Carl Formby asked:


Many people are looking to buy a heating stove, either as the main source of heat or to supplement another heating source. With the advances in technology of the past few years, stoves are now a method of supplying heat reliably. There are however some things that need to be considered, such as whether the stove is for heating and hot water, or just for heat, and whether it is for a room or a whole house. There is the question of how much work you are prepared to do to keep the stove working, the safety aspect to be considered, and the reliability of the stove fuel supply. This article will look at these points in turn and give some basic considerations that need to be borne in mind when looking to purchase a stove.

The work the stove will be expected to do is a critical point, of course, and the size needs to be considered depending on how much heat is needed. If the stove is needed just for heating one room, then a small pellet stove will easily suffice. Or if you want to have a vintage look to the room, one of the traditional pot belly designs might be a good choice, as might be an old-fashioned parlor stove. But if the stove is needed to heat a whole house and will be used for the hot water supply into the bargain, something with more power will be needed. One of the larger models of pellet stoves could be used, which could be connected to the hot water system, as could an outdoor wood boiler. Deciding on what the stove will be used for is the first step in getting the right stove for your needs.

Of course, the choice you make will have implications for how much work is needed to keep the stove supplying heat. Many people are now looking for a traditional way of supplying heat, such as by burning wood or coal. Many restored vintage wood burning stoves are now available, as are vintage coal burning stoves. However, a wood or coal burning stove will require a decent amount of work, and if chopping logs or shoveling coal is not to your liking it might be better to keep away from these types. If you like the vintage look, but don’t want the work of keeping a wood stove going, then an antique stove that has been converted to gas could be the answer. Another choice is the pellet stove. Many of these stoves now have automatic hoppers which fill the stove throughout the day, cutting down on the work needed to keep the heat flowing.

There is also the safety aspect to consider. If you are looking for a method to heat a whole house, an outdoor stove with boiler could be a good choice. Some of these models run on wood, and some on oil, but since the stove is outside it makes for a certain element of safety. Much of the decision rests on family circumstances. If there are children, then a vintage stove needs to be chosen with care. Some pot belly stoves, for instance, can get very hot, and would need to have a guard placed around them. One type of stove that may be a good idea to avoid is the vent-free type. These stoves have no way of releasing the fumes except into the room, and can be judged a potential safety hazard. These types are banned in some US states.

Whatever type of stove you choose, one of the most important considerations is that of reliability of fuel supply. With this in mind it could be a good idea to choose a stove which runs on several types of fuel, known as a multi-fuel type. Wood and oil types are among the most common. If you are thinking of choosing a pellet stove, then a model which can burn different grades of pellet could be a good choice so that you are not left without heat if the supply of high-grade pellets should dry up for a while. More information on how to choose a pellet stove is available at http://www.stoveshack.com

As you can see, there are quite a few considerations to bear in mind when choosing a stove, the most important being how much work the stove is intended to do. However the amount of work needed to keep the stove running and the safety aspects are also important. By bearing these basic points in mind, choosing a stove that suits your needs should be made a little easier.

Wood Pellet Production Guide

David W Miller asked:


High efficient wood burning stoves use catalytic combustors. The catalytic combustor is a coated ceramic honeycomb located inside the stove near the top. Some wood stoves locate the catalytic just under the top and others place it in the upper rear panel. Once the internal temperature of the stove reaches 1100 degrees you should engage the combustor usually by flipping a lever.

Smoke is rerouted to go through the combustor where it is super heated re-burning the smoke and flue gases. The result is more intense heat added to your home producing a long, even heat output and less particulate in the air. EPA’s mandatory smoke emission limit for wood stoves is 4.1 g/h grams of smoke per hour for catalytic stoves.

A catalytic combustor can last six years or longer if properly cared for. Do not overheat your wood stove and never burn wet or unseasoned green wood as the moisture will destroy the ceramic honeycomb. Burning paper will create excess fly ash and that can clog the catalytic resulting in back puffing. If you notice a drop in the performance of your wood stove remove the catalytic combustor after the stove has cooled down, (refer to the owners manual to remove the combustor). Inspect the combustor for crumbling (a result of over firing or excess moisture) and clogs. If the catalytic is clogged you can use a pipe cleaner to remove excess soot from the honeycombs (this should be done annually). If the combustor is crumbling it is time to replace it. Keep your wood stove operating at its optimum efficiency and it will give you 15+ years of heat.

Complete list of wood stoves using catalytic combustors

Wood Pellet Stove And Boiler Guide