WOODSTOVE Buyer's Guide

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When you go shopping for a woodstove you will have two main sources of information to help with your decision. First is the manufacturer's literature that gives performance specifications; I'll explain each specification below, and to help you compare different stoves, each model's specifications and price are shown in the chart. Second is the advice you receive from the various stove dealers you visit. The experienced dealer wants you to be so happy with your purchase that you will tell your friends so they will buy, too. That means the good dealer will make every effort to meet your objectives with the right stove since no dealer wants you to come back complaining that the stove is too big, too small or otherwise unsuitable. A good dealer can be your most valuable resource, but beware of dealers who don't heat their own houses with wood and don't have operating woodstoves in their showrooms—their advice might not be worth much.

Once you collect a few stove brochures you'll notice the standard pieces of information that are provided. Some of these can help you with your purchase decision. Let's go through some of the most useful ones.

Sound Stove Strategies

Always locate the stove in the space you want to keep the warmest. For most households this is the central area containing the living room, dining room and kitchen. Don't make the mistake of "hooking up" the stove to an unused chimney in an unfinished basement, hoping the heat will rise to the living area. Some heat will rise to the upper level, of course, but you will probably still end up with a 90-degree basement and a 60-degree living room. Woodstoves are manually controlled and should be located where people are around to monitor their performance and adjust the air control as needed. Families who heat most successfully with woodstoves locate them in the central area where they eat, relax and entertain.

Install a new chimney straight up through the warm space of the house, not out a wall and up the outside. The physics of why this is important is too complicated to get into here, but take it from me, outside chimneys are the single biggest reason why woodstoves smoke into houses. If you never want your stove to smoke when you light a fire; or to stink when it is not in use; put the chimney inside. Think of the chimney as the engine that creates the draft and drives the wood-heat system. To enjoy trouble-free wood burning you need a good chimney, and the best performing chimneys run straight up.

CAST IRON OR STEEL

The two main material options are cast iron or welded steel. There is no performance difference between them, so the decision has to do with aesthetics and price. Graceful curves and artistic relief patterns make cast-iron stoves pleasing to the eye, rather like fine furniture for home heating. You'll pay a premium price, however, and cast stoves do need to be rebuilt every few years to seal the joints between panels, so air leakage will not allow the fire to burn out of control. Welded steel stoves are plainer, but some are attractive enough for a well-appointed living room.

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