subject: Tips To Buying The Best Wood Heater For Your Needs [print this page] For centuries wood heating was used to keep us warm. As cheaper and easier to use fuel sources came along, wood was replaced. However, now that oil and gas is becoming relatively more expensive, wood heaters are becoming more popular as a cost effective way to heat the family home. With technological developments, wood heaters are also environmentally friendly. The Australian Home Heating Association state that wood heating actually emits less green house gas than other forms of home heating, and wood heaters also provide the cheapest form of home heating available. Therefore, if you want to buy a good wood heater for your home what do you need to consider?
There are a number of considerations, such as the size of the area you want to heat, along with insulation in your house, the type of wood heater that is best for your situation, where to place your heater to maximize heating and reduce costs, and the look of the wood heater.
I will look at the type of wood heater along with the size of the area you want to heat, as they go hand in hand.
There are three types of wood heaters to choose from. They are the radiant, convection and fan forced convection wood heaters. The radiant heater heats air by direct contact, so is more dangerous if you have little kids around. The convection heater has two casings which heats the air more efficiently, so you can heat larger areas than with the radiant variety. The fan forced convection heater pumps the hot air further around the house, so if you have a considerable area to heat, you should consider the fan forced convection heater.
When installing a wood heater, you need to consider where to locate it. You need to look at a central position so the heat is able to reach all areas of the house. If you have a two story house and you are heating downstairs (which is a good idea since hot air rises), you need to consider the upstairs layout, and the best place in relation to the roof line. You can make a feature of the heater, but it must be kept out of the way, so that it does not impede the natural flow of the house and is not a safety hazard.
Finally, you need to consider the color and look of the wood heater, so it fits in with the theme and other features of your house.
There is a lot to consider when buying a wood heater, but it is worth it, when you get to sit back in a nice warm house, warmed from the natural fuel that man has used for thousands of years.
