Most Efficient Wood Stove

Most Efficient Wood Stove

1. Drolet HT3000

Pros

• This wood stove is a reliable and steady source of heat (110,000 BTUs per hour)
• It perfectly blends with traditional and modern décor styles because of its design
• Easy to maintain and clean; an ashtray is included

Cons

• You cannot use small-sized logs

The Drolet HT3000 is a great improvement to the earlier version: Drolet HT2000. With a great heating capacity, advanced controls, and related features, this model of the Drolet wood stove is a perfect combination of design and performance. It features a specially made glass-ceramic front that enhances the overall appearance of the woodstove. Besides, you can use the glass-ceramic front to monitor the performance of the woodstove.

This wood stove has a heating capacity of 110,000 BTUs per hour. Thus, it can conveniently warm spaces that measure up to 2,750 square feet. Moreover, its firebox measures 2.4 cubic feet and is suitable for the use of logs that are 22 inches long. You can use the stove to provide a steady source of heat at home for up to 8 hours.

However, the only drawback of using this wood stove relates to the size of wood that you can use. You cannot use small-sized wood with the Drolet HT3000. However, this is not a big issue if you have access to wood that is 22 inches long.

2. Guide Gear Outdoor Wood Stove

Pros

• Delivers value for money because the use of high-quality materials, including steel and cast iron
• You can conveniently adjust the damper for personalized performance
• It is easy to set up and use the woodstove

Cons

• No carry handles

The Guide Gear Outdoor Wood Stove has been specially designed to be used outdoors. The use of cast iron for the doors and 2mm galvanized steel for the firebox and other parts enhance the life of the woodstove. Thus, you can be assured of getting value for money when you buy and use this woodstove.

It is very easy to set up, use, and maintain this woodstove. Its removable four legs are quite strong enough to support the 43lb weight of the woodstove. Besides, the 6.45 inch- chimney that comprises of five interlocking store pipes with a spark arrestor at the top ensures perfect removal of smoke when the woodstove is working.

The most notable drawback of this wood stove is that it does not have handles. You would expect a wood stove that has been designed for outdoor use to have a good handle to enhance portability, particularly, when you need to carry out in and out of the house repeatedly. Nevertheless, with a weight of 43lb, the woodstove can still be moved fairly easily.

3. The Claremont Electric Stove

Pros

• The radiant heat provides an instant and continuous source of heat
• The wood stove has great control features, including an inbuilt digital thermometer, to personalize its performance
• Advanced safety features, including a cool-to-touch cabinet

Cons

• The electric stove is unsuitable for heating large areas

The Claremont Electric stove can be an excellent device for you if you are looking for an easy-to-use, well designed, and highly portable electric stove. It has a circular design that allows the use of an aesthetically-pleasant 3D virtual flame. The flame resembles real-life embers slowly dancing on burning wooden logs. Thanks to this feature, you can confidently utilize this electric stove to enhance the look of your house.

A good electric stove is one that allows you to personalize its performance and maintain it. It is very easy to determine the performance of the Claremont Electric Stove by using the inbuilt thermometer. The digital thermometer is quite accurate in telling changes in the ambient temperature. Thus, you can use to ensure that the wood stove delivers heat steadily according to the heating requirements of your home at any given time. Furthermore, the woodstove has several standard safety features, including a cool-to-touch cabinet.

4. Osburn Matrix Wood Insert

Pros

• Proven efficiency and safety standards (passed EPA 220 emission guidelines)
• Great heating capacity of 750,000 BTUs is enough to warm areas as large as 2,100 square feet
• Aesthetically appealing, thanks to a modern design with a perfect black finish

Cons

• The blower makes the stove slightly noisy

The Osburn Matrix Wood Insight is a versatile and highly functional woodstove designed for warming, particularly large spaces. With a heating capacity of 750,000 BTUs and a very powerful blower, this woodstove can conveniently heat areas that are 2,100 square feet large. The blower does an amazing job of ensuring that the generated heat is evenly distributed in large spaces.

Besides, this woodstove adheres to the current guidelines of the EPA. It has an emission rate per hour of 1.54, which is way lower than the recommended maximum of 2.0g/h. Because of this emission rate, you can use the woodstove without worrying about the negative effects of emissions from the combustion process.

Besides, the woodstove has an efficiency rate of 77%. You will find this rate attractive particularly if you are concerned with the cost of purchasing fuel and the need to ensure you have effective heating of the home.

5. Pleasant Hearth VFS2-PH30DT

Pros

• It is easy to use the woodstove because of the glass window for monitoring combustion and the draft control for regulating the burning rate
• Great design that fits perfectly in fireplaces of old and modern buildings
• The woodstove does not require heavy maintenance and lasts long

Cons

• The woodstove does not have stovepipes

The Pleasant Hearth VFS2-PH30DT is an excellent woodstove with amazing heating capabilities, great control features, and sleek modern design. You will find it very easy and convenient to use this woodstove, thanks to the presence of several advanced controls and other features.

The glass window not only enhances the overall appearance of the woodstove but also lets you easily monitor the burning of the wood. Thus, you can easily tell when it is necessary to replace the wood by monitoring the combustion rate via the window.

Moreover, the push-and-pull draft control is a great addition to the set of controls of this woodstove. You can use the draft control to regulate the rate at which the wood gets burned and, as a result, the amount of heat generated. However, when using this wood stove, you have to make do without a stovepipe.

6. ProCom Ventless Dual Fuel Stove

Pros

• It is very convenient to use the woodstove because it works on either natural gas or propane
• The inbuilt thermometer can be used to determine the performance of the woodstove
• The Oxygen Deficiency Sensor enhances the overall safety level of using the woodstove

Cons

• A heating capacity of 1,100 square feet is limited when one needs to warm very large spaces

It is very convenient to use the ProCom Ventless Dual Fuel stove. It has been designed to produce heat by burning either natural gas or propane. You can easily switch it on and off using the battery-powered piezo ignition system.

More so, the stove has a 99% efficiency level when burning fuel to produce heat. This excellent efficiency rate means that you will get value for the money that you spend to purchase the stove and fuel.

The ProCom Ventless Dual Fuel Stove has several amazing safety features. The most notable one is the ability of the stove to automatically shut down when there is carbon monoxide within its system. The Oxygen Deficiency Sensor feature enhances your safety by preventing the production of carbon monoxide to toxic levels.

7. Comfort Glow GSD2846

Pros

• The heavy-duty steel enhances durability
• Easy installation on the gas line because of its dual-fuel design
• Effective heating for spaces that are up to 1,250 square feet large

Cons

• It is unsuitable for use in high-altitude areas

The Comfort Glow GSD2846 is an excellent companion for heating your home. Its dual-flame design enables one to install it anywhere along the home gas line. Besides, its hearth comprises of a beautiful flame with embers on pieces of logs. This enhances the overall aesthetic value of the woodstove when seen through the glass screen.

Because your heating requirements keep changing all the time, this stove has an optional blower. The blower speeds up the movement and distribution of hot air produced by the stove. Thus, when used, the blower ensures that ideal temperatures in living zones within the rooms are reached fast and maintained for a long time.

Moreover, you can use the inbuilt thermometer to ensure that the stove maintains the ambient temperature within the desired levels.

Despite its great performance and design, this woodstove has one fault: it cannot be used in high-altitude areas. According to the instructions of the manufacturer, this stove should not be used in zones that are more 4,500 feet above the sea level.

8. US Stove 1269E

Pros

• The rugged look of the woodstove is suitable for use in outdoor environments
• The surface of the woodstove remains cool enough for anyone to touch
• It highly durable, thanks to the use of high-quality steel and cast iron

Cons

• The required installation materials are not included

One of the hallmarks of the US Stove 1269E is its ruggedness. With the cabin made of high-quality materials, including cast iron and steel, this woodstove will last long enough to deliver value for money. More so, it is ideal for use in general outdoor settings, including log cabins and garages. Moreover, the woodstove lasts for a long time without requiring heavy maintenance.

It is quite safe to use this woodstove for long, thanks to the two-part safety handle which remains cool even after the woodstove is in use for a long time. Moreover, the top surface of the woodstove is strong and solid. You can conveniently place a few items on the surface without worrying about your safety.

A major drawback of this woodstove is that you will have to obtain the installation materials separately. Given that the cost of obtaining materials, such as chimney connector, thimble, flue, and radiation shield is significant, you should consider this when purchasing this woodstove.

Buying Guide

The cost of a wood burner

You can determine the cost of a wood burner by considering the amount of money that you spend on acquitting the woodstove, installing it on your home, and getting the wood for burning. These totals vary widely, depending on many factors, including the brands of the woodstoves, and the ease of accessing wood.

The price of a woodstove may be as high as $2,500. This largely depends on the models and features. Woodstoves that have advanced features for safety and control fetch higher prices than those which have only basic features.

Similarly, wood stoves that have great heating capacities tend to cost more than those with little heating capacities. Therefore, consider the heating requirements of your home before determining the amount of money that you are willing to spend.

Determining the right size of a burner

Determining the right size of your burner is important for two reasons. If you get a small burner with low heating capacity, you will not enjoy a comfortable environment. It may be necessary to get an additional source of heat to keep your house home.

Using a large burner in a small space will force you to keep the doors and windows open all the time. This is because the heat produced by the burner will be too much for your comfort.

The best way of determining the right size of the burner for your house is to consider the size of the room in which you intend to keep the burner. Determine the area of the room in terms of square feet.

Once you have the size of the room, look for a burner whose heating capacity does not exceed the size of your room. The heating capacity of a burner can is usually expressed in terms of British Thermal Units (BTUs). Divide the BTU value of the burner by 40 to get the appropriate size of the room in which the burner can be used. Check if the area of your room is less than this value before deciding on the right burner to purchase.

Installing your wood burner

It is possible to install your woodstove without external help. However, this may not be easy if you are not familiar with the technical aspects of the installation process. Furthermore, some woodstoves are sold without the most important components that you need to get them up and running. In such cases, familiarity with the entire process of assembling such parts will make the installation process easy.

If you lack technical knowledge about this process, then it would be wise to get the services of a technician. When looking for a technician to install your woodstove, always ensure that the individual has relevant certifications. Using this approach will safeguard the warranty. If you use a technician who does not have the relevant industry-wide certifications and your stove develops serious problems in the future, then it will be difficult to claim warranty.

Woodstoves and heating costs

A common question among consumers is whether using wood burners will help reduce overall heating costs. Sadly, there is no straight answer to this question. The effect of using a wood burner on your heating expenses largely depends on how you use the burner.

Ideally, woodstoves should be used as supplemental sources of heat in homes. They should be used to provide additional heat in specific rooms where people are. If used in this manner, then your woodstove will help to lower your energy bills.

However, if used as the primary source of heat in the entire house, you may not realize the average low cost of running them compared to other types of home heating devices.

Wood burners and chimneys

Woodstoves operate by burning wood to generate heat. This natural combustion process generates smoke and many other products, including ash. Although the stoves produce very little smoke, which is measured in terms of grams per hour, there is still a need to deal with the smoke. Therefore, you must figure out where the generated smoke will go to.

Ideally, your house should have a chimney already in place. The chimney is supposed to guide the smoke out of your house. However, some houses do not have chimneys for guiding smoke from the combustion process outside. If this is the case, you do not have to worry: you can have a steel pipe run through the roof of your house to guide the smoke outside.

Tips on effectively lighting a woodstove

Lighting a woodstove is supposed to be a simple and straightforward process. However, many people fail to complete this task fast and properly. Here are a few tips to help you ensure that your woodstove is burning within the shortest time possible and without generating extra smoke.

• Ensure that there is some ash lying on the bed of the stove always. Having some ash on the floor of the burner will make the process of lighting the woodstove easy.
• Open the air vents on your burner to let fresh air in. If your woodstove has two vents, then ensure that all of them are fully open.
• Arrange the kindling to allow large airspaces between them. You can achieve this by taking time to tilt them and ensure that they lean on each other at right angles. This approach creates very large spaces between every two kindling. The air space ensures that your fire burns perfectly.
• Drop the firelighter into the spaces. Because the firelighter has been made to burn for a long time, its flame will flow through the open space and spread across the neatly arranged kindling.

The right wood to use

It is better to use well-dried wood than that which contains high moisture amounts. Wood that has high moisture amounts causes a lot of smoke when burned. Perfectly dried wood produces very little smoke and can be easily burned on your woodstove.

Also, consider the carbon footprint of the wood that you use in your burner. Always check for a mark of quality on the wood before buying. Woods that bear such a mark have been effectively managed to minimize the impact of the entire process on the environment.

Alternatively, you may get fresh wood and dry it before use. However, this process takes a lot of time. Besides, one must have a proper shade under which to dry the wood properly before burning it.

Improving the efficacy of woodstoves: tips

• Use dry wood. Using wood that is properly dry is an effective way of improving the overall level of efficiency of a wood stove. Ideally, the wood should contain about 15% moisture. Freshly cut wood may contain up to 65% moisture. Burning such poorly dried wood is usually very inefficient because of the high moisture content.
• Add wood properly. The way that you add wood largely determines how effective your woodstove is. The right time of adding wood is when the embers are burning slowly. Before you add new wood, rake the embers a little and gently place the wood. Only use as much wood as you need. Piling excess wood on the hearth of your woodstove will interfere with the combustion process.
• Regularly clean your chimney. Having a dirty chimney will interfere with the performance of your woodstove. Deposits from smoke usually accumulate on the inside surface of chimneys over time. The deposits can interfere with the flow of air in and out of the chimney. When the airflow process is interfered with, your wood stove will burn wood inefficiently. To prevent this problem from occurring, ensure that you keep your chimney very clean.
• Position the chimney properly. The position of the chimney is an important determiner of the level of efficiency of the woodstove. Ensure that the position of your chimney is more than two feet above the roof of the building. This will ensure that the smoke is effectively removed from your burner.