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Jeff's experience designing content solutions led him to be one of our first contributors. He helped draft Makey's blueprint and is one of the best explainers of technical details we know.
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Is there anything more inviting than the image of a roaring hot fire inside a cast iron wood burning stove on a chilly winter evening? It’s no wonder the idea of installing a small wood stove has become so popular, but is it actually a good idea?
The term wood stove (sometimes called a wood burning stove or a wood burner) refers to a wood burning apparatus that is meant to supply heat, typically indoors but sometimes outdoors as well. An indoor wood burning stove installation consists of a closable metal firebox (i.e. a cast iron wood stove or stainless steel insert), a firebrick lining, and air controls known as dampers to control the air supply and temperature. A wood stove fan is sometimes placed on top to help distribute heat. Wood burning stoves generally need to be ventilated through a stove pipe or chimney flue to allow gases and smoke to escape while retaining the most amount of heat possible.
Modern day wood stoves come in a variety of designs, styles, and materials, as well as with increased safety features and automated performance functions. Still, a wood stove installation is often considered more dangerous and inefficient than some other heating options: