Airtight homes need a smart wood fire

As building trends change in New Zealand, more and more people are looking into the benefits of airtight homes.  Modern buildings that meet the European Passivhaus Standard have a range of advantages, especially when it comes to the energy saving and effectiveness of the heating solution.  However there are some new challenges to overcome, like how to provide combustion air to a wood fire from an air tight home.

Fire needs air to live, so what happens when a traditional wood burner is installed in a modern airtight home?  A large amount of the combustion air is drawn from inside the home and cannot be replaced due to the passive nature of the building.  This creates a negative air pressure which greatly effects the performance of your wood fire.

If you can't provide your fire with a constant supply of oxygen, it stops working.  We have heard stories of home owners opening their windows in the middle of winter, just to keep the fire going.  Or of another family who's huge, glowing wood burner would go out every time they turned on the range hood.  So what's the answer?  Ethos Woodfires EconAir induction flue system works wonders in airtight homes.