patrick.net

bmwman91 says

My uncle installed a pellet burning stove like 10 years ago. That sucker puts out some serious heat, has none of the hassle of wood and you still get some of the nice fire ambiance. Wood stoves are hard to beat in terms of ambiance, but gas or pellet burners are much more efficient, thermally and cost-wise.

We sold those too. The two drawbacks are that you are stuck with/limited to HAVING to use pellets. And they work via an auger to feed the pellets and a glo plug (similar to a diesel glo plug) to ignite and set the pellets on fire. So when you power goes out ... the stove can't work. But yes, they do put out the heat, the fuel is cleaner and easier to handle than big logs, but there is that down side.

New Renter says

Be careful with the local ordinances.

Yes, a very valid point - I live far from the Bay Area; the ONLY local codes or permits in my area are for septic systems.

You need heat in the Bay Area enough to warrant a wood stove.

Not to be confused with a pellet stove which does require some electricity (especially to start).

On July 9, 2008, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Board adopted Regulation 6, Rule 3: Wood-burning Devices to reduce the harmful emissions that come from wood smoke. The new rule will:

http://www.baaqmd.gov/?sc_itemid=156191E5-F112-4633-935E-FE9B58272325

Temperature inversions are a bitch.

Forget wood stoves, just wait for global warming to raise temps so you don't need them! Then install a wood burning air conditioning unit! Hmm, how would that even work? Maybe if you set it up outside the home, added a boiler for making steam, a turbine for converting steam to electricity, and ran wires from there to a conventional AC unit, that would qualify as a wood burning AC system, right?

Quigley says

Then install a wood burning air conditioning unit! Hmm, how would that even work? Maybe if you set it up outside the home, added a boiler for making steam, a turbine for converting steam to electricity, and ran wires from there to a conventional AC unit, that would qualify as a wood burning AC system, right?

Sounds like a fun project. Of course I'd probably blow myself up or electrocute myself in the process.

But what a way to go!

Quigley says

Forget wood stoves, just wait for global warming to raise temps so you don't need them! Then install a wood burning air conditioning unit! Hmm, how would that even work? Maybe if you set it up outside the home, added a boiler for making steam, a turbine for converting steam to electricity, and ran wires from there to a conventional AC unit, that would qualify as a wood burning AC system, right?

A natural gas or propane powered powered A/C unit would be more feasible, as would a window unit powered by solar cells or a wind turbine.

zzyzzx says

A natural gas or propane powered powered A/C unit would be more feasible, as would a window unit powered by solar cells or a wind turbine.

I just plug mine into the wall outlet. Economies of scale. : )

I was thinking burning wood was using a renewable energy source and good for everybody. The things you learn about the Bay Area that go against its so-called "green" stance.

Being in New Hampshire I know all about catalytic converters for wood stoves. they are fine if:
1) you are OK with staying awake nights to watch for chimney fires
2) you like to spend $500/year on a new converter when you get your stove and chimney swept
3) you like back-puffing (in effect an explosive sudden burning of smoke that has built-up in the firebox... think of how a piston works... suddenly all those gasses fire up at once... generally all that happens is there is a loud boom, the wood stove shakes, smokes gets pushed out of every crack in the thing... usually back puffing once it starts, only occurs rhythmically every 20-30 seconds)
4) you enjoy looking through all your fire starter materials for the odd piece of trash, such as a gum wrapping, that might destroy the converter
5) you like knowing that the converter is making no environmental difference whatsoever, but at least you are keeping a black Soweto miner a slave in a platinum mine