Burning With a Green Flame

Fall. Cool days and cooler nights. Fireplace weather at last. I’m like a cat. I love nothing better than curling up in front of a fire. Give me an hour, a good book and a fire crackling in the fireplace and I’m in heaven. I have a fireplace now but it’s equipped with a set of older gas logs. They’re terribly inefficient and more for show than anything else. I might as well burn dollar bills for fuel. When we bought the house, having moved from a newer house with a more efficient gas fireplace, I let my daughters turn on the flames whenever they wanted. After one month that changed. I was shocked by the amount on the bill. Last year, unwilling to waste the money, and the energy, we didn’t turn on the logs much at all. Instead, I filled the fireplace with candles, and when the weather was particularly raw, put a little electric “stove” – meant to look like the sturdy iron model I coveted - in its place. I got the glow, and the heat, but no cozy flame to warm up to. So, this year, I’m shopping for a better way to burn. I looked into the modern alcohol-burning fireplaces but they just don’t fit my little Cape Cod. I love the look of those little cast-iron stoves that sit on the hearth. The idea of placing my pot of tea on top of the stove to keep it warm while I read appeals to me. And, it would be nice to turn down the thermostat and heat the cottage more efficiently and do it in a way that compliments the décor. But, like most of my good ideas, the cast iron stoves aren’t cheap. Gas and wood burning will cost at least $2,000 to purchase and install. That’s a lot of money for a recreational fire. The good news is that both are super efficient. The small gas stove has 17 to 18,000 BTUs of heating power. The small wood burning stove puts out more than 38,000 BTU. That’s a lot of heat. With the restrictions of burning, and the dirty air considerations, I wasn’t considering the wood burning option until I read that things have really changed. The newer stoves burn more cleanly and use non-catalytic technology. There is also a wood pellet stove option. I like the cute style of the stoves. But what matters most to me is that whatever I buy work as efficiently as possible and make as little negative impact on the environment as possible. That’s a tall order. Right now, I’m still shopping. The old logs are still in place and can be turned down low to use as little gas as possible. And, if all else fails, the little electric “faux” fire is in its box in the basement. But on a beautiful autumn day like today, with the promise of a cool night ahead, I’d really like to feel the heat.