Electricity. Great convenience. Great versatility.
Low costs in purchasing electrical heating appliances and installation make this a popular choice for central heating. Electric fireplaces can be inexpensive and can be located in virtually any room in your home. In fact, renters can often take their electric fireplaces with them when they move! Most models have a thermostatic-controlled electric heater to add warmth to the room. Today’s Vermont Castings electric stove and fireplaces offer the beauty of a wood stove or fireplace, and can be easily installed by the homeowner. It’s a great alternative that can add beauty and value to any home.
Fireplaces and stoves warm our homes and hearts. Our qualified Vermont Castings’ retailers are proud to assist you in your selection. Visit our website, vermontcastings.com, for additional information on our company heritage and our fine quality hearth and outdoor products.
www.vermontcastings.com
Buyer’s Guide to Stoves and Fireplaces
Choose what’s best for your home and family
Compare costs, fuels, style and more
So many choices, but which one is best?
These days, it’s hard to decide between the many choices in home heating solutions. But with the price of oil and other fuel costs on the rise, one thing’s for sure, more and more homeowners are going to hearth showrooms for the best choices. At Vermont Castings, we make stoves and other hearth products for just about every home, and every heating need. And it’s all backed by what we call Vermont Values; clean burning, efficient to operate, a stylish statement in your home, and built Vermont proud and strong.
who purchase our fuel. Wood burning, while offering the largest rewards, requires more owner interaction than other alternative products. Today’s clean burning EPA-certified wood stoves, inserts and fireplaces require refueling every 4 to 10 hours. Heavy users remove ashes daily. [ Ask about Vermont Castings unique top-loading door and swing-out ash pan convenience features.] Wood is typically stacked and stored outside, covered or uncovered. “Seasoned” hardwood, stacked and left to air dry for at least a year after cutting will provide you with the best heating performance. Lots of people love the warmth, comfort, relative ease and pride they feel beside their Vermont Castings wood stove or fireplace. But if your busy lifestyle requires a little less attention, there are plenty of other heating alternatives that can offer the same comfort with less interaction. And at considerable savings, too.
Liquid Propane (LP gas) offers all the beauty
and convenience of natural gas. If you are already heating with LP gas, or electric, LP gas is a good choice. Quick and easy installation can be accommodated by delivery of a 100 lb. (or larger) tank placed outside the wall where your stove or fireplace sits. Larger tanks can be buried outside in most regions. Fuel costs can vary greatly by region, by time of year, and even by LP company so shop wisely.
Wood Pellet and Dried Corn offer still another choice.
These fuels offer an alternative to wood and coal where natural gas is not available. You can load the stove fuel hopper for typically 8 – 24 hour burn times. Large ash storage stove pedestals require less frequent removal of ashes, however, daily cleaning of the burn pot inside the stove is required on most models.Wood pellet and corn fuel is sold by the bag for pick up at some hearth retailers and farm stores. Home delivery costs should be considered when comparing fuel costs. Supply of wood pellets has become scarce during the past couple of heating seasons so we suggest buying your annual fuel needs in the summer. Covered dry storage is required to prevent moisture from degrading or destroying these fuels. Corn should be stored in a closed area to keep unwanted rodents or other animals from sharing your fuel. Another important consideration is that wood pellet and corn stoves require electricity to operate and therefore will not function during a power outage.
Information is the best way to make the right choice.
Space heating is a great way to stay comfy and warm while being GREEN, clean and economical. The US Department of Energy Resources and HPBA report that you save an average of 30% by space heating. Simply stated, heat the space where you spend the most time! Options are as beautiful as they are plentiful. One of your first decisions should be to select the best fuel type to meet your needs. Space heating versus central heating can save you money without switching fuels. Alternative fuels may provide even greater savings. Include not only fuel costs but also convenience, cleanliness, maintenance and operating costs in making your decision. Wood usually comes to mind first when people think of fireplaces and stoves. Today’s hearth products can also be fueled by natural gas, liquid propane (LP gas), wood pellet, dried corn, coal and electricity.
Coal is regionally available and varies in heat value by type. Soft
coal has lower heat value and is dirtier than hard coal. Both types of coal can provide great savings if available in your area. Coal is sold in 50 pound bags or delivered in bulk by the ton. Attentive loading of fuel and unloading of ashes minimizes the dust or dirt in your home. If considering coal, ask you dealer about our Vermont Castings Vigilant stove.
Not surprisingly, natural gas fits perfectly with most family lifestyles. In fact, natural gas is the greatest value overall
for heating your home or living space. Unsurpassed convenience and cleanliness makes natural gas a natural choice, too. You never have to deal with storage, or fuel shortages or daily maintenance. Natural Gas prices have fluctuated in the past, but still remain a bargain, hour for hour in heating value for your home. Just set your thermostat and you’re ready to enjoy the benefits. The aesthetic beauty of the dancing flames, detailed castings, and vast color and design options of the Vermont Castings gas stoves, inserts, and fireplaces make this the preferred gathering place in any home.
Wood has been warming the homes and hearts of North Americans
for centuries. Harvesting of renewable wood energy is environmentally smart and new growth forests clean the air we breathe. During clean combustion, CO2 gas releases are equivalent to natural decay. Vermont Castings is proud to be the leader in clean burning wood technology, offering the two cleanest burning non-catalytic EPA-listed wood stoves in the world. Many wood burners get some of their fuel free but it is still a leading value for those of us