Wood Burning Stoves - Do You Have The Tools Needed To Be Using One In Your Home?

Whether you installed your wood stove yourself to reduce the cost of your heating bill, or you're utilizing the stove that came with your house when you purchased it, wood stoves can help to serve multiple purposes, including heating as well as a place for the family to gather around on those cold winter nights.

There are certain tools you should have before having a fire in your stove. Some stove tools include a poker, which can be used for stirring up the fire and moving logs around. Another tool you will need is some kind of scoop for shoveling out ashes, if your wood burning stove doesn't have any kind of ash drawer, this is a must. Another accessory you should add to your supplies arsenal, is a set of tongs for picking up logs. You may also want to purchase fire retardant gloves, so you reduce your risk of burn when working with a fire.

Blowers can be utilized in a way that is beneficial to a wide range of wood stove owners. The purpose of wood stove blowers is to redistribute the heat throughout your home. Many people don't realize the savings potential in purchasing a wood stove blower. It may be 85 degrees Fahrenheit by the stove but if the heat isn't being distributed throughout the house, other rooms in the house may only be 60 degrees or lower. The benefits in purchasing a blower are both money and peace of mind, in knowing that you are getting the most out of your wood burning stove.

Having a log holder near your wood burning stove is also a recommendation. A log holder will help to keep wood chips and saw dust consolidated all in one place. Another option is a wood carrier to help you transport your wood from wood pile to stove without losing a single chip. Log holders can be a worthy investment if you don't enjoy the mess associated with having a wood burning stove.

If you have a fireplace, you may want to consider investing in a fireplace insert. Fireplaces are not airtight structures, so most of your heat will just get sucked straight up the chimney. This is fine if you only have a fire a few times a year for special occasions, but if you are looking to use your fireplace for heating your home, you should consider purchasing a fireplace insert. A fireplace insert is basically a wood stove that fits inside your fireplace. A fireplace insert is airtight so it will burn slower and it won't suck in air sending all your heat up the chimney.

When using a wood stove or fireplace, it is very important that you get your chimney checked regularly for creosote buildup. Creosote buildup is more common with slow burning such as wood stoves and fireplace inserts, but you should still get your chimney checked if you are just burning with a fireplace. It is imperative that you check for creosote in that it can potentially cause chimney fires.