Clean Sweeps of Michigan's Blog

Why Install a Wood Stove Today?

When thinking about adding a new heating appliance to their home, many homeowners are quick to dismiss wood stoves, viewing them as outdated or old-fashioned. However, this could not be further from the truth!

Modern wood stoves are beautiful, efficient appliances that make an excellent primary or supplementary heating source. With a variety of sizes and styles available, now is the perfect time to consider switching to a wood stove. Below are a few of the many advantages of installing a wood burning stove in your home.

Save money of fuel

With the ever-rising prices of oil, natural gas, and electricity, burning wood [http://www.woodheat.org/cord-wood.html] may be one of the most cost effective ways to heat your home. Wood averages a lower price per BTU than any other fuel source.

In addition to saving money on fuel, using a wood stove for zone heating [http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-thermostat4.htm] is another way to amass significant savings. Zone heating works by heating specific rooms at specific times, such as warming the kitchen and family room during the afternoon and evenings and the bedrooms at night. Doing this reduces your overall heating costs by not unnecessarily controlling the temperature in parts of the home that are not in use.

Keep warm – even when the power is out

Unlike some fireplaces or inserts, wood stoves do not require electricity to run. This means that they can continue to heat your home even if the power is out. Additionally, wood stoves are an excellent choice for families looking to go “off the grid” and not use electricity to heat their homes.

Wood stoves also help heat your home more efficiently than a traditional fireplace. With an open hearth, much of the heat ends up being lost up the chimney. With a wood stove, however, the fuel source is more efficiently burned and can better heat a room or an entire house. In addition, many wood stoves can be installed directly into an existing hearth, often needing only minor adjustments to the flue before use.

Reduce your carbon footprint

There are a number of ways that wood stoves are considered green energy sources. First, wood stoves use a renewable resource as their fuel source. In addition, firewood can be easily found in almost every part of the country, meaning you aren’t spending additional time or money driving around hunting for or shipping a fuel source.

In addition to using a renewable resource, modern wood stoves must also be certified by the Environmental Protection Agency. EPA Certified wood stoves burn fuel efficiently and produce a minimal amount of particulate emissions and air pollution.

Add beauty and ambiance to your home

The addition of a wood stove is an excellent way to add beauty and ambiance to your home. Whether it will be used in a rustic cabin or a more modern living space, the wide variety of styles [] and sizes of wood stoves means there is an appliance for every home.

If you’re ready to add the warmth of a wood stove to your home, stop by or contact Clean Sweeps of Michigan today! Our expert staff can help you find the wood stove that fits your budget, style, and heating needs.

How to Turn your Inefficient Fireplace into an Efficient Alternative Heat Source

According to the National Association of Homebuilders fireplaces are one of the top three features new home buyers look for in a home. A warm, crackling fire is a welcoming and inviting addition to any living space during the cold months of winter. What many homeowners fair to realize, however, is that their fireplace may actually be losing more energy than it is creating.

As fireplaces and chimneys age, they may become more inefficient. As the warm air from a fire rises, cold air from outside can flow in, filling the room and negating the effects of the fire. Thankfully, there are several products available to homeowners to help improve the efficiency of their fireplaces, making them excellent sources of warmth all winter.

Fireplace inserts 

For many homeowners with traditional, wood burning fireplaces, a fireplace insert represents a low maintenance, high efficiency replacement option. Fireplace inserts are glass-fronted fireproof boxes that create a closed combustion system, trapping the hot air created by a fire before it can escape up a chimney. Inserts are able to efficiently heat a room, especially with the addition of a fireplace blower.

While fireplace inserts have traditionally been exclusively gas, they can now be powered by several different fuel sources including electricity, wood, pellets, or coal. This wider variety of choices gives homeowners the ability to choose an insert to better meet their needs. Although inserts are considered to be the most energy efficient choice for fireplaces, only inserts approved by the Environmental Protection Agency should be installed in residential homes. The EPA designation ensures that the fireplace insert has undergone rigorous testing regarding both its safety and efficiency.

Dampers 

Dampers, or the metal plate that separates a fireplace from the rest of the chimney, are designed to have a snug, airtight seal. Over time, dampers may lose their original seal, allowing cold air or moisture to enter a house through the chimney. Because they are exposed to both hot and cold air – as well as the elements – it is recommended that dampers should only be repaired or replaced by licensed professionals.

While closed dampers can prevent unwanted cold air from entering a room, dampers should always be left open when a fireplace is in use. Doing this prevents smoke and other harmful gasses from entering the home, allowing them to travel safely up the chimney instead.

Firebacks 

Sometimes seen as only decorative, firebacks are large metal pieces placed at the back of a firebox. The primary purpose of a fireback is to reflect heat back into the room, preventing warm air from travelling up the chimney and out of the room. In addition, firebacks protect the fireplace masonry from damage from long-term exposure to fire and heat. Because of the ease of installation and the number of different styles they are available in, adding a fireback is a fast and easy way to improve the efficiency of an existing fireplace without undertaking a major remodel.

Fireplace doors 

Professionally fitted fireplace doors are an attractive, decorative way to seal their fireplace when not in use. Like firebacks, fireplace doors are available in a number of different styles and finishes, giving homeowners the ability to choose a style that fits their décor and budget.

Similar to the damper, fireplace doors should always remain open while the fireplace is in use. The primary way they improve efficiency is through a combination of preventing cold air from entering and warm air from leaving when the fireplace is not in use.