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Ahh, the roar, crackle, aroma and warmth a wood stove brings. Not only is the fire produced in it magnificent, but also the stove serves as a central gathering point, bringing friends and family together. You might not know this, but now the EPA regulates wood stoves, making sure they are efficient. These new EPA Phase 2 ones bring together the fun of the past and the environmental concerns of the future, making them good investments for your home. Another good investment you can make is in fireplace inserts wood that burn cleanly and effectively, too.
Currently, the EPA is offering a tax credit of 30 percent, up to $1500, if you purchase and install a qualifying wood stove or wood fireplace insert that meets a 75 percent efficiency rating. That means you can spend up to $5000 on the purchase and installation of new effective and eco-friendly heating source as long as it’s for your primary residence (vacation homes and rentals don’t qualify). The tax credit brings the price of a wood stove down considerably when you think of the savings you’ll get on your 2009 or 2010 return.
Today’s wood stoves, unlike their pot-bellied predecessors, feature improved safety and efficiency. Almost no smoke and minimal ash emerge from them, and they require less firewood. In fact, efficient wood stoves produce only 2 to 7 grams or smoke per hour. They can be used to heat a single room or an entire home. If you have a large, open floor plan, you’ll probably want a large efficient wood stove that will heat the whole space, but if your place is highly divided into various rooms, you’ll want to use zone heating and put a small one in whatever room in which the most people converge. One of the most popular efficient wood stoves is the Napoleon 1400. This one is medium sized, so it can heat a medium sized, openly designed home up to 2000 sq. ft. It can burn up to seven hours on low heat so it will keep you warm overnight, no more freezing toes in the morning! It also has a cooking trivet on it in case the power goes out and you need to feed your family (this stove functions even when the power doesn’t). This stove is perfect for most people’s homes.
Fireplace inserts, meanwhile, are similar in function to wood stoves but are designed to be retrofitted into the firebox of an existing masonry or manufactured fireplace. They are as economical and eco-friendly as wood stoves and can earn you the tax credit, too, as long as they are EPA certified. The system includes a decorative faceplate that covers the space between the insert and the opening of the original fireplace. You can get the most popular, affordable insert Napoleon Fireplaces makes, the 1402 Deluxe EPA Wood Burning Insert, if you want to make that drafty fireplace function fabulously again. It can heat an entire small home, too, because it heats up to 1600 sq. ft. on high burn of 70,000 BTUs. These fireplace inserts wood have two powerful yet Whisper Quiet 200 CFM hat circulating blowers to help move the warm air through your living area. You also achieve clean burning fires with minimal amounts of wood with the 1402. It fits existing fireplaces up to 32 H x 44.5 W, so it’ll probably fit yours. Choose a fireplace insert and save on your energy bills, too.
No matter which you choose, efficient wood stoves or fireplace inserts wood, you’ll be making an investment in your home because not only will you enjoy decreased energy bills, but also future buyers will love the energy efficiency these hearth products afford. Choose which of the two you need based on the factors described above and you’ll not only go green, but you’ll also get the EPA tax credit.
Article Source: sooperarticles.com/home-improvement-articles/energy-efficiency-articles/efficient-wood-stoves-fireplace-inserts-wood-good-investments-36091.html
About Author:
Ardia Vidmer is a writer on a variety of topics, including heating and cooling alternatives. Installing efficient wood stoves are a proficient way to provide heat for your home.Author: Ardia Vidmer