| When it comes to purchasing a wood stove for | | | | chimney and pipes can become heavily coated |
| your home, there are three basic types you can | | | | with creosote which will need to be manually |
| choose from: box stoves, air-tight stoves, or | | | | cleaned away with a soot remover or a chimney |
| pellet burners. There are pros and cons to each | | | | brush. |
| type, with people having their own personal | | | | You can purchase stoves which are air-tight which |
| preferences. Although box stoves don't burn as | | | | have many different finishes. What you need to |
| efficiently, because they aren't air-tight, they are | | | | realize is that the finish of the stove can make it |
| the least expensive option. Unfortunately, quality | | | | more or less efficient to operate. The best |
| often suffers as a result of the price. Air-tight | | | | coating is a flat black finish which causes the |
| stoves are recommended for highest efficiency, | | | | stove to yield 90 - 98% usable heat. Flat paints |
| but their price tags will reflect their high quality. | | | | and enamels will radiate between 70 and 90% of |
| Pellet stoves have recently come into popular use. | | | | their heat, while stoves with shiny surfaces will |
| They give out steady, even heat, but the controls | | | | give you efficiencies of less than 60%, with light |
| that operate them won't work if the power goes | | | | colored stoves being at the bottom of the charts. |
| out. | | | | This is a fact that many homeowners are |
| Since there are serious negatives when it comes | | | | unaware of, but it will definitely affect the |
| to box stoves and pellet burners, you may want | | | | effectiveness of your wood stove. |
| to concentrate on the purchase of an air-tight | | | | An air-tight wood stove is an excellent choice for |
| wood stove. These models feature a sealed | | | | homeowners who are looking to lower their |
| firebox and a door that fits snugly. The air-intake | | | | heating bills significantly. With a stove like this, you |
| damper is either manually or thermostatically | | | | will be able to shut down the fire by closing the |
| controlled. This allows air to circulate around the | | | | damper, but the hot gases will stay in the stove |
| firebox and controls the rate at which fuel is being | | | | much longer and continue to heat the air in your |
| consumed. Air-tight stoves burn for long periods | | | | home. This can be a perfect solution for overnight |
| of time without requiring owner attention. | | | | heating. |
| Unfortunately, since the stove burns slowly, the | | | | |