They installed my new Blaze King Princess catalytic wood stove today! Though it was sad to say goodbye to the old Princess, I’m excited about the new one. Besides the fact that it’s gorgeous and shiny, it’s much more efficient than the original model. I expect to burn up to a third less wood than with the old stove. That translates to saving myself two cords worth of cutting, splitting, stacking, and hauling wood this winter. It also means a whole lot less air pollution coming from my stovepipe. Before, I could be outside and see the thick line of smoke rising above the roof line. Now I can’t see a thing when I look up— the stove is burning most of the stuff that used to go into the air. So now I feel even better about how I heat my house. Instead of burning oil in my furnace which generates carbon dioxide and contributes to climate change, I’m burning wood in a way that doesn’t create any more carbon than would occur naturally if the wood rotted in the forest. Plus, I’m using deadfall that would otherwise be a forest fire hazard—and forest fires, as you can see from the thick smoke they create, do not burn wood efficiently.
The other reason I’m in love with my new stove is that it has a glass door. Half the fun of having a fire is to watch the dancing flames. Now I can curl up beside the wood stove and enjoy the show.
The installers were great. They work for the Blaze King dealership that sold me the stove. The two guys went to a lot of trouble to make sure the old stove and pipe didn’t make a mess of the carpet when they removed them. When they finished installing the new stove they made a test fire to be sure everything was good. I think I might have scared them with my enthusiasm about the new Princess. But hey, we all have our quirks, right?
