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Safety First
Efficiency Depends on Good Fuel
Kindling a New Fire
Burn Smaller, Hotter Fires
Avoid Slow, Smouldering Fires
Upgrading to Advanced Technology
Other Tips for Safe Wood Heating
For More Information
Also Available from Natural Resources Canada
Wood is an important source of fuel in many Canadian households. Proper wood-burning habits ensure safe, clean, efficient and economical use of your wood stove.
Safety First
The smell of smoke in a home typically means that its wood-burning system is venting improperly. This is not only a fire hazard – it could also lead to deadly carbon monoxide poisoning.
Make sure that your wood stove and chimney are professionally installed and inspected by a technician certified under the Wood Energy Technical Training (WETT) program or, in Quebec, by the Association des professionnels du chauffage (APC). These technicians will ensure that your stove and chimney meet the requirements under the building codes. Once installed, your stove and chimney should be cleaned at least once a year.
Efficiency Depends on Good Fuel
Gasoline, kerosene, charcoal or liquid starters are dangerous and not suitable for starting a fire in a wood stove. The best way is to start with a base of newspaper and small pieces of dry kindling. Once this is burning, add a few pieces of clean, well-seasoned firewood. It is important that the wood you burn has been split and dried properly.
As a rule, firewood that is cut, split and stacked in the spring will be ready for burning the following winter. Properly seasoned wood has just under 20 percent water by weight. The moisture in freshly cut wood can range from 35 to 70 percent and thereby suppress the combustion process – the wetter the wood, the more heat energy required to boil the water out of the wood. As a result, energy is wasted.
Seasoned wood that is properly dried is darker at the ends and weighs much less than freshly cut wood and usually tends to be cracked at the cut ends. Wood pieces should be short enough to fit easily into the firebox of your stove, in a variety of widths ranging from 7.5 to 15 cm (3 to 6 in.) in diameter. Firewood should be loosely stacked outside and off the ground. Never store firewood inside the house, because the indoor heat will support the growth of unhealthy moulds on the wood. Also, never burn particleboard, plywood, ocean driftwood, painted or treated wood, garbage, glossy paper, plastics or rubber.
Kindling a New Fire
The first stage of the fire is usually the smokiest, because the cool wood, the boiling water within the wood and the cool air inside the stove take heat away from the flames. During this stage, all air inlets of the stove should be opened fully in order to create a flow of air to make the hot flame. Although it might appear that this initial burning lets too much heat go up the chimney, it is a necessary part of building an efficient fire. The extra heat “primes” the chimney to produce an upward draft and also helps to keep the flue liner clean by loosening creosote deposits that have built up from previous fires. This initial burning also drives moisture out of the firewood and ignites the smoke that is being released from the wood.
Burn Smaller, Hotter Fires
Most of the energy in burning wood is released as a bright flame. The best fire is one that is hot, with no smell of smoke indoors and very little smoke visible outside. If there is dark, smelly smoke coming from your chimney, it means that the firewood is not burning completely. The result of incomplete combustion, this smoke is unhealthy and pollutes the outdoor air. It can also result in sticky deposits of creosote on the walls of your chimney, which are highly flammable and can provide the perfect fuel for chimney fires if they are allowed to accumulate.
Avoid Slow, Smouldering Fires
When a wood fire is starved for air and the exhaust temperature is not sufficient to produce a strong updraft in the chimney, the fire begins to smoulder and spills smoke into the room when the stove door is opened. It is important to ensure that sufficient air is coming into the fire through air inlets of the stove in order to maintain the flame.
Upgrading to Advanced Technology
Dense smoke coming from your chimney may indicate bigger problems. If your wood stove is more than 10 years old, you should consider replacing it with a new model that uses advanced technology. Older stoves can release between 40 and 80 grams of smoke per hour; new certified models produce only 2 to 5 grams per hour. This means as much as a 90 percent reduction in creosote buildup, making the new stoves much safer than conventional models.
When used properly, new modern units burn so efficiently that they require up to one third less wood and produce virtually no smoke. The best choices are appliances that are labelled for safety by recognized testing and certification agencies and certified as low-emission according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards, which are accepted in Canada.
Other Tips for Safe Wood Heating
Ashes should be removed regularly from a stove or fireplace, placed in a covered metal container and stored outside in a safe area, away from the house.
Maintain proper clearance between your wood stove and combustible household items, such as drapes, furniture, newspaper and books. Have carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms installed as required under the National Fire Code of Canada. Keep a fire extinguisher near the stove, and install a stovepipe thermometer to ensure that the stove is operating at the right temperature.
For More Information
| To learn more about hearth products or to locate qualified industry professionals, look for this logo in telephone directories, or call the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association of Canada at (705) 788-2221. |
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| To locate trained and certified retailers, installers or chimney sweeps in all provinces and territories except Quebec, look for this logo in telephone directory ads, or call 1 888 358-WETT toll-free. |
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| To locate trained and certified retailers, installers and chimney sweeps in Quebec, look for this logo in telephone directory ads, or call the APC at (514) 270-4944. |
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Also Available from Natural Resources Canada
To obtain copies of these free publications, call 1 800 387-2000 toll-free. You can also visit our Web site at www.burnitsmart.org.
© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2004
Inventory No. M27-01-1025E
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