Wood Fireplace Usage Tips to Keep the Whole Family Warm and Safe

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Wood Fireplace

A wood-burning fireplace is a great home feature that provides warmth, ambience, and the feeling of being at home. Installing one is a great way to increase the value of your property. Moreover, wood-burning fireplaces are an attractive and stylish addition that you can customize to go with any décor.

There are many benefits of installing a wood burner fireplace in your home. One important thing to consider is the monetary savings, as wood burners produce much less expensive heat than other heating fuels such as oil or propane. Moreover, wood-burning fireplaces also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85%.

Gas & wood fireplaces are both cheaper and more efficient today than ever before. They’re great for houses with larger families or simply those who need to keep their homes heated. But one of the most crucial considerations is the need for good safety standards. Top among them is maintaining your chimney – under-maintained chimneys can cause problems like fires.

Fire safety is an important topic to be aware of when the environment is at the mercy of a fire. The thought of a fire in your home can be very frightening, and if you are not prepared, it can be an expensive disaster.

Here are a few more tips on wood fireplace usage to help you keep your family warm and safe.

Use the Right Fuel Sources

With wood fireplaces, prevention is key. Choosing the correct type of firewood will save you time & headaches by preventing issues like smoke, soot stains & creosote build-up. Creosote is a by-product of wood that hasn’t burned adequately. It tends to accumulate within the chimney and flue over time. Such a collection then becomes a fire hazard as the substance is highly flammable.

Make sure only to use dry hardwood with moisture content below 18%. This helps the fire burn hot enough to limit creosote forming in the chimney flue. You can find many hardwoods in Australia for this purpose. Sometimes wood can be seasoned for long periods, depending on the type. Get in touch with your nearest firewood supply yard first to determine what type you need and the length of seasoning required to meet your needs.

It is important to note that you should not burn anything that is not suitable. Such products are likely to release toxic chemicals when exposed to flames.

Install A Fireplace Guard

Fireplace guards are an excellent way to keep your home or business safe from accidental fires. They are designed to cover the front of the fireplace, preventing objects from falling in and catching on fire.

Fireplace guards go a long way for those who use an open firewood fireplace because they help stop embers from spreading. Most of these units come with a strong glass screen if you’re using a slow combustion wood fireplace. However, since the glass and firebox do get extremely hot when the fireplace is running, adding extra protection like a mesh cover could help prevent children & pets from getting burned if they accidentally touch the hot glass or firebox.

Be Diligent in Performing Maintenance

You must clean your wood heater regularly. That includes sweeping the chimney and clearing any built-up dust in the fan near the top every season. Then when you shut down for winter, empty any ash and make sure it has dried out so moisture and rust rounds will not form overnight.

Consider Slow Combustion Heaters

Open wood-burning fireplaces have few limitations, such as inefficiency and heat loss, leading to high energy costs. Fortunately, there are other options, such as gas or electric fires, which require less maintenance and heat up quicker. They’re also cheaper to run. 

However, if you prefer to have a wood heater, you may opt for a slow combustion wood fireplace. This type is cheaper to run, maintain and looks even more stylish than the chimney fireplaces. Additionally, they are much easier to use than open fireplaces. Slow Combustion heaters are also easy to control while keeping your home warm.

Install Only an Approved Wood Fireplace

Today’s wood heaters are safer, more efficient and more environmentally friendly than ever before. But, conversely, no matter your selection, you should not fail to factor in the most recent Australian Standards and the device’s efficiency. Keep in mind that new regulations mandate that from August 9th 2019, all slow combustion wood heaters need to be rated at a maximum of 1.5g/kg emission factor and a minimum efficiency of 60%.

You also have to observe your fireplaces burn time. The ideal heater has to sustain at least 8 hours of burn time to allow for overnight operation. 

When it comes to fire safety, you should never forget that prevention is better than cure. So take these tips on how you can create a safe, healthy and comfortable home – so that your family stays safe.