Everyone Needs a Wood Stove for Emergency Heating!

Hearthstone wood-burning insert in a masonry fireplace

With the economy in shambles and the cost of everything going up, the one piece of advice I can give to people is this:

Everyone needs a wood-burning stove or fireplace insert in their home for emergency heating!

•  Wood-burning stoves work without the use of electricity or fans (unlike gas furnaces or pellet stoves).

•  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. Tip: Buy NOW.

•  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-burning stove by Hearthstone

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 heaters.

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 no or limited warranty and may burn out after a few seasons. 

New EPA approved 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. 

 

Bonus: Get a TAX CREDIT for an efficient wood stove or insert up to 26% in 2022 and that includes labor and all materials!

Call us if you are in the greater Kansas City area or another professional chimney sweep our hearth dealer to discuss upgrading your inefficient open fireplace to a high-efficiency wood-burning insert, or if no fireplace is available you can have a freestanding wood stove along with a Class A chimney or stainless steel chimney liner installed. Note: These appliances can ONLY be installed in MASONRY chimneys or with a CLASS A chimney.

A word about GAS: If you have a gas-burning insert or stove, it will likely work with no power available. They just produce HALF the amount of heat as a wood-burning appliance.

Note: Blowers on gas or wood-burning appliances will NOT work unless you have a generator. But they will still provide heat. 

 

Find a professional installer at www.nficertified.org or www.csia.org. 

_____________________________

Marge Padgitt is a chimney industry veteran and author of Wood-Fired Heating and Cooking and the Chimney Pro's Resource Book. She is a speaker, talk show guest, and instructor. Visit www.chimkc.com or www.hearthmasters.net for more information.

Cut utility bills by using wood-heating appliances

Cut utility bills by using wood-heating appliances

One way to cut utility bills during cold weather is to use a wood-fired heating appliance such as a masonry heater, wood-burning stove, or wood-burning fireplace insert.

Masonry Heater by Gene Padgitt

Today’s modern wood-burning heating appliances are very efficient and clean-burning, unlike their older predecessors. The Environmental Protection Agency regulates wood stove emissions and has strict requirements that stove manufacturers must follow. This is why replacing an older, dirty burning wood stove is good not only for the environment, but less wood is needed to produce the same amount of heat.

Wood fuel costs can be significantly less than oil, gas, or electric heating appliances, especially if there is a nearby supply of inexpensive or free cordwood. For homeowners with their own land and trees, the concept of no cost for fuel other than physical exertion is very attractive. For those wanting to live off-grid, have an emergency heating alternative, or just lower fuel costs, the addition of a wood-burning appliance is a good solution.

Masonry heaters are arguably the best type of wood-burning appliance. They use old-world technology which is a series of channels installed inside the appliance that trap heat, then transfer the heat slowly through the mass of masonry. Masonry heaters are large and need to be centrally located for maximum benefit. The Masonry Heater Association of North America has more information on these efficient site-built appliances.

Hampton insert by Regency

Fireplace inserts are appliances that are installed inside an existing masonry fireplace. They use a small stainless steel flue liner and can be used either with or without a blower. By installing a new efficient wood-burning fireplace insert the fireplace efficiency will be increased by approximately 75%.

Freestanding wood-burning stoves

For more information on fuel cost calculators visit http://www.epa.gov/burnwise/woodstoves.html