Do you own an older wood burning stove or fireplace? If you do, chances are that it does not meet the current EPA standard for emissions. According to the 2015 New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for wood heaters, any new wood stove manufactured after May 15, 2015, must meet emission standards of no more than 4.5 grams of particulate matter per hour. Although this standard seems strict, it has challenged stove manufacturers to create more efficient and cleaner burning stoves. At TN Chimney & Home, we have repaired, maintained and installed a wide variety of wood stoves and we want to help you understand why we believe an EPA rated stove is a good option for your home.
Efficiency
There are a number of benefits associated with owning an EPA rated stove. However, one of the main reasons people decide to update their stove is because of the energy-saving potential. Smoke, soot, and creosote are byproducts of wood that hasn’t been fully combusted, meaning these byproducts are essentially wasted energy. However, an EPA rated stove is designed to burn hotter and slower due to it’s insulated firebox and improved airflow design. This means you are getting more heat output from every log you burn. In fact, an EPA rated stove can be almost 50 percent more efficient than an older model. Imagine cutting the time, energy and money you spend fueling your wood stove in half. When you put it that way, it’s worth updating your stove for efficiency alone, but there are other reasons why updating to an EPA rated stove is an excellent choice:
Emissions – We should be stewards of our environment and an EPA rated stove helps lessen the footprint we leave on our planet. Because strict emission standards must be met to be considered EPA rated, you can rest easy knowing that harmful chemicals, smoke, and fumes entering the environment and your home are minimized with an EPA rated stove.
Safety – In addition to emission standards, EPA rated stoves have to live up to the highest of safety standards as well. Installing a new stove can be difficult and trying to install it yourself can set you up for a dangerous situation. In fact, many rebates and tax incentives require you to have your stove installed by a licensed professional. The best way to ensure a safe installation is to have Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) certified chimney professional install your stove. Remember, if you live in Nashville TN Chimney & Home is the only chimney sweep to meet CSIA-certification standards.
Tax Incentives – Although some federal tax incentives have expired, some state and local governments still motivate installing an EPA rated stove. However, be sure that you are meeting any required guidelines to assure your incentives.
If you think that you could benefit from an EPA rated stove, don’t hesitate to contact Knoxville’s only CSIA-certified chimney sweep today. You can call us at (865) 922-2262, or contact us online to set up an appointment today!
