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Lighting the fire: elements in operation |
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A wood
furnace, like the one from Central Boiler on the right, has a firebox
and water jacket precisely sized for efficiency. Notice the burner on the
side. These furnaces are available with dual-fuel options. Depending on the
application, the burner can be used to start the fire, as a backup heat
source, or a supplemental heat source.
The top of the firebox is rippled to increase the surface area in contact with the water, and trap combustible gases for further burning. The door on the furnace for loading the wood is well insulated to minimize heat loss and keep the fire hot. These types of furnaces are called a wood furnace for a reason. Never burn garbage, paper and especially plastics in a wood furnace. Plastics contain chlorides that eat the metal when exposed to moisture. In addition, non-wood items release toxic fumes that are harmful to people and the environment. |
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| Plastic tubing, such as Polyethylene Cross-link (PEX), or other high temperature tubing is run from the furnace to the home. Water is pumped through the tubing and heating systems with circulator pumps. | ||||
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Most
applications use a coil heat exchanger and a blower plenum to circulate
the heated air through a home. Other applications may use a mixing tank and Hydronic floor heating to warn the house.
Be sure to visit the Hydronic Heating
Tour for more information! A wood furnace not only heats the home, but can also heat domestic water with a heat exchanger and replace your water heater! Some people have even connected their outdoor boilers to hot-tubs and greenhouses! |
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The "A-Coil" is installed in a blower plenum like the one to the
right from Water
Furnace. Notice how this unit is also equipped to heat potable water
for showers and anywhere hot water is needed! People using these systems not only are free from electric or gas bills for the water heaters, but enjoy savings on their energy costs. Some users eliminate their heating costs entirely using an outdoor wood furnace!
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