Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association Searches
March 23, 2007
HPBA
Day 3 at the HPBA Expo: Trendsetting **HPBA**
Builder Magazine - Washington, DC
March 22, 2007
Nigel F. Maynard
HPBExpo coming to Reno March 14-17 **HPBA**
Exhibitor Online - Rochester, MN
March 23, 2007
Alternative Heating
Record Winter For Dirty Air But Not Many Tickets
KUTV - Salt Lake City, UT
Daily Herald - Provo, UT
March 22, 2007
Associated Press
Bangor stove ban might be up in smoke
West Salem Coulee News - West Salem, WI
March 22, 2007
JO ANNE KILLEEN
WOODSTOVE Buyer's Guide
Mother Earth News - Topeka, KS
December/January 2001
John Gullland
Day 3 at the HPBA Expo: Trendsetting **HPBA**
Builder Magazine - Washington, DC
March 22, 2007
Nigel F. Maynard
Here is a look at the upcoming trends in the hearth, patio, and barbecue industry.
One priority is maintaining the growth of the sizzling grilling segment. "With state-of-art
grills, the latest technology, and must-have accessories, manufacturers are bringing a
whole new meaning to grilling," says Leslie Wheeler, director of communications for the
Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association based in Arlington, Va. "Recognizing consumers'
love affair with grilling, the industry is turning out products that create an out-of-thisworld barbecue experience, in turn, growing the industry to new heights."
Look for bigger units with more burners, from dual, side burners to three- and six-burner
gas grills; burners with higher BTUs; and ample accessories such as rotisserie motors and
pizza grillers.
"We'll see every convenience that's inside a home outside," Wheeler says. "Homeowners
don't want to keep going inside to get something. Now they don't have to. The products
are made to withstand the elements. But, it doesn't have to be just for the luxury homes.
There is something for everyone at all price points."
The industry also will focus on and attempt to reverse the recent decline of the gas
appliances segment. Hearth appliance shipments were down 11 percent in 2006 compared
to 2005, with fireplaces, inserts, stoves, and gas logs seeing the biggest declines. The
housing slowdown is going to bring the hearth industry shipments back to more
traditional growth levels, but the hope is that high-efficiency units, better design, more
options "as well as an improved housing market" will help stimulate sales.
"We make a higher-quality fireplace today," says Kurt Rumens, president of Travis
Industries based in Mukilteo, Wash. "Ten years ago the quality was not as good and
materials felt 'tinny.' Today, gas and electric fireplaces are more believable. We have
elevated the quality design of fireplaces."
Indeed. Exhibitors throughout the show displayed fireplaces and stoves made from a
variety of exotic materials such as hand-wrought metal, stainless steel, frosted glass, and
soap stone.
In the future, look for more streamlined contemporary products with ceramic and glass
surrounds; cool-looking pellet stoves; stainless steel wall-hung units that use ethanol, gas,
and electric; larger units that use glass instead of log sets; and more see-through products
that visually bridge the gap between two spaces.
"The industry will focus on clean-burning appliances and encouraging homeowners to
consider a hearth product in a room other than the family room or living room," Wheeler
says. "A fireplace in the master bedroom or bath, kitchen, or dining room can add
tremendously to a home's comfort and decor."
New products:
A partnership of Italian manufacturer Piazetta Design and Johnson Gas Appliance Co.,
the Sky gas fireplace features a surround made from Majolica--a raw lump of clay that is
dried, painted, and glazed to provide heat resistance and heat storage. No two surrounds
are the same, the company says. Shown here in orange, it comes in four additional colors.
Piazzetta Design/Johnson Gas Appliance Co.
Known for its streamlined modern design, Wittus has introduced this whimsical Shaker
stove designed by Italian architect Antonio Citterio with designer Toan Nguyen. Made
from matte black steel, the bench measures 41 inches high, 34 inches wide, and 21 inches
deep. A model with a 6-foot-long bench also is available.
Wittus
The Integra II pellet stove from Austroflamm by Rika has the capability to heat 2,500
square feet and will burn up to five days depending on the size of the fire selected.
Distributed exclusively by the Hearth Products Group, the EPA-certified unit burns clean
with very few harmful emissions, the company says. It comes with five accent colors and
has a 145-pound fuel hopper capacity.
Austroflamn
This Liberty Collection outdoor grilling unit DCS by Fisher & Paykel consists of three
separate modules "a griddle with side burner, a grill, and a side burner with sink" to offer
consumers modular options. The pieces create 11 1/2 feet of island space and have
removable teak countertops that can be replaced with waste receptacles. Burners feature
17,000 BTUs, and the griddle has 15,000 BTUs.
DCS by Fisher & Paykel Appliances
At only 12 inches deep, the stainless steel Bed and Breakfast 21 DV gas fireplace from
Travis' Fireplace Xtrordinair product line can be placed anywhere in the wall of a
bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, or dining room. The streamlined design allows sheetrock to
be installed right up to the face, and three accent colors allow design flexibility. It has
built-in convection, 82 percent overall efficiency, and can heat up to 650 square feet.
Travis Industries
The Gabo II gas freestanding stove is a departure for Rais: It is the only wood-burning
unit the company makes. Featuring the same Danish modern design as the manufacturer's
other products, Gabo has a ceramic floor pan instead of stainless for better functionality
and a more realistic wood look. It has a steel side plate, stainless steel top plate, and a
glass door. It comes in black or gray.
HPBExpo coming to Reno March 14-17 **HPBA**
Exhibitor Online - Rochester, MN
March 23, 2007
3/22/2007 - The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Expo (HPBExpo), North America's largest
indoor/outdoor living show, ranking No. 136 on Tradeshow Week's Top 200 list, is
bringing its exhibition to the Reno-Sparks Convention Center in Reno, Nev., March 14 17, 2007. Alternating between East and West Coast locations, the HPBExpo is contracted
to return to Reno in 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015.
One of the nation's fastest growing tradeshows, the 2007 HPBExpo is expected to see a
45 percent increase in first-time exhibitors and a 7.3 percent increase in overall exhibitors
compared to last year's expo in Salt Lake City.
The HPBExpo features 472 exhibiting manufacturers of hearth products, pools, spas,
casual furniture, barbecues and accessory products. Attendees include: specialty retailers;
installation distributors; heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) contractors;
liquid propane (LP) and hardware dealers. The Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors
Authority (RSCVA) estimates that the expo will have an economic impact of $11.2
million on the Reno-Tahoe region. The 12,000 expected attendees have already generated
more than 14,700 room nights in local lodging facilities. Demonstrating the popularity of
home improvement and outdoor living, the expo will also be featured on Home & Garden
Television.
"We're very pleased to have secured a five-year contract with the Hearth, Patio &
Barbecue Expo," said Ellen Oppenheim, president and CEO of the RSCVA. "Hosting a
top 200 tradeshow truly speaks to the advancements Reno-Tahoe has made within the
meetings and conventions market as well as to the amazing changes the community is
currently undergoing to attract a group of this caliber."
To meet the needs of HPBExpo exhibitors, who require an indoor area to demonstrate
gas-burning products, the RSCVA retrofitted the Reno-Sparks Convention Center with
the installation of gas distribution and carbon monoxide detection systems and renovated
the building's exhaust fans. The retrofit included more than $300,000 in enhancements to
the Reno-Sparks Convention Center which offers more than 500,000 square feet of
convention space.
"The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association is very excited about returning to Reno," said
Leslie Wheeler, director of communications for the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue
Association. "As one of our attendees' top-preferred HPBExpo locations, we look
forward to seeing all the new Reno attractions and the expanded Reno-Sparks Convention
Center."
For more information on Reno-Tahoe, America's Adventure Place, log on to
www.MeetRenoTahoe.com or call 888-MTG-RENO (888-684-7366).
The Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority (RSCVA) owns and operates a
number of meeting and convention facilities including the 500,000-square-foot RenoSparks Convention Center. The Reno Events Center provides downtown exhibit space
and acts as a venue for concerts by today's top performers. The National Bowling
Stadium, known as the "Taj Mahal of Tenpins," and the Reno-Sparks Livestock Events
Center, home of the "Wildest, Richest Rodeo in the West," supply additional facilities.
Reno-Tahoe, America's Adventure Place is also home to 18 local hotel properties
offering 11,000 to 200,000 square feet of full-service meeting and convention space
along with 20,000 lodging options to keep its guests relaxed, rejuvenated and ready to
take on another adventure.
Record Winter For Dirty Air But Not Many Tickets
KUTV - Salt Lake City, UT
Daily Herald - Provo, UT
March 22, 2007
Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY Dave McPhie says he wasn’t paying much attention to red-day
warnings when he got a $25 ticket for using his wood stove.
“I thought, ‘Well, if that’s the law, that’s the law,’ so I just paid the ticket,” said McPhie,
of the Salt Lake City suburb of South Jordan. “It’s less than a speeding ticket.”
Hale was among a handful cited during the winter, the worst on record for inversions,
which trap pollutants near the ground and turn Utah’s air into a brownish fog.
State regulators got 97 complaints, up from six last winter. Enforcement, however, was
hit-or-miss, depending on whether inspectors could catch violators in the act of burning.
“It’s not like there’s a bunch of guys out there looking at chimneys. They just wait for a
call,” said McPhie, who believes a neighbor turned him.
That’s how it usually works, inspectors say. Angry neighbors who see wood smoke linger
over their houses on so-called red days call or register complaints on a government Web
posting.
Violators can be “just as angry,” said Andy Hale, an environmental scientist and enforcer
for the Utah Division of Air Quality. “They say they should be allowed to burn. It’s not a
popular program.”
Jeffrey Sorenson, a 50-year-old brick mason in the suburb of Sandy, got cited despite
spending more than $3,000 on a wood stove with an afterburner that’s supposed to
eliminate exhaust gases. Hale told Sorenson he could still see the emissions.
“I know exactly who it was,” his wife, Patty Sorenson, said of their accuser. “It was this
lady across the street. She came to my house the next day and said, ‘Well, Patty, what’s
been going on?”‘
The woman said she was hoping Sorenson would blame another neighbor with a “trashy
yard” and retaliate by complaining to city officials about the mess. Sorenson said she did
just that.
Sorenson opted to attend a two-hour class instead of paying the $25 fine, where she
learned how to build a proper fire, avoiding green wood, and when not to burn.
Sorenson was surprised to find herself the only student and asked Hale, whom she
recognized from grade school, “I’m the only one?”
“To me, I just wanted to prove my point,” Sorenson said. “I did a lot of research when I
bought my stove to learn how many emissions would go off. I went in and told him,
“This is wrong.’ He just kept repeating himself, and I kept asking him, ‘Why?’ My time
was probably worth more than that.”
Hale and a tiny corps of air-quality enforcers cited six wood burners during the winter,
but two of the cases are unresolved or under dispute. At the request of The Associated
Press, Hale’s superiors released the names of four offenders who settled their tickets.
Salt Lake County logged 28 red days, when pollutants were most concentrated, up from
three last year. Most of the days came during a persistent January inversion, when publichealth officials implored commuters to give up their cars for mass transit.
“The morning I got the ticket, the fire was left over from the night before,” said McPhie.
“It was smoking in the morning, and it was a red-burn day.”
Hale said he didn’t enjoy confronting any of the wood burners. He had a chance to
become a conservation officer, but didn’t want to get involved in enforcement. As a
scientist, he does “odd jobs” for his agency outside of inversion season, which typically
comes every January along the Wasatch Front.
In winter, high-pressure systems can combine with Utah’s bowl-shaped mountain basins
to trap cold air close to the ground, keeping car emissions and other pollutants from
dispersing. The inversion can linger for days or weeks until a change in weather or winds
sweep the basins clean.
Formerly, Hale was assigned to inspect the gasoline sold by stations in Utah County that
were required to sell only oxygenated fuel to cut down on emissions.
“I was the most hated person in Utah County for 12 years,” Hale said. “I don’t like to do
enforcement, and I ended up doing enforcement.”
Bangor stove ban might be up in smoke
West Salem Coulee News - West Salem, WI
March 22, 2007
JO ANNE KILLEEN
.
Outdoor wood stoves are once again a hot topic in Bangor, six years after the village
voted to ban the units.
At the March 2007 board meeting, village trustees learned the wishes of the board in
2001 to ban outdoor woodburning stoves was never put into legal ordinances.
According to village records, on Feb. 13, 2001 Bangor’s board approved the ban.
The president at the time said he would notify the attorney for the village of the vote.
Apparently, that never happened and no public hearings were held about the ban.
An ordinance book adopted in August 2002, a compilation of ordinances upon which
public hearings were held, never reflected the ban.
Village clerk Shelly Miller discovered the problem and put it on the agenda for the March
2007 meeting for a couple of reasons.
“A citizen wanted the opportunity to make a public comment,” Miller said, “and for me
to inform board members that what was passed years ago was never placed into the code
of ordinances.”
Bangor resident Jeannette Schaller requested an opportunity to speak to the board
regarding outdoor stoves that have been installed on neighbors’ properties since then.
“When he fires up, I’m right next to him,” Schaller told the board. “I don’t get the smoke,
just the smoke smell on the west side. I thought my house was burning down. I had talked
to him and he’s really nice but he doesn’t know what he can do.”
“I wanted to make the board aware there was a problem and see if there was anything
they could do,” Schaller said of her reason for speaking at the meeting.
Schaller was peppered with questions about the height of the neighbor’s chimney/stack
on the stove and other questions about stoves and stacks in the neighborhood that she
wasn’t prepared to answer.
Board member Eric Vaughn took issue with Schaller’s comments, telling her if she was
going to complain about that then she would have to complain about all the wood burning
stoves, indoor or out, on her block. Vaughn produced a list of about 18 addresses that he
said all had wood burning stoves or fireplaces and should be included in her complaint.
“I was surprised by the treatment by a board member,” Schaller said. “I felt like I was
being verbally attacked. I was shocked.”
The board expressed the inability to do anything about the smell because they couldn’t
control humidity and air pressure that keeps the smoke from staying down at house level.
Board member Dan Hesse tried to offer sympathy, saying he has his own indoor stove
and he knows what that smell is like.
“Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. It smells like the house is burning down even
when there’s no fire,” he said to Schaller.
According to the board, as long as those with stoves meet the legal limits for chimney/
stack height, there wasn’t much they could do about it.
The question is what legal limits the board referred to, since the ordinance is not in effect
and there are only manufacturer design limits.
The topic will be placed on the April board agenda. It is unclear what will happen to the
outdoor stoves that people have placed on their properties since the ban was approved or
if the board will support the ban.
Schaller left the meeting saying “Thank you for nothing.”
“I would hope they would have a public hearing and take some time to think this
(allowing outdoor wood burning stoves) over,” she later told the Coulee News.
Schaller said she took a poll of Lower Labus Drive in her neighborhood and found only
three homeowners used their indoor fireplace, wood burning, or pellet stove. One of the
stoves in her neighborhood Schaller says is outside. Vaughn says the stove in question is
indoors.
Fifteen of the houses, according to Schaller’s conversations with her neighbors have no
fireplaces. They have stacks that vent the house, they told her, but not a fireplace or
stove.
“I can’t be the only person fighting for the whole community,” Schaller said, hoping
others would come forward at the next meeting to add to the discussion.
In other business:
n Braun Intertec announced it had received another $31,000 grant for continued cleanup
of the old feed mill. Braun will submit a proposal to the board on how it intends to spend
the funds. The first thing Braun intends to do is clean up the site for environmental
hazards.
WOODSTOVE Buyer's Guide
Mother Earth News - Topeka, KS
December/January 2001
John Gullland
The 10 reasons to heat with wood
1. It's a renewable energy resource
Wood is energy from the sun, stored by the tree as it grows. When you burn wood you
are releasing this stored energy. In the dark of winter, it's like having a bit of summer sun
on your hearth.
2. An Earth- friendly choice
When fuels burn they release carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases responsible for
global warming. Trees absorb carbon dioxide as they grow, so when you heat with wood,
the carbon dioxide is released, then absorbed again by young trees. Because trees recycle
carbon dioxide, wood burning just warms you, not the globe.
3. You're in charge
Stop writing checks every month to the energy utilities. Do you really want to leave
something as important as staying warm in the hands of a faceless corporation?
4. No more freezing in the dark
When a storm interrupts the electrical supply, all the conventional heating systems are
useless, but the woodstove keeps you warm and cozy and safe. Now a power failure isn't
so much of a drag: You get to use the candles.
5.Warms you like no other
The radiant heat from a stove or fireplace is like the rays of the sun. It warms you through
and through.
6. The romance of the flame
The soft glow of firelight is the favorite setting for an intimate conversation. It's the place
where friends and family gather to talk and laugh in comfort.
7. Raise your energy I.Q.
Each log you place on the fire is a visual reminder of the environmental impact of
keeping your family warm. It's the wood heat way of knowing.
8. Heat a space, save some energy
That stove or fireplace in the living room keeps you warm and cozy in the place you
spend your time. The basement and bedrooms stay cool. Regardless of what you pay for
energy, space heating with wood clips 25 percent right off the top.
9. Invest in your community
Spend a buck on oil, natural gas or electricity and you feed a corporate giant. Spend a
buck on firewood and you feed a neighbor.
10. It's cheaper!
Wood is the cheapest heating fuel you can use if you don't live in a large city. Some
people actually think the only reason we heat with wood is to save money. Poor souls,
they miss so much of what is good in life .
Whether you decide to make wood your primary heating fuel or just want to spend winter
evenings around a warm, flickering fire, you'll need to choose from a bewildering array
of options: elegant enameled woodstoves, high-efficiency fireplaces, furnaces or even
cookstoves. Here's what you need to help you make the right choice, including a
comprehensive list of stove models, sizes, prices and other details.
The benefits of home heating with wood are numerous: comfort, beauty, indepen dence,
security and environmental respon sibility. Surely the most discussed advantage is the
promise of cost savings compared with the mainstream alternatives. Although there are
many variables involved, you can almost certainly save money by heating with wood if
there are forests in your region and you don't live in a city. If the recent volatil ity of oil,
gas and electricity prices provides a hint of the future, the savings could increase in the
years ahead. As long as youenjoy managing the firewood supplyand the fire, you will be
a successfulfull-timewood burner.
I've not only heated with wood for nearly 30 years, wood burning also has been my life's
work for almost as long. I've heated with rusted-out cookstoves, sooty furnaces and
gleaming enameled cast-iron heaters. I've worked as a welder, stove designer, woodenergy bureaucrat, dealer, trainer and writer. And I've tried out eight different stoves in
the 12 years since we built our present house.
The first decision you'll have to make is whether to shop for a central or space heater.
The two main advantages of a central furnace or boiler is that it can maintain the entire
house at an even temperature and keep the mess of firewood and ash out of sight in a
utility room. But one big disadvantage is that the beauty of the fire is hidden behind a,
steel door. Furnaces and boilers also tend to be large, crude and inefficient, which, unless
your house is also large and inefficient, can mean a smoky, smelly, overheated home. In
other words, furnaces and boilers work best when called upon to meet a big heating load
like a very large or leaky house. It pains me to say this as one who started his wood-heat
career working on central wood furnaces, but I don't usually recommend furnaces and
boilers because they have not kept pace technologically with the advances of woodstoves
or of North American housing.
If you live in a reasonably well-constructed house of average size built in the last 30
years or so, you probably can heat the whole place with a single woodstove, provided it is
located and installed right. The woodstove is by far the most popular form of wood
heating. Why? Because stoves are the most economical and flexible option, and country
folks, being practical and thrifty, have figured this out. What they've found is a stove
located in the living area keeps that space cozy while other parts of the house, such as the
basement and bedrooms, stay cooler. This selective space heating suits people who like
their bedrooms cooler, and they save a lot of energy in the bargain. While there are other
options within the space heating category, I will focus on woodstoves because of their
overwhelming popularity.
When you go shopping for a woodstove you will have two main sources of information
to help with your decision. First is the manufacturer's literature that gives performance
specifications; I'll explain each specification below, and to help you compare different
stoves, each model's specifications and price are shown in the chart. Second is the advice
you receive from the various stove dealers you visit. The experienced dealer wants you to
be so happy with your purchase that you will tell your friends so they will buy, too. That
means the good dealer will make every effort to meet your objectives with the right stove
since no dealer wants you to come back complaining that the stove is too big, too small or
otherwise unsuitable. A good dealer can be your most valuable resource, but beware of
dealers who don't heat their own houses with wood and don't have operating woodstoves
in their showrooms - their advice might not be worth much.
Once you collect a few stove brochures you'll notice the standard pieces of information
that are provided. Some of these can help you with your purchase decision. Let's go
through some of the most useful ones.
Sound Stove Strategies
Always locate the stove in the space you want to keep the warmest. For most households
This is the central area containing the living room, dining room and kitchen. Don't make
the mistake of "hooking up" the stove to an unused chimney in an unfinished basement,
hoping the heat will rise to the living area. Some heat will rise to the upper level, of
course, but you will probably still end up with a 90-degree basement and a 60-degree
living room, woodstoves are manually controlled and should be located where people are
around to monitor their performance and adjust the air control as needed. Families who
heat most successfully with woodstoves locate them in the central area where they eat,
relax and entertain.
Install a new chimney straight up through the warm space of the house, not out a wall and
up the outside. The physics of why this is important is too complicated to get into here,
but take it from me, outside chimneys are the single biggest reason why woodstoves
smoke into houses. If you never want your stove to smoke when you light a fire; or to
stink when it is not in use; put the chimney inside. Think of the chimney as the engine
that creates the draft and drives the wood-heat system To enjoy trouble-free wood
burning you need a good chimney, and the best performing chimneys run straight up.
CAST IRON OR STEEL
The two main material options are cast iron or welded steel. There is no performance
difference between them, so the decision has to do with aesthetics and price. Graceful
curves and artistic relief patterns make cast-iron stoves pleasing to the eye, rather like
fine furniture for home heating. You'll pay a premium price, however, and cast stoves do
need to be rebuilt every few years to seal the joints between panels, so air leakage will
not allow the fire to burn out of control. Welded steel stoves are plainer, but some are
attractive enough for a well-appointed living room.
In terms of durability, I'm not convinced there is much difference. Cast stoves used to
have the edge because any part that failed from heat stress could be replaced easily. But
now, having learned their lessons, the reputable steel stove makers have designed their
products so that the highly stressed internal parts are replaceable. This is one area to
watch out for when shopping. Sometimes cheap stoves are not designed for years of
continuous winter use, so it is wise to ask the dealer to show you which parts are
replaceable.
COMBUSTION TECHNOLOGY
The debate over catalytic versus noncatalytic combustion has been going on for almost
20 years. Both approaches have proved effective, but there are performance differences.
Catalytic combustion, in which smoky exhaust gases are passed through a catalyst-coated
ceramic honeycomb buried deep inside the stove where they ignite and burn, tends to
produce a long, steady heat output. All catalytic stoves have a lever-operated catalyst
bypass damper, which is opened for starting and loading. This tends to make the
operation of these stoves a little more complicated. The catalytic element degrades over
time and must be replaced, but its durability is largely in the hands of the stove user. In
the care of a conscientious user, the catalyst can last more than six seasons, but if the
stove is overfired, trash is burned and maintenance is nonexistent, the catalyst may fail in
as little as two years.
As its name implies, noncatalytic combustion does not use a catalyst, but instead creates a
good environment for combustion right in the firebox. Three key features create this
environment: firebox insulation, a baffle to divert gas flow and preheated combustion air
introduced through small holes all around the upper part of the firebox. "Noncats" tend to
produce a some what "peakier" heat output curve, but are prized by their users for the
beautiful fire they create. Good conditions for combustion include high temperatures, so
the baffle and other internal parts will need replacement from time to time as they
deteriorate with the heat.
So, which is the better stove, a "cat" or a noncat? It would appear the market is slowly
turning in favor of noncats, as some manufacturers actually have switched in that
direction. Still, some of the most popular high-end stoves continue to use catalytic
combustion. Both options have their benefits and limitations, as well as legions of loyal
users who swear that their (cat or noncat) is far better than those silly (cats or noncats).
Masonry heater
• burns fast and stores heat for later use
• clean burning and reasonably high efficiency
•specialized operation: a new fire must be built for each heating cycle
• high initial cost
Cookstove
• EPA exempt, so efficiency tends to be low
• not good for serious space heating -great for cooking
EMISSIONS
Back in the late 1980s, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established a
mandatory smoke emission limit for woodstoves of 7.5 grams of smoke per hour (g/h).
This regulation was necessary because older stoves were so smoky they were adding to
air pollution problems in some regions. Today, all woodstoves and fireplace inserts must
be tested and meet this limit, and many are certified for emissions down in the 1 to 4 g/h
range.
EFFICIENCY
On average, the new stoves are about 30 percent more efficient than the old box, potbelly
or step stoves of yesteryear, and even most of today's central heaters. That's 30 percent
less cost if you buy firewood, or 30 percent less cutting, hauling and stacking if you cut
your own. Although this higher efficiency is a byproduct of mandatory emission limits, it
has made the EPA rules a winner for both the environment and stove users (See "
WoodHeat Breakthroughs " ).
Unfortunately, none of the really useful performance ratings shown on stove brochures
(such as efficiency, heat output, heating capacity and burn time) are standardized and
regulated, so they can't always be trusted or compared one to the other. For example, the
EPA does not require stove efficiencies to be reported, but for obscure reasons assigns
default figures of 63 percent for noncats and 72 percent for cats. Some manufacturers
have paid for independent efficiency tests and show the results on their promotional
brochures. But because efficiency test methods have not been standardized and regulated,
you can't be sure the figures are based on the same tests and calculations. On the other
hand it appears that all EPA certified stoves are more than 60 percent efficient and some
can deliver around 80 percent of the fuel's potential heat to the house. This is far better
than the low-tech uncertified options, many of which are in the 50 percent range and
lower. (An overall efficiency higher than 80 percent is not desirable because the resulting
low exhaust temperature means weak draft and the risk of water vapor condensation,
whichdamages the chimney.)
HEAT OUTPUT
Most manufacturers list a maximum heat output in British Thermal Units (BTUs). For
popular stoves this falls in the 25,000 to 80,000 BTU range. But this figure can be
misleading. First, the full output of a stove should not be used often since continuous
high firing can do serious damage to the stove's innards. Second, the average mediumsize house needs only 10,000 to 20,000 BTUs per hour of continuous heating power,
even during cold weather. Finally, some manufacturers use the heat output rate from EPA
testing, which uses softwood fuel, and others use the results of their own tests which can
produce a considerably higher peak output depending on the fuel used. Still, a
comparison of the maximum heat output figures shown on the chart will give you some
idea of relative heating power among various models.
HEATING CAPACITY
Stove makers always state how many square feet of space the unit will heat. Some of
them wisely give generous ranges like 1,000 to 2,000 - square feet or suggest the
maximum area the unit will heat. The reason for the big range and vague figures is that a
particular stove might heat a 2,000square-foot house in Georgia, but only a 1,000-squarefoot house in the Dakotas due to the climate difference. An old house also might have
twice the heat loss of a new house of the same size in the same climate zone. And finally,
a stove burning softwood, such as spruce, wlll put out less heat per firebox load than it
would burning a hardwood, such as maple.
In practical terms, considering all the variables, woodstoves come in three sizes: small
stoves, for heating a large room or a seasonal cabin; medium, for heating a small- to
medium-size house; and large stoves, for heating somewhat larger or leakier houses.
Correct sizing of stoves for particular objec tives and conditions is one area where the
advice of an experienced woodstove specialist is particularly useful.
Central Heater Options
Wood furnace or boiler
• EPA exempt, so most are 30-year old technology
• relatively low efficiency
• suitable for large, older houses with many small rooms
Outdoor Boilers
• large firebox surrounded by water jacket located in a shed outside; heated water is
pumped underground to house
• EPA exempt, so combustion system is usually simple or nonexistent;
• controversial because of high smoke emissions
• suitable for remote areas, particular ly when heating more than one building
Decorative Options
Conventional fireplace
• masonry or factory-built metal
• EPA exempt, so efficiency is low
• open fireplaces without doors tend to smoke into the room
• may be suitable for casual heating in warm climate zones
BURN TIME
How long will a given stove burn on a single load of wood? The only reasonable answer
is: It depends. Burn time depends on wood species and moisture content, and on how
much heat is needed during the burn. My experience is that any medium or large stove
sized correctly based on all the issues discussed here will give a reliable overnight burn
with plenty of coals remaining to kindle a fire in the morning. Stoves in the small
category may or may not give an overnight burn, but they tend not to be used for wholehouse primary heating.
LOG LENGTH
For convenient loading, the firebox should be about 3 inches bigger than your longest
pieces of firewood. Don't be misled into thinking a stove that can handle 20-inch
firewood is really bigger or better than one that can take up to 18-inch logs. The standard
firewood length for stoves is 16 inches, mostly because it is the most practical length
handling. Any guy who claims it is easy to lift, stack and load 20inch firewood is bigger
and stronger than I am. I'm also aware many women are serious users of woodstoves, and
I suspect that, on average, their wrist and forearm strength is closer to my own than to
that of a burly logger.
There are many other features you might wish to consider. These include whether the
stove can be operated with open doors and a fire screen in place (see footnote on the chart
), whether it has an ash pan, a cooking surface, and aesthetic matters like color options,
plated doors and trim, and pedestal versus legs. None of these affect heating performance
but can influence your enjoyment of the stove.
For lots of additional great information about wood heat, chimneys, firewood, etc., go to
www.woodheat.org, a nonprofit Web site supervised by John Gulland and other wood
heat experts.