October 29, 2009

The Basics - Good Wood

Not satisfying one of the most basic requirements of wood heat can lead to countless frustrations during the winter.  It really doesn't matter what species or type of wood you have available.  The one thing that matters most is whether the wood is dry.  Indeed a lot of performance problems, such has lack of heat, dirty glass, sluggish starts, and lack of secondary combustion, are caused by poor fuel quality as opposed to problems with the system. 

What is dry, or, seasoned wood?  Very simply seasoned wood is wood that has been dried to a point where it is efficiently burned in a stove.  Usually this is between 15% and 20%  moisture.  How long  it takes for wood to dry to this point depends a lot on what species it is.  Some species of Ash and Cherry can be ready to burn in a couple weeks whereas Oak and Elm may take a couple years. 

Wood dries best when given the most sunshine and airflow possible.  Stack it up off of the ground after it's been split making sure it gets plenty of sun and air.  Stacking wood more than a couple rows deep will greatly hurt the ability of the wood away from the exterior of the pile to dry.  Leave the pile uncovered until the fall when it's time to start burning. 

Knowing a bit about and properly taking care of the fuel is a huge key to successful and enjoyable burning.  A little extra work during the summer can make your winter much warmer!

November 5, 2009

What's in a cord?

Considering the time of year this may be a very important question to know the answer to right now.  How much is a cord of wood and how do you make sure you get what you're paying for? 

Simply put, a cord is a unit of measure.  One cord is 128 cubic feet or in terms of wood that would be a pile 8 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 4 feet high, STACKED.  If your wood is cut to 16 inches in length, that would mean three rows 8 feet long and 4 feet high. 

It's important to remember this is measured with the wood normally stacked, not heaped in a pile - the difference can be significant. 

Most firewood suppliers want to give you what you are paying for.  They'll usually deliver slightly more than what you pay for to cover themselves.  No one wants a bad reputation.  If after you stack your wood you feel you've been shorted let the seller know.  Most of the time they will deliver some wood to make up for it before you can hang up the phone.  And, keep a record of who you purchase from.  Stick with the folks who treat you well. 

One more side note:  If the wood hasn't been stacked and split for a year, it isn't seasoned.  An honest seller will sell anything less as "semi-seasoned." 

Nobember
30, 2009

Why insulate your stainless liner?

Flexible stainless chimney liners are great!  They really are far and away superior products compared to traditional masonry liners and often perform better when properly installed.  The cost for a typical liner installation averages to be around the $1,500 mark if professionally done and this can cause many homeowners to try to cut costs.  One of the first things to get cut is the insulation.  This cuts the cost of the materials as well as the labor to remove the old liner which can add up.  The following is why we INSULATE EVERY LINER WE INSTALL!

The primary function of insulation is protecting the house structure from damage caused by a chimney fire - protection.  There are performance benefits to insulating a liner but these are secondary to its intended purpose.  Masonry chimneys are required by code, whether NFPA or IRC, to have an airpace around them with no combustbles abutting their structure which protects the structure in case of a chimney fire.  Sadly, almost no chimneys fully satisfy this requirement so consequently a liner should be installed with an insulation system approved for "zero clearance" systems.  This negates the airspace requirement and provides the protection needed.

Bottom line, the insulation is safer, it performs better, and it's code. 

January
25, 2010

Pellet Stoves and Their Requirements

Happy belated new year! 

Pellet stoves are wonderful appliances in my opinion.  They're fairly easy to install and are a great alternative for those who don't want the work of a wood stove.  There are a few things to remember before making the decision to purchase one, however.

First, they do require maintenance.  Much like your wood stove/chimney, oil furnace, and so on, they require yearly service which should be performed by someone who knows how to do it correctly.  Basic hand tools are required as is a good vacuum and good dextarity.  These yearly services include:

• Cleaning both blower motors
• Cleaning and securing the venting system
• Anything else your manual says should be done on a yearly basis

In addition there are monthly and weekly chores such as cleaning the burn pot, vacuuming the empty hopper (important!), cleaning the heat exchangers, cleaning the glass, and so on.  Your owner's manual is key here.  It will tell you exactly what needs to be done and when and it should be followed very closely. 

The second thing to remember about pellet stoves is that they are electrical applainces and will only work when there is power.  Back in December 2008 many people in the NH area remember there was a major power outage.  Some folks around here were without power for weeks due to the damage.  While it is possible to have a battery back up for your pellet stove, a typical battery will last a mere few hours before being depleted.  If your pellet stove is your sole source of heat, this won't bode well for you during a major event.  Also, given that deep cycle batteries are required, be prepared to shell out close to $100 for the battery and another $150 or so for the inverter required. 

Third, pellets themselves are subject to price fluxuations, much like heating oil.  When oil rises, demand for pellets does also.  How this may change in the future is uncertain.  In the New England area pellet mills are literally springing up almost overnight and who knows how this will effect the supply and demand relationship here. 

One more note about pellets I wanted to add is all pellets are not created equal.  Different brands can vary in quality greatly, and yes, cheaper pellets do tend to have more quality issues.  Find a brand you like and stick with it.  I would be happy to make some recommendations. 

Fourth and finally, the stoves themselves are mechanical systems which break down.  Be sure you purchase from someone who can give you support and supply you with parts and service.  Some of the box store stoves have good support from their manufacturers though the stores themselves do squat for you usually.  And remember the old saying "You get what you pay for."

Stay warm folks!

March
5, 2010

Choosing a new stove.  Cats vs. Non-cats.

With spring approaching and the burning season winding down, some folks are already starting to plan for next year.  They're looking for firewood, making improvements, and searching for a new stove.  If you find yourself in this latter category, or are just new to the wood burning world, there are a couple things to keep in mind when researching that big purchase of a new appliance.  Welcome to EPA approved stoves!

The EPA has set standards regarding particulate emission which wood stoves must meet.  This has forced manufacturers to build stoves which burn very cleanly - little to no smoke being emitted from the chimney.  The unintended consequence of these standards has been a dramatic increase in the efficiency of the stove and the amount of heat you get out of your firewood.  EPA stoves are much more efficient than their non-EPA counterparts, one average about 33%.  That's significant! 

Basically you'll find two different technologies which enable the modern stove to achieve this efficiency - catalytic and non-catalytic stoves.  A catalytic stove simply is a stove which contains a catalytic combutstor.  The unburned bits left from the burning of the wood react with a chemical coated honeycomb device which lowers the ignition temperature of the smoke and causes it to burn.  This enables what's called "secondary burn" and gives some added efficiency to the stove as well as makes the exhaust much cleaner.  Cat stoves tend to produce medium heat for a very loooooong time.  They usually achieve longer burns.

A non-catalytic stove uses insulation and baffling to achieve the same effect.  Smoke from the burning of the firewood is directed along the top of the firebox by a baffle.  The smoke is heated by the fire below and hot fresh air is injected into the mix causing the superheated smoke to ignite, thus achieving your secondary burn.  Non-cat stoves tend to be most efficient when burned with hotter, shorter fires.  They will heat up your house quickly but usually do not achieve the burn times a cat stove will. 

Between the two, which is more efficient is really a wash.  A cat stove will initially be more efficient than a non-cat but because the catalytic combustors need to be replaced every several years, efficiency will wane with time. 

So which should you choose?  Well, it depends.  Figure out the your heating needs and go from there.  Rather than go nuts over the difference between cats and non-cats, look more at the quality of the stove and manufacturer.  There are great stoves in both categories. 

March
9, 2010

Shoulder Season

Well, the snow is melting and it looks like New Hampshire might be emerging from the icy grip of winter.  Though the temperature outside is warming, many people are not yet finished with their wood heat.  These warmer temperatures we experience during the fall and spring (the shoulder season) can present some challenges to we who heat with wood.  Often, building a fire in the stove makes the house very very warm.  To combat this some are tempted to simply turn down the air control or damper down the fire and have a cooler fire.  While this may seem to work, it results in a much dirtier (and less efficient) burn which dirties your chimney and wastes some of the energy in the wood. 

Instead of a cooler fire, try a smaller hot fire.  Keep the air control open and burn some smaller splits nice and hot.  It will burn clean, heat the house up quick, and then die down before things get too warm.  Simply repeat when the house gets cool again. 

A clean chimney is a happy chimney. 

Enjoy the weather!!

March
10, 2010

Video Scanning - When and Why?

Inasmuch as I would like to promote a new service we offer, I would also like to shed some light on when and why proper video scanning should be performed for those interested. 

Video scanning involves using a camera unit and usually some sort of digital imaging technology to examine the interior of the chimney flue.  A small camera is pushed up inside the flue and moved the entire length to check the integrity of each seam.  It is really the only way to be sure your chimney is serviceable and free of cracks or gaps in the liner.  The images are fed back to a viewing screen and are often recorded, and in our case these images are then used in a formal report which is prepared for the homeowner, buyer, or seller. 

A video scan is performed during an NFPA Level 2 inspection which are performed for a variety of reasons including change out of an appliance, real estate sale, troubleshooting, or if there has ever been a fire in the flue.  The flue must be cleaned first as any normal preseason service and check, and then the video unit is fed through the system.  Because of the extra time involved in both the on site work and the report writing afterward costs do run roughly double a standard clean and check but are more than justified by having seen every inch of the flue.

Here is a tip for homebuyers:  Have a proper Level 2 inspection performed.  The scan of the flue in your potential house could reveal issues even in systems which a regular home inspector did not see.  (Cracks and gaps which are often hard to see from the ends of the chimney, holes, old thimbles, PLUMBING VENTS.)  Knowing about these issues gives you more bargaining power. 

Sometimes problems are easy to spot, but sometimes they're not which is where proper scanning comes in.  Bottom line, it's the best way to get the most information about your flue and very well worth the cost. 

April 23,
2010

Keeping the April Showers Out!

Water infiltration is a big deal for masonry chimneys.  Water can enter masonry and erode mortar joints, decay brickwork, and when it freezes it can split crowns and brickwork apart.  Water can also enter through chimneys and flashing and rot and decay the wood structure of your home.  Keeping water outside where it belongs can be a very difficult task, especially on older New England homes.

Having a proper chimney crown can be a major help.  A properly built crown extends beyond the brickwork of the chimney to move rainwater away from the masonry.  It overhangs much like the eaves of a roof do on your home.  Still, most masonry chimneys have what's known as a wash, which like a crown is a concrete top on a chimney, but unlike a crown it doesn't overhang.  Instead, water runs to the edge and then down the brickwork, possibly leading to infiltration into the chimney.  Repairing a damaged wash will help to keep water out, but if at all possible pouring proper crown will make a big difference.

Flashings are also very prone to leaks, especially when improperly done.  When budgets are tight but repair is needed, a flashing sealer can be an effective and inexpensive solution to keep water out.  Flashing sealer is a paint on rubber layer which lays over top of the flashing like a big rain coat.  It dries quickly and is pretty effective at keeping out rainwater.

Finally, make sure you have a cap installed.  Caps do wonders to keep rainwater out of the flue interior which greatly helps extend the lifespan of your masonry flue.  This is especially important on a flue serving an oil appliance. 

Enjoy the great weather and watch out for the black flies!

June 28,
2010

Are you getting ripped off?

A very sad reality the chimney industry deals with is the existence of bait-and-switch con artists who are trying to rip you off.  They usually show up or call quoting a $40 sweep and end up quoting thousands of dollars after they "find" problems with the customer's chimney.  When they "reline" the chimney to fix the problem, a lot of times they only stick a short stub of a liner in the top to make it appear the repair has been performed.  In reality, all they've done is take thousands of dollars of the victims money. 

Here is a great article on the subject.
http://www.scamraiders.com/profiles/blogs/chimney-cleaning-and-repair

For someone not in the industry, I think the folks at the above link have done pretty well.  Just a couple corrections in my opinion:

• I would probably panic if my chimney had 1/4 inch of creosote built up.  The standard I'm familiar with is 1/8 inch. 
• Their three levels of inspection aren't quite accurate, but close enough I suppose. 
• Carbon monoxide is rare, but possible in wood flues, but it is a very real danger in oil flues.

Common sense can be your very best tool to protect yourself from these scams. 

• If it sounds too good to be true.....  The article is pretty spot on with their pricing info.  With fuel, vehicle maintenance, insurance etc $40 doesn't nearly cover expenses. 
• Make sure the sweep is CSIA certified.  These sweeps are reputable and have had to do a lot of training and passed some very difficult tests.  Scam artists don't do this. 
• Ask for references.  
• Be suspicious if they are from out of state.  A lot of these scams are done by companies who have to travel quite a long ways to get to a place they are not known. 

If you find yourself in this situation call the police and have them make a report so the company's name is on file. 

A lot of people do indeed have issues with their flue which need attention, but the practice of a lot of sweeps is not to give quotes until an inspection and report have been done.  This report will have photos and usually a video scan of the flue has been done.  Then a quote is issued to the customer.  If you are looking at expensive repairs, get multiple estimates with details on what each includes.  Then you can weigh cost versus service and parts received and make a decision. 

So folks, keep an eye out and if something doesn't feel right call someone.  Have a great day!