Are Woodburning Stoves The Greener Way To Heat Your Home?

Are Woodburning Stoves a Eco-friendly Method to Heat your house?

Green power is really a phrase that we often hear bandied about these days and as good citizens most of us are keen to enhance our carbon footprint arent we? One of the most apparent places to begin the quest for greener residing is of course within our own houses and having a closer look at the heating system is a great start!

Most families in the united kingdom possess a gas heating system; but this really is altering gradually as more individuals understand that gas costs are sneaking higher and higher with every passing season and it seems that many property owners are searching for a much better system to heat up their houses.

Gas for heating is not an inexpensive choice and it should be remembered how the U.K. does not have its own gas supply, meaning it is in constant competition with other countries around the world for this precious commodity. Gas is a traditional fuel and when you turn up your heating during the cold months, you're directly contributing towards the nation's already massive impact on climatic change.

So does the rise in popularity of woodburning stoves reflect an increasing awareness for the atmosphere or is it a case of people responding to the growing cost of gas? The brief response to that question is a bit of both! Some people will always be most interested in what is going out of their household when it comes to money...but not so interested in whats going out with regards to air pollution. Both problems are valid and each can potentially end up being fixed with the addition of a woodburning stove to the household. It needs to be added in however that one specific type of stove is not so environmentally friendly if used to it's complete capacity; multi-fuel stoves are capable of burning both wood as well as smokeless fossil fuels which whilst convenient to burn, especially in smoke-free areas, are also very aggressive to the environment in relation to their pollutants.

So why are the majority of contemporary stoves more eco-friendly? What do they offer which central heating systems don't? The answer is partly in what they burn; gas central heating depends on fossil fuels which are not renewable and contemporary woodburning stoves rely on raw wood...which of course is renewable and as it is burned it produces only what it really would have released if the timber had been left to rot. Which means that fire wood offers much less effect on the atmosphere compared to any other fuels. As a tree is cut down for energy, so another will be grown to absorb the emissions of one which is meant for the fire.

So is the wood burning stove a good choice for the home? It depends on a couple of things, do you need the stove for heating one room alone or would you like a design which includes a back boiler with the capacity to warm up your water too? Either way there are a number of things that you need to check before you begin shopping!

Have you got a chimney? If you do then you will also need the correct type of flue with a vent for a traditional stove; this can help air circulation which is relatively simple to have a lined flue fitted to your chimney.

Is the house listed or even unusual? If that's the case then you may need to double check on building safety and regulations before any additions to the structure.

Are you living inside a conservation area? Planning permission may have to be sought if your flue needs to lengthen by over one metre above your roof.

If you do choose to purchase a wood burning stove then one of the first things you might wonder about is actually fuel and where you can obtain it from. Becoming green-minded requires continuing work and if you reside in close proximity to woodlands it's as well to try to obtain logs from the area. Many companies deliver to your door which is very handy as logs tend to be awkward for an average joe to load into their car! Be sure though that where possible you use the closest supplier to your home, this particular cuts down on transport and its effect on the environment.

Another great choice would be to make use of left over raw wood building projects if you're able to acquire it. Be sure to make sure that any timber you do obtain does not have any coating of chemicals, treatments or even paint present. Wooden pallets and general wood waste materials make excellent energy and is often discovered free of charge at timber yards where the personnel may happily give the waste away rather than see it go to landfill.

If you're serious about going green and actually want to invest in recycling, a fabulous option for fuel is to make your own log briquettes from aged newspaper and cardboard. This is very convenient to carry out and the result is a free source of energy produced from recycled materials. To achieve good results you should buy Paper Log Maker (sometimes called a Briquette Producer); these are great little devices that compress your old paper and cardboard into a nice brick form which once dried out, will burn beautifully.

The used paper you have preserved for your logs will have to be soaked in water prior to being placed in the Log Maker; once the paper may be compressed which is done by simply pushing down a lever, then the log must be removed and left alone in order to dry up for 3 months. If that appears like a long time, think about just how long wood takes to season! Just one paper log can keep your fire going for 1 hour and a broadsheet newspaper will keep the fire going all night! Be aware of the kind of paper you use for your paper firelogs though, glossy magazines and card is going to be coated in inks with many chemicals which may produce unpleasant emissions, therefore basic card and paper is always the best option.

Choosing which multifuel stove is best for you can be tricky but remember which providers have expert advice to offer and will be pleased to consider your needs. As to the cost of a woodburning stove, there are a large number of designs obtainable and some are offered at very competitive prices. Basic models may cost less than a weekend break away whilst other people run into the thousands. There are several grants available for the purchasing and installation of woodburning stoves and if you feel that you might be eligible for a low carbon grant for your house then this is well worth looking at; there are rigid criteria in the united kingdom for offering grants to assist in the installation and purchase of multifuel stoves but some are made available if the product is an authorized one.

The heat and cosiness that woodburning stoves add to a home is immeasurable as are the benefits to the atmosphere....so get on with it! Go green as well as save yourself some money at the same time!