What to look for in a wood burning stove

Wood stoves are a good alternative source of heating for many reasons.  You may want to save on heating or you may want to go with an eco-friendly fuel source. No matter what your reason for choosing to burn wood, there are a lot of things to consider.

Before you decide if a wood stove is the right choice, you need to know the pros and cons of using a wood burning stove. You need to know what to look for in a wood burning stove.

The pros are that the wood is readily available, non-fossil and with the addition of wood pellets, can burn long and produce a reasonable amount of heat for the room they are placed in.

The cons are that wood does not burn as clean as gas and can result in respiratory difficulties if your family is prone to these types of problems. Pellets, on the other hand, are very clean burning. Another thing to consider is that unless you have a thermostat in every room, you may find that the rest of the house becomes colder than you would prefer.

If you have decided that a wood burning stove is right for your home, there are several different options that you can choose. In order to make an educated decision, you need to understand how much heat you are trying to generate. Heat is measured in BTU's and you need to know how many you need to produce to warm your home.

If you have a fireplace already and you want to up the efficiency, you can buy an insert which is basically a stove liner that fits in your fireplace. No matter what type of stove you decide to install, make sure that you have it installed by an NFI certified installer, your life can depend on it.

Do you want to burn pellets or wood? Depending on where you live the price of your wood can vary quite steep. Masonry stoves are one of the cleanest burning appliances. The drawback is that they take a long time to heat up but once they are going they require minimal time and effort to keep going and they are super-efficient. They can burn both wood or belts and almost any solid fuel. They are pricey but with up to 90 percent efficiency they will pay for themselves.

Pellet burning stoves come in a wide variety of models and while they are not as efficient as masonry stoves they are more efficient than traditional wood burning models. They are exempt from EPA standards, they are that clean burning. They cost less than half of what masonry stove costs and are only minimally less efficient making them a great option. They do require electricity to keep the stove fed with pellets so if there is a power outage you need a battery backup. They come in many styles and you can find one that will fit your decor.

Wood burning stoves have come a long way from the potbelly stoves that our grandparents used. They are stylish, colorful and have better efficiency than ever. No matter what type you choose be sure to schedule regular maintenance to keep your family safe and your home fire free.