Fireplaces Wood Burning Stoves
Wood stoves are elegant and contemporary, and they are a perfect match for a variety of home styles. They're a powerful heating source and can radiate heat throughout the space.
Modern wood-burning stoves are EPA certified for their high heating efficiency and less particle emissions. These efficiencies can be increased by operating the air controls in a correct manner.
Energy Efficiency
Wood stoves are a sustainable source of heat and can be a great addition to your home's current heating system. Some models are as efficient as furnaces or oil-burning appliances. Modern stoves are designed to maximize the amount of heat produced by each piece of wood. This means you don't have to buy as much firewood and can enjoy a warm fire all winter.
Stoves that have been certified by the EPA burn cleanly and reduce emissions and waste by allowing the fire to burn longer and using less fuel. This is different from older fireplaces that utilize open flames or burning. The waste fuels pollute air and cause dust contamination in your home.
The EPA certification of your wood stove will guarantee that it complies with the highest safety and efficiency standards. You can also get a tax rebate for the purchase of an approved stove. This can allow you to save money and cut down on energy costs.
Wood stoves can help you save the high costs of electricity and gas that are that energy companies charge. Although you will still need to pay for wood but the price fluctuations should be lower than the ones you would face when you rely on a utility provider.
A wood stove can also be used to provide warmth to your home in the event of power outages. If small wood burning stove goes out during a snowstorm, you can keep your home warm by using wood-burning stoves to produce warmth for your kitchen and living spaces. In some cases, you can use the chimney of a wood stove to let hot water into the hot-water storage tank inside your home to provide more heat.
If your wood-burning stove isn't insulated, it could be losing heat from the room and causing drafts inside the house. This issue can be easily solved by adding an insulated liner to your wood-burning stove. This will not only help you save energy, but also prolong the life of your stove because it stops heat from going through the chimney.
Cleanliness
Wood stoves are an excellent way to save energy and stay warm, but they also produce lots of soot. Keeping a clean stove is important to keep your home safe and healthy. To do this, you must clean your stove once a week and your chimney at least once per year. Keeping your stove clean will ensure that there is an air flow that is proper and is safer to use.
Emptying the ash pan is the first step to cleaning your stove. The ashes can be emptied into a trash can, and then put into a non-combustible bin or bag. If your fireplace has a grate or andirons they can be cleaned using a broom and brush and then dispose of them in the same way. Afterward, wipe down the stove's front and any other surfaces you wish to clean with a soft cloth. You can also use this opportunity to clean the ash tray or re-line it with fresh liners, that are available at your local hardware store.
After cleaning your stove, you'll need to clean any creosote remaining on the walls of your fireplace. You can use a broom with bristles that are hard for this. Start as high as you can and gradually lower. You can also use the attachment of a vacuum cleaner that has hard bristles to remove the sooty residue.
It is also recommended to clear any obstructions in your chimney if necessary. This could be twigs, branches, leaves, fruit or even the nesting materials of small animals (which are known to nest in stove pipes and chimneys!). Depending the location you live in your chimney may be prone to the blowing of debris like leaves or sand.
It is also recommended to inspect your chimney each year and to change your catalytic filters every 1-4 years. You should also have the chimney cleaned professionally if necessary. These regular chores can help to prevent dangerous gases like carbon monoxide as well as fires from escaping your home.
Convenience
A wood-burning stove offers warmth and a warm atmosphere that electric or gas fireplaces simply cannot beat. It can be freestanding or integrated into the wall, there are a variety of styles and designs to suit your home. There is nothing better than sitting in front of a crackling fire on a cold southeast NY winter night.
A wood stove will help you save money on energy costs. It's also a good option if you reside in a smoke control area (most of London and a lot of major cities are).
Stoves can be utilized as a primary heating source or to complement your heating system. The amount of heat that they generate is contingent on the size and the airflow of the room. If you're planning to use your stove as a primary source of heating it is essential to think about the kind and quality of the logs you purchase.
The purchase of wood from local sources is a great way to cut costs and lower the carbon footprint of your stove. However, splitting, stacking and dragging logs around can be a significant time consuming and back breaking task when you don't have the equipment required. Many people choose to install the use of a log heater at their home to avoid the hassle of gathering, chopping, and storing wood.
The majority of modern wood stoves are designed to be an efficient and eco-friendly alternative to traditional open fires. They must comply with government emission regulations and have a catalytic combustion system that aids in keeping the wood burning for longer, and starts the combustion at lower temperatures and reduces pollutants.
You'll still need to keep your stove in good condition. This means emptying the ash from the bottom of the stove, having your chimney and flue checked, cleaning the glass door and making sure that there are enough dry logs to fuel it. These requirements for maintenance are less than the energy cost to operate your heating system.
One of the biggest downsides when you have wood stoves is that it poses a safety issue for children and pets who may be too close to the flames. If they touch the fire or the glass door of your stove they could be smacked with fire by a stray ember. If you have children or pets, we highly recommend adding an extra safety gate to your fireplace and keeping them from the flame.
Aesthetics
Fireplaces with wood burning stoves provide a beautiful ambiance to a room. They can become the focal point in the room when dressed up with a beautiful mantel. A fireplace constructed of bricks, stone and veneer can be stunning in its appearance. Freestanding stoves are an alternative for homeowners who wish to find a style and cost that fits their home.
Fireplaces must be cleaned regularly to remove particulates from the chimney. These particulates can re-ignite and cause fires to become dangerous. They also can block the chimney, which is dangerous and can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. Regular fireplace use requires a constant supply. This can be time-consuming and expensive to maintain.
Stoves aren't required to be cleaned or swept as often as fireplaces. This saves homeowners time and money, in addition to getting rid of the necessity of a fireplace liner. In addition, stoves don't produce the same poisoning of carbon monoxide as fireplaces do. They only produce a small amount of carbon monoxide, which is pushed into the air by hot gases as the fire burns.
Wood stoves are enclosed in their combustion chamber, which means that sparks don't pose the same danger to children or pets as fireplaces do. However, it is recommended to install screens and/or doors for both fireplaces and stoves because sparks can still erupt out of the flame and cause injuries and property damage. Additionally, stoves should be kept a stated distance away from any combustible materials such as plasterboard and wallpaper.
The EPA has set emissions standards that limit how much pollution a new stove will create per hour. The EPA demands that chimneys are swept at least once a year in order to ensure they're in good condition and free of cracks. A chimney liner is also recommended to ensure that the flue is vented properly.
The environmental benefits of a wood stove are many. Wood is an environmentally friendly, renewable energy source that can be harvested and grown in a reasonable amount of time. Oak, hickory and cherry are just a few varieties of trees that can be used as firewood. The cutting and transforming the wood into firewood only takes 20-30 years. It's also a resource that is sustainable because once the tree has been cut down, it can be planted again.