3 FUELS
3 Fuels… what is best for you?
For 34 years I have been helping folks with their decision making
process as to which fuel is best for their needs. Let us review the pluses and
minuses of all 3 fuel type appliances… Let’s start with wood…
WOOD
1.Local
natural resource
2.Maybe
the homeowner can harvest their own
3.If
not you support a local industry
4.Usually
the least expensive to purchase
5.People
claim it to be the most “soothing” heat of all fuels
6.Least
dependent on outside suppliers
7.Best
for the “self-reliant” folks
8.Bio-mass,
better than gas for the environment
9.The
dirtiest over all
10.The
most labor intensive
11.Capital
investment if you need a tall chimney for your system, may be the costliest of
the 3 types.
PELLET
1.Most
efficient for bio-mass appliance
2.Cleaner
than wood
3.More
dependent on fuel supplier
4.More
technical maintenance than wood
5.Requires
electricity to operate
6.Provides
a more even heat
7.Can
use wall thermostat
8.Some
are self-igniting
9.More
convenient to load and store fuel
10.Fuel
more costly than wood, but less than gas,normally
11.Flames
are not realistic
12.Venting
is normally simple
13.Mid
cost for capital investment
GAS
1.Least
labor intensive- no hauling of fuel
2.Cleanest
fuel
3.Least
amount of maintenance
4.Works
without electricity- great back up for main heat system.
5.Works
on thermostat
6.Most
expensive fuel of the 3 types
7.“Convenient
Heat”
8.Very
realistic flames
9.Easy
operation
10.Venting
is usually a simple system
11.Usually
the lowest capital investment
