Should I Use a Fireplace Or a Stove?

www.epa.gov/burnwise Choose Size over Deciding What Stove New technology has for more information Aesthetics to Buy improved some and a list of qualified Not only aesthetics, but fireplaces a great deal. fireplaces. People chose to heat size, should be However, advanced with wood for many paramount when technology fireplaces different reasons. Your selecting a stove. A tend to be expensive and own personal priorities stove that is too small or are still less efficient will help you decide Find a Store First too large can be a and clean burning than what type of heater is problem for your home the better Instead of searching for best for you. Are you and a safety risk in Environmental a stove, it’s often better mainly looking to save some cases. Protection Agency to search for a reputable money or decrease your (EPA) certified wood local stove dealer. Sizing depends both on fossil fuel consumption? stoves. Buying over the internet the size of your house Do you have a large or or through a big box and its layout. A large small space to heat? Do If there is a fireplace in chain is usually not a house with lots of small you value automation or your home, consider good idea for your first rooms will need a want something hands- installing a wood stove stove. It’s important to smaller stove than the on? Do you live in an or wood stove insert get advice on sizing, same sized house with a urban or rural area? instead. An insert is a features, and very open floor plan. A These are all questions wood stove designed to installations from a good wood stove dealer that will likely be set into a fireplace local professional. For will be able to help you determine what type of and they can look very an excellent article on select a stove that is the wood, pellet stove, or much like a fireplace. why to find a store first appropriate size for your boiler you should get. Inserts sometimes have and a stove second, home. The chart below larger glass doors than Should I Use a click here: provides a general idea most wood stoves and Fireplace or a Stove? www.forgreenheat.org/r of what size stove you use electricity for a fan esources/motherearth.pd may need based on the Fireplaces usually aren’t that can better distribute f. size of its firebox. used for heat as much as the heat. they are for ambience. A dealer should be able Firebox Size Firebox Volume If you strongly prefer a Conventional fireplaces to help you choose the fireplace and have some Small Less than 2 cubic burn around 10% best stove for your money, consider buying feet efficient at best. Rarely needs. You should one that is qualified by Medium 2 - 3 cubic feet does the fire become hot check with the Better the EPA’s Wood enough to burn off of Business Bureau, Burning Fireplace the combustible gases. Angie’s List or Large Greater than 3 Program. Qualified They also suck lots of Consumer Checkbook cubic feet fireplaces will have a warm air from the to find a reputable stove Source: hang-tag containing home. store. www.woodheat.org smoke emissions information. Visit British Thermal Units unlike a freestanding It’s important to because tempered glass (Btu) are a measure heat stove, the insert must be purchase an EPA- started to be used in output. One Btu is the in a fireplace and be certified wood stove 1988 – the same year energy it takes to raise able to use electricity to whether new or used the EPA’s certification the temperature of one power fans that help because you will get a program began. pound of water one improve heat safer, higher efficiency degree. Most stoves heat circulation. The primary and less polluting stove. in the 25,000 to 80,000 difference is an EPA started certifying Btu range, meaning they aesthetic one, as the stoves in 1988 and they can usually heat a home insert can look more are required to emit less between 1,000 and like a fireplace. Many than 7.5 grams of 3,000 square feet people prefer to put a particulates per hour, depending on where you freestanding stove in compared to the older, live, your house’s layout their fireplace and let air un-certified stoves that and how well it’s naturally circulate emit 20-40 g/hr. Smoke insulated. It’s very around the stove rather is made up of small important to buy a stove than using electricity to particulates of unburned that is the correct size, push the air out of the wood that can generate not too big or too small. enclosed space created lots of Btus when re- Too big a stove can by the insert. burned. An EPA- A sampler hang tag that become a safety hazard certified stove can can be found on new Freestanding stoves if you burn low-heat, reduce your wood use EPA certified stoves. placed in a room instead smoldering fires. These by 30% and save you Note the measurements of a fireplace can emit a lead to excessive lots of money and time for smoke, efficiency significant amount of creosote build-up in the refueling by re-burning and heat output. Unlike heat through the pipe, chimney and increase the smoke before it the smoke (emissions), assuming there is at the risk of chimney leaves your stove. the efficiency rating is a least 3-6 feet of exposed fires. Too small a stove very general estimate single wall pipe. A The list of EPA certified can lead to over firing and cannot be relied on. stove or insert in a stoves may be found and not being able to fireplace will have here: Catalytic and Non- hold coals overnight. virtually no exposed http://www.epa.gov/bur Catalytic Stoves Should I Buy a pipe, but a chimney nwise/appliances.html. Among the EPA- Freestanding Stove or liner may be necessary Stoves that are EPA certified wood burning an Insert? depending upon the age certified will have a stoves made today, there and condition of your label on the back. If you Freestanding wood are two basic types: chimney. Always have are still unsure if a stoves and inserts are catalytic (cat) and non- the chimney inspected secondhand stove is basically the same thing catalytic (non-cat) prior to installation. EPA certified, check if and work the same way. stoves. Cat stoves use it has glass. Stoves with Both can be installed in EPA Certification and catalytic combustors glass are more likely to an existing fireplace, but Emissions similar to those used in be EPA certified cars to reduce emissions The baffle and some stove. These wood- and increase efficiency internal parts of a non- burning heaters only by burning the cat may require need to be loaded and combustible gases that replacement from time fired once or twice a would normally escape to time. Most stoves are day and use less fuel through the chimney. constructed either out of than wood stoves. Cat stoves produce a cast iron or welded Once the wood is long, steady, low output steel. Cast iron stoves burned, a masonry burn and are generally are often considered the heater can heat a whole cleaner burning than fancier option, but are home for up to 30 hours non-cats. pricier and may require at a time, although the resealing. Balancing these A cross-comparison of average is about 12-24 advantages, cat stoves a cat and non-cat stove. Masonry Heaters hours. The larger the require more attention The cat stove pictured mass of the masonry, Masonry heaters, with and need more operator here is an older model the longer the heat their small but powerful skill, so they are not for that has the catalyst output tends to be. fireboxes, snaking those who prefer a horizontal and directly smoke channels and Masonry heaters are not hands-off heater. above the fire. Newer thick, heat-radiating yet required to be tested Catalytic stoves have a models have them mass, have provided for emissions by the “bypass damper” that protected from the fire warmth to the coldest EPA, but most produce the user must close and they are usually regions of Europe and low emissions below when the stove reaches vertical. Asia for centuries and two grams per hour. a sufficient temperature are one of the oldest Efficiency figures have so that the exhaust can Non-cat stoves are types of wood burning been reported as high as be directed through the cheaper to buy and heaters. More expensive 80 or 90 percent. Other catalyst. easier to operate, but not than wood stoves, than cost, the main as efficient as cat Both cat and non-cats masonry heaters start at drawback of masonry stoves. About 85% of can degrade overtime. A around $7,000 for a heaters is that they can’t stoves sold in the US cat stove must have its basic heater core and heat up a home quickly are non-cat stoves. Non- catalyst replaced every small masonry mass. from a cold start. cats work by injecting 4 - 10 years, depending The more expensive pre-heated air into the Pellet Stoves on use and age of the ones can cost up to fire to ignite gases, stove. Older model cat $20,000 with Invented in 1973 and smoke and creosote. stoves gave them a bad installation. introduced onto the U.S. They contain an name because the market in the 80s, the insulated firebox and Many masonry heaters catalysts often failed pellet stove is use a variety of can resemble massive and needed to be considered by some to secondary combustion fireplaces that dominate replaced every 1 – 2 be the future of wood strategies. a room, but some take years. heat because of its up only as much space automation, cleanliness as a large wood or pellet and convenience. In environments where air maintain a desired your dealer will be your urban environments quality can be more of temperature. They also default service provider, where natural firewood an issue and are easier to keep so choose one with a is harder to come by, inexpensive cordwood burning 24 hours a day. good reputation. pellet stoves are often is harder to find. Pellet stoves require • Reviews of pellet the preferred option periodic ash removal With the price of pellets stoves may be found on over wood stoves. and cleaning, so they averaging about $263 www.wiseheat.com, Pelletized fuel is are not as automatic as a per ton in 2012 in www.consumerreports.c compressed sawdust fossil fuel furnace. Maryland, the cost of om or usually produced by fuel will be higher than Pellet stoves tend to cost http://www.forgreenheat lumber mills and cordwood and similar to about $500 more than .org/consumer_resource furniture factories. natural gas but much wood stoves, but the s/consumer_resources.ht Pellets come in 40- lower than oil, propane, installation can be $500 ml. pound bags, which are and electricity. less, rendering the total How to Choose a fed into a hopper on the Installing a pellet stove cost about the same – Wood or Pellet Boiler stove unit or delivered usually costs less than usually $2,000 - $3,500. in bulk to a storage bin installing a wood stove Installing an indoor or Considerations for in the basement. Some because pellet stoves outdoor wood or pellet Buying Pellet Stoves pellet stoves are can be vented through fired central heating designed to burn corn the wall, like a clothes • If you want your pellet boiler or furnace may kernels or even cherry dryer. Although they stove to still work in the make sense if you are pits. These are known as don’t require a chimney, event of a power outage, looking to heat your “multi-fuel” pellet maintenance and repairs buy a model that has a entire home that cannot appliances. The Pellet are more necessary than back-up battery pack. be heated by a stove alone. Fuels Institute estimates with wood stoves. Also • The noise of the that about one million note that pellet stove blower can be irritating American homes are require electricity and for some, so listen heated with pellet stoves will not work in a before you buy and today. blackout. Many people research which are find they do not have Pellet Stove or Wood quieter. the natural ambience of Stove? a wood stove. • Pellet stoves require Pellet stoves produce more routine Pellet stoves are more fewer emissions than maintenance and annual convenient than wood wood stoves thanks to cleaning than wood stoves thanks to their their controlled stoves, but wood stoves self-regulating combustion chamber require frequent loading mechanisms that and low moisture fuel. and more ash removal. automatically add the As a result, they may be They also have moving perfect amount of fuel better suited for parts that can break and air needed to suburban and urban down. It is likely that Wood and pellet boilers combustion chamber at designates cleaner and furnaces are the rate needed to create burning ones. widespread in Europe a pre-set temperature. Indoor boilers are and gaining traction in typically located in the the U.S. as a basement of the home replacement for (not a Should I Buy an and can provide as supplement to) fossil Outdoor or Indoor much heat as a fossil fuel furnaces. Pellet Boiler? fuel boiler. They can be boilers and furnaces Outdoor wood boilers very modern, contain using bulk pellets offer (OWB) burn wood to advanced emission Review and Economic homeowners virtually heat water for nearby reduction equipment Considerations the same convenience as buildings. They are such as Lambda sensors a fossil fuel furnace by located inside their own to regulate combustion, Wood Typical Typical feeding fuel Appliance Efficiency Emissions insulated sheds. The and have thermal automatically from a ones that are not storage systems. These Conventiona -10 – 10% 50 grams large storage area. qualified by the EPA’s modern boilers usually l Fireplace per hour Unlike conventional Phase II program are cost $5,000 - $12,000. Advanced 50 - 70% >1 - 5 fossil fuel furnaces and controversial because Technology grams per EPA Phase II vs. boilers, wood furnaces they often produce Fireplace hour Older Outdoor Boilers and boilers require heavy smoke through Outdoor 45 - 80% 2 - 18 grams owners to re-fuel with short (6-10 feet tall) The EPA created a Boiler EPA per hour cord wood. If a smokestacks. Because voluntary program for Phase II cleaner outdoor wood homeowner is willing to these boilers are large Indoor 40 - 90 % >1 - 20 put in this maintenance and located outside, boilers that’s in its Boiler grams/hour time, these appliances operators are more second phase right now. Fireplace 55 - 75% 1.5 - 4.5 can provide huge Boilers that meet the likely to burn garbage Insert, EPA grams per voluntary emissions savings on home and un-split and hour heating bills. Both pellet unseasoned wood. standards for Phase II Certified and wood burning (0.32 lb/MMBtu or Cat Stove, 70 - 85% 1-4 grams Unqualified outdoor furnaces and boilers about 90% cleaner than EPA per hour wood boilers often must have ash removed unqualified boilers) Certified produce large amounts periodically, but beyond have a permanent label of low hanging smoke Non-cat 60 - 75% 1.5-4.5 that, a pellet stove can and a hangtag. Twelve Stove, EPA grams per and have been the be as convenient as a states, including Certified hour source of numerous conventional furnace or Maryland, only permit neighborhood Pellet Stove 60 - 75% 1-2 grams boiler. Like a large- the installation of Phase complaints in Maryland. per hour scale pellet stove, the II units. Indoor boilers, on the Masonry 75 - 90% >2 grams pellet furnace other hand, usually burn Heater per hour automatically draws fuel cleaner but there is no from a storage site and EPA program that feeds it into the Additional Resources The Best Clean Stoves How to Buy the Right by Alliance for Green Stove by Wood Heat Heat: Organization http://www.forgreenheat http://www.woodheat.or .org/consumer_resource g/buy-right-stove.html s/clean.html Pellet and Wood Stove EPA List of Certified Buying Guide by Wood Stoves Consumer Reports http://www.epa.gov/Co http://www.consumerre mpliance/resources/publ ports.org/cro/pellet-and- ications/monitoring/caa/ wood-stoves/buying- woodstoves/certifiedwo guide.htm od.pdf