How Does My Fireplace Burn Wood?

People may never inquire, but we are all curious. That is why we look into the flames of campfires. We even go into a trance-like condition while watching the dancing flames burn the wood. In my fireplace, how does wood burn? Will the log’s edge burn before the twig on the side? What, after all, is the meaning of life? Chemists can describe the exact chemical equation of how carbon-based wood oxidizes into water and minerals while emitting light and heat… yet there is a mystical effect that will never fade. We’ll never get bored of staring into the flames.

The allure of the fireplace will last forever. We frequently have the most profound dialogues in the human experience over the family hearth. The young guy approaches the bride’s father and begs for her hand in marriage. Fathers tell their children stories. Lovers converse late into the night and put wood on the fire. That is something we understand at Local Chimney Sweep Cleaning. We want you to have fun with the fire. So, in the next two paragraphs, let us establish the groundwork for comprehending the three stages of combustion in order to gain a better grasp of this fascinating and spectacular oxidation process.

Fire Safety 101
You must first light a fire in your fireplace. A fire requires three things: fuel, air, and temperature (FAT). Monitoring these three factors will provide you with a thorough understanding of how to start and sustain a fire in your fireplace. When the fire is lit, you may witness numerous stages of the combustion process. These three phases may occur concurrently at various locations on a single log in the fireplace. Combustion is defined as fast oxidation followed by heat and, in most cases, light! Combustion in hydrocarbon fuels (wood, gas, coal, oil) is a chemical process caused by the heating of hydrogen and carbon molecules. When heated, these solid fuels decompose into gases that react with oxygen. The Three Stages of Combustion are as follows:

Stage One – DRYING: As the wood begins to burn, water vapor is released or pushed off. During drying, a considerable portion of the combustion energy is used to produce STEAM Drying = Water being pushed off.

PYROLYSIS is the second stage.
Pyrolysis is a term derived from the Greek words “pyro” (fire) and “lysys” (to cut). Essentially, this is fire digesting wood! When enough moisture is removed from the wood, the hydrocarbon molecules begin to break down. The apparent flames in a wood fire are caused by the gases produced by pyrolysis, not by the combustion of the wood itself; whereas the flame-less burning of embers is caused by the combustion of the solid residue (charcoal) left behind by it. During pyrolysis, combustible and non-combustible gases, as well as hydrocarbon volatiles, are released. At this point, enough oxygen and turbulence are required. Wood releases hydrocarbons in the form of fumes or microscopic droplets of tar during pyrolysis.

If enough oxygen is available, gases emitted by burning wood ignite at around 1100-1200°F. Because most fireplaces or fireboxes do not become this hot, the majority of the fuel gases stay unburned in the form of smoke: unburned hydrocarbons and tar droplets. Congratulations, you now require the services of a chimney sweep.

At 1100°, gases emitted by burning wood ignite.

Tar droplets, often known as Tar Fog, can collect on the inside of chimney flues and condense into creosote. Ugg. The chimney sweep must now apply a chemical compound to assist him in removing the creosote.

Stage 3 – CHARCOAL
After pyrolysis removes the volatile hydrocarbons, gases, and tars from the wood, what is left is charcoal, a more simpler product of carbon and inorganic ash. Depending on the quantity of oxygen available, the carbon in charcoal burns to produce carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. Finally, just ash and minerals remain.

In support of knowing these essential information, it is for the best that you also have a company you can count on to help you with Chimney Cleaning Arnold and repairing.

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