Add On Wood Furnace - Are You Adding Heat or Headaches?

On the face of it, the addition of an Add On Wood Furnace to your existing furnace sounds like a great idea. If you cut, split and season your own firewood, you already know how much money you're saving over your propane poor neighbor.

Installing a wood furnace also tames the unavoidable messiness of burning wood by moving it to the basement.

Best of all, you can purchase a basic add on wood furnace for less than an inexpensive pellet stove.

However, the complex installation of an add on wood furnace goes a long way towards canceling out the benefits. When you install an add on furnace you not only have two furnaces; you now have two thermostats, two blowers, two plenums and two chimneys. Not to mention the connecting ductwork and dampers.

You don't have to be a home heating expert to imagine all the possible scenarios for failure.

As with any other type of furnace, the warranty and building codes requires installation by a licensed HVAC professional.

But this requirement alone doesn't necessarily guarantee your add on furnace will be installed for maximum efficiency. Simply because someone's been installing gas furnaces for 30 years doesn't mean their first attempt at installing an add on wood furnace will be a complete success.

Another problem that wood furnace manufacturers never address is a convenient way to store and transport a winter's worth of firewood without making hundreds of trips up and down the basement stairs.

Finding the least expensive way to heat your home will always involve trade-offs. As with an add on wood furnace, buying the cheapest appliance to burn the cheapest fuel is not without its drawbacks.

Improve your home with Alternative Heating

High Temperature Molten Splash Protection for Electric Arc Furnace Power Cables

The Problem

When a water cooled power cable is used in severe environments such as powering an EAF (Electric Arc Furnace) in a steel mill there is an enormous potential for heat, flames, ash or molten splash to severely damage the electrical cables (or series of cables) thus crippling the melting operation. This translates into unscheduled maintenance and lost production time. In some instances these costs have been estimated as high as $100,000 / hr depending on the size of the operation and production schedules.

The water-cooled furnace power cables provide a flexible source of power to permit movement of the electrode arms up and down and to allow swinging the electrode arms and roof back and forth when charging the furnace. The power cables consist of copper wire strands forming a round spiral construction which are attached to copper terminals at either end of the cable. A low temperature rubber jacket around the outside of the cable allows cooling water to flow through the cable assembly. The rubber hose is attached at either end of the cable using stainless steel clamps, vulcanized bumpers or an anti-chaffing type hose.

The danger is that molten metal splash caused by "wet charges", or flame impingement, extreme heat, etc. will damage an unprotected power cable. This can cause a chain reaction of catastrophic events including loss in water cooling resulting in overheating or shorting of the electrical power cables and halting the melting process.

Given the large diameter of the rubber hoses surrounding the power cables and proximity to the EAF, there is a significant landing area for sparks, molten metal splash, etc. In many applications the cables are left completely unprotected and exposed to severe high temperature environments. In some cases the rubber cooling water hose is wrapped with inexpensive fiberglass tape or sleeve that offer minimal protection against possible hazards.

The Solution

With a minimal capital investment, Worbo Inc.'s severe duty protective molten splash away sleeve may be installed to wrap around new or existing water cooled power cables to resist heat, flame, ash and large intermittent exposure to molten metal splash. Worbo Inc's development of a highly flexible, molten splash resistant, easily installed and completely non-conductive sleeving solution is a perfect fit for this application.

The Technology

Manufactured and designed with 100% Non-Conductive materials specifically for safe non-arcing use in close proximity to AC or DC EAF's.

The hydrophobic, low surface energy, non-stick "Splash Away" properties of the thick silicone coating sheds large random but potentially hazardous amounts of 3000˚F molten metal splash to help maintain the integrity of the water cooled power cable until the next scheduled maintenance period.

Equipped with a hook and loop self gripping closure, EAF Cable Molten Splash away sleeve is easily field installed (or removed for maintenance) without cable disconnection.

High Shear and Peel Hook and loop self gripping closure is designed specifically for this application to ensure closure doesn't separate during severe "jumping", "bouncing" and "bumping" of cables during furnace arc and "cold starts".

Combination of Heavy duty "Splash Away" silicone shield coating on thick high temperature fiberglass substrate helps insulate and defend against intermittent bouts of molten metal splash, flame impingement, burning airborne particles and high temperatures.

The Economic Benefits

Depending on the application the cost to procure and install a high temperature jacketing system could be as low as $30/ft. Relative to the enormous costs associated with unscheduled maintenance and lost production time this represent an insignificant capital investment that could pay for itself several times over through the prevention of a single unscheduled maintenance event.

The Conclusion

Protecting electric arc furnace power cables exposed to sever high temperature environments with a high temperature jacketing system will significantly reduce unscheduled maintenance and lost production time.

Product Development Engineer Thermal Protection Solutions Group Worbo Inc. An Innovative Company North America 877-743-4004 International 705-743-4000 Facsimile 705-743-3226 E-Mail rworral@worbo.com Website www.worbo.com

Furnace Humidifiers - What Are the Benefits

One of the most common health issues that plague our society is dehydration. Most of the tissue in the body is composed of water. If it loses the water, the tissue dries up. It's elasticity goes, and with it function declines. Besides dry skin, the symptoms of dehydration include chronic joint and muscle pain, raspy throat, sore eyes and lack of mental concentration.

There are two ways to combat dehydration, and both are essential; drink a lot of water, and maintain the relative humidity in the home and office at comfortable levels with the use of a furnace humidifier.

How does humidity AFFECT our health?

Conditioning the amount of moisture in the air with a furnace humidifier is necessary for your family's health. Dry air in your home can make your throat feel dry, and cause or aggravate respiratory ailments.

Inadequate humidification during cold weather is one of the major causes of respiratory infections. The heating seasons causes people to begin having repeated attacks of winter colds. Winter is blamed for these problems, but the actual cause is dryness, which develops in the membranes of the nose, throat and bronchial tubes. Relative humidity also has a significant effect on controlling the occurrence of airborne infections.

The one thing we can do about alleviating some of the discomfort of colds, dry noses and dehydrated skin is to install a humdifier in the home, where we spend most of our time. Actually, for many, dry air is an air-quality issue. Dry air promotes the growth of some bacteria, viruses and respiratory irritants that in sensitive individuals cause conditions worse than dry skin. Adequate moisture enables the body's immune system to defend better against indoor respiratory pollutants and irritants.

How will a furnace humidifier affect your comfort?

Humidity in the home will affect your comfort. Since the air in your home is always trying to reach its saturation point, it will absorb water wherever it's found, that means it is stealing moisture from the bodies of you and your children, your pets, your furniture and even your house plants. By giving up moisture to the air, your skin, throat and nasal passages dry out and crack leading to various physical discomfort. That's why many doctors recommend furnace humidifiers for allergy and asthma sufferers.

How does humidity AFFECT my house?

Virtually everything in your home made from wood contains some moisture. As dry air sucks that moisture out, the wood shrinks and cracks. Hardwood floors separate at the seams, furniture shrinks and cracks, and doors warp and no longer fit their frames as the moisture is drawn off.

Also, perhaps the most annoying effect of dry indoor air is static shock. How many times have you shuffled across the carpet, only to be rudely surprised by the crackle of static as you reach for the light switch! It's no fun when it happens to you, and even less so when you reach out and "zap" a loved one. With the capacity to hold a static charge up to 20,000 volts, your body can also wreak havoc on home computers and other sensitive electronic devices. By maintaining indoor relative humidity at 35 percent or higher with the use of a humidifier, static shocks are greatly reduced.

Are there any other BENEFITS to installimg a furnace humidifier in the home?

Yes! Proper relative humidity helps you save energy costs. Warm, humid summer air feels hotter than it actually is because of the moisture it contains. That same principle applies to your home in the winter. By keeping the relative humidity inside your home at an ideal level, you can turn your thermostat down a few degrees and still feel comfortable. Dialing down your thermostat just three degrees can reduce your heating bill by as much as 5%.

Pat Johnson - President of Enviro-Pure Air Care Duct Cleaning and Furnace Humidifier installations, located in Ottawa

Visit their humdifier page at: Furnace Humidifiers Ottawa

Pat has many years experience in the Duct Cleaning Industry and has written numerous articles about Duct Cleaning and the importance of proper humidity levels.