The Wood Stove Accessories Blog

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I own a home that is heated with an oil furnace. We tend to keep the temperature down, as a $$ saving measure. As we age, my husband’s and my tolerance for the cold has gone down. If we turn the thermostat down at night, when we are bundled up under the covers and raise the temperature when we get up; are we saving money or spending it to rewarm the house? Question #2 is for those of you who supplement your heating with a wood stove. What kind of work is involved in the installation, if there has never been one in the house before? I am talking about a professional installation; because of the venting issues - we would never attempt to do something like this on our own. The job demands someone who knows what they are doing. I am thinking that this is one job where the installation might exceed the cost of the stove itself. Please feel free to jump in with information that you may have, even if you don’t know the answer to both questions.
Odd that you’ve asked this. My wife just found an old wood stove at a local thrift shop. $100 and I was thinking that I was styling! A trip to Home Depot, Menards, and Farm and Fleet sure did give us a wake up call! $385 later in single walled pipe, double walled pipe, adapters, Heat transfers, etc… made me wonder if this was a good choice. Home Depot sells an all-in-one kit with exception of the single and double walled pipes, but, we went with Menards because even with buying everything seperate it was a hand full of $’s cheaper. As for instalation I am doing it myself. The internet has all the codes and steps to do this properly. Plus I have all the necessary tools (a big plus) however, I don’t start instalation till tommorow morning. If you want a play by play on the problems we run into, just e-mail or IM me sometime tommorow. If I am in a good mood you’ll know it was a breeze. Any four letter words slip out, then it probably isn’t a good idea!

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Hundreds of residents in Michigan will have new wood stoves this winter according to Diane Ivey of Michigan State University’s Capital News Service.  They will have the new wood stoves as part of an initiative of the Michigan United Conservation Clubs and Department of Environmental Quality.

Also involved in the program are E.P.A. and the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association, which chipped in rebates of up to $600 toward the replacement of traditional wood-burning stoves with EPA-certified stoves or fireplaces.

Apparantly five hundred stoves were replaced during the summer.  MUCC Exec. Director Dennis Muchmore said that consumers will benefit both economically and ecologically from the replacement program.

“Efficient stoves burn much less fuel, meaning they burn a smaller hole in a homeowner’s pocket,” he said. “By upgrading to a modern-efficiency stove, residents are also contributing to the green economy by heating their homes with cleaner energy sources.”

Newer EPA certified stoves give users more heat per dollar.  Old wood stoves usually operate at around 50% efficiency or worse, while new ones can be up to 78 percent efficient.  Instead of the heat going up the chimney, more of it stays in the home.

Older stoves operate with a catalytic combustion system, like a car, which can put out harmful amounts of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, while the new stoves operate on a non-catalytic system or have catalytic converters to reduce emissions.

Economic factors are the driving force prompting people to look at wood stoves as an alternative for home heating. Some are using wood stoves to supplement their existing systems while others are using them as the primary source of heating in the home.

In exchange for the discounts and rebates, participants in the program agreed to replace their old stoves with EPA-approved wood, pellet, corn, gas or electric stoves. The old stoves were then recycled.

Technorati Tags: changeover program, wood stove conversion, Wood Stove Installation

When installing wood stove gaskets begin by removing the old gasket material. If the old gasket comes out in one piece, measure how long it is so you will know the best replacement size to install in your wood stove.

Once the old gasket has been removed, clean away all the old adhesive thoroughly. Setting up a wire wheel on a drill will work great for this, or if you want to do it by hand use steel wool. A good clean metal surface is necessary for good adhesion when installing the new wood stove gasket.

Begin installing the new wood stove gasket at the top corner of the wood stove door opening.  This makes the gasket’s joining seam less susceptible to loosening by hot coals and ashes.

Once you are finished installing the wood stove gasket, close the door(s) to press the new gasket into place for a few minutes. Then open the door(s) and keep them open for 24 hours to allow the gasket adhesive to set up properly before closing the door and beginning to use your wood stove.  That’s all there is to installing wood stove gaskets.

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When we talk about installing a wood stove many people think of the traditional Ben Franklin stove, but that is a thing of the past - today’s wood stove models feature both improved safety and efficiency. They produce almost no emmissions (i.e. smoke), create minimal ash, and require less firewood.  This saves both time and money buying or hauling firewood.

Installing a Wood Stove for Different Uses

Wood stoves can be sized to heat a family room, a small cottage, or a full-sized home. The best choices are appliances that are labeled by the Underwriters’ Laboratories of Canada (ULC) or another qualified testing and certification body for safety. They should also be low-emission certified by EPA standards.

For comparison, the older uncertified stoves and fireplaces release 40 to 60 grams of smoke per hour; while the new EPA-certified stoves produce only 2 to 5 grams of smoke per hour.  EPA certified wood stoves burn more cleanly and efficiently, save you money, reduce the risk of fire, and improve air quality inside and outside the home.

What Size Wood Stove to Install

EPA certified wood stoves come in different sizes, namely small stoves suitable for heating a family room or a seasonal cottage. They can also be used in larger homes with older central furnaces, for “zone heating” a specific area of the home reducing fuel consumption, conserving energy and saving money while maintaining comfort.

Medium stoves are suitable for heating small houses, medium-sized energy-efficient houses, and cottages used in winter while large stoves can be used for larger, open plan houses or older, leakier houses in colder climate zones.

Check out our archives for more information on installing a wood stove.

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Another interesting video on the growing use of wood and other biofuels.

This stove is a partial oxidation gas generator stove. It produces Hydrogen, Carbon Monoxide, Methane and other cracked organic compounds. The same principle is in our books on gasification of wood for engines and cars. Yes, you CAN run a car off this type of system and over 1 million vehicles did this during WWII… it can still work today

Duration : 0:8:13

Read the rest of this entry »

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When installing and maintaining a wood stove be sure you are taking the proper safety precautions.  Better to be safe than sorry.

The Midwest Chimney Safety Council (MCSC) recently issued a warning to its members to prepare for the busiest season they have seen in decades. Since here are only so many qualified chimney sweeps to go around, there may not be enough to serve the public. Chimney sweeps may not be able to keep up with demand for cleaning, inspection, and installation services.  In fact many Chimney Sweeps are reporting that their busy season, which usually starts September 1, started in mid-July this year.

The big increase in demand is a result of consumers turning to alternative methods of heating such as wood stoves, wood-burning fireplace inserts, and wood-burning furnaces.  Some thrifty consumers may attempt to do the installation or service work themselves and may create a safety hazard by doing it wrong. “One of the biggest mistakes is not installing a properly sized flue liner with a fireplace insert,” says Marge Padgitt, Educational Director for the MCSC. “If the liner is too large it can cause excessive flammable creosote accumulation, which can lead to a chimney fire.”

Improper installation and maintenance is the cause of most house fires related to heating appliances so consumers are encouraged to get an inspection and any necessary work done by an CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep rather than doing it themselves or hiring an unqualified chimney company.

Fireplace flues should be inspected and cleaned annually. Wood stoves or inserts used for heating should be inspected and cleaned at least twice during the wood-burning season.  Some manufacturers recommend sweeping the chimney once per month so check your owners manual for details.

Visit the MCSC website at http//www.mcsc-net.org Midwest Chimney Safety Council for free consumer information.

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Some interesting ideas and perspectives on wood stove installation and use:

• Max Blank Rotating Wood Stoves - By Andrew Liszewski. Looking for an unusual way to heat your home this winter? Max Blank produces a large range of designer, wood-burning stoves that don’t necessarily need to be installed in a corner or against a wall. …

• Keep warm this winter with iBuyWoodStoves - Man, was it chilly here this morning. The windshields of our cars were covered in condensation that was just this side of actual frost. Time to start gearing up for home heating season! We have a forced air heating system, …

Technorati Tags: unique stove, Wood Stove Accessories, Wood Stove Installation

It's probably best and safest to get a professional installer, but….

Did you check the ID plate on back of the stove? Usually some install info there.

This site should help with installation tips
http://www.woodstovespot.info/

Losts of handy Q&A info on wood stoves here
http://www.woodheat.org/q&a/qaoperation.htm

*NB* I think you'll find it almost impossible to get building approval for a wood stove install of you are in in Oregon, Washington or California

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Apparantly wood and pellet stoves are getting harder to find with the recent jump in sales.

According to Hattie Bernstein of Cabinet.com “three hundred customers who want to buy pellet stoves have placed their names on a waiting list at Fireplace Village in Bedford NH and at the retailer’s other locations.

The recent rise in the cost of home heating oil has inspired many homeowners to rethink their heating options.

Firewood dealers and stove retailers are reporting brisk business that began last spring, almost six months earlier than usual all across the region.  They also say they have waiting lists, for both stoves and wood.  Many people are scrambling to get alternate heat.

Customers are concerned about not only the availability of stoves, but also the price. As demand goes up, prices are going up.

“Everybody’s scrambling to get alternate heat,” he said. “They sell quick. They’re selling quick right now.”

Finding firewood or wood pellets could also be a challenge this year, as demand continues to rise.

Sarah Smith, forest industry specialist at the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension forestry wildlife program, said people are panicking over the high cost of home heating oil.  As a result, they’re buying stoves, often with little, if any, knowledge about how to use them.

She recommended that first-time users of wood or pellet stoves educate themselves, learning what comprises a legal cord and how to maintain a stove to minimize the risk of fires.

Technorati Tags: buying a wood stove, pellet stove, wood stove