Article Written By: kathdawson
Central heating is wonderful for keeping our homes snug during the cold months but nothing can replace the cosy glow of a wood fire. Fortunately, with a wood burning stove you can have the best of both worlds and save money in the bargain. Stoves were once at the heart of every home but were replaced as gas and electricity powered devices were developed for cooking and heating. In recent years, people have begun to rediscover the charm and efficiency of the wood stove and installed one or more in their homes as supplementary heating system. If you're interested in doing the same, here are some things you need to know.A wood burning stove burns wood to for heating and cooking. It comes in many types ranging from smaller stoves running on wood pellets to large wood burning cookstoves. Pellets are generally produced from sawdust or shavings.The ease of use depends on the type of fuel it uses. Pellet-burning stoves are fully automatic - you just need to load up the pellets and clean up after each use. On the other hand it needs manual supervision but cleaning is only necessary on a weekly basis.As for installation, wood stoves are freestanding and can be added to any room. However, they are heavy items and most homes are not designed to take that kind of weight so you ll need to install some kind of support. Another factor is that you need some provision for fire resistance to protect your floors. One option is to buy wood stove pads which will give your rooms the protection they need.For one thing, they are very efficient, especially when compared to open fires. Wood stoves generally operate with and efficiency of 75% compared to 15-20% for open fires. What's more the timber used as fuel is around 30% cheaper that gas and oil. And as a carbon neutral fuel, they are eco friendly. Another great benefit is that it reduces your dependency on gas and electricity as energy sources to heat your home. If you're thinking of installing a wood stove in your home, here are some things you need to bear in mind.Firstly, wood stoves don't offer quite the same push button ease of operation that gas and oil powered systems do. You may have to spend time on loading, lighting and tending your stove, not to mention cleaning.In addition, they don't burn as cleanly as those using fossil fuels though this depends to some extent on the grade of wood pellets you choose. There are two basic types - standard and premium and the latter while costing more do tend to burner more cleanly. You need to check what grade of pellet your stove can handle.Stoves take up space so you'll want them to fit in with your existing decor and colour scheme. You have a wide range of styles to choose from including reproductions of the classic cast iron stoves of yesteryear and sleek modern designs using other metals and coated with veneers in a broad range of colours.The best way to find your ideal wood burning stove is to visit the web sites of online dealers and manufacturers where you can browse the illustrated details of stoves. You can email or phone for more information and after placing your order, you stove will be delivered to your door.
This Article Has Been Published on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 and Read 99 Times