Advantages Of Pellet Stoves In Winter

In an industry where appliances are constantly changing and improving, it seems ironic that the fuels used for home heating remain basic: oil, gas, and wood. While oil and gas burn a certain way in their own respective appliances, wood is slightly more versatile.

Wood is burned in both fireplaces and stoves with high heat output, and is a popular option because of its availability and affordability. A downside to wood-burning, however, is that the fire isn’t consistent. Because of the difference in wood-type, size, and dryness, the heat-output can fluctuate. Also, the fire lulls while the homeowner is asleep or out of the house. Finally, not everyone has access to cord wood, but would still like to use wood. There is an option for you.

Manufactured Pellets

If you prefer wood as a heating fuel, you can use wood pellets. These are small, dense, wood-like pellets manufactured from sawdust and other wood waste from the lumber industry. Pellets are a “green” option for your heat system, because it puts this wood to use instead of wasting it. Also the sawdust is still organic, and burns the same as cord wood—even better, in fact.

How it Works

A pellet stove often looks just like a standard wood stove, except the pellets feed into the fire chamber by way of a hopper. The rate at which the pellets are fed into the fire is adjustable by the homeowner. This means you can fill the hopper and go to sleep, and you will still have a toasty warm fire in the morning.

Advantages of Pellet Stoves

These stoves are simple to operate, and because you don’t have to open and close the fire chamber to add cord wood, you experience less mess, less smoke, ash, and wood pieces in your living space. A factor for many homeowners is the steady burn that allows for consistent heat over a long period of time. Between fueling, pellet stoves typically burn steadily for 24-36 hours. They can also be vented directly through the wall because they burn so clean and have such little emission. This means you can choose a pellet stove if your chimney is not available to use; a certified chimney sweep can vent it properly without one. Finally, pellet stoves are available as freestanding, hearth, or insert stoves, so no matter your home decor, your layout, or your accessibility to a chimney or nearness to walls, you can take advantage of a pellet appliance.

Installing Your Stove Before Winter

If you’re interested in the benefits of a pellet stove, you can enjoy one this winter! Beach Stove and Fireplace offers a variety of pellet options and installs and services them. Our team of certified chimney sweeps are experienced and professional, and ready to help you choose the best pellet appliance for your home this winter, and install it at your earliest convenience.

Call Beach Stove and Fireplace today at 631-998-0780 or request an appointment online to choose your pellet stove.

Custom Glass Doors For Your Fireplace

A fireplace can add to the ambiance, decor, and comfort of your home. It can be the one thing that makes the difference between a house and a home. However, if you grow tired of the fireplace you have, or need to make a change, a new custom glass door may be the perfect solution!

No matter if you have a masonry or a factory-built fireplace, we have custom glass doors to fit your need. Our glass doors are set in beautiful styles of steel or aluminum. In addition, they can be retro-fitted to fit your fireplace.

Your Fireplace Face-Lift

Many factory-manufactured (sometimes called pre-fab fireplaces) are average looking. Plus, many homeowners dislike the appearance of unsightly louvers and standard fireplace glass. If you’re happy with the performance of your fireplace, but aren’t enthusiastic about the look of it, you need a fireplace face-lift.

Beach Stove and Fireplace sells and installs custom glass from Stoll ReFace™  in a variety of designs. ReFace offers 12 different louver covers and 25 different finishes to create the most beautiful fireplace door for your home.

Because we want your fireplace door to be everything you want it to be and more, we also offer a variety of decorative designs, door handles, glass door types, glass and hinge styles, mesh door types, and key-lock options. It’s all of these things combined that make your fireplace yours.

Correcting The Draft

Your fireplace might be everything you want it to be, but the efficiency isn’t where it should be. If this is the case, you may be able to correct the problem with a glass door. A custom glass door with an air seal may be the perfect option to bring your fireplace efficiency up. The average fireplace loses about 80 to 90 percent of it’s heat into the house or up the chimney. Using an air seal door along with a properly installed damper system is a great way to raise efficiency in your fireplace. When your fireplace is more efficient, it produces more heat, wastes less wood fuel, and the chimney system works better because higher heat improves the updraft in the chimney.

The air seal door is also convenient for preventing a draft when your fireplace isn’t in use. During the off-season when your fireplace isn’t burning, and you still have a chimney allowing airflow from outside, a custom glass door can keep the outside out and the inside in. During the summer months humidity in the air rises, which can cause a mildew-type odor when combined with soot in the chimney flue. You don’t have to smell your chimney when your fire isn’t burning. Choose an air seal door today.

You can have the fireplace of your dreams. It’s possible with Beach Stove and Fireplace. A technician is standing by to take your call and discuss your new custom glass doors. Call 631-998-0780 or request an appointment online.

Pros and Cons: Gas Logs vs. Gas Inserts

If wood is not an option for your household, or you’re looking for an appliance that has higher efficiency and less mess, you might choose gas. Beach Stove and Fireplace offers great options for gas fuel including gas inserts and gas log sets. All of our staff are well-experienced with installation, inspection, maintenance, and repairs of all of our products, and we can help you decide what is right for you.

Gas Log Sets: Benefits

• Minimal Adjustments
  Oftentimes you can convert to gas log sets without adjustments or repairs to the chimney or fireplace. You don’t even have to use the chimney for a gas log set! As long as your gas logs are professionally installed, your chimney sweep can assure you they’re properly installed and up-to-code.
• Realistic Flame
  Gas log sets offer a realistic flame that provide the aesthetics homeowners look for in a fireplace. The flames have a blue tint, but it doesn’t detract from the experience.
• Low Maintenance
  Once your gas log set has been professionally installed, you can use it regularly with very little worry or work on your part. Be sure you schedule regular maintenance for all of your heat appliances.
• High Efficiency/Reasonable Cost
  Once properly installed your gas log set should offer heat even during an electrical outage. Gas is separate from your other utilities, and no matter how oil costs may fluctuate, your gas logs will heat efficiently for it’s life.
• Environmentally Friendly
  While wood fires produce byproducts such as particulate matter. Gas log sets only produce water vapor and carbon monoxide. They are not subject to burn bans that may be implemented by states and municipalities because they don’t pollute the air in the home or around the home.

Gas Inserts: Benefits

Gas fireplace inserts offer the same benefits that a gas log set, and more.

• Higher Efficiency
  While gas log sets are more efficient than a wood fireplace, a gas insert is even more efficient. They use less gas to produce even more, steady heat.
• Higher Heat Output
  If you’re looking to heat an entire room an insert is a good choice, with a cost of about 40 to 45 cents per hour.
• Versatility
  While gas log sets require a fireplace to house the log set, an insert can be installed in an existing fireplace, a prefab fireplace, or free standing.

Downsides to Both:

Gas-burning appliances are highly cost-effective compared to other kinds of home heat. However, because natural gas and propane are both expensive resources it is not cost-effective to use these products to heat an entire home.

The only other downside is that you don’t get to experience the pop and spark of a wood fire. For an occasional fire, though, this is not an issue for many homeowners. You also have to decide what product is best for your home, what venting system, or what color flame you’d like. If the benefits are right for your family and home, consider converting to gas today!

Call Beach Stove and Fireplace at 631-998-0780 or contact us online.

Wood-Burning Versus Pellet Stoves and Inserts: What You Should Know

There are many reasons to install a fireplace or fire-burning appliance like convenience, home-heating, and ambiance. You may want to supplement your central heat system, or you may depend on a fire-burning appliance for complete home heating. No matter your choice, you should know your options before purchasing an appliance and scheduling an installation.

Wood-Burning Stoves and Inserts

Wood stoves and inserts are more efficient today than they’ve ever been. The convection heat from a wood stove offers the heat you long for, and the ambiance you envision for your space.

Wood-burning stoves offer:

• Efficiency—Since the stove is a closed appliance, you don’t lose heat into the house. The fire burns with high-heat which pushes the smoke and vapors up the chimney quickly reducing the amount of creosote buildup, and lowering fire risk.
• Particulate Pollution—The high-heat burn allows for fuel to burn completely and to vent properly. This combined with the closed unit keeps particulate pollution out of the living space which lowers the health risk associated with particulate pollution.
• Renewable Resource—By choosing a wood-burning stove you are able to cut, collect, and replenish your own fuel source. As long as you use properly seasoned wood, your wood will burn completely, and heat effectively.

Wood-burning inserts offer all the benefits a stove offers, except you also get an added level of aesthetics that you would from a traditional fireplace. Beach Stove and Fireplace offers inserts that allow for fire view through beautiful designs and front windows.

Pellet Stoves

If you aren’t able to purchase or cut your own firewood, but would like to use wood-heat you may prefer a pellet stove. Pellet stoves offer higher efficiency than wood because it’s a closed unit, and pellets are specially manufactured from organic materials to provide the best burn possible. Pellets offer convenience for homeowners who don’t have access to split wood.The only downside to pellet stoves is that you have to purchase pellets for your stove. Do not burn anything other than pellets in your pellet stove. This is never recommended, can raise risk of fire, and most likely void your warranty.

Call a Professional

If you have questions or concerns about wood-burning stoves and inserts and pellet-burning stoves call a professional today. At Beach Stove and Fireplace we sell and install wood burning stoves  and inserts as well as a beautiful selection of pellet stoves. Our technicians are experienced with the installation, repair, and maintenance of all of our top-of-the-line products. When you call Beach Stove and Fireplace our technician can also schedule your chimney inspection and chimney sweep.

Call Beach Stove and Fireplace at 631-998-0780 or request an appointment online.

All About Firewood

There are some great benefits to choosing wood heat ranging from ambiance to fuel availability and cost. Whether you have a fireplace, a furnace, or a pellet stove, it’s important to choose proper fuel. The wood you choose for your wood-burning fire will affect your heat output, efficiency, comfort, and more. It’s vital to choose good, aged, dry firewood.

Safety First

While you enjoy your crackling fire on a brisk winter’s night, it may be easy to forget about the chimney and it’s vital role in fire safety. Your chimney works to release byproducts and toxins from the home. By choosing proper firewood, you decrease the amount of pollution released into the home, and even the air around your home. You also decrease creosote buildup  in the chimney, thereby decreasing fire risk.

Buying Firewood

If you are unable to cut and split your own firewood, it is important to choose your wood source wisely. You can often tell the quality of wood by sight, but you cannot always tell if it’s properly seasoned. Seasoned wood will be lighter, will turn gray, and will often begin splitting and cracking. Be sure you are able to see the wood product before you make your purchase. It’s best to do some research, get reviews from other homeowners, and plan ahead. Most individuals and companies sell wood year round, but may increase prices during wood-burning season. Save money by buying your wood during the off-season.

Storing Firewood

You may prefer to store firewood in a shed or in a stack outside. Both methods are fine for storage as long as the wood is left to dry for at least six months. When storing outside you can utilize the bark by using it as a moisture barrier. If you live in a wet climate that gets a lot of moisture, store the wood bark-side up in order to allow the rain to run off. If you live in a climate that gets a lot of snow or ground moisture you can also store the wood bark-side down. The firewood will dry best if it’s stored after splitting, so cutting logs and stacking them for storage will not guarantee properly seasoned firewood.

Quality Firewood

Just as trees differ in size, height, and strength, so does wood. Some woods, like pine, fur, spruce, and redwood are considered soft woods. Soft woods burn faster so you may find yourself filling the stove more often or purchasing more often. Oak, birch, and beech trees are considered hard woods. This wood takes longer to dry, but also takes longer to burn, offering a steady temperature, and cleaner burn. This means that the wood is burned completely with less byproduct.

By finding, storing, and burning wood properly you can lengthen the life of your fireplace, increase efficiency and heat output, as well as decrease the risk of fire.

You can take control of your family’s safety and comfort by choosing the right wood for your wood-burning fire, just as you’d choose the right fuel for your car. Hiring a professional to maintain your car is important, and so is hiring a professional to maintain your fireplace and chimney. Call Beach Stove and Fireplace to schedule your chimney maintenance today.

Placing a TV Above the Fireplace

It’s become a common trend among homeowners since flatscreen TVs are versatile, can be wall-mounted, and are the focal point of a living space, like the fireplace. It makes since to mount the television above the fireplace if possible, but is it safe?

The Appliance and How it Vents

If you are using a vent-free gas insert, then the wall above the fireplace shouldn’t be hot. This would be perfectly safe for a television installation. However, if you have a gas or wood fireplace that vents through the chimney above the fireplace it will affect if and how you install a television above it. Even though the fireplace itself is the real heat source, how the chimney works is to draw the vapors from the fire up the chimney and out of the house. These vapors can be extremely hot, and can damage electronic devices like TVs.

Is There a Safe Way?

Fortunately, as much as TVs have advanced in technology, so have fireplaces. With an Ortal fireplace you don’t have to worry about the walls surrounding your fireplace. The Ortal cool wall technology allows the wall around the fireplace to breathe, cooling it naturally, and keeping the wall at a safe temperature. Not only can you hang a television above the fireplace, but also art, wall hangings, and it can even be painted without spending extra money on high-temperature paint.

What’s the Difference?

The wall above an average fireplace can easily stay above 300 degrees fahrenheit during burning season. These kinds of temperatures can ruin a standard flat screen television in just a few days or weeks. This isn’t the case with an Ortal fireplace. Ortal is the only company in the industry that offers a solution to this problem. It’s the only fireplace that guarantees a cool wall above the fireplace, and the only fireplace that keeps the walls around the fireplace under 160 degrees at all times.

Installation

An Ortal technician will not only install a fireplace using cool wall technology, but will also provide a television mount for your convenience. While other companies discourage putting anything on the wall above the fireplace, Ortal includes a television wall mount! In order to get best results you should have the cool wall technology and Ortal fireplace installed during construction, otherwise the area will have to be remodeled and a new fireplace installed. You should let your Beach Stove chimney sweep know if you’re interested in an Ortal fireplace during your first conversation.

When your living space has come together through a long remodel or construction, you may be excited to complete it with some finishing touches. A television mount is one of these finishing touches, but you should decide quickly if you want the TV to mount above the fireplace. If you decide to do so, then cool wall technology is for you!

Contact Beach Stove and Fireplace today to learn more about Ortal and cool wall technology.

Will Oil Prices Stay Low, and What to Do About It?

If you’ve lived long enough to own a car or a house, you have probably noticed there’s one thing (besides taxes) that we can count on: fluctuating oil prices. Fuel prices may be low this summer, but you can be certain that when winter comes, sometime after the election, and maybe just in time to ruin your holiday plans, oil prices are going to rise again. If you depend on gas for home heating this may present a problem for you.

Fortunately, there are alternatives to gas heating! If you don’t want your budget to be subject to the rise and fall of oil on the other side of the planet, we understand. You might want to convert your heat system to wood!

What’s the Difference Between Gas and Wood

Both gas and wood are organic fuels, meaning they’re natural products of the earth, and therefore offer a clean burn. However gas burns more clean than wood, creating a more efficient heat system with very little byproduct left behind. Wood heat is a viable alternative to gas, however, because it is a fairly easy conversion, and wood appliances and fireplaces can heat large spaces.

Some benefits of wood heating:

1.  You can use the same chimney to vent both wood and gas appliances. If you switch from gas to wood, you won’t have to replace the chimney liner (although it should be checked for needed adjustments whenever an appliance is added or removed).
2.  You will not run out of fuel as long as you are able to chop wood. You can chop your own wood, buy rank wood, or buy pellets (if you have a pellet stove). Wood is one thing that doesn’t often fluctuate in price.
3. Heating an entire home with a wood appliance is definitely possible, depending on the size of the home and the appliance. A fireplace doesn’t have the capacity a furnace does, however.

Make the Switch Before the Fall Rush

During the “Fall Rush” you can count on your chimney sweeps being busy. It’s generally harder to schedule appointments during the fall rush, and it’s also not the time to make changes that require an inspection, and conversion of or work on the chimney. If you are making these changes in the fall, you might find yourself in the cold while waiting for it to be ready. Furthermore, if you switch to a wood furnace or fireplace, you need to burn only properly seasoned wood. This means the wood must sit for a given amount of time and dry out. If you wait until fall to make the switch to wood, you will end up buying wood that is seasoned.

At Beach Stove and Fireplace we put our customer’s safety and comfort as our top priority. We want you to be warm and safe, and we do our best to make sure of it. If you are considering a switch from gas to wood home heating, call a Beach Stove chimney sweep today. Our certified chimney sweeps are experienced with conversions, installations, repairs, and more. We offer the best wood heating products the industry has to offer, and are experienced and skilled in installing and maintaining them.

Before you run out of summer, call Beach Stove and Fireplace today, and discuss your fireplace conversion.

Gas Alternatives: Bioethanol Fuel Fireplaces and Burners

When you’re buying, building, or remodeling it’s important to decide early what type of fuel you’d like to burn in your fireplace. Most fireplaces and heat appliances use wood, gas, and electricity. If none of these types of fuel are right for you there is another option. Bioethanol fuel, or alcohol, is an effective, renewable, and clean fuel to heat your home. More and more homeowners are choosing bioethanol fireplaces for various reasons.

Bioethanol Burners are Convenient

Not only do they offer the same ambiance and real flame as a regular wood or gas fireplace, but bioethanol burners and fireplaces are extremely convenient for a homeowner. These appliances are easy to install, easy to use, and low-maintenance. Bioethanol appliances don’t require a chimney, so there isn’t any heavy-duty chimney restoration required. They actually don’t need to vent at all, so they’re easy to place, and to move if needed.

Bioethanol appliances burn alcohol, a liquid fuel made from agricultural byproducts. You simply pour it into the appliance and light it. There is nothing else required, short of monitoring your flame (because it is still a fire and should be treated as such). Bioethanol fuel is a welcome change for some homeowners who have spent winter after winter chopping and carrying wood. This super clean, organic fuel is not only easy to use, but it burns so clean it leaves almost no byproduct behind. There is no ash to clean up, no hazardous gases to vent. The appliance only releases a small amount of water and carbon dioxide after burning.

Bioethanol and Other Fuels are Not Created Equally

Bioethanol burners can be more convenient than gas or wood stoves, but it’s important to note that they have a lower heat output. They can save energy because of the efficiency of the fuel and the appliance. However, a bioethanol burner alone cannot heat a home. They should be used for space heating, or supplementary heating. Most homeowners use these fireplaces and burners for outdoor patios and inside fireplaces simply for the ambiance, since they offer a real flame.

Choosing Your Bioethanol Fireplace or Burner

When choosing your bioethanol fuel appliance, keep in mind that the price matters. At Beach Stove and Fireplace, we offer the best appliances from the top manufacturers in the industry. Don’t be fooled by low prices at the local home improvement store. These appliances are heating devices and should be professionally installed. By letting a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® (CCS) install your bioethanol fuel appliance, you are putting your family’s and your home’s safety first, because we put your safety first.

At Beach Stove and Fireplace we know the best product and are experienced in their installation and maintenance. We can also recommend the best product for your space, and offer great recommendations for decorative and modern models depending on your need.

Don’t let another winter pass before you switch to bioethanol fuel. Supplement your electric heat with this real-flame-fireplace, and experience the ambiance of a fireplace this winter. Call Beach Stove and Fireplace today.

What is a Gas Insert and Why You Want One

There are many reasons a homeowner might update a fireplace. It’s a good idea to weigh your options and choose the best appliance for your family and property.

Save Money with a Gas Insert

Gas inserts are a great heating option for a home with an existing chimney or not. A chimney is not required for direct vent gas inserts, as they can be vented elsewhere. These direct vent gas inserts do not draw from heated air in the home, but from an outside source. This sealed unit is 65-75% more efficient than a standard wood-burning fireplace.

Improve the Look of Your Home

Gas inserts are designed to beautify. If your property has a fireplace that needs a facelift or a chimney that is in disrepair, consider a gas insert. They come in a variety of styles and the insert is sized specifically for your space. You can also choose from a variety of faces and log designs.

A gas insert can revive even the most deteriorated masonry. The flame combined with the log display give you all the aesthetics of a wood fireplace, but with better efficiency.

Lower Safety Risk

Gas inserts are fueled by a natural gas line which connects with the unit, where gas is used at a specific rate, mixed with outside air, and directed to a burner to create or feed a flame. These specifications are predetermined by the manufacturer and the installer, so you don’t have to worry about it. They are low-maintenance and most can be operated hands-free.

Because they vent to the outside, these inserts are safe and lower the amount of byproduct that is released into the home. Wood furnaces, even pellet stoves, release particulate material into the home, raising the risk of respiratory issues for people with certain risk factors.

Call a Professional

Beach Stove and Fireplace makes each customer top priority. When we come in for an installation, update, inspection, or maintenance call our concern is the safety of your family and home, and the efficiency of your appliance. You wouldn’t take risks with your vehicle driving down the road because it’s dangerous. Don’t take risks with your gas insert because it can be dangerous, or fatal if installed incorrectly. Our installers are trained and experienced in all of our products’ installation and maintenance. Since there are a wide variety of styles, as well as venting options we work closely with the customer to insure satisfaction.

The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA)  implores homeowners to hire a professional. If the chimney is used to vent a direct vent gas insert, there are specific parameters to follow in order to keep the vapors flowing and the home safe. Using the chimney also requires annual safety inspections by a certified chimney sweep as well as alterations to flue size for best ventilation. For this reason many homeowners decide to vent in an alternate location, bypassing the chimney completely.

Regardless of the type of gas insert you envision for your home, or the manner in which you’d like to vent it, you should call a professional. Beach Stove and Fireplace has professionals standing by to walk you through the process from dream to reality, and we want your home to be everything you dream it can be.

To learn more about gas inserts or to begin the process to have yours installed, contact Beach Stove and Fireplace today.

How to Recognize a Dishonest Chimney Sweep

Not all chimney sweeps can be as fun-loving as depicted in Mary Poppins (1964). Some can come into your home or business, inspect and clean your chimney in a timely manner with a professional demeanor, but others may not offer the same experience.

When hiring a professional to come into your home and provide a service, especially one as important to the safety and comfort of your home and family, it is vital to choose wisely. It’s important to recognize a dishonest chimney sweep, and recognize him before he is in your home, and doing a not-so-great job on your chimney.

Check Credentials

When you are searching for a chimney sweep, do not be afraid to ask for credentials. Chimney sweeps should be certified, licensed, and insured. When safety is at stake, it is no time to cut corners because the money you spend today, you will save in damage and possible insurance claims later.

Credentials to Expect

The industry standard for chimney sweeps is the CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® (CCS) credential. CSIA certified sweeps pass a rigorous examination, abide by a code of ethics, and re-certify every three years, either by examination or continued education. The focus is safety, and educating homeowners in safety.

Another important credential for a chimney sweep is a National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)  membership. NFPA offers training on fire, electrical, and related hazards. NFPA members have access to the latest news and information, professional connections, and access to NFPA staff to answer technical standards questions. By staying abreast of industry standards, a chimney sweep is better equipped to make reports for legal, insurance, and realty officials.

Professionalism

It’s not too much to ask for your chimney sweep to operate at a certain level of professionalism. He should have a place of business, a valid phone number and address, a webpage, and customer references or reviews.

This professionalism should be present in every conversation, but also in every interaction. Questions should be met with direct and clear answers. Equipment should be appropriate and maintained, and time in your home or business should be spent working.

Results and Report

After an initial consultation with a chimney sweep, you should have an idea of their level of professionalism, and you should’ve asked to see credentials. If the business passed these two tests, then the last will definitely weed-out the dishonest ones.

Following a routine chimney sweep a homeowner should receive confirmation from the chimney sweep. The chimney should work well, and should be noticeably cleaner on the inside of the chimney flue and firebox. Likewise, after an inspection the homeowner should receive a detailed report of the findings. A level 2 inspection is recommended (and required in most cases) when property changes hand through inheritance or sale. A chimney sweep should offer a detailed report for the realtor and insurance agents. This is required. If your chimney sweep does not provide results, either in the way of a clean and functional chimney and fireplace or as a detailed report, he is not being honest with you as the homeowner.

Finally, read reviews! Check references, and make calls, and if you have any questions call Beach Stove and Fireplace today.