"Bill" wrote in message
...
The thing with woodstoves is you need to add them to your insurance policy
to be covered for fire...

Then the insurance company will want to come out and inspect the
installation. They will want to see a building permit which shows the
installation of the stove/chimney was inspected and passed. They will want
to take measurements from stove to walls and hearth. Will want to see the
label on the back of the stove. And will want to know brand/model.
(Measurements differ depending on specific model of woodstove.)

The building inspector (at least in my area) will want to see the
manufacturer's installation instructions as to distances the stove can be
from the wall, hearth measurements in instructions (if you have a wood
floor), and an EPA label on the back of the woodstove.

So if you want to be covered by insurance, this pretty much requires you
to buy a new woodstove (would have EPA label - old don't), and you would
need to install everything to the woodstove and chimney manufacturer's
specifications (stainless steel double wall chimney usually). And do it
right so it will pass inspection.

Doing all this almost guarantees there will never be a fire caused by the
woodstove, thus the insurance company is happy to add it to your policy!

Also different model woodstoves need different size chimney pipe! So get
the woodstove first. And the distance from the wall will vary depending on
model of woodstove, so again get woodstove first, then determine where the
chimney will go based on its distance from the wall.

And the thing with woodstoves is you need to add additional wood while a
fire is still burning. If you get a small woodstove, it only has space for
the wood which is burning and no space to add additional wood. If you get
a large stove, it will have additional space to add more wood with a fire
burning.

And with a large stove, you can build a small fire or a large fire. With a
small stove, only a small fire.

With a large woodstove, you can place many different sizes of wood inside
up to around 22 inches long! This makes it easier when cutting wood. You
don't need to be so picky that each piece is short.

Basically I'm quite glad I bought the largest woodstove they had in the
store. Like this...
http://www.englandsstoveworks.com/30-nc.html

This is one brand of stainless steel chimney...
http://www.selkirkcorp.com/Metalbest...ct.aspx?id=210

Bull****. I added a large wood burning stove to my house. I called my
agent, and he informed me that it would be $22 additional on my yearly
insurance. No measuring, no permits, nothing. Maybe Bill lives in a place
that requires all this, but I don't, and you may not. Do not take it as
gospel, but rather call your own agent and find out what it is for YOU.

And try to match the stove to the volume you want to heat. And to the type
of room. Yes, a large stove will heat a drafty shop that has a lot of air
leaks. But it will be too much for a tightly sealed office or shop. One
size does not fit all, as Bill suggests.

What is an "almost" guarantee? I guess that would lead to disclaimers,
riders, deductibles, and exceptions when it comes to getting paid for a
loss.

Steve