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There are a number of supplemental heating solutions that can help heat your
home during the winter months, however the traditional wood burning stove is
still the most popular choice for many. Wood burning wood stoves offer a
number advantages over other supplemental heating stoves, including gas
stoves, pellet stoves, coal stoves, and portable electrical heaters.
One of the main advantages of a wood burning stove is the fact that wood is
still a relatively plentiful resource in many regions of the world, and thus
is fairly economical to burn compared to natural gas, propane, electric, and
wood pellets. |
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Also, unlike a wood pellet stove
where the pellets are manufactured and have to be purchased from a store, a
traditional wood stove allows a homeowner to cut and prepare the fire wood him
or herself. Consequently the cost of burning wood in a wood stove is typically
much less expensive than burning any other type of combustible material in
another type of stove.
Depending upon the size of a wood
burning stove, it can pump out a tremendous amount of heat. In some cases it can
be used to heat the entire home. Most other supplemental heating stoves are
typically only capable of heating a portion of a home. Besides coming in a
variety of sizes, wood burning stoves also come in a variety of shapes and
features. Many include windows for viewing the flame and are ideal for formal
living spaces within the home. Many new wood burning stoves include options that
help to blow or radiated the heat out from the stove. Others have unique designs
to enable very clean burning of the wood. This is an extremely useful feature as
it helps to reduce the risk of chimney fires due to the buildup of dangerous
creosote in the chimney, a common concern with wood burning stoves.
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When it comes to selecting what type of wood to burn in a wood stove,
hardwoods are the preferred choice. Oak and maple are two of the best types
of wood to burn in a wood stove. Softwoods, such as pine, which are filled
with pitch, should never be used. Burning pine wood in a wood stove can lead
to high levels of creosote buildup in the chimney and wood stove pipe, which
can cause chimney fires. Many homes are burnt down every year due to chimney
fires, caused by wood stoves burning improper types of wood and/or the
chimney not being regularly cleaned. |
Another advantage of burning hardwoods is that they output higher heat (BTU)
levels than softwoods. Thus less wood is required to produce the same amount of
heat.
Another factor in the amount of BTUs (British Thermal Units) produced by the
wood and wood burning stove is the amount of moisture in the wood itself. The
lower the moisture content in the wood the higher the amount of heat produced by
the burning wood. Also burning high moisture content wood, or green wood, is
harder to start and more importantly will also cause dangerous creosote to
rapidly form in the stove pipe and chimney. High moisture wood also produces
more soot which will be spewed into the air, causing higher pollution.
Consequently, prior to burning wood in a wood stove it should be properly cut
and split and allowed to dry out for at least 6 to 9 months, and preferably a
year. By allowing the wood to age and dry out, the wood should be able to get to
a moisture content below 20%, which is ideal for burning, both from a BTU output
level and a safety standpoint.
To aid in the drying process the wood should be cut to proper length, split and
then stacked in a sunny area. Typically the wood is stacked in an organized
manner, either in round house piles or long rows. The wood should also be
covered during the drying cycle to prevent rain, snow and ice to collect on it.
For information on maximizing your
wood stove’s home heating efficiency see
the “Installation
of Hood over Wood Stove Ebook”.
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