Your Guide To Buying a Wood Stove For Your Home

When someone thinks of a wood stove, they make think of a clunky metal object that makes your living space ugly, but those are the wood stoves of the past. At Emerald Pool & Patio, we carry the best brands that provide modern and energy saving wood stoves for your beautiful home.

Modern wood stoves are excellent heat sources as well as being quite nice to look at. If you are considering purchasing a wood stove for your home or upgrading the one you already have, here are some facts you’ll enjoy knowing in our Guide To Buying a Wood Stove.

Why Buy a Wood Stove in the First Place?

Whether you are moving into a new home or trying to improve the efficiency of your current heating system, a wood stove may be the best choice for your home. Modern wood stoves are not these big metal, obsolete objects left to rust in your living room anymore. Below are the top reasons for buying a wood stove may be the right choice for you:

Wood Stoves Help Cut DOWN Your Energy Bill

You can reduce the size of your utility bills during winter months by depending in part upon a wood stove to heat your home. Energy bills are very costly during the winter months especially if you have a central heating system.

Because of their brilliant design, modern wood-burning stoves are surprisingly efficient. Cut down the cost of your electricity bill by turning down the central system’s thermostat and depending upon the warmth provided by a wood stove in one or two rooms. Basically, you can reduce your energy costs by 20% to 40% in this way.

The heat supplied by a wood stove far surpasses what a fireplace alone will ever be able to provide! The fact is that fireplaces are more about ambiance than heating efficiency. Most of the warmth produced by a fireplace goes right up the chimney, whereas a wood stove is a reliable and helpful heat source.

Your Wood Stove Will Work In An Electrical Blackout

Imagine this…a huge snowstorm is in your area and then all of a sudden, your neighborhood loses power. You cannot rely on your central heating system and now your wearing 7 layers of clothes inside your home.

If you live in a region that has occasional power outages throughout the winter, you know how critical a heat source that is 100% self-contained can be. With a modern wood stove, you’ll stay warm around the clock, no matter what happens to your home’s supply of gas or electricity.

It Will Look Great In Your Home!

You want a modern wood stove that looks nice in any room you place it. We at Emerald Pool & Patio have hundreds of models from various brand that will fit your interior décor. Modern wood burning stoves are available in many different styles, sizes and finishes, making it easy to find one that’s a perfect accent for your home style.

What To Look For When Buying a Wood Stove?

Stove Size

Size is the most important thing to consider when purchasing a wood stove. Modern wood burning stoves vary in size, but they generally heat spaces from 1,000 square feet to 3,000 square feet.

They are larger than most heaters and require a certain distance from walls and combustibles in the front, sides, and back. Although most distance requirements are less than a foot, make sure the unit will fit correctly in the room of your choosing before purchasing one.

Also, some models also have ceiling height requirements and need floor protectors. Product manuals should provide all of this information, so check them out or ask one of our specialist at Emerald Pool & Patio to get this information.

Cost and Maintenance

Initial costs for the modern, durable heaters are generally $1,000 and up. After your initial purchase, you will also have to purchase the installation materials needed to keep your home safe. Besides these items, additional costs for the stoves are minimal since they create heat by naturally burning wood.

Installation Materials: Some stoves do not come with all the needed installation materials, but they can be found at local hardware stores. Items like floor protectors, chimney connectors, and heat shields probably need to be purchased separately. You can always ask one of our experts and we will instruct you on what you need to make sure wood stove safe but stylish/efficient.

Natural Gas or Propane Lines: For direct vent or vent-free natural gas or propane stoves, it is important to know the gas line type running in the home and make sure to install them in the coldest area of the home. These supplemental heating stoves should be installed by professionals and check local and state codes to ensure you can proceed with installation.

Cleaning/Ash Removal: You will have to periodically check for creosote buildup and regularly empty the ash bin in wood burning stoves. Clean your chimney at least once a year if you’re using it for venting. Ash should be removed when 2-3 inches of ash accumulate. Wear gloves when removing the ash bin and be aware that ashes can contain hot embers even after 2 days without operating the stove.

Certified (Or Approved) Stoves

For comfort that your stove isn’t too harmful for the environment, look to pay for a wood stove that is Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Approved. Modern and approved stoves produce very minimal smoke and burn the wood as efficiently as possible, where less firewood is needed to produce the most amount of heat, and while also lowering ash deposits.

Check out this article to see a more detailed list of things to look for when buying a WOOD STOVE.

What Brands Can We Look At?

Check out our brands page here: Hearth Brands For You

If you have any questions, we would love to answer any questions you may have either in person or call us during business hours.

For more information on specific wood burning stoves, pellet stoves, gas stoves, or electric stoves, check out our Hearth Page.  Not sure what’s best for you? We can take the guesswork out of decision-making. Contact our product experts by calling us directly! We want to help you make your indoor environment healthy and comfortable this year.