Wood-Fired Central Heat

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Diagram: Wood burning heating systems.
Diagram: Wood burning heating systems.
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When using a wood-fired central heat system is it best to choose a wood-burning furnace or boiler or a wood stove?
When using a wood-fired central heat system is it best to choose a wood-burning furnace or boiler or a wood stove?

A wood-fired central heat system is a cleaner-burning heater and economical too.

If you want to heat your home with wood, should you choose a wood-fired central heat system such as a woodburning furnace or boiler rather than a woodstove? Woodstoves generally cost less and have better overall efficiency and lower emissions, but sometimes stoves just aren’t practical as the sole heat source in homes with many rooms. Some people also prefer a furnace to keep the associated mess or potential hazard out of the main living space.

Central wood heaters and boilers, normally installed in the basement or a utility room, distribute their heat with forced hot-air or circulating hot-water systems, and can heat any home. If you have a ready supply of firewood and you enjoy handling wood, a wood furnace or boiler may be a good choice.

“There have been substantial changes in the last 10 to 20 years that make it easier and more convenient to use wood-fired central heat,” according to Lloyd Nichols, co-owner of boiler distributor TARM USA, Inc. in Lyme, New Hampshire. “Part of that equation is that homes have become less energy demanding. Couple that with a more efficient, cleaner-burning heater and the results are impressive. Now, instead of using eight to 10 cords to heat a typical home, we’re talking between two to five cords.”

The best modern wood-fired furnaces are designed to achieve extremely hot fires that create a lot of usable heat and leave little in the way of emissions to go up the stack. Except for the handling of the firewood, these heaters tend to function more or less like their oil- or gas-fired competitors and are generally controlled by a standard thermostat. When your home is warm enough, the thermostat causes the damper to close, and the fire burns at a reduced level. When more heat is called for, the damper automatically opens again and the fire comes back to a higher temperature.

  • Published on Feb 1, 2003
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