381-8 Old Riverhead Road

Westhampton Beach, NY

Tel. 631-998-0780

Hours: Tues. - Thur. 9am to 3pm / Fri. 9am to 12pm (or by appt.) / Sat. - Mon. Closed

Our Company Blog

The Facts About Wood Pellet Stoves

Wood pellet stoves sales are surging according to Consumer Reports. Homeowners are using pellet stoves to supplement their furnace to reduce utility costs. Beach Stove & Fireplace are your local pellet stove advisors.

Wood pellet stoves use pellets which are little thin rods of compressed wood and saw dust. The benefits of burning pellets rather than traditional logs in a fireplace include the ability to burn cleaner and produce less ash and smoke. Pellets are also a more economical and environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels.

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While watching a fire burn in a traditional fireplace has romantic appeal, if you are looking for an alternative method to heat your home with an efficiency factor as high as 90% you may want to consider a pellet stove. Pellet stoves can be freestanding or a fireplace insert. Most pellet stoves are made from steel or cast iron and the design can be decorative or merely functional depending on their use.

Pellet stoves are self-igniting and turn on and off based on the temperature setting. It is important to burn only high quality pellets in your pellet stove, the higher grade pellet the less ash produced. In addition to wood, pellets can also be grain, corn, or seed. The bags of pellets should be stored inside. Look for pellets qualified by the Pellet Fuels Institute. Click here to learn more about their advice and recommendations.

When deciding on what size pellet stove to purchase, Consumer Reports offers this advice, “Stoves and inserts typically heat 1,500 to 2,500 square feet. Choose one according to the size of the area you’re heating. The heat that these appliances generate is measured in British thermal units per hour. Figure about 25 to 30 Btu/h per square foot, or at least 5,000 Btu/h for a 200-square-foot space. Other considerations include the climate in your region, effectiveness of insulation in the ceiling and exterior walls, height of the ceiling, number and size of windows, and whether the space above and below the room is heated.”

The Anatomy of a Pellet Stove

Pellet stoves run on electricity and require a standard outlet. There is the hopper, the auger system, two blower fans, a firebox, a controller, and several safety features including heat sensors and a vacuum. Operationally, they are very simple; when you put the pellets into the hopper the auger pushes them into the firebox where they are burned. The fan circulates air to keep the flames burning and also forces the warm air into your home. The venting on the pellet stove routes the exhaust out of your home and the waste pan collects the ashes.It is important that when pellet stoves are installed there is an outside air intake to ensure your safety and the efficiency of the stove.

Professional installation is required for a pellet stove. Consumer Reports cautions that your contractor should be certified by the National Fireplace Institute who is not only familiar with fire and safety regulations, but also has the expertise to advise you of the best location for the pellet stove and creates the proper venting. Temperatures can reach several hundred degrees and can pose a huge fire risk if not properly located away from walls, furniture, and secured on a proper base.

The technicians from Beach Stove and Fireplace have installed pellet stoves in all types of surroundings and know the best placement and installation for your safety and efficiency. Our team will work with you to choose the type stove that will deliver the results you are looking to achieve. We’re here to answer any questions, and help you get started on reducing your heating costs. Give us a call today.

By Julie Dismore on May 28th, 2015 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Facts About Wood Pellet Stoves

The Importance of Well Seasoned Firewood

Weather experts have predicted this upcoming winter to be as frigid as last year’s record breaking winter, and this has everyone thinking ahead about keeping warm. For some people, staying warm inside the house involves lighting a toasty fire in the fireplace or wood stove. However, burning a fire requires having the right fuel, and if the fireplace burns wood, that means stocking up on the best firewood.

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Prior to deciding on the species of tree to burn in the fireplace, the most important aspect of the firewood is actually its dryness. Dry firewood has completed the “seasoning” process in which it has been stored out of the elements and allowed to dry for an amount of time specific to the variety of wood. Lightweight wood may only need about six months to season, while the densest woods could take up to two years.

Do your best to avoid firewood that has been stored outside because it has not had a chance to season. The water content in this wood is most likely very high, which results in cool smoky fires. When the wood contains a lot of water, the fire expends a lot of energy boiling the water away, and this produces less heat, creates more smoke, and costs you money in poor fuel efficiency. In the end, the firewood also burns incompletely.

Incompletely burned firewood leads to the production of creosote. This thick, tarry material first leaves the fire in a hot, vaporized form, but as it travels up the chimney, it cools and clings to the chimney walls. Over time, creosote can build up to the point of closing up the chimney completely, which can cause a backup of harmful gases like carbon monoxide into the home. Creosote is also highly flammable, so a stray ember in a creosote-filled chimney could result in a devastating house fire. Luckily, you can avoid all of this with regular chimney sweeps and by only burning well seasoned wood.

Once you have found the right wood with the longest seasoning time, you have to take it home and decide how to store it. The most ideal way to store firewood is to keep it indoors and uncovered. Storing the wood indoors protects it from rain and snow, which keeps it dry. Seasoned wood, especially, absorbs water very readily because of its dryness, so keeping it out of the elements is vital. Leaving the wood uncovered also permits any trapped water to evaporate. Completely wrapping the wood in a tarp can lead to trapped moisture and an increased water content. If storing the wood inside is not an option, you can store it outside, but be sure to cover the top of the stack. Any kind of water proof “roof” works well in an outdoor storage situation, such as a sheet of aluminum siding. Leave the sides of the wood stack open, so air can flow through to keep it dry.

If you have any questions about choosing or storing your firewood, get in touch with your local chimney and fireplace specialist. For an expert in the Westhampton Beach, New York area, contact Beach Stove and Fireplace.

By Julie Dismore on November 30th, 2014 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Importance of Well Seasoned Firewood

Our Location

Beach Stove and Fireplace is located on Old Riverhead Road between Montauk Highway and Sunrise Highway. From Sunrise Highway take exit 63 south, travel 1.2 miles and turn right at the 381 complex (just north of Gabreski Airport)