Friday, June 22, 2012

Building a Home - Add Comfort With the Proper Heat Source




Your choice of heat source for your new home will affect both your bank account and your comfort.





My story is a good reason for planning ahead and considering all the angles.





When we built our home in 1998 we installed a propane furnace and a propane fireplace. Propane was affordable at 92 cents per gallon.





But by late summer 2008 it was $2.30 per gallon, and a friend said he paid $2.49. I was not happy about the idea of sending $400+ every month to the propane company.





The second problem with our propane heat was that my work space in the basement was always cold. I sat here all winter with an electric space heater aimed at my feet, even though the furnace was running. Yes, the heat was piped down here, but it came from overhead, so my feet and legs never got warm.





When we built this house, I didn't know that in a few years I'd quit selling real estate and work full-time from an office in my basement. It was plenty warm for sleeping, doing laundry, or playing pool - just not warm enough for sitting still for hours every day.





So, we decided to install a wood stove. But since we didn't plan ahead for that possibility, figuring out where to put it was not easy. We had to choose a place in the basement, since a stove upstairs would do nothing to warm my basement office.





That meant choosing a spot where the chimney wouldn't pass any of the upstairs windows. All things considered, we didn't have many choices.





Next, it entailed using a jack-hammer to pound out a hole in the cement wall of the basement. You haven't seen dust in your home until you try that one!





We also didn't have a suitable place to store the winter's wood - so my downstairs patio became a wood shed. We used sheets of plywood to protect a downstairs bedroom window from breakage. Not very pretty, but I did stay warm this winter, and did shock the propane man when he arrived time after time only to find we didn't need a fill-up. (It was OK, his trip wasn't wasted because our neighbors heat with propane.)





I'm glad we have the furnace - if we want to go away for a day or two in winter, it will keep the house from freezing. And if for some reason I don't want to build a fire, I have the choice of using the furnace.





Right now, in planning a new home, it would be wise to give yourself choices and build them in to your home. For instance, in addition to an oil or propane or natural gas furnace, you could install electric wall heaters in key rooms, or choose a fireplace (with an insert for efficiency) that burns wood. You could also install a free standing wood stove, as we did after the fact.





If you decide to install wood heat, have your contractor build a good sized wood shed with easy access to the door nearest your wood burning stove or fireplace. If you live in snow country, get a covered walkway so you don't have to shovel before you bring the wood inside.





One gentleman I know uses a wood furnace located outside of his home that sends hot water through pipes in his floor. Many favor this plan because it keeps the heat source - and possible fire hazard - away from the house itself.





Others use a heat pump.





If you choose all electric heat, or even a furnace or heat pump that depends upon electricity to run the ignition system and fans, consider installing a high-quality generator to keep warm during power outages.





If you have the generator installed during the construction phase, your electrician will set it up for a quick change-over from your panel box any time the power goes out.





As you plan your new home, you have the ability to plan comfort and convenience as well as good looks. While you're planning, think ahead to how you might use your home in the future.





I don't know about you, but staying warm is at the top of my list of necessary conveniences!


Keep Things Toasty and Cheap With a Wood Pellet Furnace




You read the headlines. "Home Heating Oil Hits Record Highs!" You see the TV reports featuring interviews with struggling families who are afraid of another cold spell because they can't pay their gas or electric bills. You don't really need those media reports to understand the situation, though. You've seen the evidence in black and white every month when you open your bills. It is getting expensive to heat your home. That's why you're going to install a wood pellet furnace.





A wood pellet furnace is more than a glorified fireplace. It is a top-notch way to keep your home toasty and comfortable without spending a small fortune on fuel. These marvels of engineering can transform simple, cheap little pellets of wood into enough heat to make even the most severe winter bearable.





If you don't already have a wood pellet furnace, you should be looking for the right one to meet your needs. If you don't have one and you're not shopping for the best option, you need to hop on the bandwagon. The price of petroleum products isn't going to suddenly bottom out overnight. Electricity isn't getting cheaper. Natural gas may be plentiful and readily available, but the gas companies want to keep posting their record profits. If you don't switch to a wood pellet furnace or some other alternative heating option, you can be certain that you'll spend more money than ever before in an effort to maintain cold weather comfort.





A wood pellet furnace has a number of advantages over other options. The first, as noted, is cost. The price of those little wood pellets isn't going up, either. In fact, the increasing popularity of these heaters is bringing more people into the pellet business, which is boosting supply and decreasing prices!





These pellet-burners are efficient, too. The old-fashioned fireplace leaks like a heat sieve. Your comfort and your money drifts right out the chimney or lingers just feet from the fireplace, failing to circulate. A good wood pellet furnace will create sufficient heat to keep things cozy from the basement to the second floor. They extract so much out of those pellets that it's almost unbelievable.





They're a flexible option, too. Some people do away with all other forms of heating, relying exclusively on a whole house furnace. Others invest in a smaller unit to supplement heat or in a fireplace insert. You aren't stuck with one option when you've added a pellet stove to your home.





These stoves--which have really only been readily available for the last few decades--are becoming popular, well-recognized options. That isn't an accident. Pellet stoves supply outstanding warmth with great efficiency while sporting a price tag that puts other options to shame.


Outdoor Wood Boilers and Furnaces - Why Do They Smoke So Much




With energy prices continuing to reach an all time high, more and more people are turning to alternate fuel sources. One of those fuels is wood.





Although people have burned wood for years, why is there so much buzz about outdoor wood burning boilers (or furnaces as they are most commonly referred to).





Well, first off, lets talk about what these are. If you live in a neighborhood where one has been installed, then I am sure you know what they are! In general they are a self-contained building that looks something like a shed. They consist of a firebox and an area that contains water.





Wood is added to the firebox and the heat that the wood produces is then passed to the water, which in turn enters the house or building and is used for heating and domestic hot water.





Sounds like a great thing right? It is. Or is it? The biggest problem that most people have with outdoor wood furnaces is most produce a ton of smoke at start up. This smoke can also last for a long time during operation (heat cycle) due to the large wood load stored in the firebox.





So why do they smoke so much? There are several reasons. The first reason is most manufacturers do not build these to be very efficient. As the fire burns, the firebox rarely gets hot enough to "gasify" the wood gases driven out of the burning wood. These gases consist of many compounds. The most common compounds are hydrogen gas, carbon monoxide and methane gas. Because these compounds don't get hot enough to ignite and combust, they escape up the chimney in the form of dense smoke.





Another leading cause of dense smoke comes from burning "green wood". Green wood is wet wood. In other words it has not been "seasoned" or left out to dry for a year or two.





As the green wood burns it gives off water vapor or steam from the water trapped inside the wood. This leads to heavy smoking. This problem is a very simple one to fix. Don't burn green wood! In fact, even know some makers of outdoor furnaces and wood stoves say that you can burn green wood, you shouldn't. You will consume more wood if you burn green wood, and thus loose even more efficiency. Some of the heat energy from the existing fire needs to be used to drive the moisture out of the wood instead of being used to heat the water.





A responsible owner of one of these devices, such as myself, can vary the way you "fire the furnace". Instead of filling the firebox to capacity every time, just add less wood as well as the time of day. I fire my stove at night so the smoke doesn't bother my neighbors during the day. And by adding less wood at each loading, it cuts down on the amount of smoke output.





For the most part, most outdoor wood furnaces are not regulated by the EPA. However, that is changing. Due to the overwhelming popularity of these things, the EPA is now starting to address this problem. Most manufactures of outdoor furnaces are now building models that conform to smoke emission criteria. This is nothing more than a normal path of evolution for these manufactures if they want to continue to sell their products into the future.





The bulk of manufactures are achieving this cleaner burning stove through the use of more modern technology. Although there are many different ways of doing this, the basic principle is the same. That is you need to increase the "combustion temperature" inside the firebox.





In most cases this is achieved by adding a secondary combustion chamber. And in some cases introduces "secondary air". Regardless of the method used, the goal is to get the exhaust gases / gases of combustion, hot enough to gasify, or ignite.





By getting the gases to ignite in the secondary combustion chamber several things are achieved. First, the gases are being burned at a very high temperature and therefore are achieving "complete combustion" (as much as possible in this type of situation) which in turn produces more heat.





The more heat that is produced, the more heat is transferred to the water, thus making the stove more efficient. Because we are able to gasify and burn the gases trapped in the smoke, the overall smoke output is greatly reduced.





The idea of gasification is not new. In fact, the extraction of hydrogen gases from wood was used during World War Two by the military to run jeeps and alike.





One of the attractions towards burning wood is that it is a renewable source of energy.





And, of course reduces our need for oil from others countries.





Despite what some well-intentioned folks may tell you, burning wood is no more harmful then some fossil fuels from a carbon dioxide standpoint. In short, here's why.





Wood contains carbon dioxide as part of the natural growing process. It's part of nature.





Of course all fossil fuels contain this gas as well. This is one of the big problems with burning fossil fuels.





So, why is burning wood different? Because trees contain carbon dioxide that will naturally escape from the wood in time anyway. That is to say, as a tree dies and decays it will emit carbon dioxide.





Fossil fuels on the other hand, only emit carbon dioxide when burned. So the thought here by most, is if the fossil fuels were never burned and left underground there would be no carbon dioxide emission.





Remember, this is not to say that burning wood is any cleaner, it's just that burning wood adds less NET carbon dioxide to the environment. (So long as we continue to burn fossil fuels)





So with the help of the EPA and stove manufactures, we will soon have a wood burning outdoor furnace that will smoke less. Hopefully this will reach some middle ground between those who are upset over smoke and those who STILL have a right to burn wood.


When Selecting a Wood Burning Furnace For Your Home, There Are Certain Steps You Can Take




If you want to heat your home very efficiently and at the same time help with the environment, then you should definitely think about heating with a Wood Burning Furnace. This type of furnace is not necessarily the traditional way of heating, but it is much more efficient than heating with oil or gas. This type of furnace allows the home owner to heat with a renewable resource that also helps to keep the environment clean. There is a little more work to these types of furnaces, but the savings are well worth the energy that you put into them.





When researching the different types of a Wood Burning Furnace that you can use, you will find that there are three basic kinds. These include the indoor stand alone furnace, the add-on furnace, and the outdoor burning furnace. You will also find that there are many manufacturers of these types of heating units such as TimberRidge, Biasi, Charmaster, Sure-flame, as well as many others. Charmaster has made their name a very popular and trusted brand to choose. Most of these manufacturers have their own websites where you can get much more information about their furnaces.





Charmaster has been in business since 1972 and make available several different models for the consumer to choose from. One of their models includes the Chalet Wood Burning Furnace. This furnace has a 24" long firebox which makes it capable of heating an area of up to 2000 square feet. You can use the Internet in order to browse through different dealers of this furnace but the cost of it will be around $4000.00. Other models such as the Englander can cost you around $1649.00 with the model number #28-3500. This model can heat an area up to 3000 square feet. It has been tagged the nickname "work horse". This furnace is cheaper because it is an add-on to your existing furnace.





The add-on type of Wood Burning Furnace is very popular in most homes due to the fact that it is large enough to add large pieces of wood, which helps to lessen the trips made outside and then to the furnace. The cost of these furnaces will be made-up by the energy that is saved by using them. They are easy to install as well as giving your home or business the warmth of heat needed through the cold months in order to keep your family comfortable.


Space Heating - A Comfortable Way to Stay Warm While Lowering Monthly Heating Bills




Several kinds of space heaters offer convenient ways to stay warm while lowering the monthly home-or-apartment monthly heating bills. However, one or two people might find it much easier to space heat their surroundings than what a larger group will find.





Space heaters available.





Because of the rising costs of heating fuel and energy, space heating has increased over the years. For example, the wood-burning fireplaces already existing in homes are being adapted to enclosed wood-or-gas-burning fireplace inserts or to gas-fired artificial logs. Homes not having fireplaces are adding free-standing wood-burning or other energy-supplied room heaters. Some of the space heaters available to the consumer are listed below.





1. Wood-burning stoves or fireplace inserts



2. Electric or gas fired artificial log stoves or inserts, often with added artificial ceramic coals



3. Infrared electric models of all kinds and sizes (e.g., circulating, quartz, reflective, floor model, tower, ceiling or wall mounted with digital remote)



4. Infrared electric models with the element-enhanced ceramic heat-transfer technology



5. Electric models utilizing infrared bulbs with metal heat-transfer technology



6. Infrared bulbs alone (like, in bathrooms)



7. Electric or warm-water-circulated baseboard types



8. Wall or floor inserted room furnaces; natural or propane gas



9. Older-style non-vented gas with fired-clay radiant heaters (These older non-vented models models might be illegal in certain regions.)



10. Free-standing kerosine or kerosine-with-wick models



11. Vented or non-vented natural or propane gas types with catalytic-burning technology



12. Portable fresh-air vented or non-vented propane-gas-tank models



13. Active or passive solar heaters directed to the desired rooms or locations



14. Heat pumps that can both heat or cool, like the ones found in many motels





Which one is best?





This answer depends on how much space heating is needed for how many people, and in how many spots. For example, one or two people living alone in a large or small dwelling can easily hole-up in one room having a bed, desk, radio, TV, computer, telephone, microwave, easy chair, and one small space heater during the cold months. Under these conditions, the home-furnace thermostat can be lower to 55-to-60-degrees Fahrenheit, which is fairly liveable for using the bathroom or kitchen for short periods of time. Also, the kitchen is warmed further by the heat from the refrigerator evaporator and cooking stove.





Moreover, if the one-room space heater is electric, it could add $10-30 to the monthly electric bills, depending on the intensity of the winter weather. However, under these same conditions and depending on the size of the house, a home-furnace setting of 72-degrees could easily add $50-150 to the monthly heating bills, even with some of heat registers closed. Thus, under these conditions, the one-room space heating provides a savings near 80%.





This principle can also be applied to the dwellings having more than two people living in them. That is, this larger number of inhabitants might need a larger room or more than one smaller room for everyone. They might also need several portable space heaters. However, the main idea of locating and living in relatively small spaces during the cold weather is the same, that is, by locating and living in spaces that can be efficiently and inexpensively heated.


Thursday, June 21, 2012

Fireplaces Are the Ideal Choice to Keep Your Home Warm This Winter




Fireplaces are essential for homeowners. They keep the home warm even on the coldest days of winter and add a nice touch to the dcor of any room. Watching the flickering flames during the night is a wonderful experience and creates a cozy atmosphere. It can enhance the beauty and elegance of your living area for you and your family to enjoy. Gas fireplaces and other types are becoming more and more popular in homes and an amenity home buyers are looking for when searching for a new residence. With many styles of fireplaces, there are plenty of options to choose from.





Fireplaces have always added a touch of beauty to living rooms and family rooms. Wide varieties of styles have been created over the years. Gas fireplaces in particular offer a greater efficiency. They give this traditional look to the living room setting and are available in variety of style. Today they come in basic masonry and more contemporary styles. They're also available in cherry, oak, pine, white, and a host of other colors with designs and color combinations to fit any home.





A Gas fireplace is regarded as cleaner than wood or some other types. And with newer gas fireplaces and gas stoves, it is possible to adjust the heat and flames. More modern gas fireplaces and stoves come with easy to use controls for lighting the pilot and turning the fireplace on and off, as well as adjusting the amount of heat.





Some prefer traditional wood furnaces to heat their entire homes and these can be effective heating systems. For some, these direct fire heat sources are a more economical way of heating home and preferred. These work very well to provide relief from cold and windy winter throughout an entire home when the proper units are installed right. Many people from various countries that experience extreme cold weather or climate use this kind of heating unit. Since wood is a renewable resource it is even a better option for the environment. Many users of whole home wood furnaces have them installed right in the basement. The heating system uses a type of forced air to then provide heat throughout the entire house.





Wood stoves are also very efficient, environmentally-friendly and come in various colors and styles. Most modern wooden stoves have an inlet for combustion and an outlet for combustion of smoke. These wood stoves are clean and can fit in any style of home. It can convert up to 75 percent of fuel into heat.


A Wood Burning Furnace is a Viable Heating Alternative




Have you considered heating your home or cottage with a wood burning furnace? It is not a traditional method of heating a home but it can reduce your energy costs as opposed to heating with oil or gas. It is certainly a viable alternative in this day and age of high energy costs.





Using a wood burning furnace to heat your home allows you to use a renewable resource. It is also environmentally friendly to use these devices for heating.





When choosing a particular type of wood burning furnace, you have three different types from which to choose. You can find a stand-alone style along with a combination wood and electric furnace. Another style is the add-on type.





Another option for heating your home is the outdoor wood burning furnace. Most of the models available will heat an entire house along with heating the water as well. Not all the models are capable of doing this however. Determine what your needs are before making your purchase.





Once you have a wood burning furnace installed, you need to have a full winter's supply of firewood on hand. This can be costly if you plan to buy the wood. Other options include gathering your own wood. If you have a wood lot on your property, you can cut down any dead trees. If there was a storm during the summer that knocked down a tree, cut the wood up for your own use.





Scrap wood from lumberyards is also a good place to look for free wood. As you can see, you do not need to spend any money on wood if you are resourceful. Do not cut down any live trees, as this is not an environmentally friendly choice to make.





Any outlet that sells wood burning furnaces should be able to match you up with a unit that meets your needs. The unit you choose can add value to your home, so choose wisely.





Many heating and cooling supply stores will carry different models of the wood burning furnace. The big box do it yourself stores may also carry a supply. In addition, you can find many online stores that carry a large supply of these units.





Compare the prices of the units and compare the cost of installation before making your purchase. As you can see, there are a number of factors involved when it comes to finding the right wood burning furnace for your home or cottage.


Prevent The Smoky Smell Of A Fireplace




The winter has been a long and cold one. So naturally, you have been frequently using your wood fireplace to keep your den and living area warm. But now after a couple months, you have a smoky smell drifting through your home when there is no fire or wood in your fireplace, although you have never noticed any sign of smoke coming into your living area while a fire is lit.





This is a problem that is experienced by many after a long winter. The fires will slow down, but there is still the unwanted smell of wood and smoke in your home.





First, you should make sure your fireplace is clean. From the bottom where you burn your wood through the top of the chimney, a dirty fireplace can hold the smell of smoke and wood. If necessary, a chimney sweep should be hired to ensure that the inside of your fireplace is clean. If the smell continues, there could be other causes.





A fireplace is a major point of airflow in your home. While you burn your fire, an updraft is created that pushes the smoke and fire through the chimney. However, when there is no fire and, therefore, less updraft the airflow is not pushed up and can actually reverse from other forces in your home, bringing the smell into your living spaces. This often results in something called the "stack effect."





In taller, leakier homes or those with chimneys on outside walls exposed to outdoor temperatures, thermal influences bring a smoky smell into your home. As warm, lighter air rises in your home, it may be replaced by the cold, heavy air that is looking to escape from your unused fireplace, allowing the smoky smell of wood creosote from your fireplace to infiltrate your living areas. Rainy weather can also accelerate the stack effect.





To prevent the stack effect and the accompanying smell, you need to create resistance to the flow of air from your chimney.





- Close the fireplace damper when you are not using it, and check to be sure that your damper is not leaky.





- Add a tight-fitting glass fire screen. This will keep air from flowing in from your chimney.





- Mount a top-sealing damper at the top of your chimney. These are opened and closed by a cable through the inside of the flue.





- Provide a source of outside combustion air to your other combustion appliances, like your furnace, wood stove or water heater, to reduce the demand for replacement air.





You can buy a deodorizer to temporarily rid your room of the smell of smoke and wood. However, making a few small changes will greatly reduce the chance of the smell returning to the inside of your home, regardless of how often you use your fireplace next winter.


Installing a Flexible Stainless Steel Chimney Liner




Why should you even bother to install a liner? They aren't cheap, but their benefits definitely outweigh their cost. The liner will protect your flue system, damaged or not, from the transfer of heat in your system to nearby combustibles.





Liners also keep your masonry safe from byproducts of combustion that can be extremely corrosive and damaging to your flue system. The gases produced by combustion will actually eat away at or deteriorate the mortar located in between the flue tiles in your chimney.





Flexible Stainless Steel Chimney Liners





If your existing flue system has been deemed unsafe to burn due to cracked flue tiles, missing mortar joints, etc., then looking into a flexible stainless steel chimney liner may be beneficial. Although rigid stainless steel liners exist, chances are that you may not be able to use this type of liner for your chimney. If your chimney has even the slightest bend to it, then a rigid liner just will not go down into the chimney. Also, you must be sure to use a flexible liner if you are installing for a new woodstove insert because more often than not you are required to bend the liner a little bit to fit it to the stove correctly. Consult a professional when deciding what type of liner will work best for you.





After you purchase your liner in the correct size and material for your particular flue system, carefully remove the liner and lay it out flat on a flat surface. Be cautious, the edges of the liner can be very sharp and potentially cut you. Start by attaching the bottom termination connector. Then tighten the hose clamp, being very careful not to over-tighten it on the liner. After measuring the exact length of the chimney (from the bottom to the very top of the crown,) add twelve to eighteen inches and cut the liner using tin snips. You need to properly install the bottom termination connector.





Chimney liner insulation is necessary along the entire length of the liner. To determine the correct width of the insulation, its time for a little grade school geometry: multiply the diameter of the liner by 3.14 (pi) to get the circumference of the circle, and then add one inch to this number because a one inch overlap is necessary to properly insulate the liner. So long as the insulation will fit in the chimney it is not necessary to have this exact number, it just cannot be any less.





Lay the insulation on the ground with the foil side facing the ground and place the stainless steel liner in the middle. After the liner is wrapped, use foil tape over the seam to keep it snug. After it is secured use one long piece of tape the length of the liner as a whole to cover the seam. This continuous piece of tape will secure the insulation the best.





Wire mesh is also necessary when it comes to insulating the liner. If this was not in place then the insulation itself can be damaged when being lowered into the chimney. Make sure your mesh covers the entire length of the liner. Do not forget to encapsulate the bottom connector piece as well. Hose clamps are the best for attaching the mesh, and they are usually included in the liner kit. Use the clamps to attach the mesh to one end of the liner. Pull the mesh on the other end of the liner until it fits tightly and use the hose clamp to secure it. For safety reasons, use the same tin snips as before to cut away any extra.





Working on a roof, no matter what you are doing, takes many safety precautions. Be sure that you take all of these precautions and you have enough people to safely install the liner. You will be basically dropping the liner down through the top of the chimney and feeding it the whole way through to the bottom. It may become necessary for a rope to be tied to the bottom of the liner and someone standing inside the home pulling from the bottom. Be sure to keep the liner as centered as possible while dropping it down into the flue system. This will prevent any damage to the insulation or the liner itself.





After your liner is in the correct position, it is time to cut the top of the liner to fit correctly. Be sure to leave four extra inches showing on the outside of the flue system so that the liner is equal to the height of the crown. Hold the bottom connector in place firmly and apply silicone caulk to the top of the first terracotta flue tile or the chimney crown itself. Then, place the top plate over the liner and press it into the caulking. Tighten the connecting clamp or band around the liner to secure the liner to the top plate. Then, install your stainless steel cap by placing it over the collar of the top plate.





If you are connecting your liner to the appliance vertically, simply connect the appliance connector to the liner and bottom termination point. If you are using a vertical connection then you are finished! If you are connecting horizontally, decide upon the point where the pipe will come through the wall to connect to the tee body. Cut a hole through the insulation and mesh to indicate where the tee snout and tee will connect. Secure the snout and body of the tee using a metal band that should be attached and wraps around the tee body's backside. Insulate the snout of the tee and fill the hole around the snout with brick and mortar.





Be careful to follow any given directions for your particular flue liner, keep the edges of the stainless steel smooth and be cautious while working on the rooftop of any structure.





Copyright (c) 2009 Clay Lamb


Keeping A Finished Basement Warm Year Round




Finishing your basement is a wonderful way to add more usable space to your home without extending its footprint. Unfortunately, ambient conditions tend to make even finished basements chilly and damp. The right heating and humidity control systems can do a lot to cut down on these problems, keeping your finished basement warm and comfortable all year.





Finishing the Floor



The first step in making sure that your basement feels inviting is to provide a finished, comfortable floor. Carpet is a common choice, but it's important to make sure that the floor under the carpet doesn't have moisture problems. In many basements, mold and mildew take hold underneath the carpet, producing an unpleasant odor and an increase in allergens that can affect your respiratory health.





Make sure that your basement slab has been sealed or that you use an underlayment that will keep the carpet away from any moisture that rises up from the concrete. Take care to use an insulating layer, too; artificial materials like extruded polystyrene are best. This will keep the heat in your basement from seeping out through the ground.





Extend Existing Heating



If your home already has a forced-air heating system, you can extend the existing ductwork into the basement, providing extra heat. Make sure to adjust the registers individually in each room, so that your upstairs rooms don't end up feeling stuffy while your basement stays cold.





If your existing system doesn't have the power to heat your basement fully, think about installing a second furnace or adding other heat sources. It's worth the initial expense to have a finished basement that's truly comfortable. Some options include radiant heat in the walls and ceiling, a wood burning stove, a gas fireplace or just electric baseboard heaters.





Radiant heat is the most comfortable, but also the most expensive and inconvenient. Electric baseboard heaters are cheap and easy to install, but can cost more to operate than some other options. Gas fireplaces are clean-burning and relatively simple to install, while traditional wood burning stoves and fireplaces provide a more attractive ambiance and cheap heat.





Improve Efficiency



No matter how much heat you pump into your basement, the space will feel cold if you don't improve efficiency. Replace old single-pane windows with more efficient double-panes. Add insulation to your walls to keep heat from seeping into the surrounding earth. Check the seals on all basement windows and doors to ensure that your space doesn't suffer from drafts.





Reduce Moisture



One of the big factors that makes a basement feel cold is the higher moisture level. Even in relatively dry basements, the humidity is usually higher than upstairs. This can make a normally pleasant temperature feel clammy and chilly. Consider installing a dehumidifying unit in your ductwork or using a portable dehumidifier to reduce the overall dampness.





If you're considering finishing your basement or have a basement that has already been partially finished, don't forget about comfort. Improving your space's energy efficiency, adding supplemental heat, and adjusting the air conditions can all help you, your family, and your guests enjoy your finished basement space much more effectively. You might be surprised by the results you get with just a few changes.


Wood Furnace - An Efficient and Economical Home Heating System in Three Varieties




In many parts of the world, a wood furnace is the main system used to heat a home. They have many advantages to them and some consider them to be the most efficient of heating devices that you can use. Of course, having access to an adequate wood supply is a must with this type of heating system.





One of the main reasons for their popularity is that their source of fuel is wood, a natural and renewable product. Burning wood does not release toxic fumes into the air. It is, for all practical purposes, a green renewable resource being used in a green product.





When you start shopping for one of these units you will notice that they are broken down into three categories: the central system, multi-fuel and outdoor. Each have their own specific characteristics so you will need to decide which setup you want in order to choose the system.





A central wood furnace system is flexible in that it can be located in virtually any part of the home where you can access the duct and plenum system. This wood furnace doesn't require a large fire so it is not only economical but very efficient. It burns very hot and leaves little in the way of residue but ash.





When the fire burns, it releases heat from all sides which rises. Due to the design and shape of the furnace every wall radiates heat to magnify its intensity. This makes it a neat way to heat a basement which is where many people place their central wood-fired furnace.





Cold air from the room is pulled in and then heated air is sent out into the rest of the house by a fan(s) through the ducts. Depending upon which central wood burner you buy, you can heat several floors of a house.





And just to add to the ambience of your home, you do not necessarily need to place your central wood furnace in the basement. There are even designs that look like a fireplace with a large glass covering that allows you to see the fire as it burns. What a great touch.





A multi-fuel heating system can go either inside or outside. It is a dual system in that it uses wood and another source, such as gas or coal at the same time. For example, wood is burned as the primary source. When the wood supply runs out the thermostat monitors the temperature until it gets down to the pre-set amount. At that point, the furnace switches over to the alternate source, like gas, and begins running again. This continues until you add more wood and it switches back over. This is great in a home where the homeowners may be away for extended periods of time in the winter.





An outdoor wood burning furnace, more properly called an outdoor wood-fired boiler, heats water and sends this hot water into the home where some type of heat exchange is done either via water-to-water or water-to-air. The heat is then sent into the home via in floor radiant heating, radiant baseboards or forced air vents.





An outdoor wood furnace can also be used to furnish water for the home's hot water heater, or even a pool. And better yet, all the mess is outside. However it will require some trenching done to allow the insulated pipes carrying the hot water to the house to be laid


Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Wood Stove Efficiency - The Secret To Low Cost Heating




Wood stove efficiency varies wildly from stove to stove and yet is poorly understood in terms of what it means for heating your home with wood. Open fireplaces typically operate at about 10% efficiency, basic wood stoves between around 30% and 50% efficiency and modern high performance stoves can reach as high as 90% efficiency.





If you are heating with wood the difference between using a 30% efficient and an 90% efficient stove can mean you burn 3 times as much wood over the course of a year. Not only is this wasteful it is loads of unnecessary extra work; cutting, splitting, stacking, seasoning and then moving your firewood before burning it. Life is simply too short!





What Is Stove Efficiency?



Simply, wood stove efficiency is a measure of how much of the chemical energy in your firewood ends up in your living room, compared to going up the chimney. To measure it you need to very carefully control the conditions and in practice this is done in environmental testing laboratories.





The chemical energy stored in wood is actually quite easy to find. Most types of wood have rating in BTU's per cord. There is some variation between different tree species but basically each kilo of dry wood contains pretty much the same amount of energy. To find the energy going into the stove you weigh the wood before you burn it.





Calculating the heat transfer into the room is harder - you can get a reasonable figure by measuring the temperature of the air in different places, air speeds due to convection and so forth. there are some relatively complex bits of fluid dynamics involved but it can be done. The stove efficiency is therefore the percentage of energy transferred to the room compared to the total amount of wood burned.





These figures are impossible to calculate meaningfully in the home, which is why it is so important to know the rated efficiency as provided by the manufacturer. Generally older style "airtight stoves" are less efficient and cheap imports tend to be very low efficiency, sometimes as low as 20 or 30%.





What Affects Wood-burning Stove Efficiency?



These factors fall into two main categories.





Those which effect combustion, how well the wood burns



Those which effect how well heat is transferred from the stove to the room it is in





We'll look at both of these separately, and talk about ways that you can improve the efficiency of your existing stove.





Combustion Efficiency



Efficiency of combustion concerns how much of the possible energy in the fuel wood is actually released in the stove. As a general rule hotter fires give more complete combustion and so tend to be more efficient. We can manipulate this thorough wood stove design where we insulate the main stove box to keep as much heat IN the main firebox as possible. This seems counter intuitive when we are trying to get as much of that heat as possible out of the stove!





The hotter the stove is the more the chemical structure of the wood breaks down to smaller and smaller molecules as it burns. The very smallest of these are carbon monoxide and hydrogen. If we have a cooler stove the wood breaks down far less and the larger molecules do not burn properly and pass up the chimney as smoke.





High temperature is only the first step - to make the most of these small, ready to burn, molecules we need to add extra oxygen. The best of the modern stoves add preheated air to a separate part of the firebox where the combustion gases are burned. This is usually referred to as a secondary burn. If we choke off the air these molecules go straight up the chimney without releasing their heat energy in the stove - this is both polluting and wasteful. I've heard it described as "turning down the heating by blowing out the gas but leaving the tap running". The best modern stoves have this secondary air carefully regulated, sometimes beyond the control of the stove operator. This is to help the stove meet air quality regulations but the added benefit is the boost in efficiency!





Turbulence within the stove helps mix the gases so that all parts of the flame have sufficient air to burn. Open wood fires tend to have "lazy" flames and the same can be seen in some wood stoves if you turn the air supply down. Designing the air inlets so that they create turbulent high velocity jets of air yields a nice clean burn.





Heat Transfer



Given that we need the firebox as hot as possible the question remains how to get as much heat as possible from the stove before the hot gases go up the chimney. In an existing stove there is nothing we can usually do about the stove internal features - we might be able to direct the flue pipes around the indoor spaces a little and gain more heat that way. Sometimes we can install a heat exchanger in the chimney pipe, above the stove itself.





The best modern stoves have this heat exchange component built in to the design, so that they extract as much heat as possible from the gases before they reach the chimney.





External to the stove we sometimes improve efficiency marginally by installing a wood stove fan. These increase the flow of air over the surface of the stove, increasing heat transfer to the room. The improvement is small and given the price tag you may find a new stove a better investment!





Are High Efficiency Stoves A Good Investment?



Stoves with efficiencies approaching 90% cost considerably more to purchase because the interior design tends to be a lot more complex and the quality of workmanship tends be be higher. You may consider this a good investment if you do a lot, or all, of you heating with firewood. Firewood costs around $200 per cord (varies considerably with location and type of wood) and upgrading from 30% efficiency to 90% may save you many cords worth of wood over a heating season.





If you are buying a stove for using a few evenings per year then a cheaper stove is probably adequate.


How to Buy Wood Burning Stoves




Nothing beats the crackling sound of a wood burning stove on a cold winter evening. Well that's not true, the heat from your wood burning stove is awesome as well. When it comes time to purchase a wood burning stove you should consider these facts:





How much of my home do I want to heat



BTU's and exactly what they mean



Efficiency rating and why is this important



Emission ratings



Tax Rebate on Select Stoves





A lot of people who have never used a wood burning stove don't realize it will not heat the entire home useless you have a very simply house plan. In fact our first home did not heat well at all in our bedrooms because the flow of air in the home went from our living room to the kitchen and out the garage door. Never did the heat flow down the halls into our bedrooms.





With that said, heat pumps heat the entire home and wood burning stoves will heat certain areas of the home. Yes, the heat will trickle to other areas but the temperature difference can be 10 degrees.





BTU's are short for british thermal units and that translates into the higher the BTU's the more heat it will produce and the more square footage it will heat. BTU's in the 40,000 range will heat around 1200 sq ft. and units in the 80,000 range can heat areas in the range of 2100 sq. ft. Pick the wood stove that can safely heat the area you want heated.





Efficiency rating is based on the stoves ability to take the fuel you add and turn it into usable heat. Wood stoves range from 70% to 80+. Moral of this story: the higher the efficiency rating the less wood you will burn.





Emissions rating is based on how many grams of particulate enter the atmosphere per hour. Production of wood stoves in the 70's ranged in the 70-80 grams per hour. Today's wood stoves are as low as 2.4 gm/ per hour. Big difference!





Tax Credits: this year 2009 and next year you can get up to $1500 tax credit on your income tax if you purchase select wood burning stoves. Each manufacturer is prominently displaying the wood stoves that meet the tax credit. Bottom line you can get 30% back on your income tax and the most is $1500.





During your research make sure that the prices you find are for complete stoves. Some places do not include the price of railing, doors and other basic things to make your wood stove work.





One accessory you shouldn't leave the store without is a fan. This fan will move the heat that builds up on the top of the stove into other rooms. This is one incredible source of moving heat into rooms that normally get the direct heat from your wood stove.





If you are planning on installing the wood stove on your own, make sure and pick up the local regulations in your area. Learn what type of stove pipe they require, placement of wood stove away from walls, etc. You'll be pleasantly surprised how close you can place your wood stove to current walls in your home.


Essential Wood Burning Stove Accessories




You have made the decision to go with a wood stove this winter. Now its time to find some accessories that will make using your wood stove easier and more fun. There are a myriad of accessory choices, but here are a few of the most essential ones.





Log Carriers and Baskets





If you are using a traditional wood log burning stove, you will need a method for retrieving and storing those logs from the woodpile to the inside of your home. A log basket or carrier is a handy tool that makes it much easier to transport a number of logs at one time. They come in various sizes, shapes and materials. Our favorite is the wicker basket style that transports and stores at the same time. It is particularly stylish if your home or cottage is decorated in a country style. For a more sturdy and modern look, there are metal carriers that will do the job. Always consider your home decor when shopping for a log basket/carrier.





Stove Gloves





Fitting logs inside your wood burning stoves can be tricky. Purchasing a good set of stove gloves is essential to ensure that your hands are arms are kept safe from the fire and heat. Although you can use any types of gloves for this purpose, ones that are specifically made for the job are recommended. Good stove gloves are extra long to cover and protect the arms. Because they are specially treated with material that withstands high temperatures, they are much safer than a typical glove used during winter months.





Blowers and Heat Reclaimers





Efficiency is the name of the game for wood burning stoves. Blowers (fans) and heat reclaimers are accessories that will help make your wood stove as efficient as possible. Keep in mind that any hot air that is not circulated into a room is lost to the outside. An efficient blower will help circulate the heat throughout a room or house.





Heat reclaimers are designed to capture heat that would normally go straight up the chimney and circulate that air back into the room. A highly efficient wood burning stove will have both a blower and heat reclaimer working properly.





Thermometer





A thermometer will not only help you monitor the efficiency of your wood stove, but it will also alert you to any issues involved with overheating. The thermometer attaches either to the stovepipe or directly onto the stovetop.





Kettles and Steamers





You will want to get the most out of your woodburning stove, so having a few cooking accessories on hand is fun and functional at the same time. Wood stove kettles can be used for making old fashioned popcorn. Fill a kettle with water to help humidify a room. You can even add a touch of potpourri to the water to give the room a special scent too.





Kettles come in a wide variety of styles, but porcelain covered ones may be the best choice since they resist rust. If you use your stove for cooking often, consider purchasing a trivet. Wood stove trivets will help protect the top of your stove from rust spots that could result from the use of a kettle or steamer. They are made of cast iron and are very durable.





Wood stoves can be a smart decision from both an aesthetic and economical viewpoint. Wood stove accessories will help your stove be more efficient, fun and safe - all at the same time.


Things to Cconsider for Surviving a Disaster




Safety





I believe our bug out bus named "The ARK " is the best insurance available, for you and your family, against natural disasters, economic and governmental collapse, loss of home, or a medical pandemic.





It gives you the ability to flee to safety from harm's way. It could be used for a 72 hr. escape or could even become a permanent year round home, even being able to ride out the hardest winters.





Like the saying "If ye are prepared ye shall not fear". The greatest peace of all comes from being prepared.





The best money was spent on the best design, for the safest bus ever made, for our greatest resource, our children. Have you ever seen an R.V. in an accident? It looks like a pile of wood and insulation sitting on the side of the road.





Have you ever seen a school bus in an accident; it looks like, well, a school bus.





There is no comparison between the two. Having the ability to support you and your loved ones at all times is important. It is also prudent in today's uncertain times the best place to place your money is in the ability to always be able to provide shelter and food for your loved ones, thus the need for... the bug out bus.





#2 Shelter





This brings us to the topic of shelter during a bug out event. No one knows what time of year a disaster will happen, nor do they know how long it will last. It seems reasonable that you should be prepared for anything, whether it is a warm summer day or a below zero night in the dead of winter. Which proves to be a challenge for the best bug out shelters let alone a bug out vehicle, to add to this challenge is the ability to be able to stay out indefinitely. This may all sound over whelming, but we have found our bus meets this challenge. With its cast iron wood stove and its soon to be solar and wind power, its large battery bank and its large multi-fuel supply, it is capable of providing you shelter in any climate. With it being just less than 40 feet long it has ample room for you and your family and all of your supplies.





#3 Mobility.





Another problem with bugging out is having your supplies with you when you need them. With the bus parked next to your house it will always be ready to go and you are able to keep a close eye on it. Unlike your house far away in the woods, where it is vulnerable to theft and vandalism. Since it is a super R.V., you take it with you when you travel. So if disaster strikes while you're at Disneyland with your wife and kids, you're ready to go.Your stuff is not buried in some hill a thousand miles away. Being able to adapt and overcome is priceless in an emergency situation. Not being bound to one location or limiting yourself to one chance of survival, truly gives you freedom and independence. Being able to move to a safe location, dependent upon the situation, instead of a permanent guess is key. We all know there is strength in numbers and you cannot be a one man army (unless you are John Rambo). Being mobile allows you to travel in groups of people of one heart and one mind, while being able to be flexible in your destinations with each other. If one area becomes hostile you could go to another, or even move with the seasons, or move to advance your positions of offense or defense against your enemy. You could take your bus to go and rescue grandma while on your way. With a 1400 mile range between fill ups you could cover a lot of ground without stopping. It's really hard to do all those things with a bunker buried in a hill some place you figured would be safe only to find out it wasn't.





#4 Multipurpose





My family spent 5 months on the road living in "The Ark" it traveled 22,000 miles up and down the east coast then out to the west coast while on a U.S. history tour for my home schooled children. Now that was a field trip! The bus was very comfortable and very capable. We averaged 12miles per gallon. That's as good as our suburban! If your wife or significant other is not into prepping, build her an awesome "R.V.", like I did. Then take her and the kids and go travel and camp, spend time with each other, without fear, knowing you're prepared for just about anything. Our bus is also a fueling station, with a 50 gallon tank just for chainsaws and motorcycles. Or filling up the Honda Civic. The bus can also be a great place to have the in-laws stay when they come to visit, or you could stay in the bus when they come to visit. It could be your new full time home, being capable of living totally off grid using only the sun, wind, wood and veggie oil to power, drive and heat the bus. Wait, all those things are free! The point is you can enjoy your bus now. If you have to move to a new location, say for work, you can take all your preps with you. You don't have to leave them behind buried in the dirt. Some of you may be saying that bus is too big it cannot maneuver well enough to travel down the mountain road or down the long dirt roads in the desert. That's what they were designed for. (That reminds me of an adventure my wife had in the bus being lost in the backwoods of West Virgina at 4 am, but that's another story). Anyways, anybody that has lived in rural America has seen the routes these buses have made every day come rain or shine. Not everybody cancels school when it snows. As you can see its one heck of a machine.





#5 Comfort





The last thing I want to talk about is comfort. There is nothing more soothing to a person than being warm, comfortable and full of food during a "disaster". When it seems the world is collapsing all around you, your family, your wife and children won't be soaking wet from a leaking and flooded tent, they won't be shivering uncontrollably with the wind howling and the temperature well below zero, making it hard for your furnace in your motor home to keep up or perhaps the propane just ran out, nor will there tummies be growling for some hot and tasty home cooked foods. They also will not be sick because of exhaustion, because of lack of sleep, because of the cold hard ground and wet and dirty sleeping bags, but they will be warm, dry, comfortable and safe, eating a hot cooked meal, enjoying the flicker of the flames coming from the wood stove and their own soft dry and comfortable beds. These things will become priceless to you, if and when your world collapses. Having your bug out bus will prove to be one of the wisest decisions you have ever made. Remember, food, warmth, comfort, and mobility will soothe the troubled soul like nothing else will, except, of course, your spirituality, but even then you will be cold wet and hungry. Be prepared!





For more info and complete list of items in the bus along with pictures and stories go to...


Advantages and Disadvantages of Pellet Stove Heating for Your Home




A pellet stove burns its fuel very efficiently because most pellet stoves have three burn chambers. The first chamber is the main pot in which the pellets burn. The combustion of the pellets produces gasses which are burned in the second chamber when the stove becomes hot enough to ignite those gasses. The third chamber gets hot enough to burn the carbon residue. Each combustion chamber reduces the ash produced and produces more heat.





Most pellet stoves are beautiful in design and look great in your home. The glass front of the stove shows the flame which is so romantic and warm on a cold winter night. These factors add value to your home with the installation of a pellet stove.





Because pellet stoves burn so efficiently, there is very little residue or ash to haul away. The ash falls into a pan or bucket at the bottom of the stove and is easily removed for disposal. The ash is also an excellent fertilizer for all your plants, shrubs and trees.





There are a few disadvantages to a pellet stove, too. The stoves can be expensive. The initial cost of the stove will be at least $1,000 with very fancy or exotic models going into the $5,000 range. Installation requires parts not included with the stove even if you do the installation yourself which is very do-able. Hiring the installation will cost an additional $500 or so depending on the configuration of the chimney and the area in which you live.





Pellet stoves burn pellets which must be purchased, hauled and stacked in an easily accessible area. In moderately cold areas with overnight temperatures in single digits, a larger size pellet stove will burn about one and a half to two forty pound bags of pellets a day. At a cost of $5.25 per 40 lb bag, that's about $315 a month for the cold months in fuel costs over and above the cost of the stove.





Another disadvantage is that a pellet stove will not be integrated into your heating system unless you are installing during new construction. Even then, many house plans leave alternative heat sources outside the home's heat distribution system. What that means to you is that the pellet stove will probably not heat your entire home even if the stove is installed in a central area in your house.





These advantages and disadvantages are important points when considering the purchase of a pellet stove. The return on your investment may not occur for several years and you may not get an efficient use of all the heat the pellet stove can produce. The stove will look beautiful in your home and feels great on a cold winter night.


Kozi Pellet Stoves Will Give You the Comfort of Heat That You Want




If you are wanting a fireplace that will not only give the comfort of heat that you want and need but also be efficient enough so that you can afford to use it, then a pellet stove is what you are looking for. The Kozi Pellet Stoves are stoves that use these manufactured pellets to fuel their fire of warmth. This is a type of stove that will put different forms of wood that would otherwise be thrown away and wasted, to good use. The pellets that are created from these wood leftovers will burn very efficiently and burn fewer emissions than other types of stoves that are on the market.





The Kozi Pellet Stoves that you will find are environmentally friendly as well as efficient. One of these manufacturers models is the Kozi Model 100. This pellet stove has an air ignition system along with a air wash saver screen. These stoves are very popular due to the fact that they are not only very easy to use, but they are also safe to use. The pellets that are put into the hopper of the unit will eventually deplete. These units will automatically turn off the burner when it senses that there are no more pellets being added.





The Model 100 of the Kozi Pellet Stoves also has a safety feature that if there is any kind of malfunction within the unit, it will automatically shut down. This model also comes with a heat exchanger within the blower. This allows the blower to adjust its speed when there is the presence of heat. It has an adjustable fuel feed which will allow the owner to control the amount of fuel that is being burned in order to be even more efficient.





This model of the Kozi Pellet Stoves allows the owner to add pellet fuel at a slow rate of maybe only one pound of pellets so that they will get just the right amount of heat that they need. Nevertheless, if a very cold night comes around, they could add pellets to have 4.5 pounds per hour so that the heat will last all night long. A great benefit about this type of stove is the fact that it can not only be used in a regular home but can also be used in a mobile home as well. Mobile homes have very strict rules about the types of heating units that are installed in them.


Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Wood Stoves Cast Iron Verses Steel




Wood burning stoves the comparison between steel and cast iron. Steel stoves heat up quick and start giving off heat right away. When the fire in the steel stove cools down so does the stove. A cast iron wood stove can take a couple hours to heat up, but when the fire dies down the cast iron will radiate out heat for hours. When comparable sized stoves are heated and operating both generate comparable heat into your home. What we will look at is the time it takes a wood stove to heat up and the time it takes to cool down.





If you plan to purchase a wood stove and burn it 24-7 late fall till early spring either stove will heat the same. Where the heat up and cool down times play into the comparison is the home owner who burns a wood stove just a few times a week and wants to heat up a cold home quickly. Many people have cabins or cottages that the sole source of heat is a wood stove. When entering a cold cabin in the dead of winter you want heat right away verses waiting for it to heat up.





Cast iron stoves have more features like upper air controls that allow you to add more or less air into the catalytic chamber for more combustion. Lower air controls are for the fire box. Most steel stoves only have lower air controls for the fire box.





Most cast iron stoves have ash drawers. The bottom of the fire box is either a cast grate with slots for the ash to fall into the clean-out drawer or some have shaker grates. Shaker grates are controlled from the side of the stove with a special wrench type tool. Steel stoves are lined with firebrick. Most steel stoves do not have ash drawers. Ashes are removed with a shovel. As stated above steel stoves are lined with firebrick this is to help the stove hold heat. Firebrick is easily broken when logs are tossed in and from normal wear of heating and cooling. Firebricks can be replaced.





While steel stoves are welded together, cast iron stoves are held together with furnace cement. Heating the stove under normal circumstances the expanding and contracting will cause the seams to crack. After a few years of burning the cast iron stove should be broke down and all the seams re-cemented.





Both steel and cast iron stoves have gaskets around the door and glass. The rope gaskets should be replaced annually. This is minor maintenance and it keeps the stove airtight.





Cast iron stoves are available in decorator porcelain enamel colors. A word of caution the colors will darken over time after the stove is heated. If the wood stove is overheated the finish can crack. It is similar to crazing that appears on your diner plates and other ceramic pieces. If there is water on the stove clean it ASAP. If the stove is hot do not spill water on it. The enamel finish will stain and the water marks are noticeable.





A wood burning stove is a great source of heat. Wood stoves last for 15 plus years and are inexpensive to operate. Whichever wood stove you choose enjoy it!


Top Rated Wood Burning Stoves Are Suitable For Any Style Home




Top rated wood burning stoves come in a variety of colors and styles. From the very practical to the very elegant, there is a model for everyone. The heat from a wood stove is better than from a traditional in set fireplace, because all sides of the stove are exposed to the air in the room. Their closed style also helps to prevent black stains on the floor from wood popping during a fire.





Some of these stoves burn wood only, but others are designed to use gas, wood pellets, oil or electricity. Some models do not need to be vented, so the installation is much easier and there is no need to cut a hole for the chimney. These models are excellent for use in a smaller room or study. Larger models work well in the great room or family room. Almost any area of the home can be heated with the use of a wood burning stove.





Top rated wood burning stoves are affordable for most home owners. They are far less expensive than installing a traditional inset fireplace with a hearth and chimney. Wood stoves are a great way to heat finished basements, which can be hard to heat through the existing heat system. When you add a significant amount of square footage to your home, especially underground, you often need to upgrade your existing electric or gas heating unit to accommodate the extra space. It is far more economical to install and run a wood stove than to have a new heating system installed.





Top rated wood burning stoves are more economical to operate than electric or gas furnaces. They also provide more visual appeal. They are old fashioned in a way that never will go out of style. While wood stoves are always at home in a country style home, log cabin or traditional style home, new styles are also a beautiful, welcome edition to a modern or contemporary style home.





There is a great selection of wood burning stoves online. It is easy to shop online to browse the large selection of styles and features available on wood stoves. You can also easily compare prices. Most websites will tell you how efficient the wood stove will be. When choosing the style and power of the model, be sure to take into account how large the room is where the wood stove will be installed. It is quite easy to overheat a small room or area with a large, powerful wood stove.


The Basics of a Gas Fireplace




A fireplace using natural gas brings warmth in the home during the winter season. Other benefits of this kind of fireplace are the price, cost efficiency, and environment friendliness, while also adding style and accent to your home. There are many other benefits of natural gas fireplace, including:





Continuous heat: A natural gas fireplace can offer you a constant source of heat unlike log fireplace.





No carrying wood: You don't have to gather wood, and season it, and burn it in your gas fireplace.





No hot embers: You don't have to clean ashes and other wood burning debris after using a natural gas fireplace.





Saves Energy: You can save up to 25% on energy costs in a natural gas fireplace.





Simple and Easy to use: A natural gas fireplace is fast and easy to use because all you have to do is turn it on and off. Unlike wood burning fires, gas fireplaces are easy to extinguish.





Safe to use: Natural gas fireplaces are safe and environmentally friendly, because there is no smoke and dirt or debris. If properly vented, it will not produce any harmful elements in your home.





Stylish: Natural gas fireplaces have different designs, shapes, sizes, and styles that will surely add value and elegance to your home. Design has improved, and more style has been invested as the years have gone by.





Warmer: Some gas fireplaces have a blower that delivers warm air more quickly in your home, not just in its immediate area.





Remote Control: Some companies produce natural gas fireplaces with remote controls, just like with your TV, to make it easier to use.





No restrictions: Some states forbid log firewood due to issues regarding the environment.





Installation: This can be installed much more easily, and is less expensive than log firewood.





No storage: You do not have to keep and store gas, because it can be bought from local gas vendors. This is unlike with log fireplaces, where you have to store wood.





Safe for kids: This is safer for kids and pets, because of the lack of need for fire starting equipment.





No creosote: It does not produce creosote, and thus, no need for chimney cleaning. You will want to have it inspected once or twice a year, though.





The first thing that you need to consider in choosing the area for your fireplace is to know how you want your fireplace to contribute to the overall look of your house. Consider an area, including its parameters and layout, to see if the fireplace will fit properly. There should be enough space for you to move in after you have built your fireplace. Measure the space to get an idea of how big (or small) your fireplace will be. This will also help you decide on what style or design will fit in your chosen location. Provide space also for other furnishings that need to be placed in your living room.





A gas burning fireplace is better if you will be starting from scratch. This prevents you from installing other types of chimneys. If you have wood hearth installed already, you may want to convert it to a gas fireplace. Others may decide on wood fireplaces because of the thrill of cutting and burning wood in the fireplace. Also, it gives them a more traditional look. Fireplaces also come with different accessories that you also need to be placed in your house. Fireplace screens, mantles, and wood racks should have a place in your living room as well. Materials for fireplaces varies between wood, copper, iron, bricks and marble. Choose the one that will complement the other furniture and style in your living room. This will help you fully appreciate the beauty of your fireplace and living room.





Installing a fireplace in your home makes it cozier, warmer, and more intimate. It also increases the value of your house. Fireplaces are a really good accent to your house, beside the fact that they are very important too. Fireplaces are also ideal for bonding time with family and for relaxation. Choosing where to place your fireplace in your home can be one of the most stressful decisions that you may encounter when beautifying your home.


Burning Wood in an Outdoor Wood Furnace - Green Energy Or Grey Smoke




Many individuals question whether burning wood in an outdoor wood furnace is a good green energy solution or contributing to global warming. Well the answer is not that simple .... it depends! As with all things in life the answer can be muddled in the execution. If an outdoor wood furnace is designed and installed intelligently then it is a great, GREEN heating option. If not, then it may get you ejected from the neighbourhood. How does one know?





First maybe lets look at all the reasons why wood itself may be a good fuel source. In my case it is a no brainer. I have a wood business that generates large volumes of waste in the form of very thin and very long strips of wood. Disposal is always an issue. Thus, an outdoor wood furnace looks attractive.





Some have suggested cutting it up and bagging it for campgrounds as a source of fire starter, but the cost of handling is higher than what the campgrounds are interested in paying.





Stacking it in one large pile and having an annual bonfire certainly appeals to the guests and creates a wonderful social environment, but as municipalities tighten up on open burning regulations, for good reason, this option is rarely available... at least not that size. Thus considering outdoor wood burning furnaces as a method of disposal, if for no other reason, is not a bad plan... and if it saves on the heating bill and offsets oil consumption it is even better.





Likewise if you have access to local firewood using that as a fuel source helps to clear the forest of very low grade fibre and make room for better quality trees. In fact using wood as a heating fuel is endorsed by the U.S. Forestry Service especially when you use an outdoor wood furnace that contains the fire in an all metal container and presents no fire hazard.





The best reason to use wood is that it is renewable. We as human beings are getting a little smarter. We do know that trees can be replanted and many more jurisdictions are moving towards sustainable harvesting and silviculture methods that guarantee that we are not removing more wood from the earth than we are growing. That can't be said of many of the other fuel options: oil, coal or nuclear.





But the story gets better. Every tree is about 50% carbon. Where does that come from?As the tree grows, it breathes in all the pollutants that you and I persist in dumping into the atmosphere, and the tree is smart enough to convert the carbon in the carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide into tree mater. The tree acts like a pollution repository.





Taking that tree and converting it to a desk would lock in the pollution and be the best answer, but in the worse case scenario even if we burn all this wood in an outdoor wood furnace, it still would not give up more carbon that what it originally absorbed as the tree grew to maturity. Thus although using outdoor wood burning furnaces is not the perfect answer, it certainly does not add more carbon based pollution to the environment than what would have existed if the tree had never been born. That can't be said of oil, coal or nuclear. Wood is carbon neutral!





The question then becomes how wood burning can be efficient in outdoor furnaces to minimize toxic exhaust. That is a story on its own including a larger discussion on intelligent furnace design, what metal to use for good thermal transfer, an article on water-antifreeze considerations for your hot water boiler.. and many more design paramaters covered on our website.


Pellet Stove Inserts Warm Things Up!




The fireplace was a great invention. For centuries, fireplaces have been used to keep homes warm, for aesthetic reasons and even for cooking. It is hard to imagine a world without them. However, they are becoming ever so slightly outdated. Fireplaces don't really heat homes efficiently--too much of the temperature is lost through the chimney. Plus, the wood we use for fireplaces doesn't really burn that efficiently--it doesn't provide maximum return on temperature. As a result, pellet stove inserts are becoming more popular.





Wood pellets burn faster and longer than good ol' chopped wood. Pellet stoves provide better, more efficient heating. Pellet stove inserts are basically fully operational pellet stoves that can fit within your existing fireplace. You get all of the good looks of a fireplace but you also get twenty-first century-quality heating. In fact, many of the inserts you can buy are actually more attractive than your average fireplace. You'll be upgrading in terms of home comfort, efficiency and appearance with a pellet stove insert.





The prices of home heating oil, furnace coal, natural gas and electricity are all increasing. This winter promises to be just as expensive as ever. When one considers the amount of money they're investing in home heating, it's easy to understand why these stoves are so popular. They provide the cozy comfort everyone wants at a fraction of other heating options' prices. Almost unbelievably, pellet stoves function at up to 90% efficiency. Old-fashioned fireplaces just can't compare with those numbers. These stove inserts are an amazing way to keep your residence comfortable.





You don't need to add an entirely new heater to your home to make use of wood pellets. You can maintain your existing fireplace and its role as a centerpiece to your family's living area. All you need is one of the many inserts currently available. These handy devices aren't overwhelmingly expensive to install and operation is often considerably less costly than alternatives.





Chances are they won't replace the fireplace and its unique role in our lives. Nothing can hope to erase that kind of history. These great heating devices may, however, change the way we use and think about our fireplaces. If you're looking for a great way to heat your home and you currently have a fireplace in on your property, investigate pellet stove inserts. They offer numerous advantages and may be exactly what you need.





You can still gather in the living room by the fireplace. You can still put the family snapshots on the mantle. Life won't change much. What will change is the quality of your environment and the balance in your bank account. They'll improve when you use one for your fireplace.


Cast Iron Wood Stove - Benefits and Usage




Wood burning stoves have been in use since as early as the eighteenth century. They became extremely popular during the nineteenth century and even now they are in great demand. In the earliest stoves earthenware tiles were used for protection. They were often beautifully decorated and were employed in some of the greatest palaces of Europe during the middle ages.





Ceramic at that time was popular for use as the material from which to fashion wood burning stoves from. Even up to the twentieth century the use of ceramic was prevalent in the construction of the wood burning stoves even those with an iron firebox. The ceramic stoves were able to absorb large quantities of heat and release that heat over a long period of time.





Later, after cast iron was found to work very effectively in the stoves it became the popular material for building the wood burning stoves. It tended to offer many advantages over the ceramic versions. Cast iron is a very strong material and the stoves which are built from it are actually quite durable. Many of the cast iron stoves from over a century ago are still functional and in a very good condition. Most of the antique wood burning stoves were made of cast iron.





Cast iron can easily sustain very high temperatures without being damaged and it is a good conductor of heat. The stoves are usually made from plates which are bolted together. If a part is damaged, it can be quickly replaced. It also allows the stove to be designed in various ways and ornamented as one desires. As you can readily see the stoves were more than a mere source of heat the wood burning stove made of cast iron represented a beautiful piece of furniture and occupied a place of pride in whichever room it was kept in. Even today these stoves are in big demand by collectors. By the end of the nineteenth century the cast iron stoves began being manufactured in various enamel colors.





Modern manufacturing methods dictate that there are mainly three materials which are popular in the construction of modern wood burning stoves - steel, cast iron and soapstone. Steel is a very good conductor of heat and is suitable for large rooms and basements where it quickly starts radiating heat after being started. Soapstone on the other hand takes a long time to heat up and keeps on radiating heat for a considerable amount of time after being turned off. Cast iron lies somewhere in the middle of these two extremes.





Wood burning stoves have revived their popularity because they look beautiful and are very cost effective and reliable as compared to gas, oil or electric stoves.


Monday, June 18, 2012

Homemade Wood Stove - How to Make a Homemade Wood Stove




You know what's the best part about D.I.Y. guides? The fact that you can construct anything by yourself in turn saving so much on what you would have to spend so much on a normal basis. It's pretty amazing what you can build by yourself nowadays with the help of these D.I.Y. Guides. This time, I'll show you how to make your very own homemade wood stove without needing to break that bank account for too much.





Back then, building your own homemade wood stove meant finding an unused 50 gallon drum a starting from there, but times have changed and innovation has kicked in. Nowadays, using an unused discarded water heater has the capability to hold 3-50 gallons of water. The first step to finding the ideal electric water heater is by finding one without any damage and rust in the heater. Remove the steel wrap around the heater to check for corrosion and rust and remember that this step is very important due for health related concerns and should not be skipped. Next turn the heater on to its side to weld on the metal legs as this will keep the heater up.





The next step will involve making holes to the heater. So make sure to be careful as not to hurt yourself. Make a cut around the upside portion of the heater and weld it back upside down. It is this portion where you should make a few holes because this will aid in the circulation of heat during cooking. Make another hole in the back of the heater as an outlet which will allow the smoke to be taken outside your house via a metal pipe, add a lever here to make sure you can control the intake of air.





Build a grill to cook your food on by cutting vertical strips on the upside portion which you welded back to the stove. Once you're done with this step, you're pretty much done, but you can also add some ventilation pipes to your new "stove" and connecting them to your chimney (if any).





It's pretty amazing how people come up with their own ways to build and construct things and how many of us follow to find out that these innovations really do work. After following this guide on how to make a homemade wood stove, you can casually invite friends and family over because you've cooked dinner on your new homemade wood stove a.k.a. a discarded electric water heater. Interesting isn't it?


Archgard Fireplaces - Not Only Stylish, Also Energy Efficient




When outdoor temperatures hit below 0 there is nothing like coming home to a hot cocoa and lounging in front of a warm and cozy fireplace. Indeed, fireplaces are more than mere adornments in any home and find its full use during the cold winter months, or even during cooler evenings in the fall. Fireplaces, however, should not only be functional but also safe. And since you want to maintain the beauty and elegance of your home, they should also be stylish. That is what Archgard is all about.





Archgard is a leading manufacturer of gas and wood burning fireplaces in North America. All Archgard units are manufactured in North America by skilled craftsmen who know about cold weather and keeping warm during the cold winter months. Having been in business for more than two decades, Archgard has become a leader in fireplace solutions. The company offers the best heating solutions across the continent. It's a claim that is yet to be disputed.





Being at the forefront of producing excellent quality fireplaces, they continue to re-invent their fireplaces and gas and wood stoves using the latest in heating technology. Archgard can easily do this because it is a privately owned company and thus can easily allocate resources for product research and development to maintain the company's commitment to high quality standards. Precisely because of this pro-active mindset, Archgard is able to come up with different products that make the home a comfortable and safe place to live in, especially during the wintertime. Among these are the freestanding fireplaces which can also be installed in difficult settings like the basement.





Aside from their commitment to product quality, what sets Archgard apart is its commitment in supporting the North American economy by generating jobs in the locality. This is made possible by utilizing the talents of skilled craftsmen in the area which contributes to lowering the unemployment rate. This also ensures that money goes into the local economy. Furthermore, Archgard's business model ensures that the market only gets the products that have been paid for so that there is no over or under production.





With Archgard fireplaces you do not just get all cozy and warm inside your home, you get fireplaces and gas and wood stoves that add a distinct elegance to your interior from the unique designs available. You also get peace of mind because all products are tested to meet safety compliance standards. As an added bonus, you get great savings because energy cost is optimized resulting to minimal utility bills. All units are guaranteed durable and are supported with a limited lifetime warranty.


How Much Will a Wood Pellet Stove Cost Me




With fuel prices rising almost daily, smart homeowners are looking for ways to keep warm on a budget. Installing a pellet stove can help! A pellet stove is just what it sounds like; instead of logs, oil or natural gas, it burns pellets. A good pellet stove typically costs from $1,500 to $3,000, and installation can run up to $400-$500.





A small screw, called an auger, turns the pellets into the firebox, where the fire is concentrated in the center and burns very hot. A blower sends air through and around the pellets once they're lit, either by you or by an optional automatic igniter. This air keeps the fire going (remember, oxygen is an essential ingredient for combustion). The blower also creates a slight vacuum that draws the combustion gases (that dangerous carbon monoxide by-product) outside through a vent. Because of these moving parts, Pellet stoves can be a bit tricky to maintain, so it's a good idea to get a service contract.





To operate your pellet stove, you pour the pellets into a bin called a "hopper" that's located at the top or the bottom of the stove. Hoppers have a capacity from 35 to 130 pounds of pellets.. Depending on the size of your hopper and how cold it gets, a single load of pellets can last one to two days.





Where do those pellets come from? Makers grind up recycled sawdust, corn, walnut and peanut shells, wood shavings or other biomass wastes, then compress the mass and extrude the pellets.





At first, heating your home with pellets instead of wood can seem more expensive than heating with wood, since pellets can cost $130 to $200 per ton, compared with $100 to $175 per cord of wood. But that's really like comparing the proverbial apples and oranges, say experts. When you buy a cord of wood, you typically get 128 cubic feet (4X4X8) that includes the spaces between the logs you can't use for heat. Plus, the wood contains moisture that doesn't burn.





Home improvement experts say it's better to evaluate pellet fuel versus wood by its usage. If you use wood, you go through 3 to 4 cords of wood per year, compared to burning 1 to 3 tons of pellets per year. You can easily do the math on that one!





Pellets also save you time and energy, because you don't need to stack and carry wood. Those 40-pound sacks of pellets store in a space about a third of what's needed for cord wood. Be sure, though, to check with your stove vendor for the closest source of pellets, because freight is a big part of the pellet cost.





Pellet stoves are definitely an alternative way to heat your home that's worth a good look.


Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Fireplace Blower Heat N Glow GFK-160A; Regency Wood Stove Insert 846515; Royal GFK-160; Jakel; Rotom # R7-RB168B;Blower only Lowest Price

Find Great Quality Fireplace Blower Heat N Glow GFK-160A; Regency Wood Stove Insert 846515; Royal GFK-160; Jakel; Rotom # R7-RB168B;Blower only

Find Great Quality Fireplace Blower Heat N Glow GFK-160A; Regency Wood Stove Insert 846515; Royal GFK-160; Jakel; Rotom # R7-RB168B;Blower only for this Halloween.


These are designed to be replacements for the listed blower model number. The blowers are aftermarket models-not original equipment. Be sure to compare the dimensions listed, to your unit, to be sure it will fit. The blowers are "contractor kits" with limited instructions. Intended to be installed by a qualified technician. One Year Warranty.

Fireplace Blower Heat N Glow GFK-160A; Regency Wood Stove Insert 846515; Royal GFK-160; Jakel; Rotom # R7-RB168B;Blower only Shop. Legendary Service And Great Selection.


Fireplace Blower Heat N Glow GFK-160A; Regency Wood Stove Insert 846515; Royal GFK-160; Jakel; Rotom # R7-RB168B;Blower only at REASONABLE Cost


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Sunday, June 10, 2012

HY-C Fire Chief FCOS1600 Outdoor Wood Burning Forced Air Furnace at Affordable Prices

Affordable Price Reviews And Comparison HY-C Fire Chief FCOS1600 Outdoor Wood Burning Forced Air Furnace

Affordable Price Reviews And Comparison HY-C Fire Chief FCOS1600 Outdoor Wood Burning Forced Air Furnace for this Black Friday.


This Fire Chief FCOS1600 add-on furnace combines exceptional quality at an affordable price. MADE IN THE USA. The FCOS1600 comes standard with a round firebox. This creates a strong fire chamber and also increases the surface area for greater heat transfer. Works with existing furnaces and HVAC duct work to heat up to 1800 square feet. Easily connects to existing duct work. Automatic Heat Dump Door - PATENT PENDING-Safely releases heat off the unit in the event of power failure. Secondary Combustion Chamber-Increases fuel efficiency while re-burning smoke and wood gases before they are vented up the chimney, resulting in a cleaner burn. Pre-Wired Electrical System - Fully automatic components are pre-wired for your convenience and to reduce electrical installation time and expense. Thermostatically controlled 1800 CFM blower-Delivers a more consistent heat in the home. Manual Draft Control-Easily adjusts the temperature setting in your home with the cast iron door mounted spin draft controls. Laser Cut Ash Slots-Allow fine ash to drop into Ash Pan leaving hot coals in the firebox. High Temp Insulation. Deep Firebox (Holds 28 Log). Slide By-Pass Damper-Makes cleaning flue easier and aids in quick fire start-up. Cabinet has a durable weather-resistant baked on powder coated enamel finish. Ash Drawer with Draft Damper. Cast Iron Fuel Door. High Grade heavy (7 . Width: 29.5. Depth-includes Filter Box: 60. Log Size: 28. Fire Chamber Volume: 6 Cu. Ft. BTUs - Maximum: 100000. Heating Capacity: 1800 sq. ft. Door Size: 13 x 14. Blower Capacity: 1800 cfm. Blower Power Supply (Volts Amps): 110 20. Warranty - Fire Box: 5 year limited. Warranty - Electrical Components: 1 year. Hot Air Plenum: 10 round. Cold Air Return: 12 round. Optional Accessories for the Fire Chief FC1100 Wood Furnace Heating System:. AM-BD10 - 10 Back Draft Damper (Supply Air). AM-BD12 - 12 Back Draft Damper (Return Air). *The BTU ranges and heating capacity Specifications are provided as guidelines only and

HY-C Fire Chief FCOS1600 Outdoor Wood Burning Forced Air Furnace on Huge Savings. Safe And Fast Ordering.


HY-C Fire Chief FCOS1600 Outdoor Wood Burning Forced Air Furnace at The COOL SAVING Prices


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