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A Guide To Choosing Your Next Wood Burning Stove For Next Winter
Wood burning stoves are commonly produced from welded steel and porcelain. Wood stoves are an excellent alternative to open fireplaces and have a lot of features that you cannot find with fireplaces. Wood burning stoves are often beautiful, and the problem is that there are many beautiful stoves to choose from. You might settle for a traditional black, porcelain enamel wood stove, or you may choose from a myriad of other vibrant colors. Wood burning stoves are highly valued by their owners for the amazing warmth that they put out.
Wood burning stoves are split into three major families - catalytic, non-catalytic and pellet. These types of stoves come in freestanding types, or fireplace inserts that can be placed in an existing firebox. Wood stoves are like self contained little fireplaces. They are inexpensive and can be incorporated into the design of a new home or added later on.
Wood stoves are environmentally friendly as the amount of carbon dioxide emitted back into the air is the same as that captured by the tree during growth. It is also referred to as a renewable resource, particularly when wood is derived from plantations. When you consider how simple wood stoves are, you will soon realize why they've been dominant as the heating system of choice for decades. If you're seeking a super low-tech space heating solution for your home then you should definitely consider a wood burning stove.
Catalytic style wood stoves are generally more complex to maintain, and need to have their catalytic converters checked a minimum of 3 times each season, and replaced according to the manufacturer's instructions. Many of the newer catalytic stoves have a viewing portal or thermometer to help you check the condition of the converters.
Non-catalytic wood burning stoves usually use firebricks to maintain heat within the firebox and inject secondary air into the top. Non-catalytic stoves (as the name suggests) do not use catalytic converters, but have 3 characteristics that create a great environment for complete combustion. These are firebox insulation, a large baffle to induce a longer gas flow path, and preheated air that is brought in through small inlets right above the ignited wood in the combustion chamber.
Wood burning stove inserts are designed to fit into the fire place, and rely on the laws of convection and fans to re-circulate heat back into your living space. Wood stove inserts are usually a lot easier to keep clean than your old masonry fireplaces as well. Fireplace inserts are placed within an existing fire box and vented through the existing chimney flue.
In terms of materials Cast iron and steel are the best metals for heat conductivity - this is what makes them so popular. The color of the particular finish is also a very important consideration, with black being the best color in terms of conduction of heat . Cast iron is extremely strong and it can sustain extremely high temperatures without getting damaged. The only real drawback to cast iron is that it is relatively brittle and can be subject to splitting if handled roughly. For this reason you should carefully inspect new and used cast-iron units for cracks before using them. When treated well, cast iron lasts forever, sheet metal doesn't. Despite the drawbacks, cast iron has a thermal mass and excellent heat radiating properties, and therefore captures and stores heat energy due to its air inclusions. It captures and disseminates heat more evenly and for a much longer time period than any other substance used in wood stove manufacture.
About the Author Kyle Zoltowski is a national correspondent with over 15 years editorial experience. Kyle is presently employed as a technical writer for fuzing.com, and has become the company authority on Cast Iron Wood Stove and Cast Iron Wood Burning Stove.
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