Clean Diesel

It is possible to save a great deal of money on utility bills by simply installing a wood stove. Not only that, but wood burning is known to be more environmentally friendly than burning fossil fuels. Traditional oil, gas and coal cannot be replaced once burned but tree can be endlessly replaced by planting new ones. So let’s look at how to actually install one of these beasts.

First check that your insurance company is comfortable about you installing what amounts to an indoor furnace. Generally speaking they are fairly amenable to the installation of wood stoves so long as you can assure them that the installation will be carried out by an accredited professional since it is all to easy otherwise to create conditions that might result in a serious fire.

Next you should work out exactly what size of wood burning stove you will need. The best approach is to consult someone who works in a hearth shop. Have this person visit your property and he or she will help you decide on the best wood burner for the size and space you have laid out.

While it is natural to focus on the wood stove it is in fact equally important to consider the flue, since flues fitted to wood stoves must be lined with material suitable for wood burning. If you are fortunate enough to have a conveniently located chimney you might be able to simply line this with the right sort of material, otherwise you will be looking at additionally installing a new flue.

Once you have had the wood stove installed you need to ensure that there a no flammable objects or materials anywhere within a safe distance. What precisely constitutes a safe distance should be documented in the manual for the stove. Also make sure that any children are also instructed to keep to a safe distance – in fact if you small children or pets you may want to fit a fireguard as a precaution.

During normal operation wood stoves need to be regularly cleaned and maintained in good working order. If you are familiar with cleaning a normal fireplace chimney this will be quite familiar. It is important to remove the build up of creosote especially since it can reduce the efficiency of the system and eventually damage the flue (it also smells somewhat if left un-cleaned).

In general though a thorough clean and sweep at least once a year should keep repairs at bay. You might also want to consider things like chimney cleaning logs, which while no substitute for proper physical cleaning, can help reduce the build up of deposits.

To sum up then, bringing in professional help from the beginning will give you wood burning stove installation the best chance of success. This is a long term investment that should pay for itself many times over in the years ahead as well making a small contribution towards reducing the impact on the environment.

Check out these additional articles to find out much more about installing a log burner and how much it costs to install a wood burning stove.