`News From the Hearth - November 22, 1997
`Winter has started off quite mild here in the east, and I must admit to only firing up the old wood stove a half-dozen times so far. Still, the snow is flying in New England and the Rockies and many areas of the country are getting cooler quickly.
`First the usual short note on how to unsubscribe to this list. There should be an "unsubscribe" link at the top of this message. If you have your email program set up correctly then simply clicking this link and sending the email should un-sub you. Or, you can simply send a message to:
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`Service and Support Links
`Need a hearth retailer near you? How about an installer or other service? Here's a collection of links for fireplace and stove info.
`HPA - at http://www.hearthassoc.org - The Hearth Products Association - This is the industry trade group. They have a searchable listing of all the retailers in the org.
`HEARTH - The HEARTH education foundation - An institution dedicated to educating fireplace and stove installers and other industry members. They give courses and An on-line listing of qualified installers will help you locate a professional near you. Surf to http://www.hearthed.com
`HearthNet - The sponsors of this list, this site has links to retailers at http://hearth.com/shops.html and links to major manufacturers at http://hearth.com/prod.html
`Unique gift for the holiday season
`You'll laugh out loud? How about a "1/2 kettle" which is designed to sit on the small ledges of fireplace inserts and other stoves. This is a patented invention that people have been asking for. Buy one for yourself and one for a friend at:
http://www.hearth.com/stoveworks/halftea.html
`Is your damper rusted out?
`You can now replace your older or missing damper with a tight-sealing Top-Mounted damper. This spring loaded device installs on the top of the chimney and is operated by a cable which is located in the fireplace. The manufacturer claims it to be MUCH more efficient than a traditional throat damper. Take a look at http://hearth.com/lyemance
`Best Bets - Other sites of interest.
`The reviews below are brought to you by HearthLink, which is the YAHOO of Hearth Sites. They have put together an extensive collection of Fireplace and Stove related links at http://www.hearthlink.com. The archives of their "Best Bets" can be found at http://www.hearthlink.com/best
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http://www.wommackhardwoods.com For fireplace tips visit Wommack's Hardwood Farms web site and find out how to choose firewood, how you can tell if wood is seasoned, what type of wood is best, fireplace maintenance and safety. The tips are brief, informative and easy to read. Navigation through out the site is also very easy. Over all, a nicely done web site.
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http://www.davelennox.com/indexhearth.html Here at Lennox' site they have basic, easily understandable descriptions of how air conditioning, heat pumps, pulse furnaces, AquaPlus, and CompleteHeat works. To find this area click on "Residential Information" then click "How heating and cooling works". This is a "frames" web site. It is slightly confusing to navigate but overall an attractive place.
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`Best of Q and A's at HearthNet
`Our Q and A database now has over 700 questions. We've also added a new feature where you can browse hand-picked "top 100" questions. Simple check the proper box at http://chi.hearth.com and you'll be on your way.
`Question: I'd like to build a coal bin. How much space should I allow for each ton of coal?
`Answer: Hard coal takes up approx 35 cubic feet per ton. Allow for 40 C.F. and you'll have room to spare.
`Question: Hello: I am curious to know if pine or cedar by-products are used in the wood stove pellet composition.
`Answer: The cleanest sawdust possible is used. Very little bark and other such material is added due to the higher ash content of these materials. Many different wood species are used to produce pellets...softwoods in the west and a mixture of soft and hard in the eastern plants.
`Question: how often should a chimney be cleaned? the fireplace is brick and the chimney is galvanized metal. also, what is the average cost of cleaning? thank you for your response.
`Answer: Open fireplaces should be looked at every year, or every 4 cords of wood or so....you can simply look at the flue from the bottom or top to see if there is a buildup of soot. The worse type of buildup is the shiny creosote (like a tar), which results when wood is burned without the presence of enough air. Older woodstoves need cleaning at least once a year, even if less than 4 cords are burned...newer woodstoves are cleaner, and the chimney may be quite clean when you check it. Average about $65.00 today (open fireplace, more for stoves/inserts).
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