Heating properly with wood: tips from the chimney sweep

Often we are looking for useful tips and tricks that will make us better heating with a new – or sometimes old – biomass heating. By better, we mean more effective heating, which helps save money and at the same time extends the life of my wood heating system. An independent chimney sweep can provide us with such tips.

Bleed the heating properly for longevity & efficiency.

• Clean your heating system regularly, do not forget to bleed the radiators
• Regular maintenance will increase the longevity of your heating system
• Comply with scheduled flue gas measurement

Can a flue gas measurement make my wood heating more effective?

With a flue gas measurement are measured among other things: Residual oxygen, the exhaust gas temperature or the carbon monoxide are measured. Correctly adjusted heating systems actively help to save energy, as they consume less energy and at the same time protect the environment, as fewer greenhouse gases are produced.

Efficient heating with a biomass heating system.

Under all circumstances, set up the wood heating system as described in the installation instructions. Please leave enough space so that your chimney sweep – or service technician – can easily perform maintenance. Consider easy access to the sweeping door!

It is best to always contact the local chimney sweep before installing the wood heating system. He knows – besides the installer or heating engineer – the guidelines best. In Austria, the guidelines for boiler rooms and heating systems are set by the OIB (Austrian Institute for Building Technology), but there are additional country-specific differences.

Do not cover the radiators with curtains, laundry, etc.! This lowers the effectiveness.

TIP: One degree less room temperature reduces heating costs by approx. 6%.

When heating with wood, make sure it is dry enough and the fuel is not contaminated. Do not burn plastic. On the one hand it is forbidden, on the other hand it ruins the boiler, because too high combustion temperatures are produced or also hydrochloric acid can develop, which attacks the wood heating and thus shortens the life span.

TIP: Dispose of the ash only when it is well cooled and free of embers!

The tasks of your chimney sweep:

• Acceptance inspection (when the boiler is installed)
• Sweeping / cleaning of the flue and on customer’s request: cleaning of the boiler
• Measurements (if requested); carbon monoxide (CO), oxygen (O), flue gas temperature
• Periodic leakage test: every 10 years the flue must be checked for leakage, in case of overpressure pipes every 5 years
• Furnace inspection (required by law): Has the measurement been made, is there a fire extinguisher, is there a thermal discharge safety device, is the flue pipe in order, do the clearances fit, etc…