Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Buying Coal Stoves - Things To Consider

By Jim Carpenter

Coal stoves are a very effective method for heating your home, nonetheless before you rush out to purchase one there are a number of things which need to be taken into consideration beforehand. It is vital that you know what these issues are because this will aid you to decide easily which is the right coal stove for your own home.

The first thing that you need to do before you make your purchase is check whether you can have a chimney installed at your home if it does not have one at the present time. As a general rule coal stoves have metal pipes which help to vent the smoke and fumes out of your and often these can be located by being attached to an outside wall of the home. But it is crucial that you check with the local building authority whether you need to get permits before you do actually have the chimney installed.

However, if you do already have a chimney before you get a coal stove installed it is vital that you get it thoroughly inspected beforehand. A competent chimney inspection company will be able to quickly identify any problems and provide solutions to these as well as arrange for the chimney to be cleaned thoroughly as well.

A chimney is essential as this is what helps to vent the stove and so prevent toxic fumes from having access to your home. So even once installed you will need to make sure that it is regularly maintained. To prevent the build up of soot in your chimney it is important that you arrange to have it inspected and cleaned every six months to a year depending on how much it is used. Certainly those that are being used continuously should be cleaned every six months.

Next you need to consider the size of coal stove that will actually meet your own particular requirements. What size you select will depend on the size of the room into which it is going to be installed and how many other rooms in the house that it will be used to heat.

After taking the above factors into consideration and you have selected your coal stove you now need to get it installed. It is best if you use a company who has plenty of experience in the installation of such equipment and not just the stove but also the other bits and pieces such as the chimney parts. Hopefully the store where you purchase your coal stove from will be able to recommend a company that can carry out these works for you.

It is vital that after your coal stove has been installed that you regularly check it over before it is lit. Over time just by looking at your coal stove you will be able to quickly identify any seals, grates or glass that needs to be replaced because they have become worn or damaged. This is especially crucial if you only have yours lit during the winter months.

Coal stoves are proving to be very effective and can save you money for heating a home today. To ensure that yours remains effective when in use you need to regularly maintain it and replace parts which are worn or broken. Also it is advisable that you use only the kind of fuel as recommended by the manufacturer of the stove. - 15485

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