Sweeps clean up, consumers investing in alternate heating sources
3:07 p.m. Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Joe Steinbock has been cleaning chimneys for 26 years. He's says he's already swamped with calls since the rain has gone away.
And people are starting to remember last year when it was so bad because they couldn't get them clean because of the weather. So it's starting to pick up.
Steinbock says he's seen more people using their fireplaces thanks to higher natural gas prices. But using your fireplace won't necessarily save you more money on your gas bill. Most fireplaces will only heat your living room. He says a regular fireplace is about 15 to 20 percent efficient.
So many people are turning to alternative fuels. One of the most popular is wood stoves. It heats a larger space and is much more efficient in heating the home.
Clay Sherwood at Swims and Sweeps says, "With all the increase in what it's taking to heat the home, people are looking for an alternative."
Sherwood says a stove using wood pellets is just one of many choices people have that don't want to use a wood stove. But they may have to pay quite a bit up front for the new technology. Installation could run anywhere from $3,000-$4,500. There is an electric heater that runs on the same amount of electricity to run a coffee maker and heats up to 800 square feet. The cost? About $500. For many of Sherwood's customers, trying something new is worth it.
Sherwood says, "We have a lot of baby boomers that came through the seventies and they hauled wood and they heated with wood. And they don't want to do that anymore."
If you are looking at buying firewood, Sherwood says you can pay anywhere from $75 to $200 for a cord of wood. That's about two tons.
Chimney Sweep Joe Steinbock says oak, apple and maple are the best types of wood because they leave less residue.
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