Posts Tagged ‘Wood Stoves’

3 Things to Consider Before Installing a Wood Stove

Monday, February 20th, 2023
family-enjoying-wood-stove

Here in Southern Vermont, we know how rough winters can get. Having dependable energy that can help rapidly heat your home with a furnace, boiler, or ductless mini splits is great.

But what happens when the power goes out? Where do you turn when the dependable system you’ve been counting on all this time has failed you?

That’s when you consider wood stove installation. That’s when you take that safety and assurance back into your own hands.

There are just a few things you need to know before you jump in with both feet. Let’s run through them together.

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Can a Cracked Wood Stove Be Repaired?

Monday, December 5th, 2022
family-enjoying-wood-stove-in-living-room

Wood stoves are arguably one of the best ways to heat your home, but they’re not invincible. Even cast iron wood stoves have their kryptonite: heat expansion. It’s unavoidable and happens over time, but does that mean your wood stove is doomed just because of a crack?

Whether it’s clay or cast iron, wood stove repair is entirely possible. Right now it’s a safety hazard, but with some relatively quick fixes, you can have that wood stove all fired up again to heat your home. Here’s what you need to know.

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What You Need To Know Before Wood Stove Installation in Southern Vermont

Monday, March 4th, 2013

A wood stove can make a classic addition to any home system. It can also be configured as your primary means of heating when installed professionally. If you’re thinking of installing a wood stove in your home, there are a few things to keep in mind. HB Energy Solutions is committed to informing its customers as to the value of a wide variety of heating options. Here are a few of things that you should know before moving forward with installing a wood stove.

  • Weight. Depending on the brand and size of the model, wood stoves can be very heavy. Even the smallest of steel and cast-iron wood stoves may weigh well over 200 pounds, and it increases substantially as you move up in size. Your local wood stove professional will be able to advise you on where the weight of your wood stove system is best placed.
  • Chimney. Your wood stove needs a clean and well-ventilated chimney in order to be able to efficiently exhaust smoke and fumes outside. Check to see what kind of chimney your wood stove needs. Every wood stove tends to come with its own set of ventilation requirements. The flue must also be made of heat-resistant material, leak-proof, and the correct diameter and height.
  • Clearance. The heat radiating from your wood stove requires an appropriate amount of clearance. For example, if you have wood flooring surrounding your stove, it can deteriorate over time.  Wood stoves require a certain amount of floor protection based on the size of the stove and its height off the ground. Your local technician will know exactly what you need to keep your home safe and warm throughout the year.

When thinking about which wood stove to purchase, contact the Southern Vermont wood stove installation professionals at HB Energy Solutions. We install high quality stoves from brands like Pacific Energy, and we know how to maximize the energy efficiency of your unit. Call us today.   

Pellet Stoves vs. Wood Stoves: Which is Superior?

Monday, February 11th, 2013

For Southern Vermont homeowners that are interested in switching from oil or natural gas, pellet and wood burning stoves are a great option. But which one is more efficient and which one has the fewest emissions? At HB Energy we specialize in alternative fuels for homeowners that are seriously interested in reducing the amount of energy that their homes use. We wanted to put together quick comparison to give homeowners a good starting place as they start thinking about switching fuel sources.

What Are Wood Pellets?

So what exactly are wood pellets? Sawmills and other wood working businesses produce a huge amount of waste wood shavings and saw dust. Normally, those would be thrown away in a landfill. Wood pellets are made from that waste material by compacting them under high pressure. The wood shavings are pressed into a small, pill-shaped mass that can then be used to fuel wood pellet stoves.

Pellet Stoves: Pros and Cons

Wood pellet stoves offer extremely high efficiency and BTU output when compared to wood burning stoves. In almost every instance, the pellet stoves provide greater efficiency and higher head output per unit of fuel consumed. However, pellet stoves require electricity, though, not a lot of it. But if the power goes out then you can’t use your pellet stove. Additionally, wood pellets are not available in all places and in the event of a natural disaster if you can’t acquire any pellets then you can’t heat your home.

Wood Burning Stoves: Pros and Cons

One of the best pros for wood burning stoves is that its fuel source is readily available. You can find wood pretty much anywhere and if you have trees on your property they can be used to for fuel as well. However, wood burning stoves are much less efficient than pellet stoves and they also require more fuel to produce a similar amount of heat. But wood burning stoves don’t require any electricity to run so if the power goes out your home will still be comfortable.

If you have any questions about wood burning stoves or pellet burning stoves in Southern Vermont, call the experts at HB Energy.

Heating with Wood Safely and Efficiently in Springfield VT

Monday, November 5th, 2012

When done correctly, burning wood is one of the simplest and most efficient ways to keep your home warm. As long as new trees are being planted to replace those that are harvested for wood it is a sustainable, carbon neutral practice as well. If you’re interested in supplementing your home heating system – or even replacing it – with a wood burning system, HB Energy Solutions has some information to help you make the right decision for your home. Consider this information and follow the tips and you should have no problem heating your Springfield VT home safely and efficiently with wood.

  • Choose the right stove for your home. A fireplace is great for heating a single room, but they are not really designed to keep your whole house warm. A good wood burning stove can handle the task of heating your home efficiently and effectively. Be sure that your stove meets EPA guidelines and that it is properly sized for your home.
  • Don’t expect to just walk outside, find some wood and be set for the winter. You must season your wood for at least six months, keeping it off of the ground and protected from the elements while it dries. Green wood will not burn efficiently and smokes a lot more than well-dried wood.
  • Chop your wood as evenly as possible. Keeping your wood supply uniform allows for more even burning. Be sure to split your wood down to a fairly small size as well. This too helps wood burn more evenly and efficiently. It also speeds up the drying process.
  • Start your stove off hot. Get a mound of coals going and add a few logs all at once. This will help your stove burn wood as completely and cleanly as possible.
  • Keep an eye on your chimney. If you are generating a lot of smoke that means that the combustion is not complete enough and that you are creating a lot of pollutants. This can lead to chimney fires.
  • Do not burn trash in your wood burning stove. This creates more pollution. Also avoid questionable, moldy wood.

We hope that this information is helpful and that you enjoy your wood burning season. If you have any questions about the operation or maintenance of your wood burning stove be sure to call HB Energy Solutions. We’ll help you get the most out of the wood burning stove in your Springfield VT home.