QA

Question: How To Buy A Wood Burning Stove

What do I need to know about buying a wood burning stove?

Wood Stove Buying Guide: Pick the right size wood stove. Decide if you want a freestanding stove or fireplace insert. Efficiency, efficiency, efficiency. Clean air and the new EPA regulations. Catalytic or non-catalytic. Some like it smart. Find a qualified installer. Go ahead and schedule that first chimney cleaning.

What kind of wood burning stove do I need?

As a basic benchmark, a small wood stove will heat less than 500 sq. ft., a medium wood stove will heat between 500 – 1,000 sq. ft, a large wood stove will heat between 1,000 – 2,200 sq. ft., and an extra-large wood stove will heat over 2,200+ sq.

What is the most efficient wood burning stove on the market?

Drolet Escape 1500-I is the combination of everything you would like in an insert wood stove. It has a 65,000 BTU/h heat output. This can heat home with up to 1,800 sq ft area but it’s recommended to be used in 500 sq ft to 1,200 sq ft area. With 78% efficiency, it’s the most efficient wood stove.

How do you size a wood stove?

What Size Wood Burning Stove Do I Need? Calculate the cubic space of the room by multiplying the width, height and length. As a rule of thumb, divide the cubic space by 14 and this will give you a KW output needed for the room. If your room needs a wood burner between 4-6 KW then you need a small wood burning stove.

Do you need electricity for a wood burning stove?

Energy Source: Wood stoves do not require any electricity to operate, making it an ideal backup heating source. Newer, EPA approved wood stoves are more efficient and clean burning than older and non-EPA approved models so they have less ash and less buildup in the chimney.

What does BTU mean for wood stoves?

Learn about BTUs and what is recommended for your home. BTU (British Thermal Unit) is a unit of measurement for heat. For fireplaces, the higher the BTUs, the higher the heat output.

Can a wood stove heat an entire house?

Wood stoves aren’t typically designed to heat an entire house but sized to warm a particular room in a home. However, installing a wood stove in the right location in a home, along with helping to circulate air between rooms, or using a stove boiler, can help to raise temperatures across a whole house.

How much does it cost to heat 2000 sq ft of wood?

Assuming your five-room house is around 2000 square feet, you’d probably need something like six cords of wood. Again, it’s better to overestimate than underestimate. Overall, you’ll need multiple cords of firewood to make it through an entire winter. You might need ten cords or more, or you might only need a few.

How big a space can a wood stove heat?

A small wood stove can generally heat up to 500 square feet. A medium wood stove can heat between 500-1000 square feet. A large stove can heat between 1000-2200 square feet. An extra large stove can heat over 2200 square feet.

What is the 3 2 10 rule?

This rule means that your chimney’s shortest side needs to be at least 3 feet above the roof penetration, and its top has to be 2 feet higher than any part of the building that’s within 10 feet.

How long will a wood stove last?

The average life of a wood-burning stove is 10 to 20 years.

What wood stove burns the longest?

Typically catalytic or hybrid wood stoves produce the longest burn times. Catalytic stoves and inserts produce long-term stable heat outputs due to their design and the nature of a catalytic combustor.

Can a wood stove be too big?

A wood stove can be too big for the amount of space that it’s heating. Wood burning stoves should be sized accordingly with the area that’s intended to be heated. A wood stove that’s too big and causing the area to become too hot can lead to it being underutilized and underperforming.

How much wood do I need to burn a wood stove?

How Much Wood Do I Need For A Full Year? There is no ‘average’ that a homeowner can expect to burn in a single season as it will depend on many factors, however, EPA certified wood stoves may consume between 3-6 full cords of wood in a single season plus/minus depending on usage, climate, and heating requirements.

Can I install a wood burning stove?

If you live in a house without a chimney, you may be wondering whether it is possible to fit a wood burning stove. Fortunately for many, the answer is – yes! While gas stoves and electric stoves are also an option, for some, it is only the ritual of burning a solid fuel that will do.