Fireplace Lowdown

$1,500 Tax Credit for Buying a 75%-efficient Wood or Pellet Stove

If you've been thinking of buying a new wood or pellet stove soon, then this may be the year. 

The 2009 Economic Stimulus legislation signed into law on Feb. 17, 2009, in the U.S. offers a 30% tax credit (up to $1,500) if you purchase a 75%-efficient biomass-burning stove in 2009 or 2010.  This includes wood, pellet, and corn stoves. 

The tax credit is designed to help homeowners save on energy costs while utilizing renewable biomass fuels such as corn, wood, and wood pellets.

You will need to check carefully into the models you're considering, as only stoves with at least 75% fuel efficiency will qualify.  The IRS is supposed to issue the full list of requirements by March 31, 2009.  In the meantime, you can start browsing around!

Now Is the Time to Shop for Fireplaces

If you've been thinking about buying a new gas or electric fireplace or perhaps installing a wood or pellet stove, but you've been scared away by the prices, you might want to take a look this time of year (early February as I write this post).  As with just about any home and garden item, fireplaces have their season and you can find great end-of-season sales as winter wanes and people start thinking about spring.

For example, I was at Home Depot the other day, and they were having a 40% off sale on their fireplaces and related accessories.  That's a pretty good discount on models that are still new and unopened.

Also, this is still a good time of year to find contractors to do work on your home, as they have less work than in the spring and summer, so if you want to give your fireplace a facelift or get help with installation, you'll wait less (and maybe even get a discount) for work done now.

So, if you've been wanting to buy, this is a good time of year to get out there and shop for these items.

Modern Fireplaces Are More Efficient Than Ever

I caught an article on fireplaces that addressed some of the big advances that have been made in the realm of fireplaces and stoves powered by wood, pellets, corn, gas, and even electricity.  These advances have helped make them a lot more fuel efficient, putting out more heat for your money.  But is a fireplace really an economical alternative for heating your home?

Basically it depends.  A wood stove (or one that burns corn or pellets) is designed to put out a lot of warmth and not waste a lot of energy.  Open fireplaces, on the other hand, aren't that great because heat escapes up the chimney.  Electric fireplaces, though more realistic than ever, are essentially just space heaters.  Gas fireplaces can heat up a room nicely (though rarely the whole house) and can be nice in areas where gas is the most affordable fuel.

For more information on trends and advances in technology, you may want to browse the article at The Modern, More Efficient Fireplace.

Electric Fireplaces Available at Costco This Fall

I was browsing at Costco this weekend (something a sane person would never do on a weekend, when the parking lot is stuffed, the checkout lines are long, and people with strollers are ramming into the back of your legs to get you out of their aisles) and spotted an electric fireplace for sale.  The cost was about $500 (and I see there's another model listed on their website for closer to $700), so these are definitely not the entry level models, but they come with handsome mantels and look like lasting pieces of furniture.

An electric fireplace can be a handy way to heat up a room and add the ambiance of flames even if you don't have a chimney.  They have the same flip-a-switch-to-turn-it-off-and-on convenience of gas fireplaces but cost half the price (actually, it's usually a lot less than half the price). 

So if you've got a Costco membership and you've been meaning to buy a nice-looking electric fireplace, you might want to stop by fall  Their inventory turns over quickly, so go sooner rather than later.

Heating Oil Costs Increasing This Winter, Time for a Wood Stove?

It looks like the price of heating oil is going to increase a noticeable amount this winter (an average of $319, or 22 percent), according to news article Heating Costs to Jump This Winter.  While heating with oil has grown less common in America (natural gas accounts for more than 50% of homes in the U.S.), there are still a number of homeowners using it in the northeast and other countries.  If the price increases continue, it may be time to look for alternatives.

Many homeowners, especially in rural areas, choose to replace or supplement their heating requirements with a wood, corn, or pellet stove.  In many areas, it's cheaper to heat this way, especially if you are looking to do "zone heating" (where you heat the living room or the area you spend the most time in instead of the whole house. 

You can get more information by checking out the posts in the sections here on wood stoves, pellet stoves, and alternative heating methods.

The Flatscreen TV over the Fireplace Debate Continues

Last year, I addressed whether or not it was possible to mount a flat screen (i.e. LCD/plasma) TV over a fireplace.  The short answer was yes it's possible, and it's probably not going to damage the television.  But from design and ergonomics perspectives, should you do it?

Many people will point out that a television should be at eye level when you're sitting down, so you don't strain your neck or anything viewing it (although maybe you're sitting too close or watching too much TV is this is honestly a problem for you... ?).  There's a good debate on the pros and cons of mounting a TV over the fireplace over on the gardenweb forums, in case you want to hear a number of different opinions:

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/homeentertain/msg0219112810437.html?23

Don't Burn Your Christmas Tree in Your Fireplace!

It's that time of the year where people are starting to take down their Christmas Trees (and wondering what the heck they're going to do with them).  In an article called "Caring for a Christmas Tree" http://www.pickyourownchristmastree.org says you should never burn your tree in your fireplace or wood stove: "Pine trees have a lot of sap which can flash and also create a chimney fire."

So, what can you do?  If you have a mulcher, that's an easy way to break down your tree into something useful, since evergreen trees are biodegradable. The branches can be chopped off, hacked into chips, and used as mulch for your garden.  Another site suggests using the tree in your backyard as "The tree can also be used as sand and soil erosion barriers, the site said, or serve as food and shelter for fish in private ponds." (Keeping Quay Cleaner) If neither of those options appeal, look into neighborhood tree recycling programs.  There's probably somebody who can take that tree off your hands for you.

Mailing List for Wood Burners

I came across a Yahoo! group dedicated to wood burning, and it seems quite active.  You can sign up for the mailing list (beware of lots of messages flooding your box--sometimes it's better to do the digest version), or just browse through the posts on the site (you may have to have a Yahoo! account to get in though--they're free).  If you have questions, it's probably a good place to ask.

Here's the address:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/woodheat/

Why Firewood Prices are Higher This Winter

With a colder than average winter already underfoot and natural gas prices at new highs, it's no wonder why people are turning to their wood-burning stoves for heat.  But many wood buyers are noticing that wood prices are higher this year too.  In some areas, folks are paying $15 more for a cord than they did a year ago.  An article I came across mentions a key reason: "higher-than-average gas prices have forced firewood dealers to pass an extra fee on to their customers because it's more expensive to ship and deliver wood."  For many buyers, it's still worth the price, since with a stove, you can keep the thermostat turned down and just heat the room where you're going to be hanging out.

Quote from: Rising Heat Costs Bring Spike in Firewood Sales

Hydrogen Fireplaces, Not All That?

A couple months ago, several blogs posted about Heat & Glo's Aqueon, a hydrogen fireplace that makes fire from water.  It's touted as fireplace that uses only water as fuel, keeps 100% of the heat in the house, and actually replenishes oxygen in the home.  Sounds pretty cool, if you can afford the $35,000 price tag.  And I admit, I do think it's pretty cool.  The downside, however, is that it requires electricity in order to turn the water into fire.  This means that, while a neat idea, it's neither more energy efficient nor green than other forms of electric heat. 

http://www.heatnglo.com

Blogs that wrote about the hydrogen fireplace:

http://www.ohgizmo.com/?p=470

http://www.luxist.com/entry/1234000420053365/