by Andy Clark

    Now that the ice and cold have passed us by, it's tempting to bask in the sunshine and enjoy the balmy weather. But Old Man Winter will be back before you know it! And next year's Y2K situation will fall right in the middle of the coldest time of the year. Right now is the best time to think about things like alternative heating sources to protect your home and family against whatever power outages, ice storms and cold weather next year may bring.
    There are many stove and fireplace options-you can choose from a fireplace insert, a freestanding stove or a hearth heater, and you can fuel it with wood, gas or pellets. Whichever you choose, now is the time to add the beauty and warmth of a flickering fire to your home. A Basic airflow principle allows the warm air to rise from the lower level to the upper levels. Within an hour of starting up the stove, you will be able to bring the temperature of your home up to a comfortable temperature.
    There are a couple of things to consider when you are making your choice. Will your fireplace be used for supplementary heating or will it be the main source of heat for your home? Which room or rooms will you be heating, and how much square footage is involved? Will you be installing a new appliance from scratch or adapting/replacing an existing fireplace?
    Many people love the look of a freestanding wood stove. Nowadays they are available with many options-traditional legs or a pedestal base, a convector/blower, a removable ash drawer and a variety of finishes, from black and polished brass to colorful enamels. If you already have a fireplace, you might want to consider a fireplace insert. A traditional open fireplace allows over 90% of the fire's heat to escape up the chimney. A fireplace insert will keep the heat where you want it-in your home-and will both increase the value of your home and decrease your monthly heating bill. Inserts are available in standard and small sizes. Or you might want to look at a hearth heater, which combines the best of a fireplace insert and a freestanding stove. Like an insert, It eliminates the cold draft of a traditional fireplace, but because it sits our on the hearth, it gives both convection and radiant heat and also provides a cook top surface.
    You will also need to decide what fuel you would like to use. They all have their pros and cons. Wood is the least expensive at about $6.50 per million BTU's, but it is messy and you will need to set aside space to store it. Natural gas will run about $10.50 per million BTU's, but unless your neighborhood is one of the ones to which pipelines have been run, you won’t be able to access it. Propane, like natural gas, will vary in price; it's delivered by truck to your home. Depending on how much you use, you might be able to negotiate a fixed-rate price with the company. Pellet stoves became popular in the Northwest, where wood has become scarcer and more expensive. Pellets will cost about $14/million BTU's. One drawback to a pellet stove is that it requires electricity to run the motors that power it (although your can run it off a deep cell batter which is rechargeable with and auto generator). Coal and oil round out your choices, at approximately $10.50 and $14/BTU's respectively.
    Whatever you choose, the best time to begin planning for next winter is this spring-so when the cold hits again, you can relax in your comfortably warm home and dream once again about the lazy, crazy days of summer!

                                                                        (Andy Clark owns Clark Do-It Center in Ellicott City.)