Dear Homeowner and Potential Customer,
Consider your lifestyle when deciding which fuel choice is best for you. Think about convenience vs. cost. Convenience relates to time and effort spent tending and maintaining the stove. Cost of operation is inverse to convenience: propane, natural gas, oil, and electric are the bad guys due to their relatively high cost. Wood, pellet, and anthracite coal are attractive due to their relatively low cost. If you choose to heat with solid fuel, you are making a choice which has the potential to save you serious money. When you realize the time commitment required, you may discover that you shouldn't own a stove! A woodstove will be the most high maintenance appliance in your house. Bear this in mind if you're an old guy with a bad back. Pellets are much less labor intensive than wood, produce less than 1% ash, and deliver a steady, even heat. Coal heat is intense and long lasting, but with a 10% ash content, a reputation for being dusty. Do not rule out a natural gas or propane unit. When used properly as a zone heater, you will still save money when you turn your thermostat down while enjoying the clean convenience of gas.
As with any major appliance purchase, buy the best you can afford. My dad taught that "the bitterness of low quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten". Another tip: buy your stove locally from an established dealer. Although you may be tempted to buy a stove on the internet to save a few bucks up front, you will be on your own when you have problems. Talk to other stove and fireplace owners, research on the web, and read all the manufacturers websites. For a mix of fact and opinion browse hearth.com. An objective resource for wood burning information is woodheat.org. If you want to learn about pellet, check out pelletheat.org.
Thank you and Good Luck,
Liam Ryan