Wood stove buying guides

Decision guides written and reviewed by people, with the calculations done from the same dataset that powers the rest of the site. Each guide states its sources and its last-updated date.

• Will a pellet stove work during a power outage?

  A pellet stove normally stops without electricity because its auger, combustion blower, and controls need power. How to size a battery or generator from the actual nameplate and measured watt-hours.

• Wood stove vs pellet stove: fuel, effort, and what the certified data shows

  Cord wood is cheap and off-grid; pellets are automatic and consistently clean. The real trade-offs — fuel handling, electricity dependence, emissions, and efficiency — from certified data.

• How to read EPA wood stove certification data (g/hr, HHV, Step 2)

  What the numbers in the EPA Certified Wood Heater Database actually mean: particulate grams per hour, HHV efficiency, cord vs crib test fuel, and what 2020 NSPS compliance tells you.

• Wood stove sizing: match firebox and BTU to your space

  Oversizing is the classic wood stove mistake. How to size from square footage, insulation, and climate using the 25–35 BTU per square foot rule, with firebox size classes.

• Catalytic vs non-catalytic wood stoves (and hybrids)

  Catalytic stoves burn cleanest at a long low smolder; non-catalytic stoves are simpler with nothing to replace; hybrids do both. How each works and what the certified numbers show.

• The wood stove tax credit (25C): expired federally — what remains

  The federal 25C credit for high-efficiency biomass stoves ended for installations after December 31, 2025. What the ≥75% HHV threshold meant, and where state and local incentives still apply.

• Hydronic heaters (wood boilers) explained: indoor, outdoor, and gasification

  Wood boilers heat water instead of air — for radiators, radiant floors, and whole-house heating. How hydronic heaters work, why old outdoor boilers got banned, and what certification changed.

• Installing a wood stove: clearances, hearth pads, and chimney basics

  The safety fundamentals behind every wood stove installation: clearances to combustibles, hearth pad requirements, stove pipe vs Class A chimney, and why NFPA 211 and local code rule.

• Firewood moisture and seasoning: the 20% rule that makes any stove burn clean

  A certified stove burning wet wood is a dirty stove. Why moisture content below 20% matters more than species, how long seasoning really takes, and how to check with a moisture meter.