Feeling the Heat, Just Where It's Needed

Feeling the Heat, Just Where It's Needed
By M.J. McAteerSpecial to The Washington Post
Saturday, February 10, 2007; F01

Until this week, the mid-Atlantic got the cold shoulder from winter, and area residents just adored the snub. Those lower heating costs were as sweet as playing 18 holes on New Year's Day.

During the winter of 2005-06, it was a different story. Then, a nasty collision of weather and world politics sent oil and gas bills through the roof. Suddenly, heating stoves and fireplace inserts were red-hot commodities as the rush was on to find ways to stay warm that didn't burn through the bank account.

With oil prices lower and temperatures higher this winter, at least until now, the interest in alternative heating options has cooled. Yet the zone heating that can be provided by a stove, fireplace insert (basically a stove inside a fireplace) or a high-efficiency wood or gas fireplace still is worth a look.

Wood, pellets and gas, both natural and propane, are the most common fuels in our region for zone heating. Coal-burning equivalents are sold here, but the fuel can be hard to come by. In addition, coal's pollution levels are high when compared with other supplemental heating options, said Alex Wilson, president of BuildingGreen in Brattleboro, Vt., and author of "Your Green Home" (New Society Publishers, 2006).

Electric stoves, inserts and fireplaces, while offering what Leslie Wheeler, communications director of the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association, calls "plug-in" ambiance, are generally no bargain as a heat source.

Wood

· Heating value. With an open wood-burning fireplace, "most of the heat goes up the chimney," Wheeler said. Because the damper must stay open until the fire is out, the fireplace not only acts like an open window but sucks warm air out of the house. Open fireplaces are estimated to be 10 percent efficient; the percentage refers to the net amount of usable heat generated from the fuel burned. In other words, open fireplace fires are lovely to look at, but lousy for heat.

Old wood stoves were only marginally better -- 20 to 30 percent efficient. Stoves, wood-burning fireplace inserts and prefab high-efficiency fireplaces made in the past 15 years or so typically have upped that percentage to the mid-60s to mid-70s.

The quality of the stove, insert or fireplace is a factor in its efficiency, Cox said. Thicker materials radiate more heat, and better construction means less leakage. "You get a smoother ride with a Lexus than a Ford," she said.

When Chris Granger was renovating his Greenbelt house, he bought a prefabricated, airtight wood-burning fireplace from Mike Taylor of Acme Stove in Rockville. This heater is basically a firebox or furnace with a hearth and chimney built around it. His fireplace is rated at more than 70 percent efficiency. Granger loads it before going to bed, and it keeps his main furnace from kicking on for much of the night. Even on single-digit days, he said, his living room is "toasty."

Granger's fireplace has an electric blower. Many wood-burning appliances, though, require no electricity to operate, so they can keep a house warm, or at least warmish, during power failures. Even those that use an electric blower can provide heat during a failure; they just won't be able to circulate it as well.

· Initial investment. Cost varies according to the quality of the stove or insert. At American Chimney, the price for a stove that heats about 600 square feet, made by Jotul, a leading manufacturer from Norway, starts at about $800. A stove capable of heating 3,500 square feet, made by Quadra-Fire, another leading stove maker, is about $2,200. A wood-burning insert that heats about 1,200 square feet, also by Quadra-Fire, is about $2,300; one that can heat 2,500 square feet is almost $3,500.

If a house lacks a fireplace, the venting of a chimney can be equal to or greater than the cost of the stove, insert or fireplace, Taylor said. Granger, who did not have a fireplace, said he spent about $4,200 on his Fireplace Xtrordinair and $1,500 more on installation. He built the brick hearth and faux-stone chimney himself.

· Looks. Stoves usually have large viewing windows, and some even allow for operation with the door open (fire screen recommended) so that homeowners can hear and feel the fire as well as see it.

The stoves tend to be rather squat, but they come in more than basic black cast-iron now. Some are finished in enamel and trimmed in gold. Vermont Castings' Encore wood-burning stove, for example, comes in 10 enamel colors including "biscuit" and "Bordeaux."

Inserts can feature Gothic arches, filigreed glass doors and brass fittings. Granger calls his insert "beautiful," the "centerpiece" of his house.

· Operating cost and ease of operation. Fuel can be free for those who have wooded property and don't mind hauling and chopping. For those who buy wood, the price is relatively stable because it is usually a local product. Still, a disaster such as Hurricane Katrina can up demand and price. Granger spent about $180 for a cord of wood this year, and he estimates that he uses about a cord and a half each winter. Hardwood that has been seasoned gives the most efficient burn.

Some people enjoy the exercise of chopping and stacking wood, but even for homeowners who pay for that service, logs still must be toted from woodpile to hearth. Because wood can harbor house-harmful insects such as termites, it is recommended that a woodpile be located at some distance from the house. The need for bulk storage space away from the house can make wood an impractical fuel in urban settings.

Most modern wood-burning appliances, depending on the size of the load of wood, will burn for five to 12 hours and produce heat anywhere from a half-hour to several hours after that, meaning they need tending only a couple of times a day. Most are regulated only by the amount of wood being burned and the amount of air being allowed in through the damper.

Although carrying firewood through the house to the hearth can leave a messy trail of chips and twigs, modern wood stoves, inserts and high-efficiency fireplaces require far less frequent ash cleanup than open fires. Granger said that he removes the ashes about every dozen fires, although the window that gives him a view of the fire needs cleaning after every use.

To avoid chimney fires, stoves and their venting systems need yearly professional cleaning to remove creosote and other buildup. American Chimney generally charges between $229 and $350 for the job.

· Pollution potential. The average open fire in a fireplace emits 28 grams of fine particles into the air every hour. Wood stoves built before 1990 were capable of sending 80 grams an hour into the air, said John Millett, a spokesman for the Environmental Protection Agency. But the efficiency of wood stoves and inserts has improved dramatically.

Pellets

· Heating value. Pellets, which generally are made from sawdust shavings or wood pulp, were first made in the 1970s as a response to the energy crisis then. They have only 5 to 10 percent moisture content (cordwood has 30 to 60 percent), so they burn at 79 to 86 percent efficiency. About 800,000 U.S. homes now use pellet heat, according to the Pellet Fuels Institute Web site.

"Great heat with very little maintenance," Fred Lester said. He and his wife, Susan, used a pellet stove for nine years before replacing it with a "better-looking" gas-log see-through fireplace when they built an addition on their Fauquier County home.

· Initial investment. Lester spent about $2,000 on his stove, which included installation. The smallest Quadra-Fire pellet stove sold at American Chimney heats 1,500 square feet and retails for about $2,200. The store's largest, made by Harman, heats 2,500 square feet and retails for about $3,100. Name-brand inserts that heat 1,200 and 2,500 square feet cost about $2,300 and $3,500, respectively.

· Looks. Pellet stoves come in steel, cast iron and colored porcelain but seem to be available in fewer designs than wood or gas stoves. They have decorative trim and large viewing windows. Pellet inserts are comparable in looks to wood-burning inserts. Pellet fireplaces are not available.

· Operating costs and ease of operation. Hardwood pellets, which look like rabbit food, are produced mainly in Canada and the United States and are relatively stable in price. A ton costs $200 to $300, about the amount that Lester says he spent annually to warm 2,000 square feet on the weekends and 600 square feet on weekday evenings.

Some pellet stoves and inserts can burn corn, wheat and sunflower seeds, too. "If pellets are scarce," Wilson said, "you can buy your fuel at the feed store."

Taylor of Acme Stove in Rockville said it is always advisable to lay in the season's supply of pellets before cold weather: The price may be better, and supplies will be assured. Pellets are sold by fireplace dealers, nurseries, building supply and feed stores and some discount merchandisers. Taylor said anyone can put the word "premium" on a bag of pellets, but that is no assurance of quality. He recommends buying a bag or two of various brands to try before buying in bulk.

Pellet stoves have more moving parts than their wood- and gas-burning equivalents, so they need skilled support services. They also depend on electricity to operate, and some people complain the blowers can be noisy. A battery backup in case of a power outage runs about $500, but Taylor said that given the limited life of a battery, a small generator is a better value.

Like wood-burning heaters, pellet stoves, inserts and their pipes should be professionally cleaned each year. American Chimney charges about the same to clean a pellet stove as a wood stove -- $229 to $350.

Pellets are less bulky and somewhat less cumbersome to handle than wood, but with most homeowners burning a ton or two a season, they still require storage space. The pellets come in plastic 40-pound bags and do not attract bugs, so they can be kept close to the house or even inside. Pellets are free of soot and dust.

Most stoves and inserts hold at least 40 pounds of pellets at a time and, on a low setting, can run 24 hours without a refill. Handling the heavy bags, however, could be a problem for the elderly or infirm.

Some pellet stoves and inserts have electronic ignition, room temperature sensors and remote controls, but even in more basic units, heat output can be controlled with the spin of a dial.

Pellet stoves are "a wonderful appliance if you are willing to do minimal maintenance," said Wheeler of the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association. They need to be cleaned weekly, which takes about a half-hour. The modest-size ash pans typically can hold the residue of a ton of pellets before they need emptying.

Pellet stoves haven't been in use long enough for consumers to know how long they can last, but many have been in operation for 15 years.

"Most people don't stay in houses long enough for them to wear out," Cox said.

· Pollution potential. Pellets are a renewable fuel. "You are taking wood waste, so it is recycling what would go to the landfill, plus it burns cleaner than any other wood fuel," Wheeler said.

Gas

· Heating value. Gas stoves, inserts and fireplaces are efficient. They range from the high 70s to the mid-80s in the net amount of usable heat generated from the fuel burned. Compare that withan open wood-burning fireplace that is 10 percent efficient. Gas-burning logs, however, are primarily decorative and are not even rated for efficiency. For greatest heat production, Taylor recommends looking for a combination of high BTU output and high efficiency -- whether burning wood, pellets, gas or propane.

Vent-free gas logs and fireplaces that can burn at 99 percent efficiency are available, but they aren't allowed in Canada because of safety concerns, Wilson said. He considers it "ludicrous" that they are permitted in this country. Although the heaters have sensors to detect malfunction, "open combustion in a home is not a good idea," he said. Water vapor also is a byproduct of gas combustion, and without venting, gallons of water can be trapped in the house, leading to dampness and mildew. Manufacturers of ventless systems say their product is safe and designed to avoid problems such as dampness.

· Initial investment. Fred and Susan Lester replaced their pellet stove with a see-through gas fireplace about three years ago. It cost about $3,600, plus $1,400 for installation.

Amy Ratcliffe of Burtonsville, who had a gas insert installed in her fireplace about six years ago, said she spent a similar amount.

A Jotul stove that heats about 600 square feet costs about $1,300, while a model that heats about 2,000 square feet retails for about $2,100. Inserts start at about $1,700.

Cox of American Chimney said a gas-burning fireplace is "the best value for the money." It doesn't require a chimney and can be vented through a basement or outside wall. False walls can hide the venting pipes, and the apparatus can be configured with a mantle to look like a real fireplace -- at a cost of $6,000 to $10,000, compared with about $25,000 for a masonry chimney. Six years ago, Cox sold just a handful of gas fireplaces; now, her store sells 35 or 40 a year.

To use natural gas, however, homeowners must be in an area that is served by pipelines. To use propane, they must have a tank installed.

· Looks. Gas flames "don't look fake anymore," Wheeler said. They now burn with a people-pleasing yellow flame, at a small sacrifice of efficiency (blue flames indicate an optimal burn with gas).

Gas stoves and inserts and fireplaces also have become more "hip," Cox said, offering traditional, modern and retro looks. Stoves come in cast iron as well as with granite and soapstone panels and enamel finishes.

· Operating costs and ease of operation. The Lesters spend about $300 to $350 a winter to spot-heat about 800 square feet, generally only in the evenings. Ratcliffe has a propane furnace, and she hasn't seen much change in her fuel bill since she started using her insert.

Gas and propane prices tend to fluctuate more than prices of pellets and wood because they are tied to the price of oil on the world market. The U.S. Energy Information Administration predicted that natural gas prices would rise 11 percent this winter and propane prices 17 percent. The volatility of natural gas prices, for example, is evident in an EIA chart that shows that the residential cost of 1,000 cubic feet in January 2000 was $6.37; one year later the price was $10.12. Last month the price was $14.94 after being as high as $16.70 in September 2005.

Nevertheless, gas, mostly natural gas, is the go-to fuel for most homeowners. Sixty-five percent of fireplace inserts that are installed in new homes or renovations burn gas. People like the convenience.

"Whenever it is cold, I just hit the button," Ratcliffe said. Her insert also can be set to run on a thermostat and requires "no" maintenance, she said, although yearly servicing is recommended at a cost of about $200.

Electricity is needed for operation of some gas heaters, but others have a pilot light that is constantly on and do not require electricity to operate. Those that do need electricity sometimes come with a battery backup.

· Pollution potential. Gas is by far the cleanest of the three fuel options, emitting almost no particulate matter: 0.0083 grams an hour, according to the EPA.

Unlike pellets and wood, however, natural gas and propane are not renewable resources, and their burning contributes greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.