A wood burning stove with an automatic control device is a good investment
It’s a big advantage to choose a wood burning stove wih an automatic control device.
To secure optimal and eco-friendly combustion in your wood burning stove, your wood burning stove’s air supply must be regulated very precisely every few minutes – and every time you put firewood in the wood burning stove.
It is almost impossible to be that precise when you regulate the air supply manually. The German Technologie- und Förderzentrum made a survey as a part of the project called beReal of how wood burning stove owners really fire in their wood burning stoves. When it came to the question of how often people regulate the air supply during the combustion process, it was clear that few people do it often enough when they do it manually:
That’s why it’s a very good idea to invest in a wood burning stove which regulates the primary air inlet control automatically. It’s easy and it’ll save you time and money. You just have to:
- Light a fire the right way
- Place dry firewood in the fire box of your wood burning stove
- Activate the automatic control device
- Enjoy the heat and the sight of the flames the next couple of hours
How a wood burning stove with an automatic control device works
There are different wood burning stove producers on the market which have developed automatic control devices for wood burning stoves. The technology behind the devices varies.
The automatic control device will regulate the air supply in the wood burning stove, and the regulation is based on either time, temperature or oxygen. Each type has its advantages and its disadvantages.
Automatic control device controlled by time
If the air supply is controlled by time – that is by a pre-defined ‘programme’ which fits the wood burning stove – the amount of air is reduced during the combustion period. The advantage of this simple system is that it doesn’t rely on electricity and that the automatic control device is placed outside of the fire box. This will secure a higher reliability, easier maintenance and service.
The disadvantage is that the system was made for a normal chimney. If the chimney and the firewood differ much from the standard chimney and firewood you will have to adjust the automatic control device (which is often done simply by turning a screw).
Automatic control device controlled by temperature
If the air supply is controlled by the temperature of the smoke, the advantage is that you won’t have to take differences in chimneys into consideration. The automatic control device helps you adjust the primary air inlet control over time until the fire is burning and the temperature is rising. However, the method is not optimal because a long firing phase with primary air supply makes for less complete combustion.
Another disadvantage of using the temperature method is that the automatic control device will open up for air in the final phase of combustion. The embers will burn up faster and there won’t be long intervals before you have to put more firewood in the stove.
Often the air is adjusted by an expansion of the bi-metallic coil which is placed in the fire box – this way it won’t need electricity.
The placement of the device inside the fire box also reduces the reliability because of high temperatures and soot, and maintenance and service will be made more difficult.
Automatic device controlled electronically
If the air aupply is controlled by temperature and oxygen, the advantage is that you won’t have to worry much about how your chimney varies from a standard one, and the adjustment of the air supply will be more precise – it can even be adjusted to room temperature.
The disadvantage of the electronical method is that the method needs power, and that it is considerably more expensive. The placement of the device inside the fire box reduces the reliability because of high temperatures and soot, and maintenance and service will be made more difficult.
Below, you can read about how the patent-applied for automatic Aduro-tronic works.
Lighting a fire with Aduro-tronic
When you light a fire in your wood burning stove, you need as much air as possible. The primary air control inlet can be kept open by force. There are two ways to do that:
- Leave the door ajar
or…
- Pull the wood burning stove’s primary air control inlet handle as far out as possible and use the Aduro-key to keep it from closing
When the flames are burning brightly, you’ll remove the key and leave the rest to the automatic control device.
Automatic control device when firing
Every time you add wood to the fire, you should activate the automatic control device and make sure that it closes the primary air control inlet at the right speed according to the pre-programmed time.
Technology helps users
In order to get the most out of a wood burning stove without an automatic control device, it is important to know a lot about the combustion process. It is also important that you constantly keep an eye on your wood burning stove so you can assess when to regulate the air supply and when to put more firewood in the stove.
It’s difficult, it takes time and it’s hard to reach the same efficiency as you can reach when your wood burning stove has an automatic control device.
Advantages of an automatic control device
- You’ll use less firewood. Precise and correct air supply ensures optimal and eco-friendly combustion
- Simple control, less work
- Better indoor climate because combustion takes an even course. This ensures a comfortable and regular heating
Further reading: How to light a fire correctly
