What to Know About Wood Stoves

If you’re among the thousands who have succumbed to the lure of the wood-burning stove, keep in mind that the return to the “good old days” of wood stove heating can have some old-fashioned drawbacks.

Fire Hazard is One Thing to Understand

The resurgence of the wood burner as a supplementary source of heat has led to an alarming—and growing—number of fires traceable to careless installation or misuse.

This pamphlet aims to help bridge a generation gap in wood stove knowledge by providing some basic information on the selection, installation, use, and maintenance of solid fuel heating equipment.

Here are some principal do’s and don’ts:

DO—make sure there is enough clearance between the stove and combustible materials, including floors, walls, and ceilings.

DO—place the stove on a noncombustible, fire-resistant base.

DO—have a mason or other competent person inspect the chimney.

DO—burn only dry, well-seasoned wood.

DO—consider opening a window with a crack for ventilation.

DO—dispose of ashes in a closed metal container outside the house.

DON’T—extend the stove pipe through a wall or ceiling unless there is no possible alternative.

DON’T—connect a wood stove to a fireplace chimney unless the fireplace has been sealed off.

DON’T—connect a wood stove to a chimney serving another appliance burning other fuels.

DON’T—start a stove fire with flammable fluids, such as gasoline.

DON’T—burn trash in a stove; doing so can start a chimney fire.

DON’T—let a wood fire burn unattended or overnight.

Selecting a Stove

Be sure your stove is made of sturdy, suitable material, such as cast iron or steel. Look for stoves listed by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or other recognized testing laboratories.

If you purchase a used stove, check it carefully for cracks or other defects. The legs, hinges, grates, and draft louvers also should be checked carefully.

If you live in a mobile home, be sure your stove is of a type specifically approved for use in such a dwelling.

Installation

Before installing your stove, check with local authorities to be sure you comply with local fire and building codes.

Think twice about where you’ll put your stove. Usually, a centralized location is best if the stove is to be used as a heating device.

One point to consider is that warmed air rises. If the stove is too near a stairwell, you may lose much of your heat to the floor above.

If you plan to use an existing chimney, both its location and the length of its flue will be determining factors. Note these guidelines:

• The horizontal section of the uninsulated stove pipe should not be more than three-quarters as long as that section of the flue above the point at which the pipe and the flue connect.
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards call for a 36-inch clearance between a room heater stove and any combustiblewall or ceiling surface. If the length of the horizontal portion of the stove pipe won’t permit that much clearance, protect the combustible wall with a panel of some protective material, such as sheet metal, spaced at least one inch from the wall.

Careful attention to the floor mounting of your stove is essential. To meet NFPA standards:

• Stoves having less than two inches of ventilated open space beneath the fire chamber or base of the unit should never be installed on combustible floors or have any combustible material beneath them unless permitted by their listing.
• Stoves having legs or pedestals providing two to six inches of ventilated open space beneath the fire chamber or base may be installed on combustible floors protected by four inches of hollow masonry, laid to provide air circulation, and covered with 24 gauge sheet metal unless permitted by their listing.
• If there are more than six inches of ventilated open space beneath the fire chamber or base, a stove may be placed on a combustible floor protected by a solid brick, concrete or stone masonry unit at least two inches thick. That unit should be covered by a sheet of 24 gauge steel unless permitted by the stove’s listing.
• The floor protection should extend at least 18 inches on all sides of the stov

Starting Fires

Be sure to open the damper near the stove before starting a fire. (If you have a second, higher one, it can remain open for use only in emergencies.)

Build the fire on a shallow bed of ashes, which provides a heat-reflecting surface. Use a small amount of crumpled paper and cover it with a few small sticks of wood fuel, says NFPA. When the draft is started up the chimney flue, larger pieces of wood can be added.

If the fire burns too slowly, the draft louvers of the stove should be opened, and the damper above the stove pipe opened wider or all the way. Adjusting the draft and adding frequent but small amounts of wood make an even burning and continuous hot fire.

Above all, never douse gasoline, kerosene, or other flammable fluid on wood to get a quick fire.

Another way of asking for trouble is to use your stove for trash burning. The resulting flames can start a chimney fire.

In Case of Fire

If you have a chimney fire, first call the fire department.

While you’re waiting for the firemen to arrive, you can help control the fire by closing the stove’s draft louvers and the solid damper in the stove pipe.

Checks

Before the heating season each year, check and clean your chimney and stove pipe carefully and make any needed repairs. More frequent checks are advisable if you are building up creosote and soot.

Unless you are an experienced and competent do-it-yourselfer, think twice before trying to clean your own chimney—you may damage your chimney lining. Rather spend some money on professional service than create a fire hazard that may cost you thousands of dollars or even result in the destruction of your home!

About Dickstein Associates Agency, a Division of Risk Strategies

At Dickstein Associates Agency, a Division of Risk Strategies, we offer Homeowners Insurance to protect your most valued possessions. Have you had you dwelling insurance limits reviewed recently? Consider that inflation, supply chain disruptions and labor shortages have increased the cost to rebuild exponentially. Are you limits adequate? Please reach out to us to discuss!