The weak economy is causing homeowners to look for ways to slash their heating bills. One trend that has sprung up is using wood-burning stoves as an alternative to using furnaces or other heat sources. Wood-burning stoves are particularly efficient when heating one room or specific areas of a home.

A stove’s heat comes from radiation, so it is important that the stove be made of a metal (like Cast Iron) with a high conductivity rating and be a color that will help radiate the heat.

If one is looking to heat larger rooms, Hearth & Home Technologies’ Quadra-Fire 5700 Step Top would be a great choice. As the company’s largest free-standing wood-burning stove, the 5700 Step Top heats up to 3,700 square feet.

For an affordable and smaller option, Napoleon’s Timberwolf line is perfect for those who have never used a stove before or don’t have big rooms to heat.

As with any appliance that uses fire, there are safety precautions that homeowners need to aware of when using a wood-burning stove.

Pay special attention to:

• sparks that could fly out.
• heat conducted from the chimney into a flammable or combustible material.
• hot ashes or flame coming out of the chimney.
• excess heat radiating from the stove.

Most of the above problems can be avoided with proper installation and maintenance of one’s stove. And remember, each manufacturer provides detailed instructions on the maintenance and safety that should be followed for that stove
type.

 

Hearth & Home Technologies

Napoleon