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Review: Century Hearth Wood Stove
The original "heat pump"...
$600 savings in the first year of use!People living north of the Mason-Dixon line won't believe it, but North Carolina gets COLD in Winter.
Effective Use of Excess Resources...
Having purchased a rural cottage on a lake in the Piedmont region of North Carolina a few years ago, and having observed the "excess resource" of wood already available on the property - buying a wood stove seemed a smart move. I am not disappointed.
This little stove - Century Hearth Model FW240007 - really cranks out some heat - and I mean HEAT - not just warm air!
You'll either need to understand and be very handy with the installation requirements or have someone do the tough stuff - like cutting a hole in the roof and assembling the proper pipe, etc. You'll also need to carefully follow the code for distance from walls and have a fireproof mat for your floor. You can see the mat in the picture - fairly unobtrusive - and it protects the ceramic tiles.
Tools & Accessories (Ready for review or purchase at the bottom of this page)
Other items of importance to novice users will be the need for a blower fan. Otherwise, you'll have a 90 degree area right around the stove and not enough heat moving through the rest of your home. This particular model's coverage is up to 1500 square feet of living area.
Don't forget to buy an ash bucket which will soon feel like an appendage. The good news is that carting the bucket back and forth inside and out will do wonders for your ability to move from 90 degrees to 5 degrees in a timely and efficient manner. A little use of the biceps is never a bad thing either. Exercise with a purpose!
Just so you know...
This is not a purchase for those who like to just sit in a warm house during Winter. It's a fair amount of work - even if you have wood available as I do on my property. You still have to haul the wood, tend the fire, clean the stove and the pipe - and plan for those times when the stove has cooled and so has the house. If you can project-plan this into a daily process though, I highly recommend it as a viable option to gas, oil, or electricity for home heating.
Savings...and they continue...
From an economic standpoint, since heating my house is normally accomplished by propane and a gas pack unit, I estimate my expenses this first heating season will be cut in half - in this area and at current propane rates - a savings around $600 for one season.
UPDATE: Fall, 2009
Based on last year's numbers and my savings quoted for the first year, in the two years since the wood stove was installed, it has paid for itself in electric bill savings. A pretty good ROI if you ask me...I also made a little non-essential purchase that I really just enjoy watching. Probably good for blood pressure or something. See it here on the Rose Cottage blog...
I purchased this stove at Lowe's for around $480, end of 2007. The other items needed to complete installation brought the total cost to just under $1500, (double-walled pipe is not cheap.) I am very pleased with the return on investment of this purchase.The Wood Stoves
And surprise, surprise...Amazon.com has several wood stoves that are very similar. Make sure to do your homework as to installation requirements and review any applicable building codes for your area. This will save you time, money and frustration.
Don't forget to figure shipping costs on these heavy items and look for free shipping whenever and wherever you can get it. It will make a huge difference in your total cost in this instance.
Interview with the installer and a few FAQs...Since I posted this article it seemed a good idea to also post a short interview with the stove's installer.
Question: What was the hardest part of this installation?
Answer: I expected the hardest part of the installation to be removing the shingles, cutting a hole in the roof, and re-establishing a water-tight seal. That turned out to be easier than I expected. I chose a warm day, a flat pry bar and did not try to rush the job. Shingle nails were easily removed and I was careful not to break the old, brittle shingles. As it turned out, centering the two-hundred pound stove under the hole by myself was the biggest challenge.
Question: Other than the stove itself, what were some of the other required expenses?
Answer: Double-walled pipe - at over $30 per foot - made me wonder just how important that element of fire safety really is. Stories of slip-shod chimneys catching a house on fire gave me an appreciation for how important it was to do this job right.
Question: Had you known then what you know now, is there anything you might have done differently with this installation?
Answer: No - not really. Some good choices were made in having the stack taller than the code required for a good draft, and not including any bends or elbows - again to maintain the strongest possible draft.
Wood Stove Accessories and Tools These are the essentials you will need if you are preparing your first Winter with a new wood stove.
There are hundreds of products available like steamers and even stove "potpourri", but the items shown below are really requirements.
And...the simplest solutions are often the best!
This Turkish-made galvanized steel bucket holds three gallons of warm ash safely and securely, with a tight-fitting, lightweight aluminum lid. A double-layer steel bottom offers additional protection for floors, and an insulated wooden handle protects hands. Textured powder-coat finish.
You won't mind seeing this Ash Bucket in your home!
Available in Black or Copper
Size: 10-1/2"dia. x 12"H
Self-Powered Stove Fan
Self-Powered Stove Fans have a unique design with an internal heat-fueled generator and almost magical automatic operation. As the stove warms, the fan turns itself on; as the stove gets hotter, the fan automatically increases speed to extract more heat from your stove and circulate it. All are Canadian-made of aluminum with stay-cool handles.
Gas Stove Fan has two generators to compensate for the lower temperatures of gas-burning stoves.
Available Styles and Sizes: Choose from Gold or Nickel fan blades
Fireman's Shield Gloves
Lined with patented Kovenex fireproof material and crafted of high-quality leather, Plow & Hearth's exclusive Fireman's Shield Gloves are tough enough to withstand the heat from your fireplace. Use them to retrieve a smoldering log that's rolled onto the floor.
Sold as a pair; one size fits most and available for gift wrapping!
Doorway Fan
This Doorway Fan quietly moves 100cfm of warm or cool air, helping to equalize the temperature in your house and reduce electric bills. The plastic-bodied fan with 10' cord fits unobtrusively in the corner of a doorway. ETL listed. Mounting hardware included.
Size: 8"L x 3-1/2"W
Note: A little loud, but does an awesome job...
Birdcage Tool Set
A well made and highly functional tool set in a classically simple American design. Makes a great decorative element element for a gas or electric fireplace, too. Five-piece wrought iron tool set with an antique birdcage design crafted into the stand.
Includes poker, shovel, tongs, broom and stand.
Size:28"H
Note: This set will handle all your wood stove needs.
Don't forget you can also shop here for your outdoor living space, plants, bulbs and trees, garden tools, power tools, garden statues, and indoor and outdoor fountains.
