INFORMATION ON ALTERNATIVE HEATING

Heating with Gas

Forget the kindling and the matches. Put away the bellows. Don't worry about the damper. Cozying up to a warm fire has never been easier. Gas appliances bring you 'Fire at your Fingertips' with a full line of gas fireplaces, inserts and stoves. Whether you want to heat a small sitting room, a newly finished basement, or an entire home, gas appliances come in a range of sizes and styles to match your needs. And you don't need an existing chimney for installation; all you need is proximity to the roof or an outside wall. Here's what you need to consider when heating with gas.  

1. Gas models can go anywhere. You don't need a standard chimney to vent your gas appliance. With Direct Vent technology, all you need is an outside wall or unobstructed access to the roof. Gas vent pipe can be easily installed into existing homes at minimal cost. So if you want a fireplace or stove in your bedroom, your kitchen, or even your bathroom, we can make it happen! 

2. Your best choice for zone heating. Most gas appliances are compact and require very little space for installation. This means that you can concentrate their power in the room that needs it most. While a central furnace works to heat an entire home, including the rooms not in use, a gas appliance heats your living areas. Pretty simple concept. 

3. No electricity required. Your gas fireplace, stove or insert runs on the power of the pilot flame, and does not need any electricity (except for the blower). This keeps your energy costs down, and ensures safe and reliable operation even during power outages. And if the pilot flame should be extinguished, the valve will shut down and your fireplace will turn off – a valuable safety feature.

4. Lower operating costs. Natural gas remains one of the least expensive fuels available. Gas models are all heater rated, which means they boast high efficiency levels to deliver the maximum heat per BTU. 

5. The perfect wood replacement. If you are thinking about getting rid of your old wood stove or fireplace, or you are getting tired of lugging wood into your house, then a gas model is just what you need. Gas stoves and inserts can be vented right inside your existing wood chimney, greatly reducing installation costs. It's easier than you think!  

6. The ultimate in controlled heat. Every gas model comes with a basic on/off switch, located on the unit or mounted nearby on the wall. They can also be equipped with a wall thermostat (basic or programmable) for hands-free operation, or even a remote control for maximum convenience. Choose the system that best suits your needs. 

7. Glass and metal surfaces get hot. Every gas model is designed and certified as a heater, which means that they are engineered to deliver high efficiency heat to your home. The glass window and metal surfaces help conduct this heat, and will become extremely hot to the touch. Please take care when operating your fireplace, stove or insert.

As recently as a few short years ago, only a limited selection of Gas Stoves and Fireplaces were available. Now literally hundreds of sizes and sizes are made, and there is something to fit every decor and budget. Gas Stoves and Fireplaces are designed to look like their wood burning counterparts, and modern design advancements have created simulated logs and flames that can't be distinguished from the real thing! 

Gas Fireplaces are not only pretty to look at - they can also provide an increased sense of heating security since they don't need electricity  to operate. You might not have to abandon your home the next time the power goes out during a winter storm.  There are three basic types of Gas Fireplaces and Stoves: 

Top Vented Fireplaces - These units need a chimney or vent exiting the roof

Top Vented Gas Fireplaces and Stoves are designed to vent through the roof, similar to the way woodstoves and wood fireplaces do. This chimney can be an existing masonry or metal chimney, or a newly installed B-Vent (special aluminum gas pipe).  

Most units require a 4" or 5" diameter piping to properly vent the leftover combustion products. When installing one of these units into an existing chimney, the chimney should be downsized by lining it with an approved flexible connector equal in size to the exhaust pipe of the appliance.

Many different finishes, including marble, brick and mantels can be installed to dress up the installation. Remote controls, wall thermostats, blowers and wall switches are just some of the popular options.

Top vented units are a popular choice in new construction, single story homes and as a retrofit into existing chimneys. For two story or more difficult installations, a direct vent or ventless may serve you better (see below).

Direct Vented - Can be vented straight out through the wall 

Direct Vented Fireplaces and Stoves offer a convenient option - No chimney is needed - just a hole through the wall behind or right above the appliance. This gives quite a bit of installation flexibility, such as locating the unit below a big picture window. This direct vent pipe is really two pipes, one inside the other. The outer wall sucks in air from outside to be used in burning the Gas appliance. The inner pipe then returns the flue gases back outside. This "sealed" system is very safe and efficient because no air from inside the home is being used for combustion. 

Ventless (Vent-Free) - Need no Vent or Chimney

Ventless Stoves and Fireplaces have become very popular in the last few years. No chimney or vent is needed with these appliances, so the installation costs are minimal. The units are "zero clearance" (right against a wall) or close clearance (a few inches away) allowing a great flexibility in the placement. 

These Ventless Products pass all current safety and emission standards. They are equipped with an ODS (oxygen depletion sensor) pilot light system that has been almost flawless in it's safety record, even with millions of these appliances installed.

Still, some states, such as California, Massachusetts, and others do not allow the use of Ventless products. Many hearth experts, and even some of the Ventless manufacturers state that these units are for occasional, attended and supplementary use. Being an open fire (no glass), it is probably prudent to use your Ventless Fireplace only when you are in the room with it.

Heating with wood

The glowing embers…the snap of the wood as it catches fire…the curl of the flames… If you thought that wood stoves belonged in the basement next to the water heater, look again. Classic designs and large viewing areas make wood stoves and inserts the perfect compliment to your living room, kitchen or bedroom. Some models come with a cooktop surface to boil water or prepare light meals. And naturally, no electricity is required! There's nothing like the look, feel and scent of a wood fire.   

Today's wood stoves offers everything you love about wood fires while helping you keep a lid on costs. That's because the US Environmental Protection Agency certifies all wood stoves, inserts and fireplaces to be clean burning, efficient and long lasting. You will use less wood and get more heat out of it than you would in an old stove or open masonry fireplace. You will also help preserve the air quality in your community. Here are some tips & tricks to heating your home effectively with wood products.  

1. Locate it where you live. Put the heat where you want it most, where you spend most of your time. This way, you will benefit from the heat when and where you need it. Putting it in your rarely used basement will overheat that floor, and reduce the heat available for your living areas.

2. Choose the right size for your needs. Decide how much of your home you would like to heat with wood, and buy the stove that fits best. Wood models come in a range of sizes to help you make the right choice. Remember that bigger isn't always better, since an under-fired stove will not perform up to its capabilities, and you risk overheating the room in which your appliance is installed. 

3. Carefully select the wood you burn. The wood you burn plays a significant role in the overall cost and long-term performance of your stove or insert. Your best bet is to use hardwood (i.e. oak, maple, beech, ash) that has been properly dried for about one year. The drier the wood, the hotter and more cleanly it will burn. Soft wood (such as spruce, poplar or redwood) or wood with a lot of sap (such as pine) doesn't get as hot, and doesn't burn as completely. There is also a higher risk of creosote buildup in your chimney (a leading cause of chimney fires). 

4. It's all in the loading. How long and how completely your fire will burn depends on how you build it. The optimum way is to keep logs stacked along the bottom toward the rear of the firebox, with the paper, kindling or embers toward the front where the air comes in. Do not pile wood up to the very top, leaving space between the top log and the secondary air tubes. 

5. Good things start off small. Give your chimney time to warm up and draft properly by starting with a small fire at first. A big, roaring blaze in a cold chimney will produce a lot of smoke and put a lot of stress on the stove. Warm up slowly to keep your stove running in optimum condition for years to come. 

6. You wouldn't put alcohol in your gas tank, so do not put anything but dried hardwood in your stove. Pressure treated wood, stained or painted wood, mill ends and garbage burn unpredictably, and release a lot of chemicals that can damage the components of your stove and chimney (not to mention their contribution to pollution).

7. Master the art of draft control. By controlling the flow of air into the firebox, you can control the burn rate of your fire. The less air, the slower it burns, the longer the wood lasts, and the more heat you get. Always keep the air shutter completely open when starting your fire, letting the logs catch before choking off the air.

8. Keep your appliance clean. Remove ashes regularly to allow for maximum air flow inside the firebox.  Use a damp cloth to wipe down the exterior. If needed, clean the glass with fireplace glass cleaner, available at your local hearth shop. 

9. Protect your family. The surfaces of your wood appliance get extremely hot. If you have young children or pets, keep a screen in place to prevent accidental contact with the appliance. Decorative screens not only provide protection, but they also enhance the décor of your room. 

10. Safety and maintenance. An annual inspection and cleaning by your retailer or a chimney sweep is highly recommended. Creosote buildup can lead to chimney fires, and loose flue pipes can lead to smoke leaks or worse. Arranging for an annual inspection of your appliance and your chimney will identify any real or potential problems you are facing, and will help you avoid serious damage to your appliance and your home. 

Wood stoves are wood-burning appliances that sit on the floor of the room, usually away from the wall. (Some of the newer models may now be placed as close as 8 inches from the wall.) Because they must be certified by the EPA, all new wood stoves are clean burning and have relatively high heating efficiencies that range from 65 to 78 percent. 

Wood stoves are available in a variety of styles that vary from contemporary to traditional-looking models. They are usually cast iron, plate steel, sheet metal, or a combination of these materials. Some manufacturers have altered the appearance of the traditional cast-iron stove by applying different materials to the outside of the stove. Stoves are frequently enameled in a variety of colors and some are covered with marble or porcelain. Steel-plate stoves are generally made of 3/16- to 1/4-inch thick plates cut and stamped to shape. Cast-iron stoves are made of cast parts bolted together. The parts should have detailed lines and clean surfaces free of grains. The characteristics of steel and cast iron are not significantly different, therefore you can make your choice based on size, budget and the design of the stove.

You can tell if a wood stove is well-made by checking for clean castings, smooth welds, tight doors, smoothly-operating draft controls, and the appearance of good workmanship. Most stoves also have firebricks or metal plates to prevent burnout. These materials increase both the life of the stove and, to some extent, the thermal mass (the heat's storage medium). After the fire is out, a 500-pound stove radiates heat several hours longer than a 250-pound stove. Stoves may have doors on the top, on the side, or both. 

Many of the new wood stoves have large glass doors on the side so that you can see the flames. Some glass doors perform better than others. For example, one type uses an infra-red barrier in the glass that reflects heat back into the firebox. Some new models have airflow systems that remove soot and smoke from the glass doors, making them virtually self-cleaning. Wood stoves can also include several additional features such as thermostats, insulated door handles, removable ash pans and blowers. 

If you are purchasing a stove for a home that has never had one, you will probably need to install a chimney. Prefabricated metal chimneys are the easiest types to retrofit. They are relatively inexpensive and not extremely difficult to install. You will, however, need to cut a hole in your roof. If you are using an existing chimney in your house, make sure that the stove you are planning to buy is compatible. Many existing chimneys need to be relined (with stainless steel pipe) in order for them to work correctly with the new high-efficiency stoves.

Heating with Pellets

Pellet-burning appliances are simpler to operate and more convenient than other wood-burning appliances. In fact, they are almost as easy to use as gas, oil, or electric heaters. These stoves and inserts burn wood pellets--compressed wood which resembles rabbit food.

Pellet-burning appliances rely on sophisticated computers and circuit boards to determine how much pellet fuel should be burned. Most models have at least two burn settings and some use thermostats to control the fire. They also use a forced-air system to distribute heat. Pellet-burning appliances are highly efficient and pollute very little. Depending on the model, they may furnish between 10,000 and 50,000 BTU per hour.

Because these appliances burn wood so efficiently, some do not even need chimneys. Rather, they exhaust fumes through a small hole in the wall to the outdoors. Pellet-burning appliances need to be refueled less frequently than most other wood-burning appliances. Refueling varies from once a day to twice a week, depending on the model and your heating needs. To refuel, you simply pour the pellets into a hopper, which holds between 35 and 130 pounds of pellets and they are transferred to the fire chamber to be burned as needed. A corkscrew-shaped device called an auger transfer pellets to the fire chamber. There are two types of auger feed systems, bottom-fed and top-fed loading systems. Unlike other wood-burning appliances, pellet stoves and inserts rely on mechanical air-supply systems (usually a forced-draft or induced-draft system) to vent air from the home. The forced-draft system uses a fan to force air up the vent into the combustion chamber.  The induced-draft system, sometimes called the negative pressure system, uses a fan to draw air from the combustion area through the exhaust system. 

Burning wood with a pellet stove or insert is usually convenient, neat and safe. These devices usually don't require refueling more than once a day and the fuel is compressed and bagged for clean and easy storage and handling. Pellet stoves produce virtually no smoke, and produce less odor than other wood-burning appliances. Moreover, the exteriors of these appliances are not used for radiating heat and stay relatively cool, preventing you from burning yourself if you accidentally touch the stove.

Pellet-burning appliances, however, have disadvantages. Because using pellets is a relatively new way to burn wood, you may have difficulty finding a dealer who sells the fuel. Before purchasing a pellet-burning appliance, make sure that a reliable supplier sells pellets in your area. Many of the pellet fuel and pellet stove manufacturers are located in the Northwest and the Rocky Mountain region. There are however, retailers throughout the nation. To find a pellet fuel distributor in your area, ask a local wood stove dealer or check for a listing in your local telephone directory under Fuel or Pellet Fuel. Pellet-burning appliances also use several internal fans, which require about 100 KWH of electricity each month. The need for electricity will add to your total energy bill and will also prevent you from using your stove or insert if the power goes out (unless your appliance has a battery pack). Moreover, there are restrictions on where you can place a pellet-burning appliance to allow proper combustion and air exchange.