Everyone Needs a Wood-burning Heating Appliance for Emergency Heating

Every household needs an alternative method of heating for when the power goes out. Believe me, as one who has gone through this it is no fun when you are freezing in your house because the electricity went out for days. During an ice storm in Kansas City a few years ago some people had no power for two weeks. Besides being extremely uncomfortable, pipes will freeze and leak as well, which no one wants to experience. 

Gas furnaces need fans to work, so that is not an option. Gas heating stoves are an option - as long as gas is available. However, there is one tried and true heating method that has been around for thousands of years and that is cordwood. 

Cordwood can be obtained by purchasing it, or better yet, if you have your own property with lots of timber you may harvest your own. There is a third option for obtaining wood and that is that you may harvest up to three cords of wood per season from National Parks. A fourth option is to check Craigslist for fallen wood that people want to be cleaned up at no charge. 

Hampton wood-burning fireplace insert by Regency

Why Wood? 

•  Wood-burning stoves and inserts work without the use of electricity or fans (unlike gas furnaces or pellet stoves). Fans are optional and are good to use to distribute heat when electricity is available. 
•  Wood stoves and inserts produce TWICE the amount of heat (BTU's) than gas stoves or inserts!
•  Fuel is readily available either by using your own trees on site or purchasing through a firewood dealer.
•  No electricity is needed for a wood stove or insert to work! In case of emergency when the power is out you'll be able to stay in your home instead of going to stay with friends or family or going to a hotel.
•  With a freestanding stove you can cook on the top if needed.

Freestanding wood stove by Hampton

Emergency heating is not the only reason to burn wood. Use a wood-burning stove during fall and winter as a supplemental heating source to save money and provide a more comfortable, even heat. Radiant heat from a wood stove or masonry heater has more health benefits than a gas furnace or electric baseboard heater.

Good quality wood stoves aren't inexpensive - but they are worth the investment. A good stove will last many years. Note: beware of box store wood stoves that have thin metal, no warranty, and may burn out after a few seasons. 

New wood-burning stoves and inserts are 75%+ efficient which means that most of the heat is staying in your house rather than going up the flue as with a standard open fireplace. 

Tax Credit: 

Certain appliances qualify for the $2,000 tax credit in 2024 and beyond. Be sure to ask your wood stove dealer or chimney sweep about this. 

2,000 Year Old Painting of a Pizza Proves the Italians Created This Dish!

 

According to the BBC, the recently discovered fresco emerged on a partially destroyed wall within a Pompeii residence's corridor.

Researchers exploring the preserved Roman city of Pompeii have discovered an artwork that potentially shows an early version of what would become Italy's famous pizza.

Photo: Italian Ministry of Culture

The circular bread shown in the ancient fresco "could represent an early predecessor of today's popular dish," according to Italian heritage officials. However, it lacks the traditional toppings required to classify it as a true pizza.

The artwork was discovered in a residence's entrance hall adjacent to a bakery during current excavations at the southern Italian site. The find occurred this year during ongoing exploration of Regio IX, one of nine sectors comprising the historic settlement.

The structure had undergone partial excavation during the 1800s before work resumed in January this year—approximately two millennia after the volcanic disaster that consumed the city.

Experts at the Unesco-listed archaeological park indicate the newly-revealed fresco showing the bread, depicted alongside a chalice of wine, suggests it may have been consumed with fruits like pomegranates or dates, or enhanced with herbs and a primitive pesto preparation.

Site director Gabriel Zuchtriegel noted the artwork's portrayal of the contrast between "modest, basic fare" and "ornate silver platters." "It's impossible not to draw parallels with pizza, which similarly originated as humble fare in Italy's south before achieving global popularity and earning a place in fine dining establishments," he remarked.

Additionally, researchers recently discovered three human remains near the kitchen area's furnace within the building's service section, officials reported.

The Vesuvius volcanic catastrophe in AD 79 preserved Pompeii under volcanic debris, effectively freezing the city and its inhabitants in time. Since its 16th-century discovery, the location has provided invaluable archaeological insights.

The archaeological park lies approximately 23 km (14 miles) from Naples—the contemporary birthplace of the Unesco-recognized Italian pizza.

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Margie Padgitt is a 40-year veteran chimney business owner, author, and filmmaker living in Kansas City, Missouri. Contact: margepadgitt@gmail.com 

Safety Tips for the Holidays

 Tip #1: Inspections. Some people use their fireplaces year-round and others only build a fire during the holidays - but it is important to have the chimney inspected and cleaned if necessary no matter how much the fireplace is used. This is because things can happen during the year to make fire hazards such as birds or squirrels building flammable nests, masonry deterioration, unseen blockages, etc.

Tip #2: Stockings. In the photo above we see just two stockings hanging above the fireplace, but they are still too close to the fire. Stockings are a fire hazard, so please remove them before building a fire in the fireplace. Also keep all flammable items at least 36" away from the fireplace opening, whether it is wood or gas burning.

Tip #3: Don't Burn Dry Christmas Trees. If you're using a real tree this year, it will dry out by the time January 1 rolls around. Dry pine is the most flammable type of wood but a Christmas tree is the most dangerous. Check YouTube to see some crazy people put their trees into their fireplaces and see them start chimney fires and watch flames shooting out the top of the chimney. Not a good idea. Instead, cut the tree into very small pieces and use them for fire starter throughout the winter.

Tip #4: Don't Burn Wrapping Paper. Keep the pretty wrapping paper out of the fireplace because when it burns it releases toxic fumes. Any paper that has color on it will produce toxins, and that includes magazines, brochures, flyers, etc. As a rule of thumb, only burn cordwood in a fireplace. If you have gas logs, don't put anything in the fireplace.

Have a Safe and Happy Holiday Season!