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Buying a wood stove can be a
complicated process. To begin with, wood stoves come in a variety of shapes and
sizes. So first on your checklist, before actually going out and buying a wood
stove, is figuring out how much living space you plan on heating with it. Based
on the square footage you plan to heat, you can then narrow down your search to
appropriately sized wood stoves. Remember too, that you most likely are buying
the wood stove for supplemental heat, so you do not necessarily need to buy a
wood stove that could theoretically heat your entire home.
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The second item you need to consider
when buying a wood stove is where you plan to install it. If it is expected to
be located in a main living space, you’ll want to purchase a wood stove that is
both functional and attractive. If the wood stove is to be located in a basement
then you may be able to go with a less ornate woodstove, but possibly a larger
one. Also, you need to consider where wood will be stored and transported to the
wood stove. The last thing you want to do is to install a wood stove in a
finished living space that requires you walking across a large section of carpet
or hardwood flooring to carry firewood to the wood stove.
The third major consideration is how
you will vent the wood stove. Will it tie into an existing chimney or will you
need to install a new chimney or separate duct work. If you plan to tie it into
an existing chimney then you’ll first need to determine if your chimney is
sufficient enough in size and draft to support it. You may want to check with
the stove shop and/or your local building inspector before making a decision on
what wood stove to buy. The majority of wood stoves have a 6 inch outlet pipe so
most 6 or 8 inch chimney flues will be adequate for properly venting a wood
burning stove.
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Another consideration when buying a
wood stove is your budget. Wood stoves can be purchased from as low as a few
hundred dollars to several thousand dollars, depending on the size, style and
assorted features that the particular wood stove offers. Wood stoves are
available in cast iron, or 3/16 or ¼ inch rolled steel.
The type of wood stove is also an important factor. The more basic and older
type wood stoves are known as simple updraft wood stoves. The basic
operating principle with these types of wood stoves is that there is a
negative pressure in the chimney that draws the soot, smoke, and gas from
the wood stove up and out the chimney. |
The newer and more sophisticated wood stoves are known as air-tight wood stoves.
They’ve been around since the early 1990s. With air tight wood stoves there are
baffles inside the stove to create a second burning chamber within the wood
stove itself. The result is a much more efficient burn of the wood, thus
producing more heat and fewer pollutants into the atmosphere. An air tight wood
stove produces only 1/10th of the emissions of a similar sized updraft wood
stove, and it is 33% more energy efficient. This translates into less wood that
needs to be cut, split, dried, transported, and burned in the wood stove. Thus,
an air-tight wood stove is preferable in every respect, except for price. But
even the price is recouped after a few years by not having to burn as much wood.
There are a few other key features to think about when buying a wood stove. For
example, how the wood is actually loaded into the stove is an important
consideration. My preference is a front loading wood stove. Moreover, the size
of the wood that can be loaded into the wood stove is another concern. The
larger the pieces of wood that can be loaded into the stove, the less cutting
and hauling of it that will be required. Also, if the stove is to be installed
into a finished living space you may want to buy a wood stove with a glass front
for aesthetics.
Finally, if you plan to install a wood stove in a basement and want the heat to
rise up and into the main living areas of the home, you may want to consider
adding a hood and ductwork over the stove to direct heat into the upper areas of
the home. See the “Installation
of a Hood over a Wood Stove Ebook" to learn specifically how
to do this.
For information on maximizing your
wood stove’s home heating efficiency see
the “Installation
of Hood over Wood Stove Ebook”.
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