https://sharedead85.bravejournal.net/this-weeks-best-stories-about-cheap-wood-burning-stoves-cheap-wood-burning How to Properly Operate a Woodburning Stove Wood stoves are a cozy and inexpensive way to heat the home. However, the smoke they produce can be harmful to health. It is important to know how these appliances work and how to use them safely. Modern stoves employ catalytic or secondary combustion to limit emissions. Older stoves and open flames emit large amounts of particulates. The firebox The firebox is the heart of any fireplace system. It's where you create a fire to heat your home and provide ambiance. It's a simple concept, but there are many important details that must be accounted for to keep your wood burning stove safe and efficient. The simplest way to think of the firebox is that it's an open-air combustion chamber that has walls and an entrance. The majority of fireplaces come with an already-built metal or masonry fireboxes. The type of firebox you choose depends on your personal preferences and the type of fireplace you have. The majority of wood-burning stoves employ a constant flow of air to generate the flame and burn the fuel. Fresh air is drawn in through adjustable dampers located within the doors of the stove. This lets the fuel burn properly and helps to reduce the toxic gases caused by unburnt or incomplete combustion. The exhaust gases will be dragged up the chimney and away from your home. Modern stoves that have catalytic secondary combustion make use of a specific catalyst to reburn the unburnt gasses to create additional heat. This results in more clean and less polluting smoke than traditional wood stoves with no secondary combustion. Modern non-catalytic wood stoves are also available, but these are typically less efficient than those with secondary combustion that is catalytic. Certain wood-burning stoves come with a backboiler that can be used to heat water, in addition to space heating. These stoves are referred to as "hybr