The Wood Stove Accessories Blog

A wood heating accessory that is often overlooked is a wood stove blower.  Wood stove blowers provide many benefits and can prove to be a good investment in the long term (or often in the short term).  Most people don’t know what a wood stove blower is, and don’t understand the value it can bring to a wood stove installation.

Why Consider Installing A Wood Stove Blower

Wood stoves offer cost-effective heat to a home, in addition to their aesthetic qualities. As long as good quality wood is readily available a wood stove can provide warmth, often at a lower cost than using electricity, gas or other costly fuels used in heating homes, especially when using the newer EPA certified models that are more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

Wood stoves to have limitations, however, compared to central heating units that distribute heat throughout a house using ducts.  Though cost-effective, a wood-burning stove radiates heat and has limited ability for spreading that heat evenly throughout a house.  This is where a wood stove blower comes in.  A wood stove blower can compensate for these limitations by circulating the heat from the stove into other areas of the house.

Blowers can be used to move heat throughout large rooms and can even push warm air into other rooms throughout a house.  This can help reduce the cost of heating the house overall.

There are also other alternative when it comes to blowers.  There are smaller wood stove blowers and fans that you can position in doorways to facilitate hot air moving through the entire house. Wood stove blowers also are available in sizes and shapes that are designed to fit in existing vents. A wood stove blower in a vent can move warm air to even the hardest to reach areas of the house.

There are also wood stove blowers designed to create a draft up the chimney to blow smoke and soot up and out of the house.

There are some differences in wood stove blowers. 

- While some blowers will work with a large variety of wood-burning stoves, others are designed to fit specific models of stoves.

- Some blowers can be easily installed by hooking them onto your stove with a few screws. Other blowers are more complicated and require an experienced installer.

- Some blowers run of batteries while others will require an electrical outlet.

With the right installation a wood stove blower can transform an already cost-effective heating solution into an efficient heat supply for the entire house.

The care that is taken during a wood stove installation will dramatically affect the efficiency of that wood stove.  It also ensures your safety and the safety of your family.  It is recommended, of course, that you install a certified wood stove or fireplace insert and that it be professionally installed by a certified technician to insure its proper performance and safety.

Whether you install your wood stove yourself or have it installed professionally remember that the safety of your home and family depends on fully understanding and complying with the manufacturer instructions and building code requirements in your area.

Wood Stove Installation Requirements:

- Ensuring that there is proper clearance between the stove and venting system and any combustible materials.

- Proper protection of combustible flooring.

- Proper assembly of the wood stove and the venting components.

Another area you will want to pay attention to when installing a wood stove is making sure that that stove is properly size for your home and placed for best heat distribution. During installation pay particular care in making sure the venting system (or chimney) correctly installed. The venting system is the “engine” that drives the whole burning process and if installed incorrectly can cause the stove to perform poorly or even fail.

Decisions about the venting system to ensure adequate draft include:

- Make sure the flue is properly sized (paying particular attention to avoid an oversized flue).

- Proper chimney or flu height (this may be taller than minimum code requires).

- Proper location of the stove and flu (placement in the interior of the house is better when possible).

- Proper configuration of venting system (avoid excessive horizontal runs and changes in direction).

Making sure that you are using an EPA certified wood burning stove that is sized and placed properly with a venting system that delivers adequate draft will provide several benefits to the home owner, including:

- Reduced wood consumption.

- Production of more usable heat.

- Reduced cleaning and maintenance that can come from inefficient fires.

The best way to find competent wood stove installation professionals is to get referrals and check their credentials. One source to find wood stove installers is the National Fireplace Institute® (NFI) a non-profit certification agency that does nationwide education and testing of hearth professionals.

Wood pellet stoves, like the name implies, burn wood pellets that can create a very efficient source of heat.  Like regular wood stoves there are many pellet stove accessories that can add to your pellet stove’s funtionality, as well as it’s attractiveness.

Because pellet stoves look like regular wood stoves many of the same accessories will work for a pellet stove as they will for a regular wood burning stove.  These accessories include stove pipe shams, circulating fans, kettles, steamers and hearth pads.

There are, however, some differences. A pellet stove is built with an internal system that feeds the pellets into a burner, and a fan that blows heat out of the stove. The stove is fed by pouring the wood pellets into a hopper on the top or in the back of the stove. Pellets are made of waste products, such as compressed sawdust and wood scraps.

Additional Pellet Stove Accessories

There are many accessories available to allow you to customize your pellet stove. Most accessories are sold in colors that will compliment a stove, such as black, gold, brass, smoke gray and silver.

Pellet Buckets - Add a little touch of class to your stove with a pellet bucket. A pellet bucket can be used to either feed the pellets into the stove or to dump the ash after you’ve used the stove for a while.

Stove screens - Stove Screens are a common pellet stove accessory that provides a safety barrier for a pellet stove while still allowing you to view the stove as the fire burns. They are fairly inexpensive and easy to find at most hardware stores.

Stove Pipe brushes are another common and inexpensive stove accessory sold in most hardware stores. Make sure the brush is at least 3-4” wide to ensure a good scrubbing. Some include rods or extensions to allow you to reach up into the chimney to brush away residue.

Stove Wall Vent Kits - Because pellet stoves burn so efficiently most can actually be vented like a clothing dryer.  They also don’t get as hot as regular wood stoves, so they don’t have to be surrounded with fireproofing like a regular wood stove.  Through-the-wall vent accessory kits are available for most freestanding stoves. These kits normally include all of the parts and adapters necessary to vent your stove through an outside wall.  (Be sure to check your stove manufacturers instructions to make sure your particular stove will work this way)

Remote control thermostat kits - Since many pellet stoves include a built in thermostat that manages the air flow of the stove and the heat it is putting out you can get a remote control kit that will allow you to control the temperature from across the room.

These are a few if the most popular pellet stove accessories available on the market.  Let us know what your favorite accessory is.

With the high cost of natural gas, liquid propane and heating oil, the sales of wood stoves and wood stove accessories are reaching new highs, in some areas by as much as two and a half times last years record.

With newer more economical and efficient models that are available, wood stoves are an environmentally friendly alternative, and with today’s wood stove accessories and attachments wood burning stoves are also a beautiful and functional addition to the home, along with the savings in fuel costs.

Some of the many accessories that are available for wood stoves include: fans, hearth pads, trim kits, or stove pipe shams.  Here is a brief description of some of the most popular wood stove accessories and how they can be used to make your wood stove an even more valuable addition to your homes comfort and enjoyment.

Wood Stove Accessories

Stove Pipe Shams - Stove pipe shams are a great way to turn your plain stove pipe into a wonderful accent piece. Stove pipe shams are designed specifically to dress up your plain old black stove pipe and add a touch of color and interest.  Most shams are designed to fit standard 6 5/8″ OD double wall gas pipes and in most cases they can be adapted for any 6″ OD pipe, with a small adjustment. Stove pipe shams are quick and easy to install on new or existing stove pipes, and there is no need to disconnect or remove the pipe. Typically all one needs to install a sham is a screw driver and if you are trying to match your other decor they can be spray painted using an appropriate high temperature or gas vent paint.

Circulating Fans - Fans can be an attractive and practical accessory for a wood stove.  Many wood stove fans are available in different styles and for different uses including: improving the drafting for the wood stove to burn more efficiently, transferring heat quickly to adjoining rooms, reclaiming heat that would otherwise be lost up the chimney and improving the circulation of warm air.

Woodstove Kettles - The heat from a wood stove can cause the surrounding air to dry out. Woodstove kettles are an easy way to humidify a room and bring in a decorative element as an added bonus.  Simply fill them with water and your wood stove will do the rest. There are many wood stove kettles available in many designs including porcelain coated kettles that won’t rust on the inside.

Woodstove Steamers - Wood stove steamers, like kettles can be used to humidify the air along with adding an understated, modern beauty to your wood stove. By adding potpourri to the water you can fill your home with the necessary humidity and add a delightful fragrance as well.

Woodstove Trivets - Wood stove trivets are durable cast iron hot plates that protect the top of your stove or free-standing fireplace from getting rust spots from a kettle or humidifier.  They also keeps kettles or cooking pots from getting too hot and can be used under kettles and steamers to protect tables and countertops from heat damage, or as attractive decorative accents on tables, shelves, and walls.  Trivets are readily available in many colors and designs.
     
Woodstove Thermometer - Wood stove thermometers and helpful for making sure your fireplace is burning at its highest efficiency.  This not only saves on the cost of wood for your stove but also reduces maintenance and improves safety.  Many wood stove thermometers attach to the stovepipe magnetically or by drilling a small hole in the pipe.  Keeping the stove at the right temperature will make fires last longer which saves time spent on reloading. It also cuts down on chimney cleaning by burning the wood completely in the best operation range.  It also helps to avoid the possibility of a chimney fire by keeping it from overheating and will extend the life of catalytic combustors by letting you know when you are overheating the stove.

Hearth Pads - If your wood stove is not sitting on a fire proof floor, hearth pads provide the necessary fire proof protection between a woodstove and the flooring below. Designed with fireproof tiles hearth pads are available in many attractive designs and are typically suited for wood, pellet, or gas appliances.

Paints & Polishes - Many specially formulated paints are available for use in touching up, renewing, and protecting the finish on steel or cast-iron wood stoves.  These paints are designed to resist peeling and blistering when subjected to high temperatures.  There are also polishes available to make your wood stove black and shiny.

Woodstove Gaskets & Repair - Fireproof fiberglass gaskets are used around the doors and/or glass windows to help assure optimal burning by stopping air leaks into your wood stove. If your stoves gaskets have worn out there are kits available to replace old gaskets and return your stove to peak efficiency.  Properly installed gaskets will greatly improve burn times on wood stoves and help keep stove glass cleaner.

Replacement Stove Glass - In most cases stove glass should not need to be replaced, but if you accidently break the glass on your wood stove you can usually just replace the glass using either a tempered glass or a ceramic glass made for wood stoves or fireplace doors depending on your particular stove. The glass should be sealed tightly to the door to prevent air leaks. This is normally done with a flat woven gasket, usually with adhesive on one side.  Some EPA certified stoves use specially coated glass. Check your manual.  If this is the case, you can buy replacement coated glass from a wood stove dealer. Coated glass has a special side facing out so you should check it to make sure you are installing it the right way out.

Woodstove Extras - To maximize efficiency fire-logs are available that, when burned in your wood stove, change the creosote into a dry, loose, non-adhering deposit which flakes away and is easily brushed off.  These can be used monthly during the peak burning season simply by adding the log to the hot embers of a wood fire.