How it Works - Smart Burn: More Heat and Less Smoke From Your Wood Fire - Chimney Flue Cleaning | Wood Fire Glass Cleaning | Better Wood Fired Burning | Wood Smoke Reduction

How does SmartBurn work?

The SmartBurn pollution reduction device is a steel tubular device containing a solid mixture of natural ingredients. Once heated, the ingredients melt and sit in the ‘bowl’ of the steel casing and release a small amount of vapourised ingredients from the open ends.

This vapour allows the soot and sap (smoke) to be burnt ‘within’ the fire-box rather than going up the chimney flue as ‘wasted fuel’.

This results in up to a 54%^* reduction in wood smoke emissions and a 17%^* more effective burn of wood. A small amount of these ingredients will act on any existing residues (black soot and sap) on the internal walls in the chimney flue, and these will be slowly removed.

Once the fire-box is cold, the mixture of ingredients becomes a solid again. One unit lasts on average 3 months. SmartBurn saves you money by allowing you to get more value from your wood, saves you time in cleaning of your flue and glass window, and reduces particulate emissions from entering our fragile environment.  A clever little device indeed!

How to use SmartBurn

Lounge Combustion Heater

SmartBurn Placement

Place SmartBurn level towards the front corner.  By keeping the SmartBurn level the ingredients remain in the casing. If using 2 SmartBurns place them on opposite sides of the heater at each front corner.

Keep the SmartBurn level at all times by sitting it on a fire brick.

 

How many SmartBurns do I need in my Combustion Heater?

• One SmartBurn is suitable for small to medium sized heaters (under 18sq,180m2 heating area, 18kW or 1800sq ft)
• Two SmartBurns will be more effective in medium to large heaters (over 18sq, over 180m2 heating area over 18kW or over 1800sq ft). This extra SmartBurn is needed to cope with the increased wood load and heater space.
• Two SmartBurns will also be more effective in situations where you have a bend in your flue or chimney, a long flue or chimney as in a two storey house or considerable existing creosote buildup in the chimney.
• Each SmartBurn should last up to 3 months.

Open Fireplace

SmartBurn Placement 

• Place the SmartBurns level on top of the grate at opposite ends of the grate. By keeping the SmartBurns level the ingredients remain in the casing.
• If the grate on your open fire doesn’t allow for the SmartBurns to be kept level, place them under the grate towards the middle of the fire.

How many SmartBurns do I need in my Open Fireplace?

• Two SmartBurn units are recommended to cope with the increased wood load, heater space and open heating environment unique to open fireplaces. 
• Each SmartBurn should last up to 3 months. 

Kitchen Wood Stove

SmartBurn Placement 

• Sit SmartBurn in the “ash pan” compartment, on a small brick to prevent the ends from being covered in ash.
• It is not recommended that the SmartBurn be placed inside the fire as the higher temperatures generated in this style of stove will prematurely exhaust the ingredients.

How many SmartBurns do I need in my Kitchen Wood Stove? 

• One SmartBurn unit.
• Each SmartBurn should last up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is SmartBurn easy to use?

Yes. Simply follow the ‘How to Use Guidelines’ above for your style of heater. Keep SmartBurn flat and level at all times and ensure both ends of the SmartBurn remain open and free from ash. This will enable the SmartBurn to breathe and work to its full capability.

Do not place SmartBurn in the concentrated heat area of the fire, otherwise it will not last for 3 months.

2. How does SmartBurn work?

The SmartBurn device needs to get hot to work. The mixture of non toxic natural ingredients in SmartBurn have been specially designed to be solid when cold.

Once heated, the ingredients melt and sit in the ‘bowl’ of the steel casing and release a small amount of the vapourised ingredients from the open ends.

This vapour allows the soot and sap (smoke) to be burnt ‘within’ the fire-box rather than going up the chimney flue as wasted fuel. A small amount of vapour will act on existing residues (black soot and sap) on the internal walls in the chimney flue. The residues will be slowly removed. Once the fire-box is cold, the mixture of ingredients becomes a solid again.

3. How long will SmartBurn last?

When used correctly SmartBurn is designed to last up to 3 months before it needs to be replaced. Temperature regulates the speed at which SmartBurn operates. Please refer to the above ‘How To Use Guidelines’ for best product placement for your style of heater.

4. How many SmartBurns do I need in my fire?

Please refer to the above How to Use Guidelines for a guide on how many SmartBurns you need in your style of heater and flue.

 5. How do I know that my SmartBurn is working

SmartBurn improves the combustion process within the firebox. The following benefits can be observed;

• Clean chimney flue - reduced risk of chimney or house fire!
• More heat is produced from your wood – more value from your wood - Saves money!
• Reduced smoke from the chimney flue entering the atmosphere - smoke is wasted fuel!
• Cleaner heater glass window - more heat is radiated into the room!
• Firewood burns for longer!
• Less wood used (the amount of wood saved can be offset against the value of the SmartBurn)!
• Fire lights easier!
• Less ash and charcoal to clean out!
• Less soot and sap on the roof - cleaner water entering your rainwater tank!
• Fire draws better - reducing smoke into the room!

 Product performance may vary depending upon the heater model, wood used and the manner in which the heater is operated.

6. Why does the fire burn hotter?

SmartBurn, when heated, enables the ‘flammable’ black soot contained within the firebox to be  burned ‘within’ the fire rather than allow it to go up the chimney flue as smoke. This is “extra fuel” being burnt.

7. How does the SmartBurn reduce emissions from the chimney flue?

SmartBurn burns the smoke (soot and flammable sap) in the fire-box rather than allowing it to travel up the chimney flue. The smoke and particulates normally released into the atmosphere are then reduced by up to 50%. During its lifespan, each SmartBurn prevents approximately 15 kg of emissions from entering the atmosphere.

8. How does SmartBurn reduce a fire risk in the chimney?

The SmartBurn has been designed to clean the chimney flue by slowly removing the black soot and ‘flammable’ sap build-up, and therefore reducing the risk of a chimney fire. When hot, SmartBurn continually cleans the chimney flue while the fire burns. 

9. Why does smoke come out of the door when I open it?

As the chimney flue becomes blocked with soot and sap build up, the air and smoke mix cannot escape fast enough up the chimney and smoke is therefore forced back through the open door and into the room. The SmartBurn is designed to clean the chimney flue of these deposits and prevent this from happening.

10. Is SmartBurn effective on new compliant heaters?

Yes, SmartBurn was Laboratory tested to NATA Certification (World Standard) on a compliant heater. It was proven to be very effective in improving combustion, reducing emissions by up to 50% and up to 17% more heat was produced.

11. How will I know when to replace my SmartBurn?

It is recommended that you commence each wood burning season with new SmartBurns. When used correctly SmartBurn is designed to be effective for up to 3 months before it needs to be replaced. The temperature of the fire regulates the speed at which SmartBurn operates. If you notice any of the following it may be time to purchase a new SmartBurn;

Excessive smoke being emitted from the chimney flue, Heater glass window becoming discoloured, Deposits adhering in the firebox, Fire isn’t drawing as well as it has been.

Tip - After buying a new SmartBurn – keep your old SmartBurn in the fire in case some of the ingredients remain and have adhered to the inside of the casing

12. Will SmartBurn work in an open fire?

Yes. Please follow the "How To Use Guidelines" for Open Fireplace requirements. 

13. Will SmartBurn work in a potbelly stove or wood combustion kitchen stove?

Yes, but these stoves tend to run very hot. SmartBurn will certainly work effectively but its life may not be as long. To ensure the maximum life from the SmartBurn you may like to place it in the ‘ash-pan’ and sit it on a paving brick to keep it level. You can further protect the SmartBurn from extreme heat by placing a paving brick (firebrick) over it.

14. Will SmartBurn work better if I make my fire "Super" hot?

No! No! No! If the fire is "roaring hot" SmartBurn will not last as long – depending on the high temperatures generated, it may only last a few days. SmartBurn prefers a lower temperature to clean the chimney flue and firebox over a longer period of time, rather than give a ‘super fast’ clean if made super hot. Try and place it in the ‘cooler’ part of the firebox - preferably to one side.

15. Does the SmartBurn deteriorate when the fire is not in use?

No. The ingredients in SmartBurn will not deteriorate when the fire is not being used. They have been specifically designed to "only" be activated when the fire is heated.

16. My SmartBurn casing is empty !!!!

This may be due to several reasons:

• On cooling, the ingredients may adhere to the inside of the SmartBurn casing and will not rattle when shaken giving the impression it is empty when in fact it is not - continue to use your SmartBurn unit; Or
• A log may have accidentally moved the SmartBurn causing the ingredients to run into the ash - Refer to point 17; Or 
• The SmartBurn may have been overheated and the ingredients have fully vapourised; Or 
• If you have had the SmartBurn device in your fire for a few months it has most likely reached the end of its effective life.

17. What do the ingredients look like if found in the ash?

When cold, the mixture of ingredients will look like a very solid flat pancake or fried egg (without the yellow yolk). It will vary in colour of variations from mottled grey - brown - silver - white - black - depending on the type of wood used.  Just ‘leave it’ in the base.

18. Will the ingredients still work if they have fallen out into the ash?

Yes the ingredients will still work - but try to keep the ash covering to a minimum.  Do not try to put the SmartBurn ingredients back in the metal casing. When cleaning out excess ash be careful not to throw out the SmartBurn active ingredients.

19. Will the ingredients released from SmarBurn corrode my chimney flue or copper wetback?

There is no evidence to suggest that SmartBurn contributes to the corrosion of heaters, copper wetbacks or chimney flues.

Some heaters can accept, at any one time, about 10 kg of wood, and if there is say 20% moisture (water) in it, this then equates to emitting 2 kg of water vapour which can be highly corrosive, especially when heated.  This can cause the ‘peeling’ or ‘scaling’ of metal inside the surface of the firebox.

Generally wood is considered acidic by nature; therefore the compounds and moisture contained in wood can make them corrosive to the metal parts in the heater and chimney flue.  This is why ‘dry’ wood should always be used.

20. How do I dispose of my empty SmartBurn unit?

Thoughtfully dispose of your empty unit in a metal recycling programme. It is also acceptable to place the empty SmartBurn in your general waste bin.

21. Will I still need to have my chimney / flue inspected?

Yes. It is recommended that the chimney / flue is checked by a professional annually.

22. Is wood heating good for the Environment?

Firewood heats your home without Heating the Globe and has been rated a high 4.5 star by the NSW Government relating to Greenhouse Gases. The World’s First Carbon Neutral Building uses wood heating. Choice Australia supports wood heating as the most Environmental and Cost Effective form of heating above fossil (electricity and gas) fuels.
 

23. Will SmartBurn work in a coal fire?

SmartBurn’s mechanism has been designed to work on any carbon based fuel which includes wood and coal. Research is ongoing in this area.

24. Can SmartBurn be used in industry?

Yes. A specifically designed unit can be made for Industrial applications.

25. How can I learn more about how to maximise the efficiency of my wood heater?

Go to our resources section for tips on using your wood heater efficiently for maximum heat and minimum pollution.

Download our PDF on Frequently Asked Questions