Organization: CUNY/UCC VM Systems
Date: Friday, 18 Dec 1992 09:34:58 EST
From: Robert Chambers <RMCCU@CUNYVM.BITNET>
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Wood Burning Stoves vs Screened Fireplace
Distribution: usa

In article <1992Dec14.135957.16863@cbnewsj.cb.att.com>, lke@cbnewsj.cb.att.com
(lun.k.eng) says:
>
>Hi,
>
>After going thru the latest storm in the NE without power for almost 36
>hours, we are considering using the fireplace and burn some woods at last.
>
>What are the advantages and disadvantages of these two options, such as cost,
>humidity, dust, draft, efficiency, safety, and convenience:

You enjoyed the storm too?  We live on the CT shoreline, talk about
destruction... Anyway...

The house we bought a few years ago had a sunroom on the side (3 walls
were jalousie windows) and it was bitterly cold in the winter.
For some reason the guy who built the room built a really nice fireplace
there too.  It was strange cos in the winter the room was way to cold
to use and the summertime nobody lights fires...   We got permits etc
and enclosed the room and bricked up the outside, re-wired, insulated out
the wazoo and now it's our dining room.  The fireplace was ok I guess
we had a couple of fires in it but the smoke sometimes puffed into the
room and it didn't provide much heat except for radiant heat and
you have to be there to enjoy that.

We spent a bundle and bought a Buck woodstove.  It's all 1/4 inch
boilerplate with a firebrick interior, big door with glass window
and a fan/thermostat assembly to force air circulation.  What a
difference this made!!!!  We usually only fire it up on the weekends,
but when the woodstove runs, the house temperature stays high enough
that the oil heat doesn't kick on at all.  This particular stove
can be used to cook on except ours is recessed into the fireplace enough
so this won't work for us... Luckily we didn't loose power during the
storm, but if we had, we would have been warm just dark...  How romantic.

>humidity, dust, draft, efficiency, safety, and convenience:

Humidity with a stove goes way down, use a humidifier if you are
sensitive to low humidity or have furniture that is.  (Humidifier can
be a kettle on the top of the stove that you keep filling up as it
boils away)

Draft - I have more control over the draft with the woodstove I think.
        Unless you are talking about drafts caused by the fire
        consuming oxygen - Wood stoves are more controllable.

Dust - Some dust when cleaning the ashes out.  Use slow gentle strokes
       to avoid dust clouds.

Safety? I don't know for sure, I think I have more control over my
fire inside the stove than behind a glass screen. With all fireplaces
maintain a clean chimmney to avoid fires there.

Convenient- Thow in some newspaper balls, kindling, and a match... Feed
            with wood until heat is no longer desired.  It's good for me.



>1. A custom fit screened fireplace, or

 Cheaper, have to clean the glass, doesn't provide that much heat.

>2. A wood burning stoves?

 More expensive, easier to clean glass (if any) provides plenty of heat
 get the model with the dual walls and forced air system, regular
 potbelly stoves aren't as efficient.

>Thanks in advance.

Good luck!

>Lenny Eng

Robert
Newsgroups: misc.consumers