Whether you’re getting ready for a replacement for your existing wood stoves or are installing a new wood stove to enjoy on a cold winter’s evening, selecting the perfect wood stove for your needs can seem like a complex process. Fortunately, there are only a few factors to take into account when making your selection. In this post, we’ll go through the basics of wood burning stove installation and choosing the best option for your Rochester home.
Wood Stove 101: How to Choose the Best Option for Your Needs
- Wood or pellet: Wood tends to be less expensive, but pellets are more consistent and cleaner to move into your home, while wood may shed moisture, bark, and debris onto your floor. However, a pellet stove also requires electricity to operate its auger to move the pellets, making it difficult to use during a power outage.
- Heating or multi-purpose: A simple heating stove can provide a range of options in terms of appearance and form. However, if you want to be able to cook basic dishes on top of the stove or bake in an oven, you’ll need to look at a flat top or a model with an oven.
- Space requirements: Wood stoves are often based on the square footage they can heat. This involves a bit of math that relates the size of the firebox, the area where the fire is contained, to the square footage it can heat. A stove too small or large won’t work well.
- Traditional, contemporary, or hybrid: Traditional stoves are larger and easier to operate but are less efficient and release emissions exceeding EPA regulations. Contemporary stoves have higher efficiency, a smaller firebox, and lower emissions, while hybrid stoves meet into the middle, providing both high heat and better efficiency.
By taking these factors into account when selecting your next wood stove, you can ensure that you’ll get a great fit for your needs. If you need help selecting the perfect wood stove, or have questions about wood burning stove installation for your Rochester home or business, the experienced professionals at Four Winds Chimney are here to help. Why not take a few minutes to reach out to our friendly team today to get started?
