This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Jean wrote:
...I looked at one of those wood furnaces at the State Fair last year, really looks like a great idea!...
They do fit a niche, but I have a problem with the outdoor wood furnaces because they are not regulated by the US EPA for air pollution. That's a little secret that the furnace manufacturers and dealers don't usually mention to prospective customers.
In my opinion, I have an ethical responsiblity to pollute my environment as little as possible, even though I live in the country where air pollution is presumably not a big concern. I feel I should be able to buy an outdoor furnace that doesn't smoke up the place, at the very least because I don't want to breathe lots of smoke.
There's another benefit to having an EPA regulated woodstove, however, that's a very practical issue -- it's MUCH more energy efficient. Outdoor woodfurnaces and indoor cooking stoves are not more than 50% efficient. That means 50% of the heating value in the wood you have to cut, haul, and stack goes right out the chimney, not into your house or barn or whatever.
When you consider that a lot of people burn green wood in these outdoor furnaces, the heating efficiency of their wood furnaces would be even less (and the air pollution even higher).
Most indoor woodstoves and fireplace inserts are 70-80% efficient, due to their pollution controls. Those secondary air ports or catalytic converters increase the heating efficiency that much.
That means more heat in my house, as well as less pollution in my environment.
DeeAnna
