Outdoor Wood Furnaces

Outdoor wood furnaces are self contained exterior residential heating plants that look like a small shed which transfer heat from a wood fire to water which is then pumped into the heating system inside the house. The advantages are that you use wood, a renewable resource, instead of fossil fuels to heat your home; the mess, bugs, soot and fire hazard are kept away from your home; and a well-designed unit will be very efficient and not wasteful of your wood. The disadvantages are that they are labor intensive in cutting, splitting and stacking the wood, and the smoke can be a nuisance in suburban settings. All OWF's are not the same. There are several manufactures who have engineered a fine product factoring in an efficient combustion chamber, large water tank, insulation and the ability to meet EPA regulations and there are many, many inferior products, including "home made" units, which are terribly inefficient, smokey and even dangerous. When selecting an OWF, be diligent in your research, adhere to the Best Burn Practices for the chimney height, follow all local codes and DON'T BURN TRASH in it. The old saying, "You get what you pay for." is so very true for OWF's.