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Can I Use BBQ Charcoal Ashes In The Garden?

What to do with your leftover BBQ ashes? Why not use it in your garden? Ashes are leftover 'un-burnable' minerals such as potassium. It will help your garden, especially if your soil is too acidic. On the other hand, you should not add wood ash to your soil/garden under the following conditions: If the ashes…

Is BBQ Charcoal Good For Orchids And Other Plants?

Orchids seem to thrive in a porous material. In Asia, most orchids are sold in coconut husks filled with charcoal. Orchid growers swear by it and list the following reasons: To keep the "mix" sweet. To filter impurities. Laboratory tests show that charcoal possesses a remarkable ability to: Keep nutrients in the soil, increasing soil…

Is Charcoal BBQ Good Or Bad For You?

Wanting to open a can of worm, are you? The question is, is charcoal grilling/smoking hazardous to your health? The short answer is yes… but then again, most things are done in excess harm to our health, including drinking too much water. It should not pose any long-lasting effects if done occasionally as a treat.…

How Long Before The BBQ Coals Are Ready?

Typically, 10 to 30 minutes depending on a variety of factors. But a quick way to determine if your coals are ready is by fine white ash covering them. If most of the coals are still black, it may release 'coal dust' on your food. While not necessarily dangerous, it may taint your food taste.

What Is The Best Method To Light Charcoal?

We assume without chemicals, right? And by "best," it really depends on your definition. Cheapest method, how fast to ignite, the best value, etc. Here are some time-proven ways to light BBQ charcoal. Paper (newspaper, paper towel, etc.) soaked in cooking oil. This pretty much tells you everything. Place the oil-soaked paper on top of…

Steel vs Cast Iron vs Soapstone Stoves: Which is Best?

That's like asking what's the best truck; a Chevy, Ford, or Dodge? You may have a strong opinion on this topic, and some have strong ideas on the type of wood-burning stove. But there are pros and cons to everything, and wood-burning stoves are no exception. A steel stove heats up quicker than cast iron…

What burns cleaner, wood or pellets?

By “cleaner,” we mean less ash or maybe a higher efficiency. So, let’s define a couple of terms first. Ashes: The quality of the wood, the moisture content, and the wood species will all affect the amount of ash from burning cordwood. On the other hand, pellets are a manufactured fuel. Since the moisture content…

How do wood stoves achieve such high-efficiency ratings?

If you buy a new wood stove today, it must comply with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2020 New Source Performance Standard emissions for clean air. This standard requires manufacturers to limit emissions to 2.5 grams/hour or less for cordwood. The overall efficiency rating of today’s modern wood-burning stoves is in the low 70% to…

How to break in a wood-burning stove, insert, or fireplace?

A new wood-burning stove, insert, or fireplace will emit smoke and fumes during the first couple of start-up fires. This is normal and is called “off-gassing.” As paint cures and oils from the manufacturing process burning off, strong odors and smoke may occur. These fumes are non-toxic and may be objectionable to some. You will…

What are by-products of combustion?

Whenever something is burned, there are ‘leftovers” from the process. It really doesn’t matter what is burned, wood, natural or LP gas, fuel oil, kerosene or coal. These leftovers, or by-products include: water vapor, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide and other particulate matter. Indoor air quality will be affected. It can be…

How to Safely Use a Fireplace Damper

Poor fireplace heat output? Smoke woes? Unlock safe & cozy fires! Our guide reveals damper secrets & to keep your family warm. Read now!

What can I burn in my wood burning stove?

It’s called a “wood” burning stove for a reason! The only thing to burn in your stove is: wood! Yes, use a few wads of newspaper to get kindling going from a cold start, but never burn the following in your wood stove: pressure treated lumber particleboard plywood or chipboard wood with nails or screws…

What is a connector pipe?

This is the black pipe that “connects” a wood stove to the chimney system. It’s often called stove pipe or black pipe. Connector pipe can be the standard single wall black pipe that many are familiar with. Or, it can be a double wall, close clearance pipe. Your stove requires specific clearances to combustibles. Oftentimes,…

How is wood-burning equipment sized?

The literature on wood-burning fireplaces, stoves and inserts will provide lots of information. Included with these details will be the size of the firebox. The size of the firebox in wood-burning equipment is expressed in “cubic feet”. The larger the number, the bigger the firebox. And a larger firebox means longer burn times and more…

Fireplace, Insert, Stove, Furnace: What’s the Difference?

The goal is identical, to keep you and your loved ones comfortable by using wood as the fuel. However, this type of equipment differs significantly and has different types of applications. A wood burning fireplace can be built using masonry materials or a zero clearance (ZC) unit, designed in a factory and built into a…

How Often Should I Clean My Chimney?

That depends on the quality of the wood you’re burning. Aiming for a moisture content of <25% will significantly reduce the amount of creosote that builds up in your chimney. Ensuring that your stove, insert or fireplace is well maintained will help too. The standard of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) states that all…

Can I install a wood burning stove in my mobile home?

Yes, you can, provided certain conditions are met. The first thing to do, is to make sure the stove has been tested and approved by HUD (Housing & Urban Development) to be installed into a mobile or manufactured home. Other items include: 1) An outside air kit must be installed. 2) The stove most be…

How do I protect the floor around my wood burning stove?

Adequate floor protection, or an approved hearth pad, is critical to a safe wood burning stove installation. You must protect a combustible floor with a non-combustible material. This floor protection must extend beyond the front, back, and both sides of the stove. Hearths pads (floor protection) are designed for ember protection or thermal protection. Ember…

Old Fireplace vs. Insert: Which Burns Less Wood?

Most wood burning inserts today operate with efficiencies in the mid 70% range. A properly sized and operated wood burning insert can heat a couple thousand square feet of living space. Older, open burning fireplaces are not rated for any efficiencies, but most dealers would agree that if you’re getting 15 to 20% of the…

What is a moisture meter?

It’s a small device about twice the size of a deck of playing cards. There are two probes or pins on one end of the meter that penetrate the wood to check the moisture content. If you’re a wood burner, you know the importance of burning dry wood. How dry is dry? Wood with a…

How Often Should I Clean My Chimney?

Recommendations from the National Fire Protection Agency state that cleaning should be carried out on an annual basis. At the same time, have an inspection carried out to preempt any potential problems.

Sick of Wood Smoke? Try These Quick Fixes!

You want peace of mind of while sitting by a cozy fire? If you are having issues with wood smoke filling your house whenever you start a fire, this short guide gets you going with a smoke-free, enjoyable fire.

I’m having chimney drafting problems. Why is this?

You know you have chimney drafting problems if you see smoke coming back into your home rather than going up and out of your chimney. There’s no one answer to solve this problem and there could be numerous reasons behind the issue. The first golden rule is to have a properly-installed wood burning stove or…

Can I convert my wood burning stove into a gas stove?

Unfortunately not! It isn’t possible to convert wood stoves into gas systems and it’s even dangerous to try. So, please don’t attempt this under any circumstances.

Your Old Fireplace Wasting Energy? Convert to Gas!

Tired of chopping wood & cleaning ashes? Wondering how to convert your old fireplace to gas? What about safety, installation, costs pros & cons? We try to answer all your questions.

How to Remove Creosote from Fireplace Glass

If you have stained glass doors from creosote deposits, allow the glass to cool down then wipe it on the inside to get rid of the loose debris. Ideally, use damp newspaper for this. If the deposits are tar-like and sticky, you should light a hot fire and burn dry, seasoned wood on it for…

How can I prevent soot on my wood stove glass

Tired of staring at a dirty wood stove glass? Want to know how to keep it clean without maintenance. Our expert tips keep your glass clean. Enjoy a crystal-clear view of your cozy wood stove fire.

How to make a fireplace safe for kids

Love your fireplace, but worried about your little one? Discover the best ways to protect babies and toddlers from fireplace dangers with this helpful guide.

How are radiant heat and convection heat different?

For convection heat, air blows over a heating element and absorbs the heat, which is then blown by convection into your room. This lifts the ambient temperature and creates warmth. Radiant heat works by heating objects and people in a room and is therefore less effective at raising ambient temperatures. However, in smaller spaces radiant…

Wood Stove Installation: What Regulations Apply?

Firstly, refer to your owner’s manual, which every wood burning fireplace, insert, or stove should come with. In the manual, you’ll find detailed instructions and installation regulations as well as diagrams or pictures to show the clearance requirements. When buying an older model, it may not have been tested or listed. Therefore, refer to the…

Catalytic vs. Non-Catalytic Stove: Which is Best?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set clean air standards, which mean that wood burning stoves must now contain a re-burn system. These are special components that reduce particle pollution and they come in two different types - catalytic and non-catalytic. Catalytic wood stoves have a tiny combustor. When you shut off the damper, smoke…

Are wood burning stoves clean and environmentally friendly?

Recently, the regulations against polluting wood burning stoves have tightened. The Environmental Protection Agency has set out regulations about how much pollution a wood burning appliance can emit. The reason behind this is that, as part of the combustion process, the smoke from a wood burning fire contains harmful gases and particles. Prior to the…

Wood Burning Appliance Costs: What to Expect

Buying the cheapest bargain you can find when looking for a wood burning appliance is a bit of a fallacy. Sometimes, the price you pay can reflect the performance and lifespan of your fire. In truth, there should be a balance between not paying too much or too little. The best advice is to be…

What is the Best Kind of Wood to Burn

Your choice of wood will have an effect on how your wood burning appliance performs and how long a lifespan it will have. Also, the type of wood you choose will have an effect on the maintenance and service requirements for your fireplace, stove, or insert. Finally, the wood can influence the heat your appliance…

How Much Space Can My Wood Stove Heat?

This really depends. The most influential factor is the size of your firebox in cubic feet. Larger fireboxes can burn more fuel, therefore heating a larger space more effectively. Other important factors are the kind of wood you burn and how well insulated your home is. This includes the quality of your doors and windows…

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