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It is best to burn wood quickly to obtain the most heat from it. A sluggish, smoky fire can waste as much as a third of the heat energy in the fuel. For effective combustion, the fire should get enough oxygen. A tall smoke stack, a mechanical draft fan, or both are typically used to make sure that the draft (flow of air into the firebox) is appropriate.
If air is required into the combustion chamber too quick, it tends to "burn out" the fire. The outcome is similar as insufficient air. Requiring too much air into the combustion chamber can likewise lead to puffing. Puffing is in fact a series of surges that arise from the violent mixing of air and wood gases.
The intense heat from the coals can drive off big volumes of combustible gases that regularly fire up as oxygen appears. These explosions hardly ever trigger any damage to the system but the resulting backfire can trigger burns and flying ashes. Numerous substances are formed during the combustion of wood. More than 160 various ones have been identified in the smoke alone.
Although these compounds will burn at reasonably low temperature levels, the majority of the staying substances released, such as smoke and tar, will not burn completely till the temperature level reaches more than 1,000 F. Hence, a hot firebox is required for complete combustion. In a lot of properly designed hot-water systems the firebox is surrounded by water.
The water keeps the firebox walls fairly cool, which leads to great heat transfer but does not promote excellent combustion. In The Most Complete Run-Down is essential to insulate the walls and floor of the firebox with firebrick. The firebrick slows the motion of heat far from the fire and thus increases combustion efficiency.
Although the red brick is not rather as reliable, it costs about one-fifth as much as white firebrick. Figure 1 reveals a cross-sectional view of a typical hot-water heating system. It is really essential that a water-jacketed combustion chamber be constructed big enough. It should be sized not only to accept a charge of fuel but also to enable room for the expanding combustion gases to be completely burned before they lose too much heat and enter the firetubes.