WINTER LIFESTYLE: WOOD STOVES IN THE HIGH COUNTRY
POPULARITY OF BURNING WOOD HEATS UP
By Cindy Kleh / Photos by Carter Photographics

In Grand County, where a mountain pine beetle epidemic has left up to 90 percent of lodge pole pine trees standing dead, firewood has become a cheap commodity, especially compared to sky-rocketing oil and electricity prices.

Beetle kill logs sit stacked on private property are going for free or almost free, desperately needing to be burned.

At the same time, wood stoves and fireplaces have become cleaner and more efficient, making the choice to burn wood a green one, too. All wood stoves sold after July 1, 1992 must be certified by the EPA to reduce smoke emissions up to 90 percent. Approved wood burning stoves produce substantially less smoke and provide a soothing, radiant heat using less firewood than traditional wood stoves and fireplaces. These approved appliances – freestanding stoves, fireplace inserts or built in fireplaces – are the cleanest ways to enjoy a wood fire and breathe clean air both inside and out.

“If you look at the cost of fuels, real wood, at $90 or less a cord, is the most economical source of heat per BTU,” says Tom McConathy, owner of Country Home Outfitters, a7,000-square-foot showroom of fireplaces and wood stoves located in Granby. Country Home Outfitters has 30 fireplace units on display with 21 burning units as well as National Fireplace Institute-certified employees.

McConathy explains that it is possible to convert an old wood-burning fireplace to a clean-burning unit by installing an insert. This alternative, available in both wood and gas versions is, a significantly less expensive alternative to tearing out and replacing the old unit. Most EPA-approved wood burning stoves or fireplaces get their combustion air from the outside instead of using warm inside air. “The ambiance of an open fireplace is terrific, but it is a waste of energy – a net heat loss. The new fireplaces and stoves are designed to burn with closed doors or behind glass, which makes them more efficient and increases their heat capacity. The smoke re-circulates within the fireplace until it is completel burned and much cleaner gases are discharged.”

Unlike traditional mortar-and-brick masonry fireplaces with foundations and chimneys, current products take advantage of zero-clearance technology. They are prefabricated from metal or lightweight prefabricated material, and are designed to be installed in wood-frame construction without a foundation or (and this is the big difference between these and any other fireplace) a hand-built masonry chimney.

Today’s units use factory-built venting which is much lighter, much less expensive and quick and easy to install.

BORING LOOKS, A THING OF WOOD STOVE PAST -
The latest wood stoves are designed to burn wood with little tending and leave very little ash behind. They are less utilitarian looking, too, with colors that blend with a home’s interior design, and self-cleaning windows that show off the flames. Homeowners can choose the old fashioned black pot-belly-stove look or choose from models made with steel, cast iron or soapstone with a sleek and colored stove pipe to match. Some have hidden hinges and reversible flues or options such as fans, fancy pedestals, warming shelves or decorative side panels.

Today’s wood stoves can heat the entire home or be used as secondary-zone heaters to warm the areas where most of a family’s activities take place. Temperature levels are easy to maintain, even over extended periods of time while producing less than 7.5 grams of smoke emissions per hour (compared to 42 grams from stoves manufactured during the 70s and 80s).

PELLETS, AS GREEN AS IT GETS -
Pellet stoves look similar to wood stoves or fireplace inserts, but the similarities end there. Inside, they are very sophisticated combustion appliances. There are many types of pellet stoves available that can be integrated into your home’s current stove vent system to heat your entire house or blow hot air to eventually heat the entire floor level.

Wood pellets are a natural, renewable resource made from leftover wood materials or beetle kill. A pellet manufacturer dries, compresses and forms small cylinder-shaped pieces of wood that resemble rabbit food. The wood pellets produce very clean heat. Because the stoves are so efficient, there is almost no smoke or creosote produced. Pellet stoves don’t need a masonry chimney and can be installed almost anywhere. They can be vented either directly through the roof, or sideways out a wall. They can be set up as stand-alone stoves, or there are inserts available to convert existing wood burning fireplaces.

If you like the look of a fire, it’s important to find a unit with a good flame pattern and large viewing glass. Most pellet stoves give off more of a sparkler glow, but some manufacturers offer ceramic logs that help disperse the flames and give the fire a more traditional look.

The pellets usually come in 40-pound plastic bags, which makes transport and storage a snap compared to dealing with cord-wood. Most pellet stoves have an internal computer that automatically lights and feeds the pellets into the flame with an auger, and keeps the room at a pre-set temperature with an electric thermostat. There are even pellet furnaces that can hold week’s worth of pellets and heat an entire home.

A 40-pound bag of pellet wood produces less than a cup of ash so it rarely needs to be emptied and costs from $2 to $4. Typically they are sold by the pallet, which is 50 bags or one-ton, for $120 to $200. How much you use will depend on the stove, season, comfort level, space, etc., but the general recommendation is one bag of pellets a day. Wood pellets can be found at most hardware stores, stove dealers, nurseries, feed and garden supply stores and some discount merchandisers in premium or standard grade.

Grand County residents have a pellet plant in their backyard, Confluence Energy, located in Kremmling. Owner Mark Mathis claims that he can not only provide prices that beat the discount stores, but that he can also deliver the orders directly to the homes of local pellet stove owners in the same fashion that gas companies refill individual tanks. The pellets will also be available at local retailers.

In regard to maintenance, it’s not a bad idea to get a service contract becauseservicing a pellet stove can be a bit tricky. The motors, of course, require electricity (some have battery backup units) and a nearby 110-volt outlet.

Pellet stove prices range from about $1,700 to $3,000 or more for the stove and from $150 to $400 for installation. When comparing prices of pellet stoves with wood stoves, remember that pellet stoves don’t require installation of a fullheight conventional chimney or flue, the most costly part of some fireplace and wood stove installations.

A FEW THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHILE SHOPPING FOR A WOOD STOVE:

• Think about size – how much heat is desired and for how large a space? An oversized stove may overheat the area making it very uncomfortable and creating excess creosote.
• Will there be small children to consider in stove location?
• The stove must be installed a specified distance (as little as 6 to 18 inches) away from combustible materials.
• Proper non-combustive flooring must be installed. Tile is not enough.
• At Grand County's altitude, the primary venting choice is through the ceiling.

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