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.

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.

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.