Saturday, May 28, 2011

Save Dollars on Electricity With a Wood-Burning Stove

By Molly Webster


Wood-burning stoves have long been liked for their elegance and old-time charm. However, a wood-burning stove may also be a rather sensible and functional improvement to your home. Though these stoves may perhaps have a high price upfront, they can in fact save you cash on your utility bills in the long run.

Wood-burning stoves can be employed as space heaters, and several may also accommodate a boiler to produce your hot water. They may also be used for cooking, making the stoves a extremely versatile feature for your house. The versatility of wood burning stoves can save you cash throughout your home.

Wood was not always considered a clean or efficient source of heat, but laws by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have changed that. Wood-burning stoves are now designed to be highly efficient, producing about 90% less smoke along with a more even heat output than old stoves.

Producing less smoke also means that these efficient new stoves also produce less creosote, nearly eliminating the risk of chimney fire, and decreasing the frequency with which the chimney will need to be cleaned. The restrictions by the Epa has made wood burning stoves safer to have in your household.

A single wood-burning stove works most effective as a space heater in little, well-insulated homes, where heat can easily move from one room to another. For larger homes, multiple smaller stoves might be used instead to heat individual rooms. The stoves will need to be placed inside the area where your family spends the most time. By supplement your existing heating system with a wood-burning stove, you may reduce your fuel usage and lower your winter heating bills. In the event you also use the stove for cooking or to supply hot water, the savings can definitely add up.




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