Stoves - What Type is Right For You?

When you think of a heating stove, you may picture old westerns where everyone is huddled around the woodstove. These stoves were used to heat the home, to cook on and to heat up the water for baths. Yes - baths in the olden days were taken in the main room in front of the woodstove. These stoves were made out of cast iron.

Many people still choose to have an old style cast iron stove or a pot bellied stove in their home. However, there are many types of fuel that can be used today for these stoves. Some of them have been made into gas stoves with a woodstove look. Pellet stoves use small pellets of wood or corn as their fuel. It's much cleaner than traditional wood. Many people still opt to go out and cut down a tree and split wood. It is a matter of personal preference.

Coal stoves are also quickly becoming popular. There are many types of coal that can be used from the very small "pea" coal to larger pieces of coal. Unlike wood, coal is generally too messy to be stored in the house and needs to be stored in it's own storage spot like a shed specifically for this purpose. Coal can be dirty and messy. That's not a mess you want in your home. It does, however, burn cleaner and longer. Many coal stoves and pellet stoves have hoppers that you can fill up and the fuel is fed in as it is needed. This makes for less work.

Most of the types of stoves discussed here are used for heating the home. Cooking stoves are generally in the kitchen and are not a great source of heat. There are faux stoves that are simply purchased for aesthetic value and not for their heating properties. Some people are even creating outdoor living spaces centered around a stove placed on a patio for heat on those chilly nights.

When shopping for a stove take into consideration how it will be used. Will it be for a heat source or simply for looks? Do you want the aroma and work of chopping wood or would you rather have a self feeding hopper that comes with coal, wood and corn pellets? Do you have the storage for your fuel of choice. Maybe you prefer gas to any of the other choices. These are all important things for you to know before you go to pick out your new stove.

Autor: George Edmondson

George Edmondson is an accomplished writer about Stoves. For more information on Stoves please visit http://www.stoveshack.com

Added: June 29, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/