Clean Burn

by Kathryn Reed

For more and more homeowners, starting a fire means flicking a switch. Gas fireplaces appear to be the wave of the future around Tahoe, whether by choice or government mandate. While some may feel that the glowing gas logs can never equal the ambiance of a wood fire, they are undeniably superior in one aspect: cleanliness. No more splinters from making kindling, no more ashes to clear or traipsing through the snow to bring in another armload of wood.

Retailers say one of the most common misconceptions is that gas fireplaces and stoves are merely for decoration. The gas logs are for decoration, but a gas insert or stove can function as a home's primary heat source. "A lot of houses in Tahoe have 30-plus-year-old furnaces that are very inefficient," says Rick Hordin, operations manager at Rudy's Plumbing & Heating in South Lake Tahoe. "A gas fireplace can be a lot more efficient and quieter."

There are different rating systems for gas inserts and stoves, their efficiency levels roughly determined by how much money you spend. A good source for learning more about efficiency ratings is the website for the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association: www.hpba.org. Type "efficiency" in the search area.

"Stoves and fireplaces can take the place of a furnace in some cases and use less gas," says Cindy Deas, who with husband Perry owns Lake Tahoe Specialty Stove & Fireplace in Kings Beach. "The first thing you want to identify is how you are going to use the stove or fireplace: primary heating source, supplemental heat, a focal point for a room or something used only on rare occasions."

In January 1993, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) implemented an ordinance that requires older woodstoves to be replaced with an Environmental Protection Agency-compliant stove. Regular fireplaces are exempt as long as there is another heating source. When a house is sold, the real estate agent must disclose whether the current woodstove is up to par.

"We have fewer inversion problems," says Julie Regan, TRPA communications director. "You don't see that film of smoke on The Lake in the morning. Woodstoves were the biggest polluters before the changes." There is a list of approved woodstoves at www.trpa.org. Type "homeowner" in the search area. The TRPA doesn't have jurisdiction in Truckee, but the town is actually a step ahead of the Basin when it comes to replacing old woodstoves. "With the new clean air law in Truckee," says Alissa Just, one of the owners of Mountain Home Center, "by July 2006, non-EPA wood burners have to be pulled out, even if you don't sell your home."

Many homeowners are happy with the switch, whether mandated or not. "I don't have to deal with nine cords of firewood a year," says Denise Sloan of South Lake Tahoe, who recently switched to natural gas. "It's about the same cost-wise as wood, but it sure is less labor intensive. And I don't miss the bark all over the carpet, or the dust and bugs."

For More Information:

Lake Tahoe Specialty Stove & Fireplace

Kings Beach, CA (530) 546-3456

Light Your Fire

Tahoe City, CA (530) 583-9223

Mountain Home Center

Truckee, CA (530) 587-6681

Rudy's Plumbing & Heating

South Lake Tahoe, CA (530) 541-3765