Prevent The Smoky Smell Of A Fireplace

The winter has been a long and cold one. So naturally, you have been frequently using your wood fireplace to keep your den and living area warm. But now after a couple months, you have a smoky smell drifting through your home when there is no fire or wood in your fireplace, although you have never noticed any sign of smoke coming into your living area while a fire is lit.

This is a problem that is experienced by many after a long winter. The fires will slow down, but there is still the unwanted smell of wood and smoke in your home.

First, you should make sure your fireplace is clean. From the bottom where you burn your wood through the top of the chimney, a dirty fireplace can hold the smell of smoke and wood. If necessary, a chimney sweep should be hired to ensure that the inside of your fireplace is clean. If the smell continues, there could be other causes.

A fireplace is a major point of airflow in your home. While you burn your fire, an updraft is created that pushes the smoke and fire through the chimney. However, when there is no fire and, therefore, less updraft the airflow is not pushed up and can actually reverse from other forces in your home, bringing the smell into your living spaces. This often results in something called the "stack effect."

In taller, leakier homes or those with chimneys on outside walls exposed to outdoor temperatures, thermal influences bring a smoky smell into your home. As warm, lighter air rises in your home, it may be replaced by the cold, heavy air that is looking to escape from your unused fireplace, allowing the smoky smell of wood creosote from your fireplace to infiltrate your living areas. Rainy weather can also accelerate the stack effect.

To prevent the stack effect and the accompanying smell, you need to create resistance to the flow of air from your chimney.

- Close the fireplace damper when you are not using it, and check to be sure that your damper is not leaky.

- Add a tight-fitting glass fire screen. This will keep air from flowing in from your chimney.

- Mount a top-sealing damper at the top of your chimney. These are opened and closed by a cable through the inside of the flue.

- Provide a source of outside combustion air to your other combustion appliances, like your furnace, wood stove or water heater, to reduce the demand for replacement air.

You can buy a deodorizer to temporarily rid your room of the smell of smoke and wood. However, making a few small changes will greatly reduce the chance of the smell returning to the inside of your home, regardless of how often you use your fireplace next winter.

Installing a Flexible Stainless Steel Chimney Liner

Why should you even bother to install a liner? They aren't cheap, but their benefits definitely outweigh their cost. The liner will protect your flue system, damaged or not, from the transfer of heat in your system to nearby combustibles.

Liners also keep your masonry safe from byproducts of combustion that can be extremely corrosive and damaging to your flue system. The gases produced by combustion will actually eat away at or deteriorate the mortar located in between the flue tiles in your chimney.

Flexible Stainless Steel Chimney Liners

If your existing flue system has been deemed unsafe to burn due to cracked flue tiles, missing mortar joints, etc., then looking into a flexible stainless steel chimney liner may be beneficial. Although rigid stainless steel liners exist, chances are that you may not be able to use this type of liner for your chimney. If your chimney has even the slightest bend to it, then a rigid liner just will not go down into the chimney. Also, you must be sure to use a flexible liner if you are installing for a new woodstove insert because more often than not you are required to bend the liner a little bit to fit it to the stove correctly. Consult a professional when deciding what type of liner will work best for you.

After you purchase your liner in the correct size and material for your particular flue system, carefully remove the liner and lay it out flat on a flat surface. Be cautious, the edges of the liner can be very sharp and potentially cut you. Start by attaching the bottom termination connector. Then tighten the hose clamp, being very careful not to over-tighten it on the liner. After measuring the exact length of the chimney (from the bottom to the very top of the crown,) add twelve to eighteen inches and cut the liner using tin snips. You need to properly install the bottom termination connector.

Chimney liner insulation is necessary along the entire length of the liner. To determine the correct width of the insulation, its time for a little grade school geometry: multiply the diameter of the liner by 3.14 (pi) to get the circumference of the circle, and then add one inch to this number because a one inch overlap is necessary to properly insulate the liner. So long as the insulation will fit in the chimney it is not necessary to have this exact number, it just cannot be any less.

Lay the insulation on the ground with the foil side facing the ground and place the stainless steel liner in the middle. After the liner is wrapped, use foil tape over the seam to keep it snug. After it is secured use one long piece of tape the length of the liner as a whole to cover the seam. This continuous piece of tape will secure the insulation the best.

Wire mesh is also necessary when it comes to insulating the liner. If this was not in place then the insulation itself can be damaged when being lowered into the chimney. Make sure your mesh covers the entire length of the liner. Do not forget to encapsulate the bottom connector piece as well. Hose clamps are the best for attaching the mesh, and they are usually included in the liner kit. Use the clamps to attach the mesh to one end of the liner. Pull the mesh on the other end of the liner until it fits tightly and use the hose clamp to secure it. For safety reasons, use the same tin snips as before to cut away any extra.

Working on a roof, no matter what you are doing, takes many safety precautions. Be sure that you take all of these precautions and you have enough people to safely install the liner. You will be basically dropping the liner down through the top of the chimney and feeding it the whole way through to the bottom. It may become necessary for a rope to be tied to the bottom of the liner and someone standing inside the home pulling from the bottom. Be sure to keep the liner as centered as possible while dropping it down into the flue system. This will prevent any damage to the insulation or the liner itself.

After your liner is in the correct position, it is time to cut the top of the liner to fit correctly. Be sure to leave four extra inches showing on the outside of the flue system so that the liner is equal to the height of the crown. Hold the bottom connector in place firmly and apply silicone caulk to the top of the first terracotta flue tile or the chimney crown itself. Then, place the top plate over the liner and press it into the caulking. Tighten the connecting clamp or band around the liner to secure the liner to the top plate. Then, install your stainless steel cap by placing it over the collar of the top plate.

If you are connecting your liner to the appliance vertically, simply connect the appliance connector to the liner and bottom termination point. If you are using a vertical connection then you are finished! If you are connecting horizontally, decide upon the point where the pipe will come through the wall to connect to the tee body. Cut a hole through the insulation and mesh to indicate where the tee snout and tee will connect. Secure the snout and body of the tee using a metal band that should be attached and wraps around the tee body's backside. Insulate the snout of the tee and fill the hole around the snout with brick and mortar.

Be careful to follow any given directions for your particular flue liner, keep the edges of the stainless steel smooth and be cautious while working on the rooftop of any structure.

Copyright (c) 2009 Clay Lamb

Keeping A Finished Basement Warm Year Round

Finishing your basement is a wonderful way to add more usable space to your home without extending its footprint. Unfortunately, ambient conditions tend to make even finished basements chilly and damp. The right heating and humidity control systems can do a lot to cut down on these problems, keeping your finished basement warm and comfortable all year.

Finishing the Floor

The first step in making sure that your basement feels inviting is to provide a finished, comfortable floor. Carpet is a common choice, but it's important to make sure that the floor under the carpet doesn't have moisture problems. In many basements, mold and mildew take hold underneath the carpet, producing an unpleasant odor and an increase in allergens that can affect your respiratory health.

Make sure that your basement slab has been sealed or that you use an underlayment that will keep the carpet away from any moisture that rises up from the concrete. Take care to use an insulating layer, too; artificial materials like extruded polystyrene are best. This will keep the heat in your basement from seeping out through the ground.

Extend Existing Heating

If your home already has a forced-air heating system, you can extend the existing ductwork into the basement, providing extra heat. Make sure to adjust the registers individually in each room, so that your upstairs rooms don't end up feeling stuffy while your basement stays cold.

If your existing system doesn't have the power to heat your basement fully, think about installing a second furnace or adding other heat sources. It's worth the initial expense to have a finished basement that's truly comfortable. Some options include radiant heat in the walls and ceiling, a wood burning stove, a gas fireplace or just electric baseboard heaters.

Radiant heat is the most comfortable, but also the most expensive and inconvenient. Electric baseboard heaters are cheap and easy to install, but can cost more to operate than some other options. Gas fireplaces are clean-burning and relatively simple to install, while traditional wood burning stoves and fireplaces provide a more attractive ambiance and cheap heat.

Improve Efficiency

No matter how much heat you pump into your basement, the space will feel cold if you don't improve efficiency. Replace old single-pane windows with more efficient double-panes. Add insulation to your walls to keep heat from seeping into the surrounding earth. Check the seals on all basement windows and doors to ensure that your space doesn't suffer from drafts.

Reduce Moisture

One of the big factors that makes a basement feel cold is the higher moisture level. Even in relatively dry basements, the humidity is usually higher than upstairs. This can make a normally pleasant temperature feel clammy and chilly. Consider installing a dehumidifying unit in your ductwork or using a portable dehumidifier to reduce the overall dampness.

If you're considering finishing your basement or have a basement that has already been partially finished, don't forget about comfort. Improving your space's energy efficiency, adding supplemental heat, and adjusting the air conditions can all help you, your family, and your guests enjoy your finished basement space much more effectively. You might be surprised by the results you get with just a few changes.

Wood Furnace - An Efficient and Economical Home Heating System in Three Varieties

In many parts of the world, a wood furnace is the main system used to heat a home. They have many advantages to them and some consider them to be the most efficient of heating devices that you can use. Of course, having access to an adequate wood supply is a must with this type of heating system.

One of the main reasons for their popularity is that their source of fuel is wood, a natural and renewable product. Burning wood does not release toxic fumes into the air. It is, for all practical purposes, a green renewable resource being used in a green product.

When you start shopping for one of these units you will notice that they are broken down into three categories: the central system, multi-fuel and outdoor. Each have their own specific characteristics so you will need to decide which setup you want in order to choose the system.

A central wood furnace system is flexible in that it can be located in virtually any part of the home where you can access the duct and plenum system. This wood furnace doesn't require a large fire so it is not only economical but very efficient. It burns very hot and leaves little in the way of residue but ash.

When the fire burns, it releases heat from all sides which rises. Due to the design and shape of the furnace every wall radiates heat to magnify its intensity. This makes it a neat way to heat a basement which is where many people place their central wood-fired furnace.

Cold air from the room is pulled in and then heated air is sent out into the rest of the house by a fan(s) through the ducts. Depending upon which central wood burner you buy, you can heat several floors of a house.

And just to add to the ambience of your home, you do not necessarily need to place your central wood furnace in the basement. There are even designs that look like a fireplace with a large glass covering that allows you to see the fire as it burns. What a great touch.

A multi-fuel heating system can go either inside or outside. It is a dual system in that it uses wood and another source, such as gas or coal at the same time. For example, wood is burned as the primary source. When the wood supply runs out the thermostat monitors the temperature until it gets down to the pre-set amount. At that point, the furnace switches over to the alternate source, like gas, and begins running again. This continues until you add more wood and it switches back over. This is great in a home where the homeowners may be away for extended periods of time in the winter.

An outdoor wood burning furnace, more properly called an outdoor wood-fired boiler, heats water and sends this hot water into the home where some type of heat exchange is done either via water-to-water or water-to-air. The heat is then sent into the home via in floor radiant heating, radiant baseboards or forced air vents.

An outdoor wood furnace can also be used to furnish water for the home's hot water heater, or even a pool. And better yet, all the mess is outside. However it will require some trenching done to allow the insulated pipes carrying the hot water to the house to be laid

Wood Stove Efficiency - The Secret To Low Cost Heating

Wood stove efficiency varies wildly from stove to stove and yet is poorly understood in terms of what it means for heating your home with wood. Open fireplaces typically operate at about 10% efficiency, basic wood stoves between around 30% and 50% efficiency and modern high performance stoves can reach as high as 90% efficiency.

If you are heating with wood the difference between using a 30% efficient and an 90% efficient stove can mean you burn 3 times as much wood over the course of a year. Not only is this wasteful it is loads of unnecessary extra work; cutting, splitting, stacking, seasoning and then moving your firewood before burning it. Life is simply too short!

What Is Stove Efficiency?

Simply, wood stove efficiency is a measure of how much of the chemical energy in your firewood ends up in your living room, compared to going up the chimney. To measure it you need to very carefully control the conditions and in practice this is done in environmental testing laboratories.

The chemical energy stored in wood is actually quite easy to find. Most types of wood have rating in BTU's per cord. There is some variation between different tree species but basically each kilo of dry wood contains pretty much the same amount of energy. To find the energy going into the stove you weigh the wood before you burn it.

Calculating the heat transfer into the room is harder - you can get a reasonable figure by measuring the temperature of the air in different places, air speeds due to convection and so forth. there are some relatively complex bits of fluid dynamics involved but it can be done. The stove efficiency is therefore the percentage of energy transferred to the room compared to the total amount of wood burned.

These figures are impossible to calculate meaningfully in the home, which is why it is so important to know the rated efficiency as provided by the manufacturer. Generally older style "airtight stoves" are less efficient and cheap imports tend to be very low efficiency, sometimes as low as 20 or 30%.

What Affects Wood-burning Stove Efficiency?

These factors fall into two main categories.

Those which effect combustion, how well the wood burns

Those which effect how well heat is transferred from the stove to the room it is in

We'll look at both of these separately, and talk about ways that you can improve the efficiency of your existing stove.

Combustion Efficiency

Efficiency of combustion concerns how much of the possible energy in the fuel wood is actually released in the stove. As a general rule hotter fires give more complete combustion and so tend to be more efficient. We can manipulate this thorough wood stove design where we insulate the main stove box to keep as much heat IN the main firebox as possible. This seems counter intuitive when we are trying to get as much of that heat as possible out of the stove!

The hotter the stove is the more the chemical structure of the wood breaks down to smaller and smaller molecules as it burns. The very smallest of these are carbon monoxide and hydrogen. If we have a cooler stove the wood breaks down far less and the larger molecules do not burn properly and pass up the chimney as smoke.

High temperature is only the first step - to make the most of these small, ready to burn, molecules we need to add extra oxygen. The best of the modern stoves add preheated air to a separate part of the firebox where the combustion gases are burned. This is usually referred to as a secondary burn. If we choke off the air these molecules go straight up the chimney without releasing their heat energy in the stove - this is both polluting and wasteful. I've heard it described as "turning down the heating by blowing out the gas but leaving the tap running". The best modern stoves have this secondary air carefully regulated, sometimes beyond the control of the stove operator. This is to help the stove meet air quality regulations but the added benefit is the boost in efficiency!

Turbulence within the stove helps mix the gases so that all parts of the flame have sufficient air to burn. Open wood fires tend to have "lazy" flames and the same can be seen in some wood stoves if you turn the air supply down. Designing the air inlets so that they create turbulent high velocity jets of air yields a nice clean burn.

Heat Transfer

Given that we need the firebox as hot as possible the question remains how to get as much heat as possible from the stove before the hot gases go up the chimney. In an existing stove there is nothing we can usually do about the stove internal features - we might be able to direct the flue pipes around the indoor spaces a little and gain more heat that way. Sometimes we can install a heat exchanger in the chimney pipe, above the stove itself.

The best modern stoves have this heat exchange component built in to the design, so that they extract as much heat as possible from the gases before they reach the chimney.

External to the stove we sometimes improve efficiency marginally by installing a wood stove fan. These increase the flow of air over the surface of the stove, increasing heat transfer to the room. The improvement is small and given the price tag you may find a new stove a better investment!

Are High Efficiency Stoves A Good Investment?

Stoves with efficiencies approaching 90% cost considerably more to purchase because the interior design tends to be a lot more complex and the quality of workmanship tends be be higher. You may consider this a good investment if you do a lot, or all, of you heating with firewood. Firewood costs around $200 per cord (varies considerably with location and type of wood) and upgrading from 30% efficiency to 90% may save you many cords worth of wood over a heating season.

If you are buying a stove for using a few evenings per year then a cheaper stove is probably adequate.

How to Buy Wood Burning Stoves

Nothing beats the crackling sound of a wood burning stove on a cold winter evening. Well that's not true, the heat from your wood burning stove is awesome as well. When it comes time to purchase a wood burning stove you should consider these facts:

How much of my home do I want to heat

BTU's and exactly what they mean

Efficiency rating and why is this important

Emission ratings

Tax Rebate on Select Stoves

A lot of people who have never used a wood burning stove don't realize it will not heat the entire home useless you have a very simply house plan. In fact our first home did not heat well at all in our bedrooms because the flow of air in the home went from our living room to the kitchen and out the garage door. Never did the heat flow down the halls into our bedrooms.

With that said, heat pumps heat the entire home and wood burning stoves will heat certain areas of the home. Yes, the heat will trickle to other areas but the temperature difference can be 10 degrees.

BTU's are short for british thermal units and that translates into the higher the BTU's the more heat it will produce and the more square footage it will heat. BTU's in the 40,000 range will heat around 1200 sq ft. and units in the 80,000 range can heat areas in the range of 2100 sq. ft. Pick the wood stove that can safely heat the area you want heated.

Efficiency rating is based on the stoves ability to take the fuel you add and turn it into usable heat. Wood stoves range from 70% to 80+. Moral of this story: the higher the efficiency rating the less wood you will burn.

Emissions rating is based on how many grams of particulate enter the atmosphere per hour. Production of wood stoves in the 70's ranged in the 70-80 grams per hour. Today's wood stoves are as low as 2.4 gm/ per hour. Big difference!

Tax Credits: this year 2009 and next year you can get up to $1500 tax credit on your income tax if you purchase select wood burning stoves. Each manufacturer is prominently displaying the wood stoves that meet the tax credit. Bottom line you can get 30% back on your income tax and the most is $1500.

During your research make sure that the prices you find are for complete stoves. Some places do not include the price of railing, doors and other basic things to make your wood stove work.

One accessory you shouldn't leave the store without is a fan. This fan will move the heat that builds up on the top of the stove into other rooms. This is one incredible source of moving heat into rooms that normally get the direct heat from your wood stove.

If you are planning on installing the wood stove on your own, make sure and pick up the local regulations in your area. Learn what type of stove pipe they require, placement of wood stove away from walls, etc. You'll be pleasantly surprised how close you can place your wood stove to current walls in your home.

Essential Wood Burning Stove Accessories

You have made the decision to go with a wood stove this winter. Now its time to find some accessories that will make using your wood stove easier and more fun. There are a myriad of accessory choices, but here are a few of the most essential ones.

Log Carriers and Baskets

If you are using a traditional wood log burning stove, you will need a method for retrieving and storing those logs from the woodpile to the inside of your home. A log basket or carrier is a handy tool that makes it much easier to transport a number of logs at one time. They come in various sizes, shapes and materials. Our favorite is the wicker basket style that transports and stores at the same time. It is particularly stylish if your home or cottage is decorated in a country style. For a more sturdy and modern look, there are metal carriers that will do the job. Always consider your home decor when shopping for a log basket/carrier.

Stove Gloves

Fitting logs inside your wood burning stoves can be tricky. Purchasing a good set of stove gloves is essential to ensure that your hands are arms are kept safe from the fire and heat. Although you can use any types of gloves for this purpose, ones that are specifically made for the job are recommended. Good stove gloves are extra long to cover and protect the arms. Because they are specially treated with material that withstands high temperatures, they are much safer than a typical glove used during winter months.

Blowers and Heat Reclaimers

Efficiency is the name of the game for wood burning stoves. Blowers (fans) and heat reclaimers are accessories that will help make your wood stove as efficient as possible. Keep in mind that any hot air that is not circulated into a room is lost to the outside. An efficient blower will help circulate the heat throughout a room or house.

Heat reclaimers are designed to capture heat that would normally go straight up the chimney and circulate that air back into the room. A highly efficient wood burning stove will have both a blower and heat reclaimer working properly.

Thermometer

A thermometer will not only help you monitor the efficiency of your wood stove, but it will also alert you to any issues involved with overheating. The thermometer attaches either to the stovepipe or directly onto the stovetop.

Kettles and Steamers

You will want to get the most out of your woodburning stove, so having a few cooking accessories on hand is fun and functional at the same time. Wood stove kettles can be used for making old fashioned popcorn. Fill a kettle with water to help humidify a room. You can even add a touch of potpourri to the water to give the room a special scent too.

Kettles come in a wide variety of styles, but porcelain covered ones may be the best choice since they resist rust. If you use your stove for cooking often, consider purchasing a trivet. Wood stove trivets will help protect the top of your stove from rust spots that could result from the use of a kettle or steamer. They are made of cast iron and are very durable.

Wood stoves can be a smart decision from both an aesthetic and economical viewpoint. Wood stove accessories will help your stove be more efficient, fun and safe - all at the same time.