Chimney Care Company's Blog
Wood, pellet or gas – Which type of stove is right for your home?
If you’re considering adding a heating stove or fireplace insert to your home, it can be difficult to know what type of stove is right for you. Wood-burning, pellet and gas stoves all have their advantages and disadvantages, which you’ll need to weigh to help determine which type of stove will fit your home-heating needs.
Wood-burning stoves
Wood stoves are a natural choice for traditionalists. If you prefer the warm glow and pleasant sent of a wood fire, a wood stove makes sense. EPA-certified woodstoves can be incredibly efficient, returning up to 70 percent of the fire’s heat to your home. EPA-certified stoves also emit relatively low levels of smoke and particulate matter into the atmosphere.
Of course, one of the biggest draws of wood-burning stoves is fuel costs. If you cut, stack and store your own firewood, you can heat your home with a free fuel source. Even if you must purchase firewood, wood-burning stoves can be inexpensive to fuel and can lower your home’s overall heating costs.
Pellet stoves
Pellet stoves are ideal for people who love the traditional feel of a wood fire, but hate the work and storage space that goes into powering a wood-burning stove. Pellet stoves also are incredibly efficient and environmentally friendly. With pellet stoves, you can expect up to 83 percent of the fire’s heat to be returned to your home. Because pellets are made from dehydrated wood and contain little to no moisture, pellets burn more cleanly than logs, emitting less smoke and leaving less residue in your chimney.
Pellet stoves are easier to maintain than wood stoves, as pellets can be purchased as needed in 40-pound bags, eliminating the need for chopping, stacking and storing firing wood. Because pellets are fed automatically from a hopper into the stove, one load of pellets can heat a home for up to 24 hours. That means a pellet stove can heat your home consistently while you’re at work, running errands or sleeping.
Gas stoves
Gas stoves win on convenience and efficiency. With a gas stove, you can enjoy roaring flames with the flip of a switch or the push of a button. Many gas stoves are connected to thermostats, so you can control the temperature. Gas stoves emit next to no particulate matter, and gas stoves return up to 99 percent of the fire’s heat back into your home!
Some people worry that gas stoves will provide an artificial-looking fire, but new models produce incredibly real looking logs and flames, complete with glowing embers. Of course, if you prefer a more modern look, gas stoves also can be fitted with rocks or glass marbles.
We can help you choose!
If you’re trying to determine which type of stove is right for your home, call the experts at The Chimney Care Co. Our experts can talk to you about your home heating needs and walk you through the positives and negatives of each type of heating stove.
The importance of dryer vent cleaning
Particles of lint like the ones you regularly clean from your dryer’s lint screen also make their way into your dryer’s vent system, clogging the vent and causing a potential fire or carbon monoxide hazard. Because of that, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends that homeowners have their dryer vents cleaned at least once per year, more often for households that do a high volume of laundry. Having your dryer vents professionally cleaned will help you realize several benefits.
Reduce your fire risk
As lint builds up in your clothing dryer vent, the hot air and gases created by the dryer cannot escape your home. The dryer becomes hotter and hotter, leading the highly combustible lint to catch fire. In fact, more than 15,000 house fires, causing more than $230 million in property damage, are caused each year by clothes dryers. The majority of those 15,000 dryer fires, according to the NFPA, could have been prevented with dryer vent cleaning.
In addition to lint build up, your dryer vent can become clogged from the outside by a variety of items. Animals can make their way into your dryer vent and nest or die, blocking the system. Plants growing close to the dryer vent can grow up into the vent if they’re not maintained. The exterior flap on the vent also can get stuck in a closed position. Having your dryer vent cleaned and inspected annually ensures that your dryer vent is cleared, opened and fully functioning.
Increase your dryer’s efficiency
A clogged dryer vent also reduces the efficiency of your dryer. That means clothes will take longer to dry, meaning you’ll increase the time you spend doing laundry and energy costs related to keeping your dryer going. The lack of efficiency also taxes your dryer. When your dryer is fighting with clogged vents to do its jobs, the dryer becomes overworked. Because of that, clogged dryer vents can reduce the lifespan of your clothes dryer.
Know when to have your dryer vent cleaned
While the general recommendation is to have your dryer vent cleaned and inspected at least once a year, there are some signs that indicate your dryer vents are overdue for a cleaning. When your dryer vent isn’t working optimally, your clothes will take longer to dry than normal; your dryer, the clothes in the dryer or your laundry room may seem unusually hot when you’re drying clothes; you may notice a burning smell when your dryer is running; or the scent of your dryer sheets may seem stronger than usual. You also can perform a quick visual inspection of your dryer vent on the outside of your home: If you see lint blowing out of the vent, or if the flap isn’t opening when the dryer is running, your dryer vent should be serviced immediately.
If you’re overdue for a dryer vent cleaning, or if you’ve noticed some of the warning signs listed above, call the Chimney Care Company at 513-248-9600. We can clean your dryer vents and have your dryer running safely and efficiently.