Got Trees? An Outdoor Wood Furnace Will Cut Your Energy Bills Down To Size

If you live in a suburban or rural area near a source of cheap wood, you could heat your home for the entire season for the cost of one month’s electric heat bill. An outdoor furnace requires less tending, eliminates respiratory problems caused by burning wood indoors, and keeps the wood burning mess outside.

There are a surprising number of outdoor furnace manufacturers with a wide range of styles and designs to accommodate different heating capacities and fuel sources. Some of these furnaces have the capacity (500k Btu) for commercial applications.

Burns Best makes a corn or wood pellet version. Taylor Waterstoves has a multi-fuel model that burns coal or wood. Hardy Manufacturing makes an all stainless steel furnace with a built in hot water exchanger.

One of the selling points of an outdoor furnace is the convenience of locating it near the wood fuel source. Since the water heated by the furnace is pumped to your home through insulated, underground piping, the furnace can be set up as close as 2 feet, or as much as 500 feet from your house.

All outdoor furnaces are designed to work with any existing heating system and can be thermostatically controlled. If you have a forced air system, you can use the existing duct work but you will need to install a water-to-air heat exchanger in your furnace. Your furnace is still available as a back up.

If you already have radiant floor heating, you would connect the underground feed from the outdoor furnace to the existing circulating pump.

For radiant baseboard heat, you can connect the piping directly to an existing boiler or install a water-to-water heat exchanger. By adding the water-to-water exchanger, you receive the added benefit of free hot water while the existing furnace functions as back up.

An outdoor boiler can even be used to heat your swimming pool, driveway, work shop, greenhouse, or multiple buildings.

The firebox designs vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but all are constructed from stainless or carbon steel. Although each manufacturer claims to be using a grade of stainless steel superior to the competition, they all agree that heat transfer efficiency is almost 3 times better with 16 gauge stainless steel than with 3/8" carbon steel. An all stainless steel firebox also resists rusting and burnout that occur in standard carbon steel.

Some fire boxes are large enough to accommodate a 30” diameter by 72” log. The problem I would have is getting a log that size into the firebox. Normally, outdoor furnaces are loaded twice a day. Burn times per load vary from 12 to 96 hours depending on what you’re heating, the outside temperature and how well your house is insulated.

One trait all outdoor furnaces have in common is versatility. What ever your heating needs are or the type of fuel you burn, it’s possible to design a system for any heating scheme you can imagine.

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Outside Wood Furnace: An Affordable Way to Heat Your Home

Each year, millions of homeowners have a difficult time heating their homes. The problem is so large that you may also be having a difficult time. Heat is something that every home needs; unfortunately, it is sometimes difficult to afford. If you are interested in saving money on your home heating, you are urged to examine outside wood furnaces.

Outside wood furnaces are placed outside of your home, often a safe distance away from it. Wood and water are used to heat your home. In fact, an outside wood furnace can also be used to heat more than just your home. Most wood furnaces are equipped to handle a number of different buildings. These building may include a garage, barn, or tool shed.

All outdoor wood furnaces come equipped with easy to use controls. These controls allow you to control the level of heat that your home is receiving. This alone may save you money. In addition to saving you money, it may also offer you comfort. When trying a new product, such as an outdoor wood furnace, many individuals are leery of the unfamiliar. Having complete control of your outdoor wood furnace may be just want you need to clam your nerves.

When it comes to outdoor wood furnaces, many want to see savings right away. In a way, you may be able to see immediate results. However, it is important to keep of the cost of an outside wood furnace in mind. Wood burning furnaces come in a wide variety of different makes and models. Each of these units is likely to cost a different price. While you may think that the cost of an outdoor wood furnace is high, the furnace may be able to pay for itself. In as little as a couple of years, the amount of money you save on home heating may make up for what you paid for the furnace.

One of the reasons why using an outdoor wood furnace is so affordable is because of the wood. Wood and water are both needed to operate an outside wood furnace. The cost of wood is relatively low and, in some cases, you may not even have to pay for it. Whether you live on land with a wooded area or you have free access to wood, you may be able to save a substantial amount of money. Even if you must pay for wood, you will find that is it relatively easy to afford.

The amount of money you will save by heating your home with an outside wood furnace will vary. Your previous home heating costs will need to be taken into consideration, as well as the type of outside wood furnace you plan on using. For an accurate estimate on savings, you are encouraged to speak with a trained professional. You can do so by contacting an outdoor wood furnace dealer, such as Hawken Energy.

Brad King is a writer for Hawken Energy where you can find a great deal on a outside wood furnace