As the days start getting shorter and the cold months set in, it’s time to start thinking about a heat source to keep your home warm this winter.
Fire is the original heat source as all ancient civilizations used fire to cook and keep themselves warm. Today, fire has many competitors, but it is still one of the best ways to heat your home. In fact, according to 2010 US Census data, more than 12 million homes are heated with wood burning stoves and there has been a 34% increase in its use from 2000 to 2010, with a continuation in its popularity..
Here are the four benefits to using a wood burning stove to heat your home.
Wood is a renewable resource and easily attainable. When you burn wood, it has the same reaction it would in your fireplace or on an open flame – it gives off heat, water, and CO2. Nothing “extra” is emitted into the atmosphere. Firewood is purchased locally which makes it a very sustainable choice as well.
Alternative heating sources, like coal and gas, have to be extracted from the ground and processed before they can be used. Also, they are usually not found locally.
Heat from wood is a low-cost heat.. It costs less per BTU than other fuels or electricity. However, wood stoves are most efficient when you use very dry, seasoned firewood. Woodchuck Delivery’s firewood consists of 100% dry hardwoods, giving you more bang for your buck. Another way it cuts cost is zoned heating. Unlike oil and propane heat, you can easily heat one area of your home and leave other rooms cooler.
When your block is without power during a storm, know that you will be safe and warm with a wood stove. Wood stoves allow you to heat your home and cook food when there is a power outage. Heating with a wood stove can give you a sense of security, as well as independence, unlike any other heat source. Because you won’t have to rely on a heat source that requires power, you can be sure your family and home remain cozy and comfortable during the harshest weather.
Wood stoves are no longer eye sores or tucked away in a corner. Twenty-first century wood stoves are designed with beauty in mind and can be designed to be the focal point of a room. Not only do they bring more comfort than other heating sources, they also bring more beauty as well. There is nothing romantic about cuddling up next to a heating duct or propane tank. You have to admit, nothing is better than curling up next to a warm, wood stove with a cup of cocoa on a cold, winter’s day.
Wood burning stoves have changed a lot in the past few decades, and with this change, many misconceptions have come along. I want to help clear things up and tell you the most common myths about these stoves.
Burning firewood does release carbon into the atmosphere, but the tree only lets off what it absorbed in its lifetime. This makes it carbon neutral and much greener than burning fossil fuels.
A number of modern wood stoves burn so cleanly that you can still have them in smoke controlled areas. Just check with your retailer to be sure you get the right stove.
Absolutely not! Just like a plumber can’t necessarily do landscaping, an expert in gas is not certified in wood burning stoves. This would be very dangerous; there are risks for carbon monoxide if the fitting isn’t done properly. Use a certified technician and do not buy into the DIY installations.
Most modern, quality wood stoves will operate at 70-85% efficiency when the door is closed. Open fires only operate around 20% efficiency, so 80% of the heat is lost in your chimney.
You should only burn seasoned firewood. Green or unseasoned wood is very smokey, will not burn as cleanly, and will not get as hot.
You can have ready-to-burn firewood delivered right to your door. It’s not much work, a lot greener, and any wood stove owner would agree that it’s worth it!
Woodchuck Delivery has premium firewood that can be delivered right to your door! Order online or give us a call at (512) 387.7270 today!