Survival Products Blog

Selecting a Pallet Stove Insert

When you get tired of paying high heating bills you might decide to look into alternative sources of heat. Your choices are extensive, but thats a subject for another post. For now, we are going to focus on those who already have a fireplace, and look at some ways to close up that drafty and rarely used fireplace.

Needless to say, we are talking about a fireplace insert, and they basically come in two flavors; wood burning and pellet. Wood stoves have several advantages, not the least of which is the mystical draw of a wood fire, which has its own personality. They light slowly and steadily, building to engulf the wood logs. The fire can remain powerful throughout the burn, or it can be slowed to a mystical flame as the wood is turned to coal and the smoke is burned.

Some may have a large stack of wood already, and in that case a wood stove instert is a logical choice, but others may decide on a pellet appliance.

There is a wide array of beautiful wood pellet stove inserts available at Survival Products.

Pellet stove inserts come in many different sizes and the correct size pellet stove insert is going to depend on the square footage you want to heat. There are many different manufacturers of pellet stove inserts to choose from, and Survival products is definitely an expert in both he selection and installation process.

A pellet stove insert is definitely going to be an asset for a home. Andirons and logsets are available to make the fire look like a log fire. But don't decide on a pellet stove insert by looks alone. The square footage you want to heat, the construction of your home and the quality and quantity of insulation in your home is going to play a big role in your choice. Also, the placement of the pellet stove insert will play a big role in how efficiently it will heat.

Pellet stoves require a minimal amount of maintenance to assure carefree operation. Once the hopper is filled with wood pellets and the programmable automatic thermostat is set, they control themselves.

Most all have quiet blowers, automatic lighting and programmable thermostat controls as well as remote controls. (If window blinds have a remote control, you can bet a pellet stove does!) Survival Products will guide you through the BTU output of each pellet stove and their overall efficiency ratings. BTU's range from 14,000 to 60,000. Overall efficiency ratings were not easily available for every pellet stove insert, but many range between 80% and 84%.

Come back after you've finished your first winter season with a new pellet stove insert. We'll bet you couldn't be happier with your choice.

Burn Wood Safely and Responsibly

There is nothing like the bone-penetrating warmth of a wood fire, but unfortunately with cold winter weather and increased use of a wood stove comes an increasing risk for chimney fires.

The Chimney Safety Institute of America offers some tips for preventing chimney fires and keeping carbon monoxide out of your home.

Inside:
• Keep the hearth area clear. Combustible material too close to the fireplace, or to a wood stove, could easily catch fire. Keep furniture at least 36 inches away from the hearth.
• Use a fireplace screen. Use metal mesh or a screen in front of the fireplace to catch flying sparks that could ignite or burn holes in the carpet or flooring.
• Choose the right fuel. For burning firewood in wood stoves or fireplaces, choose well seasoned wood that has been split for a minimum of six months to one year and stored in a covered and elevated location. Never burn Christmas trees or treated wood in your fireplace or wood stove. Avoid burning trash and paper.
• To start the fire, use kindling or a commercial firelighter. Never use flammable liquids. Arrange the firewood in a crisscross matrix that allows air to flow underneath, around and up through for best burn. Build it right. Place firewood or fire logs at the rear of the fireplace on a supporting grate.
• Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
• Supervise children and pets closely around wood stoves and fireplaces.

Outside:
• Get an annual chimney check. Have chimneys inspected annually, and cleaned as necessary. This reduces the risk of fires and carbon monoxide poisonings due to creosote buildup or obstructions in the chimneys. Never allow creosote to accumulate more than ¼" on the walls of the chimney. Creosote is formed when the hot gases coming off of the fire hit the cold walls of the chimney. The best way to avoid creosote build up is to line the chimney with a flue that is sized appropriately for the appliance that is being vented and to burn hot fires of dry properly seasoned wood.
• Keep the roof clear. Keep tree branches and leaves at least 15 feet away from the top of the chimney.
• Install a chimney cap. This keeps debris and animals out of the chimney. It also protects your investment in your chimney. A flue without a cap is just like having a hole in your roof.

Buy Green: Pellet Stoves

Well the politicians may have not succeeded in solving global warming, but we have a step in the right direction! And with energy going through the roof, now's the time to embrace a greener, cheaper alternative home heating option.

Enter the Pellet Stove. Requiring only a smidgen of electricity and a few hundred pounds of compressed wood pellets (which are easier to manage than they sound, honest!), these efficient stoves can heat your home cheaper and greener than both wood and natural gas. And, their carbon footprint is much lower per BTU than coal fired electricity!

Here's a brief Pellet Stove 101: A motorized auger system feeds a continuous stream of pellets from a refillable hopper (the pellet storage container) into a burn pot, where they combust. The combustion creates a visible flame, and gives off regular and consistent heat. For precise temperature regulation, models are available with a thermostat.

And now for the green part: Pellet stoves pollute so little that they don't require certification from the EPA (though many companies get certified anyway), they create no creosote (chimney fire fodder), and fall well within clean air standards.

And the pellets? Most are made from compressed sawdust and other wood waste, though some stoves can also take wood, recycled paper waste, and biomass pellets. Therefore, pellet stoves don't contribute to deforestation or consumption of other precious natural resources such as natural gas.

All of these reasons have led to a burgeoning popularity for pellet stoves: Some 800,000 Americans have gone the pellet stove route. But, "going green" with a pellet stove can be tricky, and selecting the right stove for your need can be daunting.

A Few General Tips:

1. The fuel is the key. Remember, Survival Products sells and delivers pellets at a competitive price.
2. Proper installation is critical, both for safety and effective operation of your stove. Survival Products has industry certified technicians and renowned customer service.
3. Make sure you have a battery backup if your pellet stove does not have an internal backup system to handle power outage. A power outage while the stove is still running will prevent the blowers or fans from functioning-and make your home smokier than a 4^th of July fireworks show.

Want to learn more? Head on over to our Pellet Stove section, or better yet, stop on by Survival Products today.

Incentive for Efficient Heating

As temperatures fall and thoughts turn to warding off the approaching cold weather, Americans have more incentive than ever to install a new wood or pellet-burning stove! Homeowners can save significantly thanks to a federal consumer tax credit designed to encourage energy-conscious purchases. It can cover 30 percent of the cost of clean, fuel-efficient stoves and fireplace inserts, up to a maximum credit of $1,500. The tax credit applies to stoves or fireplace inserts purchased between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010, so time is running out.

Purchasers of qualifying stoves and inserts can claim the credit on their federal tax return. These consumers should save their receipt and the manufacturer's certification that states the appliance they purchased is eligible. Installation and venting costs are included in calculating the credit's total value, as long as professional installation is required for the proper and safe operation of the stove. (Survival products has an expert staff knowledgeable in the proper installation and service of hearth products!)

Technology changes have made wood stoves more decorative and efficient than in years past. They use one-third less firewood and correct use results in cleaner indoor air quality. The bottom line: visit Survival Products today to start saving.

Heating Tips for Homeowners

1. Be cautious of old stoves and improper installation.
We don't mean this to sound like a blatant commercial to buy a new stove from us, but the fact remains that some homeowners are installing second-hand, less efficient uncertified stoves as a way to save money. But older, uncertified stoves can cause unhealthy indoor air pollution and can release 15 to 30 grams of smoke per hour, leading to creosote buildup that can cause chimney fires Compare these emissions to new EPA-certified stoves that produce only 2 to 5 grams per hour. And, old stove use, combined with improper installation near combustibles and without proper ventilation, may result in a home fire, rendering a home ineligible for insurance coverage.

2. Calculate your savings.
Those upgrading to an EPA-certified wood stove found wood use cut by a third. But the savings aren't all in the stoves, as today's fireplaces and inserts also offer higher efficiency ratings and cleaner burning technologies. HPBA developed a calculator  that estimates cost-saving benefits of all hearth products.

3. Ask for cleaner and greener options.
Consumers have more options than ever in fuel and product choices. To help navigate the myriad of product and fuel choices, efficiency and cost, HPBA has developed an online resource, Consumer Guide: The Easy and Efficient Way to Heat Your Home.

4. Get in the zone.
Zone heating - using a fireplace, stove or insert to heat those rooms used most - allows the thermostat to be turned down on the central furnace, reducing fuel consumption and providing energy savings of up to 20-40 percent!

5. Find a heating expert.
Well, OK, now this is a blatant commercial! Visit Survival Products when considering the purchase of a new fireplace, stove, insert or log set. We have years of experience and can help you better understand the product differences, placement within a room and the best size that will help heat a home most cost-effectively and provide the installation by a technician certified by the National Fireplace Institute®.

Enjoy the savings!

Fireplace safety ~ Heating tragedies can be prevented

A dead raccoon clogging a furnace vent. Fireplace ashes in a container too close to combustibles.

The first problem can cause carbon monoxide to enter a home, killing the occupants. Sounds far fetched but it actually happpened recently in Troy, Michigan. Sadly, too, the second case also happened in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

"Improper disposal of ashes will be the cause of a good solid handful or two of fires," said the Sterling Heights Assistant Fire Chief, referring to fires within his district. In 2005, U.S. fire departments responded to 62,200 home structure fires that involved heating equipment. These fires caused 670 civilian fire deaths and $909 million in direct property damage.

A report released this year by the National Fire Protection Association said that failure to clean accounted for 60% of the confined chimney and flue fires nationally from 2003 to 2006. Officials said fireplaces and chimneys should be inspected and cleaned once a year.

"It's an appliance, just like your dryer," said Jeff Cancelosa, owner of Grey Oaks Chimney Service. "If a vent is clogged, you clean it out. With a fireplace, it's the same thing."

Chimney sweeps (yes, they still exist, though the process has changed from the familiar happy-go-lucky gents of Mary Poppins.) look for obstructions, such as animal nests, that can cause fires or block exhaust from leaving, sending carbon monoxide inside a home.

Paul Evennou, owner of King Sweep, said he urges regular removal and proper disposal of ashes. Proper is important! The Sterling Heights man put ashes from his fireplace in a metal bucket, but he put the bucket in his attached garage next to newspapers, which were next to gasoline cans. That sparked a blaze that spread to his home.

To prevent home heating fires:

• Use screens.
• Regularly remove ashes and place in tightly covered metal containers that are kept outdoors and away from combustibles.
• Burn dry hardwood, such as oak or maple, that was cut a year ago.
• Inspect and clean fireplaces and chimneys yearly.

Is wood the next big thing?

Images of a wood fire this time of year probably hearken back to childhood memories of holiday cheer and a toasty crackling fireplace. (Chestnuts roasting, stockings hung with care, and all that.) But wood as an energy source goes way beyond yuletide cheer, it's the largest source of energy currently derived from solid fuel biomass, which is a fancy word for naturally occurring alternatives to fossil fuels.

One might think that wood as a fuel source hasn't changed much since the days of Robin Hood in Nottingham Forrest, and in truth it hasn't! But advances in technology combined with old-fashioned timber provide a heat source that burns cleaner than fossil fuels (in terms of CO2 but also doesn't emit mercury) or even wood made from corn, and wood can be compressed into pellets to burn in super-efficient pellet stoves.

And that is the key. Today's wood burning appliances, including pellet appliances, are super efficient and an excellent source of heat for your home. Plus, wood naturally emits methane when it decomposes, but it doesn't when it is burned--so if scraps and residues from logging and processing are used as a source of biofuel, it not only leaves less of a carbon footprint than fossil fuels, but eliminates a potential methane footprint as well. (Wood stoves should get a Nobel Peace prize?)

Not that we want to start clear-cutting forests to produce wood for fuel--but wood production isn't the main cause of deforestation anyway (blame conversion to agricultural land for that). In fact, a great thing about wood fuel is that it can be made from recycled wood waste. Earlier this year, a city in Alabama launched the nation's first program for collecting municipal wood waste and converting it into ethanol for use as an automotive biofuel. Under the program, tree limbs from curbside collection will be broken down by heat and pressure into raw materials, which will then be combined to produce ethanol. The company behind the operation said it could soon be producing 45 million gallons of the fuel annually.

So, if wood can power your car, imagine what it can do for your living room!