How to Get a Wood Burning Furnace to Work Properly
It always seems to happen: Halfway through the heating season, on the coldest day of the year, your wood furnace decides to not operate properly. It's burning wood, but the heat is not coming through. That's because many wood-burning furnaces and wood stoves need a little maintenance throughout the year to keep them operating at top efficiency. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Inspect all air inlet holes and mechanical thermostats to make sure they are free and clear of debris; clean them with a small paintbrush. Ash sometimes builds up around the spring-actuated levers and air inlets. This will cause the air control to not function properly, and the combustion chamber will not burn wood as efficiently.
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Clean the ash pit thoroughly and completely every time you empty ashes from your wood-burning furnace. Ash can build up around the air inlets, causing air to be blocked on an open-burn grate system. You may also have to empty the ash pit more frequently if you are burning more wood on colder days.
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Use a volt ohmmeter to check the electrical action of the motor-fan contacts and water-pump controller. You may have to disconnect the electrical source to follow this procedure. Also check the appearance of the electrical contacts for any sign of arcing or pitting. A simple emery board can clean the contact surfaces if they are slightly pitted. If they are severely pitted, they may have to be replaced.
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Check the flow of the water-pumping system. If the wood-burning furnace is operating properly but you are not receiving enough heat from the water system, you may have an air lock. An air bubble or air lock in the sealed system can cause improper flow of the heated liquid. You will have to bleed the air from the system to get an efficient flow from the circulator pump. Most manufactures will have a special fitting to bleed the air from the lines. If not, find the highest point on the system. This is generally the tank on the wood furnace itself.
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Turn off the furnace and allow it to cool. Turn on the circulation pump and using the crescent wrench, slightly open the highest fitting on the reservoir tank. You should hear a small hiss of air escaping the pipefitting. Tighten the fixture as soon as a small, steady stream of water has escaped from the fitting.
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Tips & Warnings
Check the manufacturer's warranty before replacing any parts; the one you want to change may be covered under the warranty.
