Here is a simple guide to the types of new, EPA-certified woodstoves you will see in your local stove shop, and how they work. An understanding of these basic categories will simplify your stove shopping.
The Basic Categories of EPA-Certified Woodstoves
Factor #1: How they achieve a clean burn:
Catalytic stoves
Non-catalytic stoves
Factor #2: How they distribute heat:
Radiant stoves
Circulating stoves
Factor #3: How much heat they can produce:
Large, medium, and small stoves
Factor #4: Installation Type:
Free-standing stoves
Fireplace inserts
An Introduction to Wood Stoves
An introduction to wood stoves begins at the beginning: The wood stove industry has made huge technological strides in recent years. EPA emission standards have resulted in new designs for cleaner, safer, more efficient wood burning.
But we aren’t quite there yet. There are thousands of old, inefficient systems still in operation, and there is a new list of potential difficulties associated with the new technology.
In the introduction to wood stoves, we will cover both the old and the new, including:
~ Todd Woofenden
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