5 Essential Wood Burning Stove Accessories

By: Jonathon Mendleheisen

You have made the decision to go with a wood stove this winter. Now its time to find some accessories that will make using your wood stove easier and more fun. There are a myriad of accessory choices, but here are a few of the most essential ones.

Log Carriers and Baskets

If you are using a traditional wood log burning stove, you will need a method for retrieving and storing those logs from the woodpile to the inside of your home. A log basket or carrier is a handy tool that makes it much easier to transport a number of logs at one time. They come in various sizes, shapes and materials. Our favorite is the wicker basket style that transports and stores at the same time. It is particularly stylish if your home or cottage is decorated in a country style. For a more sturdy and modern look, there are metal carriers that will do the job. Always consider your home decor when shopping for a log basket/carrier.

Stove Gloves

Fitting logs inside your wood burning stoves can be tricky. Purchasing a good set of stove gloves is essential to ensure that your hands are arms are kept safe from the fire and heat. Although you can use any types of gloves for this purpose, ones that are specifically made for the job are recommended. Good stove gloves are extra long to cover and protect the arms. Because they are specially treated with material that withstands high temperatures, they are much safer than a typical glove used during winter months.

Blowers and Heat Reclaimers

Efficiency is the name of the game for wood burning stoves. Blowers (fans) and heat reclaimers are accessories that will help make your wood stove as efficient as possible. Keep in mind that any hot air that is not circulated into a room is lost to the outside. An efficient blower will help circulate the heat throughout a room or house.

Heat reclaimers are designed to capture heat that would normally go straight up the chimney and circulate that air back into the room. A highly efficient wood burning stove will have both a blower and heat reclaimer working properly.

Thermometer

A thermometer will not only help you monitor the efficiency of your wood stove, but it will also alert you to any issues involved with overheating. The thermometer attaches either to the stovepipe or directly onto the stovetop.

Kettles and Steamers

You will want to get the most out of your woodburning stove, so having a few cooking accessories on hand is fun and functional at the same time. Wood stove kettles can be used for making old fashioned popcorn. Fill a kettle with water to help humidify a room. You can even add a touch of potpourri to the water to give the room a special scent too.

Kettles come in a wide variety of styles, but porcelain covered ones may be the best choice since they resist rust. If you use your stove for cooking often, consider purchasing a trivet. Wood stove trivets will help protect the top of your stove from rust spots that could result from the use of a kettle or steamer. They are made of cast iron and are very durable.

Wood stoves can be a smart decision from both an asthetic and economical viewpoint. Wood stove accessories will help your stove be more efficient, fun and safe - all at the same time.

Jonathan Mendleheisen is a free lance writer who writes on a variety of indoor and outdoor topics. For more information on everything to do with wood stoves, visit the site that is solely dedicated to it - http://www.4woodstoves.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Wood Stove Accessories For Your Home

By: Tom K. Kelly

Wood stoves are not just an appliance; they are also a way to add beauty and charm to a home, along with the savings in fuel costs. And with the appropriate accessories you can get a lot more out of your wood stove than you probably thought you could. Here is a short review of a few of the most popular wood stove accessories and how they can be used to make your wood stove an even more valuable addition to your home.

Wood Stove Accessories

Fans can be an attractive and practical accessory for a wood stove. Circulating fans help transfer the warm air from the stove throughout the room. There are also doorway fans that move the heat into other rooms and fans that are built to fit into existing ducts to spread the heat all throughout the home.

Modern homes are more air-tight than ever, which can cause problems with a wood stove's drafting. This keeps it from drawing sufficient air from the home to burn efficiently and can also create excessive smoking. Air supply ventilators resolve this problem and can be installed through an outside wall. Because they take advantage of the negative air pressure inside today's tight homes there is no power source required. The improved draft means more efficient burning.

There are also electrically operated Draft Inducers which are helpful in increasing the air flow up a chimney. This increases the negative pressure (draft) in the stove and prevents smoke from leaking.

Heat from a wood stove can cause the air in your home to dry out. Wood stove kettles are a simple way to humidify a room and as an added bonus, they can be used as a decorative element. All you have to do is fill them with water and place them on the wood stove. I suggest the porcelain coated kettles that won't rust on the inside

Wood stove steamers can also be used to humidify the air and by adding potpourri to the water you can fill your home with the necessary humidity and a nice fragrance.

Trivets are durable cast iron hot plates. They are very decorative and can be used to protect the top of your stove from getting rust spots from a kettle or steamer. They also keep kettles or cooking pots from getting too hot.

A wood stove thermometer will help you make sure your fireplace is burning at highest efficiency. This saves on the cost of wood, reduces maintenance and improves safety. Wood stove thermometers usually attach to the stovepipe magnetically or by drilling a small hole in the stove pipe.

If your wood stove is not sitting on a fire proof floor, you can use a hearth pad to provide the necessary fire proof protection between a wood stove and the flooring.

Stove pipe shams can turn your plain stove pipe into a wonderful accent piece. Stove pipe shams are designed to dress up your plain old black stove pipe and add a touch of color. Shams are easy to install and there is no need to disconnect or remove the pipe.

Many high temperature paints are available for touching up, renewing, and protecting the finish on steel or cast-iron wood stoves. These paints resist peeling and blistering when subjected to high temperatures. There are also high temperature polishes available to make your wood stove black and shiny.

Properly installed gaskets greatly improve the efficiency of a wood stove and help keep stove glass cleaner. These usually last a long time, but if your stoves gaskets have worn out there are kits available to replace old gaskets and return your stove to peak efficiency.

The wood stove accessories blog has additional information that will help you figure out the best way to get the most out of your wood burning or pellet stove. Find more valuable information at http://www.woodstoveaccessoriesblog.com/

Article Source: EzineArticles.com