the woodstove

I will admit to being resistant to the idea of a wood stove.  I was worried about spiders, and wood chips, and soot.  And yes, wood chips and soot abound.  I have not yet witnessed any spiders emerging from the woodpile... but I assure you the day will come.  It will not make me happy.  In spite of all this, I still love the fire.  The crackling of the wood, the light from the flames dancing on the walls, the lovely heat that prevents me from wearing a scarf in the house (my usual habit in the winter).  This perpetually cold girl is finally warm.  At times too warm.  But that's OK too.

Pacific Energy Fusion wood stove

The model we finally purchased is the nicest looking one I could find.  Amidst a sea of Victorian detail, faux decoration, and shiny brass.. this lovely black monolithic looking stove was clearly the winner.  It also has a great warranty, and is made on Vancouver Island.  What's not to love?

Our other sources of heat for the house are passive solar (on sunny days we don't even need the wood stove), and radiant in floor heating (using an on-demand hot water system fueled by propane).  Right now the wood stove is our primary source of heat, and is considered a green heat source because it is renewable.

Now we're looking to replace the propane (mostly, it will still fuel my cook top and the BBQ) with something like this...

central boiler outdoor wood boiler

This wood-stove-doubting girl is officially converted.   I can now build a fire all by myself if Greg cuts the wood (thanks honey!).  I think he's hoping I'll start doing that too.  I think not.. I know my limits!