Testimonials

R&B Heating and Air has graciously allowed me to share my experience with a recently installed (September of 2006) Lopi Revere Wood Burning Fireplace Insert.

I chose the Lopi Revere Based on several factors:

The need to reduce my dependence on Propane which is now up to $3.00/gallon with a goal of saving $1800.00 per year.
Choosing a fire place insert would allow cleaning and maintenance to be preformed without climbing on the roof (based on my North outside wall stone chimney).
Seeking the advice of the experts at R&B (over a period of several months) based on the number of insert and free standing wood stoves sold and installed over the years, and the various features between models and manufacturers.
Manufacturers Specifications.
Studying Internet reviews on the performance of the Lopi Revere.
Researching everything I could fine on the Internet concerning heating with wood.

The Installation

To my disappointment I had to be in Syracuse, NY during the time of installation. So being very particular about how thing were to proceed, I left a check list of concerns which my wife reviewed with Boyd and Tom, R&B’s heating and installation experts.

The installation went fairly quickly (about 6 hours) and without incident and when I arrived home several days later my new stove was patiently waiting for a test burn. R&B did an outstanding job installing the unit and more importantly, I didn’t need to worry about what I couldn’t see. Both Tom and Boyd during previous store visits over several months showed me samples of the actual materials that would be used and how they would connect together. My wife, Linda, kept an inquisitive eye on the entire installation process, watching and learning so she could answer any questions I may have had upon my return.

My Learning Curve from September 2006 to March 2007

If someone had suggested to me several years ago that I would want or need to heat my home with a wood stove, the way my parents did as they were growing up, I would have said they were crazy. But as it turned out, this adventure has been one of the more rewarding experiences of late. So this is what I’ve learned.

First of all there is a whopping big difference between the pot belly stoves of the 1920’s and today’s modern high-tech EPA certified wood stoves which can easily provide an efficiency of 70% or greater. So, as initially repulsive as the thought of heating with wood may have been, I found it to be surprisingly clean, smoke free, extremely energy efficient, and far more practical than imagined. Additionally you must also consider the intangibles such as:

The cardiovascular exercise obtained while cutting, hauling, splitting, stacking and storing firewood (if you elect to do it yourself).
The unique warmth that only a wood fire can provide.
The light show of the new EPA certified wood stoves as they produce cottony flames that alone, are worth the price of admission.

One of the things Ruth Armitage (founder of R & B Heating and Air mentioned to me in the store (after having several unsuccessful fires in my new stove) is that every stove has its own personality. Factors affecting that personality (I have learned since) are numerous, and in my case included:

The location of my chimney (outside or inside) and facing North, South, East or West.
The height of the chimney (base to top) and the height above the tallest part of the roof line.
The pressure inside and outside of the house. And most importantly what type of wood is being burned, its thickness, moisture content, and how it is stacked in the stove.

The Lopi Revere Wood Burning Fireplace Insert that I chose is designed to heat from 1200 to 2000 square feet. Since my home is 1400 square feet, half of which is under a cathedral ceiling, the Revere seemed to be the right size.

My location is in Northwestern Pennsylvania, on the Northern Border of Cook Forest State Park. You may ask yourself so what? Well, location is an important factor in preparing your firewood. This “Island in Time” has similar properties to a rainforest. In the Seven years that I’ve lived here we've only had two years that the summer season has been reasonably dry. The remaining years have been incredibly damp if not downright wet. Thus the challenge of drying wood properly after it’s cut and split.

In September of 2006 I had a logging truck of hardwood delivered for $590.00 (a far cry from my $3,000.00 Propane Pre-buy). At the time I didn’t even own a chain saw but in a matter of days I was cutting and hauling wood to the area of my property that I had determined would be the best place to split and stack the wood. Within 3 weeks, 3.2 full cords of wood were prepared in three 40 foot rows.

Hoping for a dry Indian summer, I naively thought I would have at least 6 good weeks of drying time before I put the wood away for winter storage. Based on all my internet research I knew that it takes an entire spring, summer and fall Season (at least 8 months) to properly dry wood so that each piece has less than 20% moisture.

It seemed reasonable to expect the wood to dry faster if, when split, the pieces were thinner. That action turned out to a very wise decision. My dry Indian summer was just a dream however, and in reality, the last 3 weeks it rained continuously almost everyday.

Trying to figure out how to salvage a very bleak situation (and not wanting to freeze to death during the winter) I made the decision to bring the wood inside. Using a canvas log-carrier I hauled every piece though the outside Bombay doors leading to my basement over a period of two weeks. Carefully stacking the wood, I squeezed out every available inch of space and used a free-standing oscillating fan to continue drying the wood.

With 59 years of life experience under my belt why couldn’t I light a fire in this new wood stove and keep it going?

It took me 2 months to understand that my wood wasn’t dry enough. The total moisture content of a split piece of wood should be no greater than 20% and the dryer the better. This year I’ve had the entire spring, summer and fall to dry (3) fifty foot rows of split and stacked firewood. And the performance of my Lopi Revere Wood Burning Fireplace Insert should be at least 40 percent more efficient than last Winter.

Properly dried firewood will provided the following benefits:

Each piece of wood will be significantly lighter.
More heat will be delivered by the wood since energy is not being wasted to evaporate moisture.
Less wood will be consumed for a given amount of BTU A slower burn rate can be achieved without sacrificing the required stove internal temperature needed to keep creosote buildup in the chimney to a minimum.
And the fire can be started much easier.

I also remember the words from a good friend in Alaska. On John’s last visit he commented that it took him 20 years to figure out how to heat with a wood stove. “Wide open!”.

With the use of a good external Stove Thermometer, I monitor my optimum temperature range which is between 475 and 500 degrees. Because of the personality of my stove I have found that by stacking my wood in a crisscross fashion and leaving the front door ajar, about an inch, that fires are now easy to start. I wait until the external stove temperature is above 250 degrees before closing and locking the front door. This technique works well for me when initially lighting the fire as with subsequent loads later in the day.

I’m looking forward to this year’s experience of heating with wood, for the sheer pleasure, enjoyment and unique warmth that only wood heat can provide... and dare I forget, an expected cost savings of about $2,000.00 dollars. Thank you R & B Heating and Cooling for providing a great product, outstanding service, and assistance whenever I need it.

David Nieding - September 30, 2007