High-Efficiency Wood Burning Stoves
Almost half of America’s residential energy consumption is put toward home heating. If you don’t have a high-efficiency wood stove, you’re probably wasting a lot of money on heating.
Wood stove users usually spend half as much on heating as users of oil, propane, or electricity. However, older wood stoves don’t typically have efficient heating above 50%. This means that half of your energy goes up into smoke even if it is in carefully managed laboratory conditions. If you don’t constantly adjust a traditional wood stove, it can overheat rooms that waste wood and makes you less comfortable. This is why it is vital to find the best high-efficiency stove model with features that are EPA certified and
Benefits of Wood Burning Stoves
Burning wood is great for the environment. Using wood-burning stoves can help reduce carbon emissions because logs are a low-carbon fuel source. They also help decrease heating bills, especially if you rely on more expensive oil to heat it. Wood fuel is an eco-friendly alternative to gas and oil. Before proceeding with a burning wood stove, it is important to ensure that your home is not in a smoke control area.
Wood burning stoves help the economy because they create the need for jobs in woodland management and they give landowners motivation to manage their wood. When woodlands are managed, they give a valuable and rich habitat for wildlife.
Log burners provide a perfect way for people to heat and have a relaxing spot in their living rooms that is a comfortable place for family and friends to come together.
How Long do Wood Stoves Last?
Wood stoves can last approximately 10 to 20 years. You can tell that your wood stoves need to be replaced if you see any signs of warping or cracking. Most wood stoves are made from steel or iron, but the quality of these materials and the quality of the workmanship determine the longevity of your wood stove.
If your wood stove is producing more smoke than normal, it may have problems and need to be completely replaced. There could potentially be water leaks and the baffle plate or the catalytic combustion could be damaged. When stovetops are smoky, they produce less heat and create excessive creosote and other residues. The main cause of residential fires is creosote, so when you notice that you have a lot of it on your stove, it is time to make the switch to a cleaner-burning wood stove that has an EPA certification.
Types of Wood Stoves
Catalytic Wood Stoves
These stoves are better for long, stable, and continuous heating applications such as overnight burns. If you use this as your main source of heat in your home, or if you are an eco-conscious consumer who wants the lowest emission wood-burning product, a catalytic stove, or a hybrid catalytic converter.
Non-Catalytic Wood Stoves
They use air tubes and super-heated oxygen to mix with and produce a secondary burn with the gases and particulates let out from burning wood. This creates fewer emissions and they are more efficient.
For someone who wants a traditional and straightforward wood-burning stove, non-catalytic stoves are the route to take. These stoves are well-suited for a holiday or rental home because they are easy to operate.
Choosing and Installing Wood Stoves
When looking for the perfect wood stove for your living space, there are some important things to consider. Cast iron is normally seen as the best material for wood stoves because it can warm up slowly and preserve heat well. However, if cast iron stoves are not taken care of properly, they are likely to crack because they are somewhat brittle.
Keep in mind that stove ratings are typically pointless because there are different rating systems and the conditions of the testing are unclear. Choose a stove based on the space you have available and the required clearances surrounding it. Ideally, you want the stove to rest in the center of the area to be heated, and ideally positioned so that the heat will be picked up and circulated by an existing central heating cold-air return system.
It’s a good idea to get a skilled and certified professional to ensure that your wood stove is installed with proper safety and precision. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends that wood stoves keep a safe distance from combustible surfaces and walls. Tile, stone, and brick are examples of noncombustible materials that the stove and should be backed by.
Shop Wood Stoves
At Watson’s, we have a variety of cast iron wood stoves available. They come in different models, shapes, sizes, colors, and prices so that they can best meet the needs of your home.