outside wood furnace


  #1  
Old 01-24-04, 08:39 PM
jazzman
Visiting Guest
Posts: n/a
Question outside wood furnace

Hi my husband and I are looking to get a outside wood furnace. (Hopefully before this next winter)
We live in Wisconsin and have natural gas as our only heat. Quite expensive this time of year. So we are looking for a secondary heat source. The wood would cost only his gas to get it and time. What we were wondering is ....Does anyone out there have one....and what brand...cost ...how well it works for them... We also live in a small town with fairly close neighbors. So suggestions and comments are all welcome....Thank you, Stephanie
 
  #2  
Old 01-25-04, 06:18 AM
Jay11J's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Rochester, Minnesota
Posts: 16,984
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
I don't have one. but an old co-worker had one and they loved it.

The system was able to burn wood for a long time with out having to get up in the middle of the night to refill it with wood.

Only down fall about it they have to go out in the weather to refill it but she says it was not a big con vs having the unit in the house having smoke backdaft at times, ashes, dust, woodpile, mice in the house.. ect.

Pro part of it she says is that the insurnce rate will be less vs having the stove in the house. House is cleaner Don't have to build a new chimminy on the house.


It will be alittle expensive up front cuz you have to buy the outside woodburning boiler, run pipes between the house and the boiler, putting in the coil above the furnace (will have room if you have A/C on it?) pump and controls.

I would check with the City if they will allow such unit in your back yard. Some City only allows the wood pile to be so big, and on palets or on cement pad. Talk to your neighbors if they don't mind having such thing, and let them know this is wood burning, so if they don't mind the smell of burning wood.

As for brandwise, I don't know of any off hand to lead you to one.

Where in WI are you?
 
  #3  
Old 01-25-04, 06:48 AM
jazzman
Visiting Guest
Posts: n/a
I live in a small burg in Burnett co. in NW WI. Some of our neighbors have wood heat so I don't really think they would have a problem ...as long as the stack was high enough. Thanks for the reply...I was looking all over the net lately...Those wood furnaces are quite expensive. Someone told us they have some out there for around $1,500. I could handle saving that much. Anyways we are still searching for info....(Sitting here with my feet frozen) So all replies are welcome...Thanks again, Stephanie
 
  #4  
Old 01-25-04, 07:38 AM
Ed Imeduc's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Mountain Williams Missouri
Posts: 17,505
Upvotes: 0
Received 1 Upvote on 1 Post
Id say check code then go for it. Cut the wood now you want it tobe 1 year old when you burn it.Thats so you wont get a big build up of creosote in the furnace ED
 
  #5  
Old 01-25-04, 08:10 AM
Jay11J's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Rochester, Minnesota
Posts: 16,984
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
I grew up burning wood for heat, it was kinda fun to have the whole family go out on the cool crisp fall afternoon cutting wood.

We would cut a whole cattle truck full of wood each year. We had nice big stacks outside to dry. the next year they were moved into the garage, and also a bunch into the basement.

My parents did that for about 25 years, and pretty much gave up on that now.. They replaced with a new 90% furnace, and A/C. It was hard to find time anymore to cut wood, gas for the chain saw, gas for the truck, time to haul the wood into the house, insurnace rate, and dust/smoke it put into the house.
 
  #6  
Old 01-26-04, 04:42 PM
binford
Visiting Guest
Posts: n/a
Those work better if you have a wooded lot. since you can get wood easier. You don't have to cut up the wood like for a fire place or wood stove the burners are huge and take whole tree tree trunks. Provided you have a tractor to load it.

look at ways to better insulate your house.
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: