Monday 29 June 2009

Wood Stoves Are A Great Secondary Heat Source

Checking the authenticity and usability of the wood stoves needs to be checked before making any purchase. Wood stoves were used in ancient America for many household and general purposes. A wood stove is a device, which is normally used in the kitchens for the heating of food, keeping it warm and making it palatable. A wood stove is often used for heating rooms or cooking food. Purchasing a free standing wood stove is a great way for anyone who doesn't want the hassle of building in the stove, this makes it easier if you decide to remove. A pellet-stove is very efficient because the pellets that are used are made from scraps of wood and compressed together.

Many wood stove that insert into the fireplace have fans that can blow the warm air and not the smoke into the rooms, this is a great way of getting more heat into the house. The primary reason for installing a wood stove insert rather than a stand alone stove is to utilize an existing fireplace, however there are additional benefits. A stove insert which is installed into an existing brick or stone fireplace will certainly be more efficient than a stand alone unit located within the room. Using glass doors that covers the front of a fireplace is a great way of stopping the heat from escaping, this reduces the heat from escaping but does not stop it completely.

An outdoor wood burning furnace is most well known for its ability to heat on a low budget. This low-cost heating is often most beneficial to homeowners. Wood heat is a comfortable way of heating your home but it does take some safety knowledge and precautions to do so safely. Heat is something that every home needs; unfortunately, it is sometimes difficult to afford.

Buying a certified stove completely reduces the chances of your chimney catching fire. Try to keep the chimney clean, over the years the chimney will accumulate creosote and this can cause a fire if not cleaned frequently. The chimney must be checked for an excess of soot deposited on its inside. The most convenient and preferable location for the installation of the chimney is the center of the house. Every pot belly stove has a chimney that is attached to let the smoke out.

The cost of heating with wood is relatively inexpensive. Many wood stoves come with a lot of accessories but you will need to purchase them because they are not given in the package when the stove is purchased. This adds a personal touch to the customers' wood stove as they can use the leg piece of their choice. Wood stoves come with a nice feature that catches the ashes it is called the ash drawer. Check the manufacturers warranty on all stoves and make sure this is sufficient for your use, many manufactures have a limited warranty period. With its fine design and elegance, a contemporary wood stove is sure to add style and class to any room. Wood stoves were used in ancient America for many household and general purposes.

Wednesday 24 June 2009

Know More About Outdoor Stoves

Outdoor stoves are used for preparing scrumptious dishes when a person is outdoors. You may either cook in your backyard or prepare meals when you are camping outside but for all such activities, you definitely need an outdoor stove. The term "stove" refers to a cooking appliance which is used for cooking purpose or heat generation.

For a camper or backpacker, it is necessary to carry an outdoor stove with him/her. The outdoor cooking stoves are very much acceptable since heat can be regulated as compared with open fires. Moreover, the outdoor stoves take much less time to cook food than charcoal grilles. Every time you set fire to the charcoal, you are intemperately reliant on outdoor conditions. It happens a lot of time that when you turn back to your campsite, after a day full of worked up outdoor activities, you are too exhausted to make repeated attempts to light charcoal. So, it is better to carry an outdoor cooking stove along with you.

Initially coal fueled or wood burning stoves were used, but due to the furtherance in technology, many more innovative and fitter versions of outdoor cooking stoves have been created. Pressurized cooking stoves are quite popular these days as they have the potency to set ablaze any type of inflammable liquid such as diesel, alcohol or any other type of motor fuel. They can for sure warm and cook the food very quickly and easily.

The outdoor cooking stoves are available in a plethora of designs, styles and shapes. Backpacking stoves are an perfect option for those who travel long distances. Some outdoor stoves are big, and can be carried by a car, canoe or horseback. Larger stoves store more fuel and facilitate the preparation of many dishes at a time.

Outdoor stoves are sturdy and strong and are made in such a way that they can withstand harsh climatic conditions. They are more or less reasonably priced and last for years, if maintained properly.

So, get a suitable outdoor stove and make your outdoor cooking a nice and pleasurable affair!

Thursday 18 June 2009

Things to Consider When Buying Coal Stoves

Coal stoves are a truly effective way of heating a home, however before you run out and buy one for your own home there are certain factors that need to be taken into consideration first. It is crucial that you know what these factors are as this will help you to determine just which is the right one for your home.

Firstly, you need to assess whether you have the space available to have a chimney installed on your property if you currently do not have one. Albeit some coal stoves today have their own metal chimneys which can be attached to an outside wall, you need to find out whether planning permission is required to install such an item first. The easiest way to find this out is by contacting your local authority and see what regulations they have with regards to the installation of brick or metal chimneys to a property that currently does not have one.

If you actually do have a chimney already at your home it is important that before you get any kind of coal stove installed you have it thoroughly inspected. There are plenty of company's who will carry out such inspections and provide you with details of any problems and what needs to be done to rectify them. Also arrange at the same time to have the chimney thoroughly cleaned.

A chimney is essential as this is what helps to vent the stove and so prevent toxic fumes from having access to your home. So even once installed you will need to make sure that it is regularly maintained. To prevent the build up of soot in your chimney it is important that you arrange to have it inspected and cleaned every six months to a year depending on how much it is used. Certainly those that are being used continuously should be cleaned every six months.

After the chimney issues the next thing you have to take into consideration when buying coal stoves is what size you want. The size you select will depend upon what size of home you have and just how many rooms you intend to heat using it.

After taking the above factors into consideration and you have selected your coal stove you now need to get it installed. It is best if you use a company who has plenty of experience in the installation of such equipment and not just the stove but also the other bits and pieces such as the chimney parts. Hopefully the store where you purchase your coal stove from will be able to recommend a company that can carry out these works for you.

It is vital that after your coal stove has been installed that you regularly check it over before it is lit. Over time just by looking at your coal stove you will be able to quickly identify any seals, grates or glass that needs to be replaced because they have become worn or damaged. This is especially crucial if you only have yours lit during the winter months.

Coal stoves as mentioned are a great way of ensuring that your home remains warm throughout the winter months. However, if you really want yours to be truly effective you need to make sure that you take care of it properly and that you use the best kind of fuel possible.

Monday 15 June 2009

Safety Precautions For Stove Use

Your stove is possibly one of the most useful appliances in your home, but it can also be the most dangerous if you aren't careful. It´s something that most people don´t think about much, but your stove can be the scene of many accidents. It pays to be cautious whenever you use your stove to avoid injuries and possible problems.

General Safety Precautions

Whether you have a gas, wood or electric stove, there are certain safety tips that should always be followed to keep your family safe.

• When cooking, turn the pots so the handles don´t stick out over the edge of the stove where small children can grab them and pull boiling hot food on top of themselves.

• Always keep a fire extinguisher handy near the stove, even if there is a sink nearby, grease fires will just spread if you throw water on them, so it´s better to use an extinguisher.

• Only let children cook under adult supervision.

• Use oven mitts and potholders to handle hot pans and pots to prevent burns from the high temperature metals.

• Don´t use metal spoons to stir food on the stove and then leave them in the pot. They heat up quickly and can burn your hand the next time you touch them.

• Avoid using loose, flowing clothing or leaving dish towels near hot burners, since these can catch fire.

Gas Stoves

For obvious reasons, gas stoves need extra safety precautions. You want to make sure that there are no gas leaks, so anytime you hear a hissing or smell gas and can´t tell where it is coming from, turn off your gas at the source, open all windows and exit the house. Call the fire department to check it out. Here are some other things to keep in mind with gas stoves.

• If your stove doesn't have a pilot light, be sure to light it immediately after turning the gas on. You can cause an explosion by waiting more than a second or two. Even minor gas explosions can seriously injure someone who is close to the stove at the time.

• Check regularly for gas leaks and if you notice any stove parts getting rusty or old, be sure to replace them.

• Gas tends to heat very quickly, so watch your pots carefully to make sure you don´t end up with soups boiling over or starting a fire in a pan. If you do end up with a fire, use your fire extinguisher, don´t throw water on the flames.

Electric Stoves

Electric stoves are the staple of most kitchens. They heat evenly with coils and electricity tends to be more stable than gas as far as safety goes. However, there are still some precautions specific to electrical stoves.

• Clean under the burners regularly to prevent fires. Extra bits of food that fall under the burner into the tray can catch fire if the burner is hot enough.

• Since pots are placed directly onto the burner, it´s pretty easy to accidentally touch the hot element. Be careful when reaching across the stove, even if it´s turned off, since the element can store heat for a while afterwards.

• Take care and use protective equipment to put things in the oven. Electric stoves usually have elements at the top of the oven and this can really be a danger when you reach far into the preheated oven.

Stoves are very useful and can be a great appliance to have, but they do need to be treated with care in order to avoid injury. Cook carefully and follow the safety precautions listed above to get the best, safest use out of your stove.

Tuesday 9 June 2009

Why Choose an Outdoor Wood Stove?

Many people like to have a heater in the garden to keep the place usable during the winter, and for many people the first choice is an outdoor wood stove, and mainly because of three reasons. These reasons are: it can keep the garden or patio warm, it can be used for cooking, and it also adds a great visual element to the garden.


The first thing to look at is how warm the heater can keep the patio or the garden. It's safe to say that a wood burning stove has such great heat output that you will never need to feel cold ever again. You do need to keep the stove filled with wood in order to keep the fire burning properly, but it isn't a difficult job, and does not need to be time-consuming if you prepare the wood beforehand.


The next great thing about a wood stove is that it can be used for cooking. Some wood stoves are in the style of a barbecue, in that the food can be cooked on a griddle resting directly above the fire. But some of the most expensive models actually have a cooking range on top of the stove, which means you can actually cook a full meal.


The visual element may not be so important for many people, but a lot of people think that to look at a real fire while sitting outside on the patio is one of the nicest things you can do, particularly on a chilly evening. If you have an electric heater you simply do not get this visual element, and that is why a wood stove really beats an electric stove hands down.


Now that you know the three reasons to buy and outdoor wood stove, all that you need to do is find the model that suits your budget.

Wednesday 3 June 2009

3 Ways Wood Stoves Save Money & the Environment

If you're reading this article, you probably own one or more wood stoves. Or maybe you've started exploring today's stove market, and wonder how easy it is to get a maximum return on your investment in radiant heating. Either way, you're in luck. Here are three suggestions that will help you stretch your heating budget to its limits while benefiting the environment and enjoying your stove in the process.

Before we dive in, you need to know that the primary cause of inefficiency in wood burning stoves is the incomplete consumption of fuel. When wood doesn't burn completely, overly smoky fires and decreased heat output are the results. Fortunately, by ramping up wood burning efficiency, you will be cutting down on both airborne pollution and fuel waste. Here are three ways you can use your wood stove with best results.

First, only burn seasoned wood in your stoves.

This is actually a familiar concept, similar to eating lean meat or low-fat yogurt. Recently cut, green wood, is full of moisture, which makes it hard to burn. Up to 50 percent of the weight of green wood can be moisture, which means that your stove has to work overtime to evaporate all that liquid before radiant heat is produced.

Dry, seasoned wood, by contrast, burns steadily and hot, causing top-rate heat output, money savings, and cleaner air. Therefore, when you purchase wood for your stove, buy the previous year's harvest for the current year's burning. If you have the foresight, you can also buy new wood and let it air dry for six months to a year (depending on the type), after which it will be ready for burning.

Second, make "Indian fires" in your stove.

Watched any Western movies lately? Back in the frontier days, Indian fires were the lean, green solar panels of back country heating. By burning small and hot, they were easily kindled, efficient to tend, and good to the environment. Today, not much has changed. Making small, hot fires allows your stove to dispense with unstable gases at an optimum pace, burning them off quickly. That results in better air quality and virtually no safety risks--not to mention better fuel economy. By carefully building a smaller blaze, you'll be a little more involved in tending your stove. But great heating efficiency and better air quality are such good dividends that you probably won't mind.

Third, feed your wood stove the right fuel.

This is basically common sense, but since common sense is so frequently uncommon, I'll go ahead and say it. When your stove is blazing in the corner, it's possible to get over enthusiastic and start treating it like an all purpose Master of the Blaze. Materials like plastic trash and junk mail can get thrown on the fire, in addition to more fuel-like items like charcoal briquettes, hunks of water-proofed wood from your decking project, etc. Admittedly, it's kind of fun to throw all manner of things inside your stove (especially if you love pyrotechnics!), but by doing so, you can damage your stove's inner workings, causes your heating efficiency to plummet, and release dangerous chemicals into the air. So resist the temptation. After all, they're called "wood stoves" for a reason.