subject: Outdoor Wood Furnaces and their Benefits [print this page] Outdoor Wood Furnaces and their Benefits Outdoor Wood Furnaces and their Benefits
Wood furnaces, as the name suggests, use wood as fuel to heat the heat exchanger. An outdoor wood furnace looks like a small utility building, with a stove coated with water. The water is heated by the wood fire and is then pumped into the building through insulated pipes. The hot water brings the heat to the rooms.
The component parts of this heater include the jacket or the cabinet, the blower, firebox, access doors that facilitate cleaning and stroking, and a blower to rouse the fire. Accessories used in these types of furnaces include an electric air cleaner, an air filter, evaporator coil and humidifier.
Outdoor wood furnaces have a lot of benefits:
Cost Effective
These furnaces offer a great way of heating the indoors with minimum expense. When it becomes necessary to cut costs around the house, expenses for home heating and warm water cannot still be eliminated. Using outdoor wood furnaces is a good way of reducing expenses without compromising on getting hot water and warmth.
Convenience
An outdoor wood furnace is more efficient than indoor ones. With increased efficiency, it not only helps save money, but also eats up less fuel. Unlike indoor stoves, these furnaces only need wood once a day. Also you can build it next to the wood file, and you don't have to carry firewood into the house. This eliminates problems of ash, bugs, dirt and saw dust in the house. Since it also heats up water, you don't have look for another equipment for heating water.
Also, outdoor heaters can be built in different sizes depending on the usage. A large outdoor unit can be used to heat not just the house, but also the barn, garage or shed. Depending on the number of facilities that needs heating, the outdoor unit must be built accordingly.
Safety
As wood furnaces are located outside, the risks are relatively lower. All heating methods are accompanied by some risk or the other. Accidents due to outdoor heaters are very few in number, and they are highly recommended by many dealers and manufacturers. However, it is always advisable to situate the heater at a safe distance from your house. Placing the system at a comfortable distance reduces the risk of fire and other accidents.
In addition to lowering risks of fire breakouts, it is also safe for families with children. The main structure of the furnace should be placed away from the ground, and the controls to the equipment should be kept at a safe location. It is especially important for those families, which have small children so that the kids cannot access the fire controls.
Environmental Benefits
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also advocates the use of wood burning furnaces. Wood is a renewable source of energy unlike coal and gasoline. There is also less air pollution as there are no excessive carbon dioxide emissions from a wood furnace. Carbon dioxide is a major contributor to global warming and lesser emissions will help in lowering your carbon footprint.
