Seeking a warm front in New England Experts caution that wood stoves might not be the solution for everyone

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With home-heating fuel prices at an all-time high, the people at Bangor’s City Hall are fielding a growing number of inquiries about wood stoves as a way to stay warm this winter for less money.

The nationwide spike in fuel prices sparked queries in July, then the numbers increased in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

“We’ve been seeing a lot of people in the last couple of months,” city Fire Inspector John Mickel said Friday. “We’ve also been getting lots of phone calls.”

To that end, the city is encouraging homeowners considering wood heat to first make use of the city’s two fire inspectors, whose services are provided free to residents as a public service. These services include inspections and advice and are available before, during and after installation. If more extensive inspections are needed, the city can help direct residents to companies that provide them.

“It’s cheaper than sending out four firetrucks at 10 o’clock at night,” said Code Enforcement Officer Dan Wellington.

Wellington and Mickel said similar services are available in many Maine communities. They recommend that homeowners check with their local fire departments or code enforcement personnel.

Bangor also is encouraging chimney inspections for those who already have wood stoves, but haven’t used them regularly.

Chimneys deteriorate over time and may need repair or replacement. In the case of homes that predate recent safety regulations, the chimneys may butt up directly against wood, which increases the risk of fire.

As yet another way to educate residents, the city is providing copies of “Recommended Standards for the Installation of Woodburning Stoves,” a guide for the public prepared by the state.

Copies are available outside the Code Enforcement Office on the first floor of City Hall. The publication also will be posted on the city’s Web site, www.bangormaine.gov.

The publication boils down the standards of the National Fire Protection Association and puts them into terms accessible to the general public.

“In my mind, it’s a very good guide,” Mickel said.

Before installing wood stoves, homeowners must obtain a $14 city wood stove permit, Wellington said.

While wood heat may be the answer for some residents, others are learning that any potential oil savings would quickly be gobbled up by the costs associated with making their homes ready for burning wood, Wellington said.

“For some, it’s not cost-effective at all,” Wellington said.

Mickel agreed.

“There are typically a lot of hidden costs,” Mickel said. “People have to be smart consumers. What I’m telling them is to call me. I try to make them be an informed consumer.”

Wellington agreed, adding that given the increasing demand, wood isn’t getting any cheaper.

Jeremy Martin, who works in the city’s Code Enforcement Office, said Friday he paid $225 a cord for wood last week. He said the cost for a cord in Portsmouth, N.H., has broken the $300 mark.

In some cases, he said, a second chimney may be needed because each wood-burning appliance must have its own flue and cannot share one with an oil furnace. He estimated the cost of adding a chimney to a one-story ranch-style house at about $1,500. Factory-built chimneys run about $60 to $70 for a 4-foot length, he said.

A consultation with one of the city’s two fire inspectors, for example, could have saved a Bangor homeowner $225 in recent weeks, Mickel said. He said the resident, who was planning to install a wood stove, bought floor protection that turned out to be inadequate for the job at hand.

In addition, some remodeling could be needed, adding to the cost, he said.

Then there’s the cost of cleaning and maintaining chimneys that serve wood stoves, he added.

Burning wood that has not been properly seasoned, which requires drying for a year or more, results in the need for more frequent chimney cleaning, Mickel said. That’s because burning green wood produces more creosote than does dry wood. Creosote, a natural byproduct of wood combustion that is flammable, can build up inside a chimney, increasing the risk of chimney fires.

“Chimney fires are very dangerous, and more times than not can make chimneys unusable,” Mickel said.

During the most recent energy crunch, in the early 1980s, the city Fire Department responded to about three chimney fires in a typical week during the cold weather season, Wellington said. The number of chimney fires dropped after heating oil prices dropped.

“If the Fire Department responded to four [chimney fires] last year, I’d be surprised,” he said.

Wood stove safety, Wellington noted, is a particular concern in Bangor, which has some of the nation’s oldest homes. The average age of a house in the area between Interstate 95 and the Penobscot River is 100 years, he said, long before current safety regulations were put into effect.

Mickel, who was a fire inspector for an insurance company before joining the city staff, said homeowners also should bear in mind that wood stoves could affect property insurance policies. In some cases, homeowners with wood stoves may be required to provide written proof that their stoves are properly installed.

Wellington also recommended that households that have members suffering from asthma consult medical professionals before installing wood stoves.

“Byproducts of combustion are a known asthma trigger,” Wellington said.