Some homeowners in the Sacramento area heat their home with wood for the most part, although they generally have a backup natural gas or propane gas furnace. Others do not like the idea of heating with wood, even though it saves money compared with relying totally on a furnace. Contractors who install and maintain Heating Services in Bainbridge Island understand why so many people greatly prefer the convenience and cleanliness of gas heat.
Convenience
One reason nearly everyone who has a wood stove also has a backup form of heat is for convenience. Without the backup, they cannot leave for a weekend during cold weather without asking someone to stoke the stove occasionally. The fire also might burn out while everyone is at work or school for the day, leaving them to return to a cold house.
A wood stove also includes the hassle of having to lug logs in as well as needing to clean ashes out of the device regularly. Wood chips, bits of bark and dirt tend to wind up scattered all around the stove, so vacuuming becomes a frequent activity.
Even someone who loves the nostalgia of a warm fire safely burning in the living room and the savings on utility bills eventually tires of relying entirely on wood for heat. They are glad to have a gas furnace that was installed by a contractor for Heating Services in Bainbridge Island.
Environmental Considerations
Wood burning fireplaces and appliances are known for spewing smoke and particulates into the air. This significantly adds to air pollution problems, especially in mountainous regions where smoke and smog become trapped close to the ground due to a temperature inversion. Pollution caused by wood smoke appears to have a substantially worse effect than fossil fuel emissions in a residential setting.
All this isn’t to say that people who enjoy a wood fire in the hearth should abstain completely. It’s best to use a wood stove that has been certified by the Environmental Protection Agency and to replace models more than 25 years old with new ones. The rest of the time, they can rely on a furnace installed by a contractor such as Quality Heating Electrical & AC.
