Stoves gain popularity as economical and environmentally friendly heaters
Shipments of pellet stoves and pellet fireplace inserts rose 161 percent last year.
(Associated Press)
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For 23 years, Julie Gore has heated her Ada, Ohio, home with a wood-burning stove. When the old one wore out, she didn't hesitate to buy another for her family room.
"It's warm and toasty," said Gore, an administrative assistant at Ohio Northern University. "I wouldn't trade it. If you get a chill, you can stand by it and warm up."
Stoves as secondary heating sources are growing in popularity, and they come in two basic varieties: wood stoves and pellet stoves. Some proponents say the stoves can be more environmentally friendly and help cut energy costs; other experts say that varies from household to household.
Traditional wood-burning stoves like Gore's enjoy stronger sales, but pellet stoves, which burn compressed sawdust, may be gaining on them, according to the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association, a manufacturers trade group. Shipments of wood stoves and wood fireplace inserts rose 81 percent in 2008, the association said. Pellet stoves and pellet fireplace inserts increased 161 percent that year.
Both kinds of stoves are meant mostly to heat specific rooms or groups of rooms, not entire houses. They cost $3,000 to $4,500, including installation.
The federal government is offering a 30 percent tax rebate in 2009 and 2010 for purchases of wood or pellet stoves that meet a 75 percent efficiency requirement.
Here are some of the ways wood and pellet stoves compare:
Effort
Wood stoves must be fed with logs, while pellet stoves use 40-pound bags of pellets poured into a hopper.
Most hoppers can hold an entire bag of pellets, which will last about 24 hours before needing to be reloaded, said Leslie Wheeler, spokeswoman for the trade association.
With pellet stoves, look for a model with a large hopper opening to make it easier to load pellets, and check for an easily removable ash pan to make cleanup quick, suggested Bob Markovich, the home and yard editor at Consumer Reports magazine, which recently profiled heating stoves.
A safety precaution: Homeowners should place carbon monoxide and smoke detectors near the stoves, Markovich advised.
