| If you live in a suburban or rural area near a | | | | would connect the underground feed from the |
| source of cheap wood, you could heat your home | | | | outdoor furnace to the existing circulating pump. |
| for the entire season for the cost of one month's | | | | For radiant baseboard heat, you can connect the |
| electric heat bill. An outdoor furnace requires less | | | | piping directly to an existing boiler or install a |
| tending, eliminates respiratory problems caused by | | | | water-to-water heat exchanger. By adding the |
| burning wood indoors, and keeps the wood | | | | water-to-water exchanger, you receive the |
| burning mess outside. | | | | added benefit of free hot water while the existing |
| There are a surprising number of outdoor furnace | | | | furnace functions as back up. |
| manufacturers with a wide range of styles and | | | | An outdoor boiler can even be used to heat your |
| designs to accommodate different heating | | | | swimming pool, driveway, work shop, greenhouse, |
| capacities and fuel sources. Some of these | | | | or multiple buildings. |
| furnaces have the capacity (500k Btu) for | | | | The firebox designs vary from manufacturer to |
| commercial applications. | | | | manufacturer, but all are constructed from |
| Burns Best makes a corn or wood pellet version. | | | | stainless or carbon steel. Although each |
| Taylor Waterstoves has a multi-fuel model that | | | | manufacturer claims to be using a grade of |
| burns coal or wood. Hardy Manufacturing makes | | | | stainless steel superior to the competition, they all |
| an all stainless steel furnace with a built in hot | | | | agree that heat transfer efficiency is almost 3 |
| water exchanger. | | | | times better with 16 gauge stainless steel than |
| One of the selling points of an outdoor furnace is | | | | with 3/8" carbon steel. An all stainless steel |
| the convenience of locating it near the wood fuel | | | | firebox also resists rusting and burnout that occur |
| source. Since the water heated by the furnace is | | | | in standard carbon steel. |
| pumped to your home through insulated, | | | | Some fire boxes are large enough to |
| underground piping, the furnace can be set up as | | | | accommodate a 30" diameter by 72" log. The |
| close as 2 feet, or as much as 500 feet from | | | | problem I would have is getting a log that size |
| your house. | | | | into the firebox. Normally, outdoor furnaces are |
| All outdoor furnaces are designed to work with | | | | loaded twice a day. Burn times per load vary |
| any existing heating system and can be | | | | from 12 to 96 hours depending on what you're |
| thermostatically controlled. If you have a forced | | | | heating, the outside temperature and how well |
| air system, you can use the existing duct work | | | | your house is insulated. |
| but you will need to install a water-to-air heat | | | | One trait all outdoor furnaces have in common is |
| exchanger in your furnace. Your furnace is still | | | | versatility. What ever your heating needs are or |
| available as a back up. | | | | the type of fuel you burn, it's possible to design a |
| If you already have radiant floor heating, you | | | | system for any heating scheme you can imagine. |