Wood catalytic and non-catalytic Stoves
New wood stoves are a versatile heating option. They can heat a family room but also large spaces, even entire homes conveniently insulated. Choosing the right size and heat output is crucial, as it is their type (catalytic or non-catalytic), venting system and efficiency. A certificated wood stove is a guarantee of increased safety and more reliable and healthy indoor air.
Wood-burning concerns
Wood-burning is cheap but releases unsafe quantities of oxides of nitrogen, CO and other pollutants and may also deplete the oxygen, raising serious health hazards. New stoves, with their much lower emission levels (often below 2,5 g/h, 10 times less than many older units) are extremely more safe. If you are on the market for a wood stove, bet on a certified new model.
New vs. traditional wood stove emissions
The technology of wood stoves has changed sharply over the last decades. While their smoke emission has dropped, their efficiency and heat output have increased spectacularly.
The efficiency of the best new stoves can go up to about 80% (four or five times the efficiency of older models of stoves and fireplaces) and their emissions are now limited to 2,5 grams per hour for catalytic stoves and to 4,5g/h for non-catalytic units in jurisdictions like Washington (traditional wood stoves have on average emission of 15-30 grams per hour).
Do not underestimate the importance of the level of emissions and their dangers and side effects (see Box).
Qualified wood stove
A qualified stove is a guarantee of quality, efficiency and safety, and it's easy to identify them in countries like the USA and Canada, where they have an EPA white label on their back as well as an hang tag (image on left).
When comparing wood stove models, look for their certification and pay close attention to their emission, knowing that a lower grams/hour rating means not only a cleaner stove but also a more efficient unit.
For a list of qualified stoves (and stove manufacturers), see: Current list of EPA-certified wood stoves (PDF)
Look also for the safety labels of testing and certification bodies like UL and ULC.
Wood stove technology
There are two main types of modern stoves, according to their technology: the non-catalytic and the catalytic stoves.
Both types of stoves are very effective, but they are very different in their combustion systems and features.
Catalytic stoves
Catalytic stoves use a catalyst, that is, a coated ceramic honeycomb that is able to capture and to burn smoke gases.
They are very effective, and are slightly more energy-efficient than non-catalytic stoves. The problem is that they are more expensive and more complicated to operate and to maintain.
In fact, they should be carefully maintained to operate at maximum performance and also to avoid a quick deterioration of their catalytic element. Without a proper use and maintenance the catalytic will only last a couple of years, instead of six or more years as it is supposed.
Non-catalytic stoves
Most of the advanced wood stoves on the market are non-catalytic, that is, they haven’t a catalytic to capture and burn the fumes.
They operate differently, and have components and characteristics that also burn the combustible gases and particulates: firebox insulation, a metal channel that heats and feeds secondary air and helps to burn the pollutants, and pre-heated combustion air introduced through small holes.
This type of stoves are more common, easier to maintain, and also cheaper (though some of their internal parts also require replacement after some years of use).
Heating strategies with stoves
Wood stoves can be an important element of your heating strategy and a way of getting energy savings. See: Heating Solutions with stoves. You just have to find the right size of stove and features.
Size
Catalytic and non-catalytic stoves come in different sizes. Smaller units are suitable for heating a family room, while larger units can heat entire homes even in colder climates. But their effectiveness depends also on the insulation levels and energy-efficiency of the building.
.
See also: