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Today’s modern hearth appliances, whether stoves, fireplaces, gas logs or fireplace inserts, provide a wide variety of attractive methods of utilizing a full range of fuels. Our experienced sales staff is very knowledgeable about the advantages and pricing of all the fuels commonly used in our area and will be glad to help you select the one most suited to your lifestyle. You may also benefit from the excellent information about the relative costs of different fuels in Pennsylvania available from the website of Pennsylvania State University, College of Agriculture at http://energy.cas.psu.edu
 Wood is America’s oldest and most traditional fuel. It grows locally. It is abundant in most areas. It is a source of renewable energy. For many Americans, nothing can compare with the warmth, beauty and romance of a real wood fire. Among the advantages of wood as a fuel are:
- Environmentally sound
Burning wood makes a lot of sense from an environmental viewpoint. Unlike fossil fuels, there is no net carbon contribution to the atmosphere when burning wood, hence no contribution to global warming. Burning wood produces only the same carbon which would be given off if the tree completely decomposes naturally. Sophisticated new designs have resulted in appliances which are certified by the federal Environmental Protection Agency and have reduced smoke emissions by as much as 98+%. Today’s woodburning appliances burn so cleanly that during normal operation there should be no visible smoke.
- Economical
Burning wood makes economic sense. Of all of the fuels available today – wood, wood pellets, coal, natural gas, fuel oil, LP gas, kerosene, electricity – wood frequently is the cheapest fuel for the amount of heat produced. With the advent of federal regulations, the efficiencies of woodburning stoves has risen dramatically, to the point where they compare to other forms of heating. Also, wood appliances usually do no require electricity to operate, so they can provide heating and cooking during power outages.
- Safe
All of the woodburning appliances that we sell are tested to stringent Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and/or American National Standards Institute (ANSI) specifications for safety. Because of the high efficiencies and low smoke emissions, problems with creosote and chimney problems can be entirely eliminated.
- Wood Burning Tips
The most important part of burning wood is to be sure that the wood is as dry as possible. Wet, or “green”, wood can reduce heat output and efficiency by as much as 50% and create a safety issue with the production of creosote. Firewood should be logs that have been cut, split and staked, off the ground and under cover, preferably for a period of one year. As logs dry they take on a gray, weathered appearance and cracks appear on the ends of the logs, radiating outward from the center. If logs make a hissing sound, or white foam comes out of the logs, when they are burned, the wood is too wet and should not be burned
 Wood Pellets. As with firewood, wood pellets are environmentally sound, economical and safe. Wood pellets are typically composed of sawdust that might otherwise end up in landfills. Supplied in 40 pound plastic bags, wood pellets are clean and easy to handle. A supply of pellets for the entire heating season can be purchased in the summer, at discounted, prices at stored indoors or outdoors. Stoves and fireplace inserts burning wood pellets can operate on thermostats and can be completely automatic; all that is required is to fill the hopper with fuel and occasionally remove ashes. Appliances burning wood pellets may not require chimneys.
Corn & Other Biomass Fuels.Numerous fuels other than wood pellets can often be burned in appliances designed to burn wood pellets and present some interesting future opportunities. Some appliances have been specifically designed to burn corn and other biomass fuels. Unfortunately, few of these substitutes have the heat output and low ash content of wood pellets. Extra care must be taken in storage to avoid attracting rodents and producing mold and fungus. And the cost of these alternatives, at least in southeastern Pennsylvania, is more expensive than wood pellets.
There is a lot of conflicting information being disseminated about corn and other biomass appliances. For an impartial, reputable and authoritative source of accurate information about burning corn go to the website of Pennsylvania State University, College of Agriculture at http://www.cas.psu.edu/
 Natural gas, supplied to homes through pipelines, and LP (propane) gas, delivered by trucks to homeowners’ tanks, has become the fuel of choice for most Americans. Gas appliances are clean, safe, automatic and simple to use. They not only produce beautiful and very realistic looking fires, but they can also be highly efficient heating appliances, designed and tested to both safety and efficiency standards as gas heaters and furnaces.
Direct Vent
Most gas hearth appliances today utilize the new “direct vent” technology. They may not require a chimney and can be vented through a side wall, with lower installation costs. Their high efficiency is enhanced by the fact that they use air from outside the house for combustion, instead of venting air which has already been heated. By pulling air for the fire from outside the house and exhausting the burned gases through the same vent system, the combustion process is completely sealed from the living area, eliminating concerns about indoor air quality.
Vent Free
Vent free (aka ventless, non-vented or house-vented) can be safely installed and operated without any chimney or external venting system. They are highly efficiency and can produce a high amount of heat. When operated properly their production of carbon monoxide is well below allowable limits and they have oxygen depletion sensors to prevent seriously decreasing the amount of oxygen in the home. They are humidifiers and will usually add an appreciable amount of water into the home (about one gallon of water for each gallon of LP burned). In a normally dry home this can be an advantage; in a home that is already damp, or has areas of cold exterior walls or windows and doors, condensation can become a serious problem. Vent free appliances always produce an odor. While this is usually not a problem – most people don’t notice it or quickly get used to – there are a few people who find it highly offensive and a serious problem. Condensation of moisture the air can produce a film of dirt on objects in the home.
Before buying a vent free appliance, be sure to check that no one on your home is bothered by the odor and, if anyone has any respiratory problems, check with your attending physicia
 Home heating oil has traditionally been a convenient method of heating. Unfortunately, it has also been the fuel most subject to rapid prices increases and shortages and is irrevocably tied to international political developments and global demand, as shown by the “Energy Crisis” of the ‘70s and the recent spike.
 Numerous grades of coal are produced throughout the United States and around the world, but the coal of choice is Anthracite Coal. Luckily for us, most of the anthracite coal in the United States comes from northeastern Pennsylvania. It has a higher heat output than some other fossil fuels, burns cleanly with no visible smoke and will not produce creosote. A full years supply can typically be stored in the same space as one cord of wood (4’ X 4’ X8’). Properly sized, an anthracite coal burning stove needs to be tended only about twice per day.
 Electricity is often the most simple, automatic and cleanest source of energy in a home. However, it is often also the most expensive and while it produces no source of dirt in the house, electric power plants are among the largest sources of pollution across the nation. Using an electric stove or fireplace to simulate the appearance of a wood fire, however, uses little electricity, and they can also provide auxiliary or emergency heat if needed. Not only do electric units not emit any dust or dirt, many are equipped with air filtering equipment and can actually help to clean the air in the home. |
