Wood Stoves

Andy Asbury asked:


As the winter months creep in, so does the cold and dampness. You cringe at the thought of your home heating bill rising as you pull out your collection of warm sweaters and socks. So how can you escape this reoccurring drain on your pocketbook?

If you have the luxury of owning a home, and have the ability, and room, to renovate by adding a wood stove, you may soon be laughing when the mailman arrives with your monthly recap from the electric company (or oil giant).

Wood stoves have come a long way in the last few decades, particularly since 1990, when the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required stove manufacturers to adhere to strict particle emissions standards. Now, all wood stoves must be EPA-certified, which means they are environmentally friendly, as well as being stylish and practical. The EPA-approved stove is so efficient that is uses approximately 65 percent less wood than a non-EPA model the same size, yet still produces the same amount of heat.

There are several styles of wood stoves on the market. Consumers can choose from natural cast iron or plate steel, or they can have painted or enamel-coated finishes that match the home’s decor.

Good placement equals great flow:

Sizes and capacity vary, but some wood stoves can generate enough heat to warm approximately 2,200 square feet of living space. While houses with an open concept design are easier to heat with one wood stove, multiple rooms can also be warmed by this age-old source. The secret is good placement of the stove. Not only should the wood stove be installed in a room where the family spends most of their time, there should also be paths, or openings for the heat to flow to other parts of the house. Warm air can also be circulated by means of ceiling fans.

Choose from cats or non-cats:

There are two types of wood stoves – a cat and a non-cat, both referring to the use (or not) of a catalytic combustor. The technicalities of these two products can be explained fully by your local wood stove retailer, but in short, both help your stove burn clean and efficiently.

Safety with wood stoves:

From the moment you bring your wood stove into your home, safety should always be a key consideration. Here are a few tips:

1. Have a professional install the unit

2. Do not install the stove in a confined space.

3. Ensure proper clearance from any combustible materials, including magazines and newspapers, drapes, furniture and wood flooring.

4. Inspect your stove, or have a professional do it, twice a year. Look for signs of creosote or warping of the unit.

5. Only burn fuel that was designed for your stove. Burning trash in your wood stove has the potential to start a chimney fire.

6. If you have a catalytic combustor model, burning driftwood, artificial logs or anything containing plastic will damage the unit.

7. For any questions about the safety of your wood stove, contact the retailer, a chimney sweep company or your local fire department.



Rheem Gas Furnace

sbarnes0924 asked:


I have one of those black cast iron wood burning stoves in my living room. for insurance purposes i need to take it out. I’m looking for the least exspensive way to do this. can i remove it and leave the vent in the attack and just block the hole in my living room ceiling?

Home Heat Pump Reviews

camsmom1991 asked:


Need to know how often the stove pipe has to be thoroughly cleaned. One person said at the end of the heating period, the other said every two weeks! Who is right?

Kohler Plumbing Fixtures

Anthony asked:


My son recently had a wood burner insert installed in his fire place. I got him a metal bucket with a lid to put the ashes in. There is a formal name for this device. I need your help.

Also seeking history of said bucket.

Anthony

Wood Fireplace Inserts

hmm asked:


In either case, could I disconnect the oil exhaust from the chimney and then have the woodstove hooked up to the chimney?

Lol! Sorry to ask so many questions about wood stoves…
So… with an underground tank you can’t just empty it out and not worry about it leaking? :-/

Bamboo Coffee Table

Steve Evans asked:


ion of wood is a simple technology that introduces secondary air to the falling ash which superheats it and combusts the ash and wood smoke to a point where there is very little left. The process is extremely efficient and gets the most energy out of a log of wood whilst leaving little ash to clean out.

Gasification is a process for burning wood where the gases from the wood are burned at very high temperatures, and although it was used extensively 50 to 100 years ago, since the advent of cheap oil in the late 1950s and 1960s it has been largely ignored.

Gasification works both at a very simple level in wood stoves and in huge gen stations feed megawatts of power into national electricity grids. For some time the big generators like GE have recognised this and have been developing the highly technologically sophisticated Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) Generator, since multi-millions of dollars into the idea.

However, until very recently society had forgotten the fact that gasification can also be sued at the domestic stove level and bring big efficieny and smoke emissions reduction benefits at the same time.

In a simple wood gasifier ingenious design (or a small electric fan in many designs) causes a downdraft which produces extreme heat up to 2000 degrees igniting all gases including smoke and creosote therefore giving almost 100% efficiency. The gasification effect works by way of the downdraft that sucks wood gas from the firebox in the top chamber down into a bottom chamber where superheated combustion occurs.

Biomass gasification extend the idea from wood stoves, where there are a number of products now on the market inot using a huge range of available fuels, not just wood. In its current state the use of biomass, is open-source and grassroots. Many people are cobbling together gasifiers and they are normal Joe’s and Jane’s. What you or I would call backyard tinkerers! But, we should all be grateful to them because this technology needs wrestling away from the boffins and the multi-millions dollar corporations. It is just too important for the health of the planet that at all levels society uses the renewable energy freely availabe to us, to its fullest.

Biomass gasification projects could be of interest under the CDM (Carbon Discharge Management – or carbon Credits within the scheme dreamt up at the Kyoto summit years ago) because the renewable biomass energy used directly displaces greenhouse gas emissions while contributing to sustainable rural development.

However, amazingly until recently there was only one biomass gasifier project registered under the CDM as yet, among thousands of other schemes.

Biomass gasification is a renewable, low cost and environmentally friendly energy alternative to using carbonaceous fuels like oil and coal or natural gas. Biomass energy has evolved since its first applications, but in general the sad fact is that until now it has not been possible to reach a solid commercial stage, except during periods of crises and only for some specific applications.

Meanwhile, other gasification technologies, fed by fossil fuels, have received big invetsment and are currently widely used on industrial scales, for example in refineries enabling poor quality and even waste oils which traditional refineries have no use for to be utilized.

Biomass gasification certainly works, and it worked 20 years ago. It is just been seen as a capital-intensive process that has the problem of competing against lower cost (but unsustainable) gasification options, and too complex to be used in the small scale.

Now at least the back garage tinkerers have gasifiers under development which will with their inspired skills and ability to innovate, have every prospect of rescuing this technology from the boffins by producing small cheap and amazingly efficient boilers using all sorts of fuels at present unused and wasted.

For my money I say three cheers for these guys and girls not afraid to get their hands dirty, roll up their sleeves and make so much more than any stove which can make tea!

Graco Paint Sprayer

Tom Desmond asked:


Wood stoves are both structural objects that enhance a room lending a certain charm giving the added benefit of being fuel-efficient.

Having a wood stove requires high maintenance to function at optimal levels and to ensure that air flows freely from room to room so it becomes an efficient source of fuel. The following are suggestions of top items that will make the experience of owning a wood stove pleasurable and give it a longer life expectancy.

Rotating fans help circulate warm air emanating from the stove. There are a number of different fans, but two that are popular are the doorway fan that will move the heat into other rooms and fans that are designed to fit into existing ducts providing heat for the entire house.

Air supply ventilators are installed through an outer wall to resolve problems caused by airtight windows that block a wood stove’s draft creating smoke inhalation and impeding proper fuel emissions.  Airs ventilators take advantage of the negative air pressure inside to eliminate the need for a power source.  The end result makes the wood stove one of the best items in your home for energy efficiency and lower fuel costs.

Draft inducers operated electrically help move the airflow up the chimney.  This increases the negative pressure (draft) in the stove and prevents smoke from leaking.

Kettles are a simple way to humidify a room that becomes overly dry.  All you have to do is fill them with water and place the kettle on the wood stove.  I suggest porcelain-coated kettles that do not rust on the inside and are lovely to look at.

Steamers can also be used to humidify the air and by adding potpourri to the water you can fill your home with a heavenly scent,

Trivets are durable cast iron hot plates that are both decorative and functional protecting the top of your stove from rust spots created by a kettle or steamer and shield cooking appliances from excessive heat.

Wood stove thermometers ensures that your fireplace is burning effectively.  They are attached to the stovepipe either magnetically or by drilling a small hole.  This saves on the cost of wood, reduces maintenance, and improves safety.

Hearth pad is fire proof and is situated between the wood stove and floor. Can only be used for wood stoves that are not placed on fireproof floors.

Stovepipe shams can turn a plain stovepipe into a wonderful accent piece. Shams are colorful and easy to place with no need to disconnect or remove the pipe.

High temperature paints can be used for touching up, renewing, and protecting the finish on steel or cast-iron wood stoves.  These paints resist peeling and blistering when subjected to high temperatures.  There are also high temperature polishes available to make your wood stove look black with a brilliant shine.

Gaskets properly installed improve the efficiency of a wood stove and help keep stove glass clean. These usually have a long life, but if your stove gaskets have worn out there are kits available to replace them keeping your stove functioning at peak form.



Designer Scented Candles

Randy Heslip asked:


Copyright (c) 2009 Randy Heslip

As temperatures continue to drop and the cost to heat the home continues to increase, we start to scramble for affordable alternatives to gas and oil. While many people drift toward electric space heaters, gas fireplaces, gel fuel fireplaces or other secondary heat sources, the pellet stove is often bi-passed completely. It’s time to spotlight this very special, all-too-frequently ignored heat source. Here are the basics.

What Is a Pellet Stove/What are Pellets? Pellet stoves are fuel burning appliances that burn “pellets” rather than oil, gas or coal. Typically running on electricity, pellet stoves have built in thermostats, exhaust blowers and some sort of a venting system that must be installed in the home. The “pellets” themselves are typically made from 100 percent recycled sawdust, wood chips, bark, agricultural crop waste, recycled paper or other organic materials. About the size of a cornel of bran cereal, there are different types of pellet stoves that burn different types of pellets. Corn pellet stoves burn corn pellets, wood pellet stoves burn wood pellets and regular pellet stoves burn a variety of types of pellets - just make sure you read your stove’s directions before burning a specific type of pellet.

How Efficient Are Pellet Stoves? They are extremely efficient to operate. Not only that but they are low maintenance and convenient to use. Pellet stoves have a much higher combustion rate and heating efficiency than wood stoves or fireplaces. Combustion efficiencies for pellet stoves tend to range from 75 to 85 percent, which make them exempt from the E.P.A.’s smoke-emission testing requirements and heating capacities range from 8,000 to 90,000 B.T.U.s per hour (way more than the 3,000 B.T.U.s put out by most gel fireplaces), making them suitable for condos, homes and apartments. Pellet stoves produce minimal air pollution and are considered to be the cleanest of all solid fuel-burning residential heating appliances.

How Stylish Are Pellet Stoves? If this kind of stove was to lose points anywhere, it would be in the style department. Many pellet stoves are a bit clunky and awkward in appearance, making them more difficult to complement certain decor styles. If your home is leaning in a more modern/contemporary direction, there are some pellet stoves for you to consider! There are also pellet fireplace inserts which can be retro-fit over your existing wood fireplace for a more energy efficient/heat efficient option for your home. These are also more subtle in appearance, simply slipping over your existing fireplace. Whatever your style, there’s probably a pellet stove to match your sensibilities, anyway, being energy efficient is always in style, right?

How Much Will It Cost Me? In addition to its physical appearance, another potential downside is how it might drive up your electric bill. If you are considering using a pellet stove as a secondary heat source for a room and gas or oil heating elsewhere in your home, your bills are likely to be higher than you might like. On the other hand, if you opt to use a pellet stove as your home’s primary heating source, you’re likely to save money. Buying the pellet stove itself is probably going to cost you between $1,600 and $3,000, depending on what style you decide on.

How Readily Available Are These Pellets Pellets should be available at most hardware stores or outdoor supply stores, though your best bet may be online. Pellet fuel typically is sold in 40 pound bags at around $3 to $4 dollars each. You can also get pellets for $120 to $200 per ton. One ton of pellets is about equal to 1.5 cords of firewood, just to give you some kind of comparison. Homeowners that use pellet fuel as their main source of heat typically go through 2 to 3 tons of pellet fuel per year.



Outdoor Solar Lighting

mary f asked:


Our stove releases smoke into the house when we open the stove door, it also has a black goo that runs down the chimney.

Wagner Paint Sprayers

AJ Vanderhorst asked:


When you set out to find the right stove for your home, there’s a lot to think about. Fortunately, after you answer some basic questions, picking a wood stove becomes a question of style-not survival! Here are some steps to help you enjoy the buying experience.

Step one, know why you want a wood stove. What main purpose will the stove serve? Heating, cooking, ambiance-or some combination? How much heat does the stove need to provide? Are you heating a single room, a whole floor, a good-sized house, or a cottage?  A final question is how often the stove will be used-frequently or occasionally? Knowing what you want your wood stove to accomplish is the first step toward buying the perfect model.

Step two, read the small print–but read it casually. When you look at models, find the stickers on the stoves that tell you they are certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This means they are environmentally friendly and burn efficiently. If you’re shopping for stoves online, this information will be readily available. The EPA approval is the important thing. You’ll find the Btu ratings and square footage heating estimates as well–but since they aren’t standardized, it’s a mistake to depend on them too much as you shop. Consider them rough estimates, and focus instead on the size of the stoves you’re looking at. (See below.)

Step three, don’t buy the biggest, shiniest stove you can find-unless that’s what you need. You can buy a Hummer for cross-country driving without sacrificing comfort. But buying large stoves for small heating needs causes potential fire hazards and stuffy rooms. In addition, wood stoves that are too large cost you money. To control the heat, you’ll be forced to cut down the stove’s air supply-which will reduce efficiency and waste fuel. Buying over-sized wood stoves is a common mistake-but not one that you have to make. Practically, stoves come in only three sizes–small, medium, and large. Here’s a breakdown of how the sizes relate to your needs:



Small stoves heat a small cabin or large room.



Medium stoves heat small or moderately-sized houses.



Large stoves heat large or drafty houses.





Ultimately, a solid understanding of why you want a wood burning stove, with your climate, house type and fuel choice factored in, will lead you to the correctly-sized, EPA-approved models. At that point, the purchase gets fun: Which colors and styles do you prefer?

 



Instant Hot Water Heater