New Zealand’s Guide for Professional Wood Burners
Wood burning fireplaces are still the most preferred for comfortable and cost-effective home heating. They can supplement your central heating system on extremely cold days, and if you pick the right design, they can add to the look and feel of a room and enhance its ambience. However, they can be demanding when it comes to maintenance, as they may need to be cleaned to ensure proper air and heat flow, and to reduce your risk of accidents. Here are some points to consider when maintaining wood burners in New Zealand:
• Look out for blockage – Fallen bricks, leaves, frisbees, and birds’ nests are among the things that can cause chimney blockage and interfere with correct draft. So, make sure that the flue is clean, with no trace of even the smallest or thinnest coat of soot.
• Chimney sweeping – This is a task that must be done every year. It removes chimney soot, and technicians will make sure that there is nothing blocking the way. Regular cleaning will minimise the risk of chimney fires, which can easily start with the smallest amount of soot build up or blockage. Dirty wood burners in New Zealand are also prone to draft issues and can cause smoke to go into your house, increasing your risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
• A smoky fireplace – Some wood burners can experience stratification, negative air pressure, and neutral pressure, causing them to produce more smoke than usual. This could be resolved with a Magnehelic Differential pressure gage.
• Using the correct wood – Proper maintenance of wood burners in New Zealand involve using the right kind of wood. Reputable fireplace technicians can test your choice of wood using a Protimeter to check its water content and determine if it is a good combustible material. Avoid burning wet wood, which will not just burn properly, but leave residues of pyroligneous and acetic acids. These acids eventually turn into flaky dust or ‘creosote’, which can ignite.
• Gas monitoring – A stack thermometer can be installed on the flue of the wood burning fireplace to give you an idea on the kinds of gases that are being generated from it. This is a crucial step to pollution control and to ensure efficiency. The optimum range is 148.8 degrees to 204.44 degrees Celsius.
About the Author:
The Fireplace technician is one of the best fireplace maintenance and service provider in the greater South Auckland area. They sell and install all types of solid fuel and gas heaters – as well as provide professional chimney and flue cleaning, replacement flue systems, repairs, tiling, hearths and fire surrounds. Visit:– https://www.thefireplacetechnician.co.nz/fireplaces/