Everything You Need to Know about Heat Stoves.
Are you planning to install a stove, but don’t know which one is the best fit for you? What are the differences? We’ve got a short Q & A to hopefully bring a little clarity to your decision-making.
I don’t have a stove in my house, can I install one?
Likely, yes! Consult with a professional stove company about installation, because you need to ensure your location has everything you need to install a stove safely – a hearth, a designated chimney flue or a direct vent, and proper exterior clearance. Your town codes will define the safety requirements for the vent pipe (no one wants to take a hot stove pipe to the face).
Can I tie it into my existing chimney?
That depends. If you have a chimney that’s venting your boiler, absolutely not. It’s illegal and a major safety hazard to tie a wood combustion system into the same flue as a fuel combustion system. Let’s be safe, not sorry.
What type of fuel do they need, and how much?
Wood Stoves burn off cord wood, which you can buy locally. It comes cut and split “to length” so be sure you’re ordering the right size. 16” is a common size.
Pellet Stoves burn pellets, and they’re sold by the ton at local hardware stores, stove shops and sometimes lawn and garden centers. Both of these fuels often incur a delivery charge if you aren’t able to haul them yourself.
How much you need depends entirely on how you burn. If you’re using this for ambiance, a half to full cord should suffice. If it’s your primary heat source, you may use up to 6 cords depending on the severity and length of the season. If the wood/pellets are lower quality, you’ll also burn more.
What kind of fuel do I buy?
Not all pellets and wood are created equal. You want to be sure you’re buying a quality product from a reputable supplier.
If you choose to purchase cord wood, you must buy it in the state you live in. It’s illegal to bring tree products across state lines. Maine has an Emergency Order in place, to protect Maine forests from prolific invasive pests. Please, do not import wood into your state.
How do I store it?
Pellets must be stored inside, or in a shed. They arrive in heavy duty plastic bags, which can split. If you get moisture in the bags, the pellets will dissolve (think of that pine pellet kitty litter). They become unusable and they make a mess.
Cord wood should be stored outside. Like pellets, it will take up a lot of space, but it also makes a beautiful home for critters, like bugs and small rodents. Best to leave it outside (and the critters!) outside. Just ensure it’s lifted off the ground (we use wood pallets) and covered with a tarp to keep it dry.
How much space do we need?
A pallet of pellets (say that 10x fast) measures 48 by 40 inches. You can disassemble and stack them taller, but make sure they’re supported and you have plenty of room.
A cord of wood when stacked, is four feet high, eight feet long, and four feet deep (or 128 cubic feet). Sometimes this is also called a “full cord” or a “bush cord.”
A face cord is smaller than a full cord and when stacked, “measures four feet high, eight feet long, and as deep as the length of a log — usually 16 inches, though some suppliers sell shorter lengths and thus smaller face cords (consider the size of your stove when buying).” (DownEast)
Be sure to be CLEAR when placing your order and comparing prices. Make sure your supplier is reputable.
What type of wood is best for burning in a wood stove?
Seasoned hardwoods are best for a wood burning stove. “Oak, maple, cherry, ash, and birch are considered the best types of firewood for the fireplace because they ignite quickly, produce little smoke, and have a high heat output, making them ideal for warming homes and creating a cozy atmosphere” says Dreifuss Fireplaces (not local, sorry!). DownEast Magazine also published a great article about wood types, pros & cons, and also terminology. Check it out here! For home heating, Pine is strongly discouraged, because it’s super resinous and causes a buildup of creosote in your chimney, which will lead to chimney fires.
What’s the difference between green and seasoned wood?
Aside from price, the ability to burn! Green is just as it sounds, freshly cut. These logs hold a lot of moisture and will sizzle instead of burn.
Dry wood will bake, breaking down into hot coals creating a wonderful base to keep your fire burning.
Green wood can be purchased for about $50 less/cord, but it really depends on your supplier.
How long does it take to season?
Anywhere from several months to a year. It depends on temperature, sun exposure and how wet you let the wood get.
We, Catherine & Caleb, purchase our cord wood green from our “wood guy” around June/July. We stack it in a sunny spot, atop pallets, with plenty of room between the rows for airflow. It bakes in the summer heat and weather. As the weather gets cooler, and wetter, we cover the pile with a clear tarp which allows the sun in, to bake the wood, and keeps it dry. This ensures we have dry wood for the upcoming winter, and we save a couple hundred dollars by purchasing it early.
How often should you clean out your stoves?
First, your chimney should be swept no less than every 2 years, but this depends on how often you burn and what you burn. If you’re burning pine (please stop that!) more sweeping is better. If you only burn for ambiance, you can go longer. For this blog, we’re going to assume you’re using this as a daily heat source for colder months.
Your wood-stove pipe, connecting to the chimney, should also be swept. It is best to use a wire brush to clean them out. Be sure not to damage the inner lining of the chimney with harsh materials.
Scoop out the ash when the base gets too deep. Remember, you want a bed of coals, but too much ash will smother your fire. You need airflow. Catherine likes to scoop out the middle, leaving a little ash bank on each side of the stove that will hold up kindling above the cleared space where she builds the fire.
While you’re cleaning out your wood stove, check the fire bricks inside for cracks or breakage. They are easily replaced and inexpensive. You can find them at a local stove shop like D&J Hearth (Sanford, ME), Nordic Stove Shop (Dover, NH), and The Stove Shoppe (Epping, NH).
Pellet stoves require more frequent cleaning. It’s best to follow the owner’s manual instructions to make sure you are being the most efficient you can be. As a rule of thumb, you should have a designated shop vac for cleaning out the ash daily. Yes, daily. Compared to a wood stove, this is much more frequent.
Which gives out more heat, a pellet stove or a wood stove?
Pellet stoves give out a more consistent heat with less ash (accumulation) than a wood stove. This is because pellet stoves are electric. They have a hopper, where you load your bags of pellets) that automatically feeds the fire as it gets low. Their efficiency produces less emissions.
Do these stoves use electricity?
Only the Pellet stoves use electricity, so keep that in mind. When there is a power outage, you cannot use your pellet stove. For this reason, Catherine and Caleb actually prefer the wood stove. In Maine, sometimes we lose power for a couple days. Having the wood stove ensures they can keep the house warm, but they have the added benefit of stove-top cooking. Yup! You can set a pan of water or a kettle atop. It’s like camping inside! How romantic 🙂
What is the longevity of the wood stove and pellet stove?
Pellet stoves have more mechanical devices, such as fans and switches that can wear over time. Pellet stoves have a shorter lifespan than their wood stove counterparts. Pellet stoves usually last between 15-20 years. Wood stoves have no electrical parts and fewer parts that may malfunction. A Wood stove’s design life is 20-25 years, but like anything, they will last as long as you take care of them. We’ve seen many homes with 50-100 year old cast iron wood stoves.
What else do I need to know?
It’s hot
Treat your wood stove like a kitchen stove with your children. It’s off limits. No touching. Some families have used baby gates, dog gates, or dog pens to fence off the area, but you need to weigh the tripping hazard and inconvenience they create. Thorough education may be enough for your little learner.
This is dirty business
Yes, the stove is romantic and so cozy, but have no doubt, there will be way more dust and ash in the air. We have to dust/sweep more frequently in stove-season. Bringing in wood also brings in messy foot traffic, dirt, and woodchips.
You need airflow
Stoves put out a LOT of heat, and it can be sweltering in the room it lives in. Ceiling fans help push the air, but you may also want to consider stove-top fans or corner mounted fans to get the warmth more evenly distributed. A compact, 8” swivel fan is also a good choice.
Don’t forget to moisturize
No, don’t the put lotion in the basket, add a pot of water to the top of the stove, as stoves tend to “dry out” the air. We like to add essential oils to the pot for a little fragrance. Catherine’s favorite is Douglas Fir. You can find a series of kettles and steamers online, like this cast iron bear, simple blue or black lattice, red enamel honeycomb, and whimsical dragon to name a few.
Also, if your stove starts looking a little rusty, you can polish it. We like this polish paste. Vacuum all the ash off a COOLED stove, then generously apply the paste (we like this chip brush), being sure to get the polish in all the nooks and crannies. Rub it in, pushing the extra polish across the surface where it’s needed. Your stove will look better than brand new when you’re done!
You get what you pay for.
The first couple years the Allen’s ordered wood, they got wet wood, covered in earth. As they got to the bottom of the pile, they found car parts and trash. The wood had clearly been scooped with a loader, dirt and all, and delivered. That makes one heck of a mess on your property, but also makes the wood very difficult to dry and burn. Don’t cheap out.
If you’re in York County, the Allens adore Matt Sheehan, their “wood guy”. He cuts, splits, and hand loads every single log, so what you get delivered is clean, dry, and perfectly cut to length. Based in York, ME, Matt will deliver both seasoned and green wood. You can call or text Matt at (207)730-8167
Order Early
If you wait, they might be sold out or be delayed in delivery. It’s no fun stacking wood, or pellets, in cold, wet, rainy weather. Order in the spring/stack by summer and burn by winter.
Ordering early also often results in better pricing, and if you can order green wood to season on your own property, there’s a cost savings there, too!
Essential accessories:
Fire Gloves – to load logs and rearrange. We enjoy the classic ones for handling the fire, and these thin ones for stacking and carrying wood.
If you want to stay clean, a log carrier is also helpful. These will take a beating, so spend the money and get a waxed canvas with sturdy handles
Fire Mat – to catch wayward coals. They come in plain colors or motifs
Ash Bucket and shovel – for cleaning out the ash and hot coals
Shovel, Brooml & Poker – Often included in a handy set, you can get fancy, classic, or rustic designs to fit your style
Kindling Splitter – we love this one! (Careful shopping, they make a baby version of this that’s like 6” tall)