly. Use it in spring stages. The result will be less ends when that load is consumed and fall when you just want to smoke because the fire won’t and becomes another bed. Each take the chill off the house. The have to recover from a single, cycle provides three to eight flash fire technique eliminates large reduction in air supply. hours of heating, depending on the smouldering fires that are Remember the most important how much wood you use, how common in the spring and fall. rule: Never let the fire smoulder. much heat you need and how To build a flash fire, rake the As long as there is solid wood large your firebox is. Plan the charcoal toward the air inlets in the firebox, there should be firing cycles around your house- and place several small pieces of active flames. Without flames, smoke will escape unburned, reducing efficiency and increas- ing pollution. With advanced systems, you can achieve a reliable overnight burn while maintaining flaming combustion and still have enough charcoal in the morning to kindle a new fire.

Other Useful Tips ▲ ▲ Arranging the Firewood – Small A small, loosely stacked fuel load is A compact fuel load is good for good for short-duration flash fires. extended firing cycles. pieces of firewood arranged loosely in a crisscross pattern burn quickly because the com- LOADING FOR A FLASH FIRE – Use a bustion air can reach all of the ▲ few small pieces of wood for short pieces at once. Larger pieces in a fires to “take the chill off.” Load compact pile burn more slowly the wood loosely in a crisscross because there are fewer spaces for arrangement. Let the fire burn brightly until most of the solid the air to penetrate the load. Try wood is burned, then reduce the to add more than one piece of air setting. Flash fires are effective wood to a fire – you need three in spring and fall when the heating load is modest. By using the or more pieces to form a shel- flash fire technique, you avoid tered pocket of glowing coals smouldering fires. that reflect heat toward each other and sustain the fire.

46 wood on and behind it. Stack Removing Ashes – Some Using a Thermometer – A ther- the pieces loosely in a crisscross advanced combustion stoves mometer helps you use your arrangement. Open the air inlet have ash pans as standard equip- wood burner more effectively, to produce a hot, bright fire. ment or as an option. Some use particularly if you can’t view the You may reduce the air supply a simple grate through which fire through glass doors. There are slightly as the fire progresses, ashes drop into the pan. Others two types of thermometers. One but never enough to extinguish have a plug in the stove floor has a probe that you put into the the flames. that, when lifted, allows ashes to flue gas stream through a small fall into the pan. Make sure that hole in the flue pipe. The second Extending a Fire – To achieve a the ash door is well closed and is a magnetic thermometer that longer-lasting fire – to heat the sealed. If your stove doesn’t sticks to the outside of the flue house overnight or while you are have an ash pan, ask your local pipe or stove top. away – rake the coals toward the retailer for an ash handler into air inlet and use larger pieces of Install the probe-type thermome- which you can scoop ashes wood placed compactly in the ter in the flue pipe about 50 cm through the loading door. firebox. Placing the pieces close (20 in.) downstream from the together prevents the heat and The ashes may contain live coals exit of the appliance – but never flame from penetrating the load that can stay hot for days. If you on the appliance. The stack and saves the buried pieces for don’t dispose of them carefully, thermometer tells you how later in the burn cycle. Open the they can pose a fire hazard. Place hot the flue gases are. ashes in their own metal con- air inlets fully for five to 20 min- The magnetic thermometer, on tainer and keep that container utes, depending on load size and the other hand, measures the on a non-combustible floor, fuel moisture content. When the temperature of the flue pipe, so preferably outside the house. outer pieces have a thick layer of its temperature will be lower than Special double-bottom ash con- charcoal, reduce the air control the probe thermometer’s. in stages to the desired level. tainers – with tight-fitting lids designed to hold ashes until they Some manufacturers recommend are cool – are available in stove the use of a stove-top ther- and fireplace stores. mometer, rather than a stack thermometer. It works the same way, but the temperature range There are many ways to use or dispose of wood ashes. Some will be different since it measures people use ashes for traction on the surface temperature of driveway ice, to control garden the stove. pests or to reduce soil acidity. Other people simply bury them. Rural municipal waste disposal sites usually have special areas for ashes. Consider disposing of your wood ashes in a safe, clean and environmentally friendly way.

47 When you fire the stove at a high The Efficient • If the wood is seasoned and temperature to drive moisture out well split, the air settings of the fuel, use a thermometer to Wood Fire in an are correct and the load is tell you when you can reduce the Advanced Stove arranged properly, a new load air supply. Every wood-heating When you master the techniques of wood will ignite rapidly system behaves differently and for efficient wood burning, here from the charcoal – some thermometers vary, so there are is what you should see. pieces will be flaming before no exact temperatures that you the door is closed. If the • When wood burns, it flames can follow. However, to avoid appliance has a glass door until only charcoal remains. damaging the stove’s internal with an air wash, it will be (If there are no flames, some- parts, don’t let the flue gas tem- clear. If the appliance has a thing is wrong.) perature rise above 460°C (860°F) glass door without an air on a stack temperature probe for • If there are firebricks in the wash, it will be hazy, but it more than a few minutes. Learn firebox, they will be tan, should never be black. never black. which burning connections result • The exhaust from the top of in the stack temperature you • Steel or cast-iron parts in the the chimney will be clear or, measure. With experience, you firebox will be light to dark in winter, white with steam. will be able to tell by the ther- brown, never black or shiny. A plume of blue or grey mometer if you have set the air smoke indicates smouldering control too low and when you and poor combustion. should reload. Advanced combustion wood stoves do not need thermometers as much as older equipment does. You can check the condition of the fire visually. If the fire is burning properly, the glass door stays clear. If the glass becomes hazy or develops dark stains quickly, the fire has been turned down too low or the firewood is too wet. The glass should stay clear when the fire has a higher heat output and the firewood is of good quality. Another indicator is the flame itself. The more complex the flame, the better the combustion in the stove.

48 13 Purchasing and Preparing Your Fuel Supply

The efficiency and convenience hot fires, while larger pieces suit of your wood-heating system Burning wet wood produces extended firing cycles. In gen- depend significantly on the qual- more smoke than heat. Dried, eral, the firewood produced by well-seasoned wood will smoke ity of the fuel wood you burn. commercial dealers comes in less and give you more heat. The four main factors that influ- One way to verify if a chunk of pieces that are larger across than ence how firewood burns are wood is dry is to look for checks modern wood-burners need. You moisture content, piece size, and cracks at the ends. A cord may need to split some of the wood condition and tree species. that has been stacked to dry wood again before using it. The over one heating season should largest piece of wood for the The moisture content of the also be dry enough to burn. new, advanced stoves should wood affects the rate at which it However, if you aren’t sure, you be no more than about 15 cm burns and the efficiency of com- can test the wood with a mois- (6 in.) across. You also need a bustion. When trees are cut, the ture meter. To use it, merely jab range of smaller pieces for wood moisture content can the prongs into a chunk of wood effective stoking. range between 35 and 60 percent to get a reading. Ideally, the by weight. Wood that is this reading will be between 18 Another factor that affects how and 22. You can get a moisture wet is hard to ignite and slow to firewood burns is the wood’s meter at some hardware stores burn. It also hisses and sizzles in for between $35 and $60. You condition. Wood that has been the firebox. It combusts poorly will also find them at your lying in a swampy area or has and produces large amounts of hearth products retailer. High- been cut too long ago (more air pollutants. Energy from the end models, such as those used than three years) will be difficult burning fire is used to boil off in laboratories, are available for to burn. It tends to look or the moisture, which reduces around $240. feel rotten. efficiency. Wet wood is the most common problem with wood dry wood is checks or cracks in Remember, storing wet wood heating. If you think you have the ends of the pieces. Properly indoors could create mould a problem with your stove’s per- dried firewood is darker on the inside the house, so you should formance, check the dryness of ends than freshly cut wood and limit the amount of wood that your fuel first. Properly seasoned weighs much less. you store inside. wood ignites readily, flames The size of the firewood pieces easily and burns efficiently. Store two or three days’ supply affects the rate of combustion. of wood indoors, making sure Cut and split firewood in the Large pieces ignite and release that it is clean and dry. In early spring. Stack your wood their energy more slowly than winter, when you bring wood outside. It dries best if you keep small pieces. Smaller, more finely directly in from the cold it off the ground and covered. split pieces are better for short, outdoors and immediately load Allow room for the air to flow it into the appliance, it may under the stack and to circulate initially cool the fire and prevent between the pieces. During the proper combustion. summer, as warm breezes flow through the stacks and carry away the water, the moisture content of the wood falls to about 20 percent. One sign of

▲ Look for checks and cracks at the ends.

49 Several tree species are used for do not use too much wood of Buying Firewood firewood, and those you choose one species as your primary will affect your wood-burning fuel source. system. Below is a list of the tree When you support woodlot own- The energy content of wood per ers who manage their lots species commonly used for fire- dry kilogram (i.e., per unit of responsibly, thereby providing a wood, according to their relative weight) is similar regardless of sustainable mix of trees, you help densities. Trees at the top of the species. However, the energy ensure that wood remains a renewable energy source for list have the hardest wood and output from each piece of wood home heating. the most energy per cord, while (weight per unit volume) of those toward the bottom of the various species differs widely. Try to buy your wood from list are the softest and have the Wood is generally sold by volume someone who uses good least energy per cord. Regardless (cords), which means the energy forest management practices. of where you live and what per cord can differ widely among Environmentally sound woodlot species are available, try to mix different species of wood. In gen- management involves thinning the load as much as possible. eral, hardwoods like maple, oak out dying and damaged trees and This will ensure that you and beech are denser and have less desirable species. To support more energy per piece than soft- sustainable forestry practices, use woods such as pine, spruce and wood from a blend of species; cedar. Softwoods and hardwoods burn the softer woods – such as tend to burn differently due Density of Common pine, poplar and aspen – in the to differences in density and Firewoods spring and fall. This way, you resin content. Here is a list of the tree species help ensure that wood remains commonly used for firewood. In most cases, when and where a renewable energy source for Those at the top of the list are hardest and those toward the bot- it is available, hardwood is the home heating. tom of the list are the softest. preferred firewood because it tends to produce a longer-lasting HARD Try to mix your wood species as burn. Softwood can also be used much as possible so that you use Ironwood successfully for fires, even in hardwoods and softwoods when Rock elm some of the coldest areas of the they are available. Using a mix of Hickory country. Softwoods are also by species helps maintain the forest’s Oak natural diversity. Sugar maple far the most common trees on Beech Canada’s coasts and northern How is firewood measured for Yellow birch areas. If you use softwood, you sale? As stated in Measurement Ash may need a wood stove with a Canada’s official brochure Buying Firewood? Don’t Get Burned!, Red elm larger firebox to handle the most firewood in Canada is sold Red maple larger volume needed for the by the cord. Tamarack same amount of heating power. Douglas fir How do you know when a cord is Even in areas where hardwoods White birch a cord? A cord is a legal Manitoba maple are plentiful, softwood is a good unit of measurement defined by Red alder fuel in the spring and fall when the Weights and Measures 3 Hemlock the heat demand is lower. The Regulations as 3.62 m (128 cubic Poplar new high-efficiency stoves and feet) of stacked roundwood (whole or split, with or without Pine fireplace designs burn both hard- bark) containing wood and air- Basswood wood and softwood equally well. Spruce space with all bolts of similar length piled in a regular manner Balsam with their longitudinal axes SOFT approximately parallel.

50 Firewood Cords measure a few pieces to deter- Tips for Buying Wood Firewood is measured and sold in mine an average length. If the When ordering firewood units called cords. A full cord dealer doesn’t price the wood in When ordering your wood, ask measures 1.2 ✕ 2.4 ✕ 1.2 m the standard full-cord measure, the dealer what kind of wood it (4 ✕ 8 ✕ 4 ft.) and is the official convert the price to this is and how the cords are mea- firewood measure. However, long basic unit. sured so that you aren’t surprised lengths, such as 1.2 m (4 ft.), are Three examples are provided when the truck arrives. Also, ask usually cut into smaller pieces on page 52 to illustrate the for the wood to be delivered for home heating. Other terms – conversion. stacked in the truck, so you can such as face cord, stove cord or measure it before it is unloaded. furnace cord – are used to If possible, avoid buying fire- If this isn’t possible, stack the describe a stack of wood measur- wood in units that can’t be firewood immediately following ing 1.2 ✕ 2.4 m (4 ✕ 8 ft.), with converted to the standard full delivery. Measure the length, the length of the pieces shorter cord. For example, truckloads of width and height of the stack, than 1.2 m (4 ft.). Firewood is wood are difficult to measure so and calculate the quantity that most often sold in face or stove you could be overcharged with- you received. out knowing it. Measurement cords made up of pieces 30 or When receiving the firewood 40 cm (12 or 16 in.) long. Canada’s brochure Buying Firewood? Don’t Get Burned! Be present when the wood is These various cord measures highlights some precautions you delivered. Don’t rely on a neigh- can be confusing. If you want can take when you receive your bour to accept delivery on your to compare prices from several wood, to ensure that you are get- behalf. When the wood arrives, suppliers, take a tape measure ting the amount you paid for. take the time to randomly to each dealer’s yard and examine some pieces in front of

What to burn?

ALWAYS BURN • Clean, dry wood • Properly seasoned, split wood • A mix of hard and soft wood, where possible, depending on what is available in your region

NEVER BURN • Wet or green wood • Household garbage such as plastic or cardboard • Painted or stained wood • Pressure-treated wood • Particleboard or plywood • Ocean driftwood • Glossy magazines • Any materials prohibited ▲ THE FIREWOOD CORD – Firewood is measured in cords. A full cord measures 1.2 m by local by-laws ✕ 2.4 m ✕ 1.2 m (4 ft. ✕ 8 ft. ✕ 4 ft.). Many firewood dealers sell partial cords called face or stove cords. Pictured are three face cords with pieces measuring an average of 40 cm (16 in.). Together, these three face cords make up one full cord and should equal 3.6 m3 (128 cubic feet).

51 Where to Get Firewood Example 1 Example 2 You can usually find firewood Woody Cutters sells a face cord The Charlebois Sugar Bush sells for $55. You find that the pile is a stove cord for $45. The pile dealers listed in the Yellow Pages 1.2 m (4 ft.) high and 2.4 m measures 1.2 m (4 ft.) by 2.4 m of the telephone directory or in (8 ft.) long, with an average (8 ft.), with an average length of the classified ads of your local length of 40 cm (16 in.). To find 30 cm (12 in.). To determine the newspaper. Better yet, get a the price for a full cord, divide the price for a full cord, the following referral from neighbours who imperial length of the logs calculation is used: purchase firewood. (16 in.) into the full cord length (48 [full cord length] (48 in.), then multiply it by the You may be able to get a fuel ÷ 12 [average chunk length]) wood permit to cut the trees price, as follows: ✕ $45 (price of stove cord) yourself from the local office of (48 [full cord length] = $180 (price of full cord). ÷ 16 [average chunk length]) your provincial or territorial nat- ✕ $55 (price of face cord) Therefore, the Charlebois Sugar ural resources ministry. Sawmills Bush sells firewood for $180 per = $165 (price of full cord). may also have cut-offs, slabs and full cord. cull logs that they sell as fire- Therefore, Woody Cutters sells wood. You will still have to cut firewood for $165 per full cord. Know your wood, and make the wood into pieces, so that sure it is dry if you’ve paid they fit into your stove properly. for seasoned wood If you fill the stove with too Example 3 Although you may not be an much wood without leaving The Cut Above Woodlot sells expert on various tree species, enough space around the pieces ✕ ✕ a 1.2 m 2.4 m 45 cm make an effort to learn about the for good air and fire circulation, ✕ ✕ (4 ft. 8 ft. 18 in.) furnace species in your area. Therefore, if you won’t get an efficient fire. cord for $75. To determine the you are expecting to receive a price for a full cord, the calcula- One way to save money is to buy certain species, you can identify tion is as follows: logs from a local woodlot. Seek it. Moreover, if you are paying a out one that is known to practise (48 [full cord length] premium to make sure the wood ÷ 18 [chunk length]) sustainable forest management. has already been seasoned, look ✕ $75 (price of furnace cord) Unprocessed logs usually mea- for checks and cracks at the end sure 1.2 to 2.4 metres (four to = $200 (price of full cord). of pieces or jab a few pieces with eight feet) in length. You will Therefore, the Cut Above Woodlot your moisture meter. sells firewood for $200 per full need a chainsaw to cut the logs Before using any firewood cord. to length and a splitting ax or Verify that the quantity received maul to split the wood into the is the same as the quantity that right size of pieces. the delivery person to make sure you paid for. If there is a differ- the load isn’t rotten. Then make ence, contact the seller before sure that you get a receipt which you use any of the firewood. If shows the quantity and type of the quality of the wood is ques- firewood purchased; the seller’s tionable – if it is rotten, mouldy name, address and telephone or soaking wet – you aren’t number; and the price paid. getting your money’s worth. Buying Firewood? Don’t Get Burned! is available on-line at http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/es/erb/ reed/public_e.htm.

52 How Much is Enough? Are wood pellets the pellet coating to crack, leav- Only experience can tell you how ing you with miniature handfuls much wood you will need for a your fuel source? of sawdust. heating season. A medium-sized Buying wood pellets Buying and storing modern home, if heated exclu- You can purchase bags of wood pellets made of corn sively with wood, requires pellets in the seasonal section of and corn kernels between three and five full cords large home improvement stores Some stoves are fuelled by corn per winter – or more if the house or at local hardware stores. You pellets or corn kernels, which isn’t energy efficient. On the other can often buy wood pellets may be more difficult to find. hand, the same house with a through agricultural co-ops. Corn-burning stoves have not high-efficiency combustion wood The bags come in several sizes; been rated for energy efficiency stove that is properly located in the most common is 18.1 kilo- or smoke emissions, and some the main living area might use grams (40 pounds), which may insurance companies will not only one or two full cords. You cost between $4 and $6. You can insure them. If you use a corn need more wood if your area is have bulk orders delivered on stove, you still must keep the very cold; if your house is large, a wooden pallet for a delivery fuel dry. Corn pellets and kernels leaky or poorly insulated; or if you charge. Ask your dealer where may be available through an only use softwoods. the pellets were stored over the agricultural co-op. Properly stored firewood will last winter. If they were stored out- for more than one year, so buy a doors, make sure that the pellets Reuse and recycle little extra if you can find good that you purchase are dry, or else your pellet bags you will be paying for mushy quality wood at a reasonable The pellets come in poly bags sawdust which you can’t use price and if you have a place to that can be easily reused and, in your stove. store it outdoors. in some cases, recycled. Your If your pellet stove is your municipality can confirm which Remember, storing wet wood home’s primary or secondary disposal method is the most indoors could create mould heating source, make sure that environmentally friendly for inside the house, so you should you have enough bags on hand your area. limit the amount of wood that before the heating season begins. you store inside. Storing wood pellets Wood pellets are simply compressed pellets of sawdust, so you must store them in a dry area, where they will not take on moisture or bugs. You can store bags of wood pellets in the basement or an attached garage, but they should be kept off the ground, preferably on the pallet on which they are delivered. Stack them so that the pile won’t topple over when you reach for a bag. Pick a spot to pile your bags and leave them there. Excessive handling of the bags could cause

53 14 Comparing Annual Heating Costs

You may want to calculate the Table 1: Energy Content and Local Price of Various Fuels cost of using wood fuel compared with conventional fuels Fuel Energy Content Your Local Price such as oil, natural gas, propane Oil ...... 38.2 MJ/litre ______/litre or electricity. The procedure outlined here can provide rea- Electricity ...... 3.6 MJ/kWh ______/kWh sonably accurate comparative Natural Gas ...... 37.5 MJ/m3 ______/m3 costs. You will first need to find Propane ...... 25.3 MJ/litre ______/litre out the cost of the fuels in your area that you want to compare. Hardwood (air dried) . . . . . 30 600 MJ/cord ______/cord Softwood (air dried) ...... 18 700 MJ/cord ______/cord Step 1. Mixed Hardwood (air dried) . 25 000 MJ/cord ______/cord Determine the Wood Pellets ...... 19 800 MJ/tonne ______/tonne Price of Energy Sources in Step 2. Select the figures, you can calculate the savings you can achieve by Your Area Type of Heating upgrading an older system to Call your local suppliers to find a new, more efficient appliance out the average cost of the Systems You Wish and/or by changing to a different energy sources you are compar- to Compare energy source. ing. The cost should be the total Choose the types of equipment cost as delivered to your home. you want to compare from Be sure to get the prices in the the list of systems in Table 2. same units for the energy Seasonal efficiency figures for the sources, as shown in Table 1. equipment are in the right-hand Note that the figures for firewood column. Using these efficiency are for full cords (1.2 ✕ 2.4 ✕ 1.2 m, or 4 ✕ 8 ✕ 4 ft.). Often, you will Table 2: Typical Seasonal Heating System Efficiencies be quoted the price for a face or stove cord, or one third of a full Fuel Type of System % Efficiency cord. If so, multiply by three to Oil Conventional Burner 60 get the price for a full cord. The Retention Head Burner 70–78 energy content figures are in met- Advanced Mid-Efficiency Furnace 83–89 ric units called megajoules (MJ). Electricity Central Furnace or Baseboard 95–100 Natural Gas Central Furnace – conventional 55–65 – powered exhaust 75–82 – condensing 88–96 Propane Central Furnace – conventional 55–65 – powered exhaust 76–83 – condensing 85–93 Wood Central Furnace 45–55 Conventional Stove (properly located) 55–70 “High Tech” Stove (properly located) 70–80 Wood Pellets Pellet Stove 55–80

54 Step 3. Choose From the list in Table 3, select the city and housing type that Housing Type and are closest to yours. The heating Annual Heating loads are in metric units called Loads gigajoules (GJ).

Table 3: Typical Annual Heating Loads in Gigajoules (GJ) for Various Housing Types in Canadian Cities Old New New Semi- New City Detached Detached Detached Townhouse Victoria/Vancouver 85 60 45 30 Prince George 150 110 80 60 Calgary 120 90 65 50 Edmonton 130 95 70 55 Fort McMurray/ Prince Albert 140 105 80 60 Regina/Saskatoon/ Winnipeg 130 90 70 50 Whitehorse 155 115 85 60 Yellowknife 195 145 110 80 Thunder Bay 130 95 70 55 Sudbury 120 90 65 50 Ottawa 110 75 55 40 Toronto 95 65 45 35 Windsor 80 55 40 30 Montréal 110 80 60 45 Québec 115 85 65 50 Chicoutimi 125 90 70 55 Saint John 105 75 60 45 Edmundston 120 90 65 50 Charlottetown 110 80 60 45 Halifax 100 75 55 40 St. John’s 120 85 60 45

Note: “New” means houses built after 1990, and “old” means houses built before 1990. Due to construction practices, weatherizing and re-insulating (which can be different from house to house), these figures are meant to be used only as general guidelines; they should not substitute for an accurate heating requirement deter- mination, as discussed in Chapter 6. Assumptions: New townhouse – inside unit, approximately 93 m2 (1000 sq. ft.) New semi-detached – approximately 139 m2 (1500 sq. ft.) New detached – approximately 186 m2 (2000 sq. ft.) Old detached – approximately 186 m2 (2000 sq. ft.)

55 Step 4. Using Sample the Formula Calculations Calculate the annual heating Example 1 cost as follows: The Burnett family has just built an open, detached home Energy cost/unit Heat load Approximate annual ✕ ✕ 100 000 = in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Energy content System efficiency heating cost Island. They are thinking about buying a new, 83-percent Enter the cost per unit of energy efficient oil furnace. They want and divide it by the energy con- to determine whether it will be tent of the fuel (both figures come less expensive to heat the house from Table 1). Select the annual with a high-efficiency advanced heating load for your location and combustion wood stove at housing type from Table 3, and 70-percent efficiency than with divide it by the efficiency of the their good oil furnace. Oil costs proposed heating system from 45 cents a litre and mixed hard- Table 2. Multiply the results of wood costs $160 per cord. these two calculations, then • from Table 3, for a new multiply that result by 100 000. detached house in When doing this calculation, Charlottetown, annual verify the fuel costs in your heating load = 80 GJ area, as prices may vary. Also, • from Table 1, energy content the energy consumption of of oil = 38.2 MJ/L and your particular house may be energy content of wood = significantly different from 25 000 MJ/cord the nominal houses in Table 3. The annual cost of oil heating with a seasonal efficiency of 83 percent would be (0.45 ÷ 38.2) ✕ (80 ÷ 83) ✕ 100 000 = $1,135. The annual cost of wood heating with a seasonal efficiency of 70 percent would be (160 ÷ 25 000) ✕ (80 ÷ 70) ✕ 100 000 = $731. In this example, if wood displaced all of the oil previously used for heating, the Burnetts would save $404 per year ($1,135 – $731).

56 Example 2 Example 3 The Laurin family lives in an old, The Tran family lives in an old detached, relatively open-plan house in Prince George, British house in Sudbury, Ontario. They Columbia. They have an annual presently heat their house with heating load of 150 GJ. They are electric baseboards at a cost of trying to decide whether to heat eight cents per kilowatt hour the house with an efficient, (kWh). What would it cost them direct-vent, freestanding propane to heat with a high-efficiency fireplace at 72-percent efficiency advanced combustion wood or an advanced combustion stove with an efficiency of wood fireplace at 70-percent 70 percent? The cost of a full efficiency. Propane costs 59 cents cord of hardwood is $150. per litre and a full cord costs $110. • from Table 3, annual heating • from Table 1, the energy con- load = 120 GJ tent of propane is 25.3 MJ/L • from Table 1, energy content • the energy content of soft- of electricity = 3.6 MJ/kWh wood is 18 700 MJ/cord and energy content of The annual cost of heating wood = 30 600 MJ/cord with propane would be • seasonal efficiency of (0.59 ÷ 25.3) ✕ (150 ÷ 72) electricity = 100 percent and ✕ 100 000 = $4,858 seasonal efficiency of wood = 70 percent The annual cost of heating with wood would be The annual cost of electric ✕ heating would be (110 ÷ 18 700) (150 ÷ 70) ✕ 100 000 = $1,260 (0.08 ÷ 3.6) ✕ (120 ÷ 100) ✕ 100 000 = $2,667. Therefore, it would cost the Trans $3,598 ($4,858 – $1,260) The annual cost of wood heating less per year to heat their house would be with wood instead of propane, (150 ÷ 30 600) ✕ (120 ÷ 70) given the fuel prices chosen. ✕ 100 000 = $840. In this example, if the high- efficiency wood stove displaced all of the electricity previously used for heating, the Laurins would save $1,827 per year ($2,667 – $840).

57 15 The Future of Residential Wood Heating

The demand for environmentally Conventional fireplaces, once As the cost of heating homes acceptable energy alternatives common in Canadian homes, with fossil fuels and electricity should ensure that wood heating are declining in popularity. Their continues to rise, advanced will play an integral part of our low efficiency, high levels of wood burning offers an effective energy mix for the foreseeable pollution, limited use and often alternative. In the future, more future. Many Canadians like severe functional problems out- Canadians – especially those you who use renewable energy weigh any claims to aesthetic living at the urban fringe and sources to heat their homes want appeal. In their place, energy- beyond – will return to Canada’s to make sure that these sources efficient and low-emission original source of fuel. Installing will remain sustainable. As well, wood-burning fireplaces and an advanced technology wood they usually support model inserts with their beautiful stove, fireplace or insert in the forest management practices. fire-viewing capabilities will primary living area may reduce Moreover, with more highly become the accepted standard. the need to directly heat unoccu- efficient combustion technolo- These new fireplaces are as pied parts of our homes. As we gies in homes – technologies that practical as they are attractive – better understand the environ- produce more heat with fewer something that can’t be said mental and social costs of pollutants – residential wood of older, conventional fireplaces. energy, the move to renewable, heating is expected to remain a efficient and self-reliant wood safe, clean and efficient home- will make more sense for many heating option in the future. Canadians. Wood stoves have evolved significantly since the late 1980s, and they are now cleaner-burning, easier to use and provide better environmental performance. As we understand more about efficient wood-burning techniques and the need to reduce smoke emissions, wood heating will be among the methods for improv- ing Canada’s energy security. More Canadian families will enjoy the benefits of advanced, certified clean-burning wood heaters.

58 For More Information

Heating your home with wood Safety requires a serious investment. For more information or tips on Information home heating with wood, con- Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association of Canada • Your municipal office for an International Affiliate of HPBA sult the following wood-heating building inspection and fire Hearth Patio and inspection specialists: Barbecue Association of Canada (HPBAC) • Your provincial or territorial Fuel Wood To find out more about hearth fire marshal’s office • Provincial and territorial products or to locate qualified • Fire Prevention Canada ministries of natural industry professionals, look for (1 800 668-2955 or resources, energy or this logo in telephone directories. http://www.fiprecan.ca). environment. E-mail: [email protected] • Your local telephone directory, under “Firewood.” Wood Energy • Classified ads in your local Association des Technology newspaper. professionnels Transfer Inc. • Word-of-mouth recommen- du chauffage 365 Bloor Street East dations of owners who (APC) Suite 1807 manage environmentally Toronto ON M4W 3L4 sound woodlots. C.P.170, succursale Beaubien Tel.: 1 888 358-9388 Montréal QC H2G 3C9 Web site: http://www.wettinc.ca Products and Fax: (514) 270-5488 E-mail: [email protected] Consumer Tips Services Contact the APC for fact sheets • Your local telephone and other information on wood The Wood Heat directory, under “Chimneys,” heating in Quebec. Organization Inc. “Chimney Cleaning,” 410 Bank Street, Suite 117 “Heating Contractors,” Ottawa ON K2P 1Y8 “Fireplaces and Wood Tel.: (613) 757-2290 CSA International Stoves – Retail.” Fax: (613) 757-0277 178 Rexdale Boulevard • Visit your local hearth Web site: Toronto, ON M9W 1R3 products store. http://www.woodheat.org Contact CSA International for • Hearth Patio and Barbecue A comprehensive database on copies of standards mentioned Association of Canada or frequently asked questions is in this guide. Association des profession- available on the Wood Heat nels du chauffage. Organization’s Web site.

59 Publications on Residential Wood-Heating A Guide to Residential Wood Canada Mortgage and Heating is part of a series of Housing Corporation buyer’s guides for renewable Canadian Housing energy systems for residential Information Centre use. Other documents on resi- 700 Montreal Road dential wood heating include Ottawa ON K1A 0P7 the following: • All About Wood Fireplaces For information on Buying Firewood? Don’t Get Burned!, contact • An Introduction to Home Measurement Canada, an Heating With Wood Industry Canada agency, at • Buying a High-Efficiency http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/ Wood-Burning Appliance meascan/engdoc/homepage.html. • Getting the Most Out of Your Wood Stove

60 Burn it Smart! Enjoy the fire, not the smoke.