NDL Hearth Blog

It is approaching the time to clean out your wood stove, fireplace or insert, hopefully for the rest of the winter season! We have worked our fireplaces hard this winter, and they need a break, a cleaning and a polishing after what we have put them through this year. The winter of 2010-2011 has entered the history books for the Northeast, and our stoves and inserts need a break.

Northeast Distribution, LTD has all the products you need to make your stove, insert or fireplace look brand new again. We offer many different styles of ash buckets and shovels for cleaning up after a wood burning fire. It certainly is an unpleasant job, but there's but you can at least make cleaning as quick and easy as possible.

Imperial also makes the best line of maintenance products and stove paints on the market today. For easy cleaning of your stove, fireplace, or insert we carry all that you need. Glass door, gas log, and masonry cleaner along with gold and brass cleaner and high heat stove paint.

For everything wood stove, fireplace and insert related for Spring Cleaning, call Northeast Distribution today.

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For 23 years, Julie Gore has heated her Ada, Ohio, home with a wood-burning stove. When the old one wore out, she didn't hesitate to buy another for her family room.

"It's warm and toasty," said Gore, an administrative assistant at Ohio Northern University. "I wouldn't trade it. If you get a chill you can stand by it and warm up."

Stoves as secondary heating sources are growing in popularity, and come in two basic varieties: wood stoves and pellet stoves.

Some proponents say the stoves can be more environmentally friendly and help cut energy costs; other experts say that can vary from household to household.

Traditional wood-burning stoves like Gore's enjoy stronger sales, but pellet stoves, which burn compressed sawdust, may be gaining, according to the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association, a manufacturers trade group. Wood stoves and wood fireplace inserts saw an 81 percent increase in shipments in 2008, the association said. Pellet stoves and pellet fireplace inserts increased 161 percent that year.

Both kinds of stoves are meant mostly to heat specific rooms or groups of rooms, not entire houses. They cost between $3,000 and $4,500 including installation.

The federal government is offering a 30 percent tax rebate in 2009 and 2010 for purchases of wood or pellet stoves that meet a 75 percent efficiency requirement.

Here are some of the ways wood and pellet stoves compare:

Effort

Wood stoves must be fed with logs, while pellet stoves use 40-pound bags of pellets poured into a hopper.

Most pellet stove hoppers hold an entire bag of pellets, which will last about 24 hours before needing to be reloaded, said Leslie Wheeler, spokeswoman for the trade association.

With pellet stoves, look for a model with a large hopper opening to make it easier to load pellets, and check for an easily removable ash pan to make cleanup quick, suggested Bob Markovich, the home and yard editor at Consumer Reports magazine, which recently profiled heating stoves.

A safety precaution: Homeowners should place carbon monoxide and smoke detectors near the stoves, Markovich advised.

Efficiency

Pellet stoves produce very little smoke, giving them a reputation as more environmentally friendly, Wheeler said.

"There's very, very little moisture in that pellet," she said. "It burns very cleanly, very efficiently and leaves very little ash."

Ken Hellevang, an engineer with the extension service at North Dakota State University, noted of pellet stoves: "Even the most efficient burning units, there's still ash that needs to be discarded. There's some labor involved on a daily basis."

Pellet stoves also require electricity, since fans circulate the heat, so it's a good idea to purchase a backup battery, Wheeler said. Wood-burning stoves don't need electricity.

Markovich of Consumer Reports described all heating stoves as "a large version of an electric, $30 space heater."

"People have this sort of rising desire to be off the grid and control more of their own expenditures," he said. "People are looking for any way they can to save."

But if you're trying to lower home heating bills, Markovich said, you'll need to turn down the heat in the rest of the home when using a wood or pellet stove. "To really save money, you have to keep the rest of your house colder," he said.

Another tip: Make sure the square footage you want to heat matches the square footage the stove can warm, Markovich said.

Cost

About half of all households nationwide depend on natural gas for heating, according to the federal Energy Information Administration. The agency recently forecast that costs for heating fuels this winter -- including natural gas, propane, oil and electric -- should all be down.

Based on today's costs, Markovich said, burning pellets costs about 15 percent less than oil and 40 percent less than electric heat, but about 25 percent more than natural gas.

"If you're in fact burning natural gas now, buying a pellet stove is a mistake because it costs more," he said.

Wood stoves can be a bargain for some. "A lot of people are near rural areas where wood is cheap or free," Markovich said. "If that's you, that makes financial sense."

Article by Caryn Rousseau Associated Press, Click Here for Original Article

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As the days get colder and the heating bills get higher it is time to think about adding a wood burning stove to your home. With wood heat you can cut your energy bills, increase your heating efficiency and add atmosphere to your home. Wood burning stoves increase the efficiency of your existing wood fireplace, and they come in all different sizes, and styles. Do you have a modern home? No problem. There are many sleek, modern designs and colors that can add to the décor of your home. If you have a traditional colonial home, there are wood burning stoves to fit your home style as well. From Vermont Castings, to Pacific Energy, there are many styles to choose from. Let the room you gather in this winter keep you warm and provide an ambience to come home to.

With energy prices rising, why not heat your home with a renewable energy source? Wood is an eco friendly, renewable energy source, and the technology in wood burning stoves today has made them much more energy efficient than in years past. Along with the energy tax credit that is available until December 31, 2010, now is the time to buy.

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At NDL we would like you to know that along with our retailers we support our communities. With the help of our retailers, last year we provided $1600 dollars worth of toys for Toys for Tots in and around the Northeast. That is hundreds of toys!  And this year, again with the help of our retailers, we are providing hams to the local food banks in our communities. Our goal is 130 hams! The hearth shops of the Northeast will order the hams through NDL when they place their orders. 

NDL will match the amount of hams bought by the distributors. These holiday hams will then be distributed by the local food bank in your neighborhoods to families in need this holiday season. So if you are in the market for a fireplace, insert, or wood stove or any hearth accessories, let us connect you with the retailer in your area. By supporting  your local hearth retailer you are supporting you community. No one supports your neighborhood more during the holiday season than local, small businesses.

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Did you know you could get a federal tax credit for installing a new pellet, or wood wood (biomass*) burning stove, insert or fireplace? You can receive up to $1500 on the price of your next stove and installation! The tax credit is for 30% of the cost of the appliance (including installation/labor costs), up to $1,500. This is a tax credit so it is as good as money in your pocket. If you are looking to buy a stove, Northeast Distribution LTD would be happy to provide you information on a certified stove, fireplace, or insert and we will direct you to the finest hearth retailer in your area.

To qualify for the tax credit:

• The tax credit is in effect until December 31, 2010. The stove, insert or fireplace must be installed in your primary residence before December 31, 2010.
• The stove, insert or fireplace must be used for heat or water heating and have a thermal efficiency rating of at least 75% as measured using a lower heating value. Ask us about the appliances that qualify. NDL or your fireplace retailer can help you with this information.
• This credit applies to all “biomass fuel” powered stoves, inserts and fireplaces. The law defines "biomass fuel" as any plant-derived fuel available on a renewable or recurring basis, including agricultural crops and trees, wood and wood waste and residues (including wood pellets), plant (including aquatic plants), grasses, residues, and fibers.
• To verify tax credit eligibility, make sure you get a Manufacturer’s Certification Statement.
• To qualify, file tax form 5695 with your tax return statement.

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Whether you are looking for a stove, fireplace, insert or grill and no matter how you want it fueled;  gas, wood, or coal, Vermont Castings has a product for you. Standing the test of time, Vermont Castings products have been handcrafted from cast iron and beautifully painted with enamel finish for  more than a quarter of a century. Vermont Castings prides themselves on producing hearth appliances with precision, attention to detail, the newest technologies, and pride. The design and function of each and every one of their products is an important focus as well, seven out of the top 12 most efficient stoves in the world are made by Vermont Castings, making them some of the cleanest burning stoves on the market. And this makes sense, Vermont Castings puts environmental concerns in the forefront of their business plan using 100% recycled cast iron for their products.

Vermont Casting offers many styles and sizes of coal, gas, and wood fireplaces and inserts made with cast iron trim styles and colors, doors, and other accessories to create a truly traditional gathering room for your home. With accessories available, these stoves are not only beautiful, they are functional. Northeast Distribution can connect you with the finest Vermont Castings dealer in your area.

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Established in 2001, Northeast Distribution LTD is the supplier for specialty hearth retailers and chimney sweeps across New England, New York and northern New Jersey.  We supply the finest quality fireplaces, inserts, stoves, chimney, tool sets, gas logs and many other accessories. As a result, our product lines include some of the most reputable names in the industry, such as Vermont Castings, Majestic, Dutchwest, ICC, RSF, Pacific Energy, Archgard, Rutland, Condar,  Imperial, Town & Country Fireplaces, Renaissance Fireplaces, Rutland, Zippo, Kozy Heat, Rinnai, Supreme, Eco-Feu, and Vistaflame and MORE!

Now, NDL Hearth is delighted to share its extensive knowledge of the fireplace and hearth industry with this informative blog.  We will be updating it regularly so please subscribe to our blog and stay up on the latest.

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