Chimney Care Company's Blog
Discover the benefits of a woodstove
Images of cold winter nights are often accompanied by visions of a glowing fire — the yellow and orange flicker of flames, woodsy smell and gentle crackling. You can enjoy the ambiance of a wood fire, along with many other benefits, when you install a wood-burning stove in your home.
Lower your home-heating bills
Woodstoves give you the option of heating the rooms you use most. Woodstoves can put out an ample amount of heat. They can be installed either freestanding or inserted into your existing open-hearth fireplace. When a woodstove is heating your main living space, you can lower the thermostat for the rest of the house. Turning your thermostat down by just one degree can lower your home heating bills by 3 percent.
The wood that powers your stove comes at a lower cost than other home-heating methods. If you harvest your own firewood, the fuel is nearly free, save your labor, tools and any fuel. Even if you purchase your firewood by the cord, wood remains a low-cost way to heat your home, costing less per BTU than oil, gas or electric heating.
Reduce your environmental impact
Among those who advocate for sustainable living, wood is the gold standard for home heating. An EPA-certified woodstove is an incredibly efficient source of heat, and produces little pollution. Because the wood would have had released the same amount of greenhouse gases had it been allowed to decay naturally, burning wood for fuel is considered to be “carbon neutral.”
Add comfort and value to your home
Nothing is quite as cozy as a woodstove. It keeps you warm on cold winter nights and creates a sense of comfort. Woodstoves and fireplace inserts can add a sense of style and design to a home. Should you decide to sell your home, a woodstove could help attract buyers who also are looking to reduce their home heating costs and their environmental impact.
Have a source of emergency heat
A long-term power outage during a winter cold snap is a scary proposition: How will you keep your family warm and keep your home’s pipes from bursting? If you have a woodstove or wood fireplace insert, your stove can provide a source of heat during a power outage. While many woodstoves do have electric blowers, they will still provide a decent source of heat during a power outage. That can help keep your home and family safe in an emergency.
If you think you stand to benefit from the installation of a woodstove or a wood-burning fireplace insert, call the experts at The Chimney Care Co. We can talk to you about the advantages of woodstoves and show you all of your woodstoves options. With The Chimney Care Co., you can be confident that you’ll find the heating source that’s right for your home!
Tax Credit for Upgrading Your Stove to an EPA Rated Stove
Replacing your old stove or fireplace has a variety of benefits, including being more environmentally friendly, keeping your family safe, and—best of all– saving money! Older wood stoves and fireplaces are not up to EPA standards, however; the majority on the market today is. You can tell if your stove is EPA certified because it will be labeled on the back. You can also check the EPA’s list of certified wood heaters. Stoves that are not already certified are not able to get certification; if your stove is not already certified, you must buy one that is.
Better Air Flow
Wood smoke is essentially wasted energy. EPA rated products have better insulation and improved air flow. With a properly installed EPA rated fireplace, you will see and smell much less smoke; which means less harmful chemicals in the environment. Because they are more efficient, there will be less creosote buildup in the chimney, lessening the risk of a fire and keeping your family and home safer.
Money Savings
There is also money to be saved when you make the switch. The higher efficiency means that you will spend less time and money replenishing and hauling fire wood. Making the switch means you will use up to one-third less fire wood. In addition, your purchase may qualify for a Federal Tax Credit for Consumer Energy Efficiency. Ten percent of your stove, up to five hundred dollars, may be covered. Make sure that you save all system receipts and manufacturer certifications, in case the IRS asks for proof of your energy improvements. Then, make sure to file IRS form 5695 with the rest of your tax forms.
Requirements
There are some stipulations on switching your older fireplace. You cannot sell the old fireplace because if someone else is using it, it will not help the environment, which is, of course, the EPA’s main goal. The EPA recommends that the old stove be put out of commission. The new stove must also be installed by a professional. If a certified technician installs it, you can get a rebate and be assured that it will perform properly. Stoves installed by non-professionals can be deceptively dangerous. Problems with the installation may not be initially apparent—and may result in fires. Used, non-certified stoves can either be scraped or traded in with the purchase of the new one.
Deciding on which new stove or fireplace to buy may be difficult. You have the choice of wood, pellet, or gas burning and stoves, inserts, or fireplaces. It depends on your preference, needs, and budget. There’s not a one size fits all solution. Fortunately, you can make an appointment at Chimney Care Co. and we can walk you through the wide array of options. We sell and install stoves and fireplaces, so you can count on us during the entire process. Later on, you can also call us for maintenance and repairs. We do it all! Your wallet, your family, and the environment will thank you.