Why dont more people use wood furnaces???

[kallaste]

I hear alot about inserts, freestanding stoves and outdoor wood boilers, but not much is said or heard about add on wood furnaces. I have a us stoves wood furnace and I love it!! I have an 1800 sq ft home and have burned nonstop since the middle of october. I have only used 4.5 cords and the hse stays a fairly constant 70-74 degrees. I do not have any hot or cold spots in the house. In my way of thinking or atleast for my need this would be a more economical than an owb and more even heat then an insert or free standing stove. Why are they not more popular?

 

[sredlin]

Around here insurance is the first thing I can think of. Insurance companies want the wood burning appliance in the main living area--not in the garage or basement where no one will be watching it.

 

[bama]

I would bet these are the reasons for having an OWB instead of a furnace:

1. The fire is away from the house in an OWB. The furnace still keeps the fire in the house(where we sleep). Chimney fires don't matter if they are on the little stack of an OWB.

2. The mess is away from the house in an OWB. I do have some ash dust to clean up every time I clean the pan.

3. You can heat multiple buildings with an OWB(depending on size) and run your water heater(also heat swimming pools in summer).


Here are the reasons I don't have one:

1. I paid $50 for both furnaces. I can't afford the startup for a OWB, even though it would pay for itself. My wife won't go down that road, so I can't either.

2. I don't have ductwork. I made a few ducts into the upstairs which pretty much heat the house unless it gets to -20, then the bedroom electric gets turned on.


Maybe if the furnaces didn't work so well, it would be an easier sell for me.

No idea on Fireplace inserts.


BTW, I heard from an employee of Central Boiler that they will be getting their EPA sticker for one of their new models very soon. Supposedly smokeless!

 

[bama]

Around here insurance is the first thing I can think of. Insurance companies want the wood burning appliance in the main living area--not in the garage or basement where no one will be watching it.

Good point on insurance. Mine never said anything, but they never asked, either.

 

[Leebo]

Good point on insurance. Mine never said anything, but they never asked, either.

You may want to check with your agent on this. It would be a shame to have a fire and to not be covered because of an exclusion buried in the fine print of your policy. Insurance companies make their money by weaseling out of every claim they can.

 

[Moddoo]

I love my Johnson Energy Systems wood furnace.
Every room in the house stays the same temp, and my basement is always warm too.
The firebox is a nice size. I can get a solid 12+ hour burn with oak. It keeps my 1948 (original windows, siding, insulation, etc) above 70 even when it's below zero for days.

My insurance went up about $9 a month. I just had to send some pics of the setup to my agent.

 

[chowdozer]

The 3 top reasons I don't have/need a wood furnace:

My woodstove keeps the house 70+ degrees and I often open a window.
The bedroom stays cooler than the rest of the house so I can sleep.
I always burn less than 2 cords a year (11 years) heating 100% with wood.

It all boils down to personal preference.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

You may want to check with your agent on this. It would be a shame to have a fire and to not be covered because of an exclusion buried in the fine print of your policy. Insurance companies make their money by weaseling out of every claim they can.

Yup. Good advice. Thinking you are getting by because the agent doesn't know about it just might bite you someday.

 

[JAM]

I've been using a zero clearance fireplace to supplement my oil furnace. Does a fair job when O/T is above zero but not too good below zero.
Going to install a DAKA add-on this summer. I expect to reduce my wood consumption and almost eliminate my fuel oil burn next year and yes, the insurance will cost a few more dollars but the savings will far offset the increase in rates.

 

[jerry wayne]

Good point on insurance. Mine never said anything, but they never asked, either.

better lookie at your policy really good.....better safe than uninsured , call like your Joe nobody and give then some Q,s on this , see if it would increase your premium,and what is the main source of heat listed on your current policy . Double check all your ducks/Would hate to see a claim get shot down from the git go ,cause your company over looked that beast ! just a little thougt from my little brain:jester:

 

[bama]

Good points on the insurance. I will do some checking after remodeling this summer. I need to update the coverage anyway.

 

[046]

two cords a season is pretty darn good!

how many square feet is being heated?
is the house super insulated?

The 3 top reasons I don't have/need a wood furnace:

My woodstove keeps the house 70+ degrees and I often open a window.
The bedroom stays cooler than the rest of the house so I can sleep.
I always burn less than 2 cords a year (11 years) heating 100% with wood.

It all boils down to personal preference.

 

[chowdozer]

two cords a season is pretty darn good!

how many square feet is being heated?
is the house super insulated?

1200 sq ft rambler
House was built in 1960. I replaced all the windows and doors. Insulated crawlspace.

I found that replacing the windows and sealing cracks made the biggest difference.

 

[rguseman]

You may want to check with your agent on this. It would be a shame to have a fire and to not be covered because of an exclusion buried in the fine print of your policy. Insurance companies make their money by weaseling out of every claim they can.

They also lose money on idiots (not to suggest that anyone here is an idiot) who install fireplace inserts, furnaces, woodburning stoves, etc. incorrectly and then burn their house down or people who have no idea what their insurance coverage includes and try to make a claim and/or sue the company for something that is clearly not covered. Sorry, it is not always the insurance company that wears the weasel costume.

 

[sredlin]

My insurance guy came over and measured clearances, wrote down the make and model of wood stove, and took pictures of the installation. No weasels involved, we both did things the right way.

 

[Leebo]

They also lose money on idiots (not to suggest that anyone here is an idiot) who install fireplace inserts, furnaces, woodburning stoves, etc. incorrectly and then burn their house down or people who have no idea what their insurance coverage includes and try to make a claim and/or sue the company for something that is clearly not covered. Sorry, it is not always the insurance company that wears the weasel costume.

Objection noted. I may have been out of line in the use of "weasely"...it's just that I have recently had to switch to a different health insurance carrier and have been wading through the 1/2" thick policy; trying to determine what is covered and what is not covered. So far I've made it through the dental plan...97 procedures, most of which are described in "dentalese", are excluded. I also had to call my business insurance agent to ask about the new mandatory $27 per month "terrorism rider" that has been added to the policy this year. The business is located in a small Ohio town. The only terrorists are the neighborhood children throwing rocks at the security light.
I agree that any woodburning stove, furnace, insert, et al should be installed exactly as per the instructions and the local and state building and fire codes. The required permits need to be applied for and the necessary inspections need to be done. One should also sit down with one's agent and discuss what the company's requires in this area. Oh...and get it in writing.

 

[rguseman]

Leebo, I empathize with your insurance issues. Insurance companies are not without flaws and do not always do the right thing. However, I don't think they are the villains that they are portrayed to be by media, attorneys, politicians, etc.

Your advice regarding permits, keeping the agent in the loop, etc. is spot on. I would only add that you should read your policy to make sure you are getting the coverage(s) you want/need and not rely solely on the agent.

Enough of politics, legalese and insurance. Let's get back to discussing why more people don't have wood furnaces.

My hope is to have some type of system in place in the next couple of years. However, I do not have a reliable source of cheap/firewood to make the investment cost-effective. My wife laughs at the amount of time I am spending to secure firewood sources, buying equipment, etc. She gets pretty quiet when I ask her to tell me the last time our heating bill went down and when I show her some of the posts on this site that mention how little some of you have spent on fuel oil, natural gas, etc.

 

[wdchuck]

It's easier to laugh when you cna heat the house up so much in winter that she starts walking around neked, and it doesn't cost any more money.

That's when you get to laugh, but then your beer gets warmer faster too. :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Freakingstang]

100% woodstove here in the living room with a cathedral ceiling.....

No furnace needed. Often times the upstairs bedrooms get in the 80's. Lot of open windows.....lol

 

[rguseman]

It's easier to laugh when you cna heat the house up so much in winter that she starts walking around neked, and it doesn't cost any more money.

That's when you get to laugh, but then your beer gets warmer faster too. :hmm3grin2orange:

That, my friend, is why we have whiskey and ice cubes.

Your first paragraph has also inspired me to make a few extra telephone calls to some tree services to find more firewood faster