A wood stove is a timeless way to warm your home while also allowing you to enjoy the beauty of a real fire. However, some homeowners overlook this option because of false assumptions about the quality or effectiveness of its heating. And most importantly, buy your stove from a reputable dealer with knowledge of clearances and venting requirements that will install their product according to the manual.

What's the Truth About Wood Stoves?

1. Safer Than Ever

Modern stove and chimney designs have all but eliminated the risk of accidental fires. Modern stoves are also designed to burn much more cleanly, and many use catalytic elements to catch any burnable material in the smoke for fewer emissions and greater energy efficiency. A correctly installed stove may even be a safer option than other forms of heating, as it can keep your home warm even if the power is out.

2. More Efficient Every Year

Many homeowners use wood stoves as supplemental heat for their home, or for an area of their home that's difficult for the furnace to reach. Today's stoves are also designed to capture as much of the heat as the fuel can produce, thereby limiting emissions in the form of smoke.

3. Easy to Maintain

Part of having a wood stove is clearing out the ash and loading in more wood, which makes many people picture the same amount of work that goes into a campfire. However, the greater efficiency of modern stove designs means a slower, more thorough burn, so you don't have to add wood as often, and there's less ash to clean. You can also have ready-to-use firewood delivered to your home, and some providers will even stack it for you.

Whether you're in the market for a wood stove or you still prefer gas stoves and other heating options, Cricket on the Hearth in Rochester, NY, will help. Serving Monroe County for over 50 years, this family-owned company stands by the quality of their products and offers warranties on each one. They're so confident in their setup that even their fully-stocked showroom is heated with wood. To get started on your stove installation, call (585) 385-2420 or visit their website.