With winter on our heels, you will be collecting firewood to get ready to start getting your wood-burning stove to heat your home. Before you start the fire for the first time, there are some safety measures and maintenance that needs to be done to ensure the stove does not cause a house fire. Here are some safety tips for wood stoves to prevent house fire disasters this winter:
1. Using the Right Pipes for Exhaust Gases of Wood-Burning Stoves
Proper ventilation of gases that come from a wood-burning stove is important. Therefore, stoves are installed with flue pipes that allow gases to escape. The pipes that are installed on stoves need to be a special type of pipe that has two layers or walls on it to protect against heat and gas leaks from the smoke that comes from the fire inside the stove. This type of exhaust pipe is called double-wall pipe and commonly used in HVAC systems.
2. Creating a Fire-Resistant Zone Where Wood-Burning Stoves Are Installed
To ensure that your wood-burning stove is as safe as possible, it is a good idea to create a fire-resistant zone around the area where the stove is located. In this area, you want the materials that make up the walls and the floor to be fire-resistant. Good materials in these areas include fire-resistant brick mortar, bricks, and stone. You may want to talk with the wood-burning stove installer about options for creating a space around your stove.
3. Making Sure That Flammable Materials Are a Safe Distance from Stoves
Flammable materials can be a major cause of a house fire hazards with wood-burning stoves. Make sure that you do not put any furniture, common window treatments, or other combustible materials near your wood-burning stove. This also means that you want the firewood stored a safe distance away from the stove to ensure that it does not catch fire when the stove is hot.
4. Never Leaving a Burning Stove Unattended to Reduce Fire Risks
Even though it may sometimes be tempting, leaving your stove unattended is one of the worst things you can do. To ensure that your stove is not a fire hazard in your home, never leave it unattended with fire or embers inside for hours. Always make sure that there are no hot embers of a fire in your stove before you leave home.
These are some safety tips for wood-burning stoves to help you prevent house fire disasters. If you are looking for a modern wood-burning stove with double wall flue pipes and the right safety features, contact a wood stove company for help finding the right store for your home.