what constitutes an EPA stove?

[par0thead151]

title says it all, what characteristics make a stove an "EPA" stove?
i assume the presence of a cat?
that said, does the enviro venice 1700 have a cat? it is a ZC insert.
i looked on enviros web site but could not find any information on weather or not it has a cat or is an "EPA" stove.
thanks

 

[LLigetfa]

My EPA stove does not have a cat. It has secondary combustion tubes.

 

[par0thead151]

My EPA stove does not have a cat. It has secondary combustion tubes.

aaah, thanks for clarifying that for me.
the only reason i asked was i read in the wood shed that mixing wet and dry wood in a non epa stove is considered "ok" whereas it is not a good idea in an EPA stove...
i would think that a EPA stove would reburn the creasolt better than a non epa stove would...

 

[EatenByLimestone]

The EPA certified stoves are supposed to burn the wood more completely. For the best results dry wood is recommended. Wet is a relative word. Did you mean wood that sat out in a rain shower or green, freshly cut wood? You can add semi seasoned wood with your dry wood, or even somewhat successfully burn it on its own. The stoves tend not to perform as well and you will not get as much heat out of them since heat is used to cook off the water. They burn dirtier also.

Matt

 

[Retreadsme]

The Enviro 1700 Venice is an EPA-certified stove. Test results show 4.6 g/kg particulate emission with an Eff. Rate: 63%.
To answer your other question .... and "EPA Stove" is short for "EPA-certified stove". Under program Phase I (which expires 19 Feb 12) a "fireplace" (gvt talk for Stove, Insert, etc) must have a particulate emission (PE) = 7.3g/kg or less. Under program Phase II, PE must be equal to or less than 5.1g/kg. The fireplace must be tested by a certified independent lab (EPA has a listing of), and the "PE measurement is "worst case" emission performance when operated in accordance with the Owners Manual provided with the fireplace."
IMO, Phase I cessation date is important to many - especially those living in metro areas with strict emission stds. Phase I certs will not be extended and Phase II cert requirements will be lowered if needed for municipalities to meet Clean Air Act requirements. I'll stop before I get into a "rant", and stick to your questions.
Here is a link you can visit for all EPA-certified "fireplaces" as of 22 May 09. (broken link removed to http://www.epa.gov/Compliance/resources/publications/monitoring/caa/woodstoves/certifiedwood.pdf)

 

[par0thead151]

thanks all for the information.
did i mention how much i enjoy burning wood now...
i think i am converting a few friends to wood burners as well!
everyone who comes over is intrigued and enjoys the warmth the thing puts off.
i cant wait till it starts snowing and gets colder so i can test this things true limits.
a side question, how hot is too hot for letting the embers get in my insert?
i have read around that 600-700 for the stove top temps is a good temp to shoot for.
however my stove top is cooled as it has a blower.
naturally anything turning red is bad?
so far the rule of thumb i use is, i let the embers get to 600-700F(temp read by a IR/laser thermometer) and shut the air down all the way once the temp of 600+ is reached.
i have only once seen my secondary burners start to glow a dull red, in which case i opened the door and put a small damp news paper in there.
however by the time i added the news paper, by having the door open it seems like the box cooled off quite a bit.

 

[LLigetfa]

i have only once seen my secondary burners start to glow a dull red...

Secondaries glowing a dull red is no cause for alarm. Bright yellow, I would be worried about.

As for your other Q WRT mixing well seasoned with marginal wood, most modern EPA stoves just were not designed to handle wood with higher MC. We get a lot of old timer wood burners complain about their new EPA stove when the fault lies with the wood. The recurring comment is that their old stove had no problem with the wood. Mixing wood of course will vary from stove to stove, wood burned, flue and draft, etc., so you need to experiment and keep an eye on the flue.

 

[ControlFreak]

For the secondary to kick in, you need a considerable amount of heat inside the firebox. The firebricks aid with insulating the fire to get the internal temperature up.

1. Any significant moisture pulls the temps down so much that the secondary will never kick in, leaving you with a stinky fire with less heat.
2. Additionally, to extend the burn time, EPA stoves restrict the draft a lot more than non EPA, and to burn moist wood you need a lot of air getting to the fire.

So it's a double whammy with wet wood in an EPA stove.