It’s Here… An Outdoor Wood Furnace That Burns Smoke!
By Bob & Fran Marengo,
Owners of Custom Fireplaces & More
Warm greetings from Bob and Fran Marengo at Custom Fireplaces & More. Due to the ever-rising costs of heating, we’ve noticed that demand for outdoor wood burning furnaces surrounded by an insulated “water jacket” has been mushrooming because they eliminate safety and mess concerns completely. These wood-fired “boilers” (or “hydronic heaters”) install outdoors, away from the home. Hot water transfers heat through insulated underground waterlines to the home’s ductwork, or to a water heater, pool or even to another nearby home or shop.
Despite their popularity, many states and municipalities throughout the nation have restricted installation of such outdoor units due to complaints caused by smoke released too low to the ground. Living downwind of a wood furnace with too short of a chimney can cause problems for the neighbors.
However, since the late 80’s, all airtight indoor wood burning stoves were required by law to be equipped to actually burn smoke for fuel. It’s common knowledge that as smoke suddenly chills going up the chimney, it turns into creosote, which can burn viciously. In fact, smoke makes up 50% of any wood’s fuel value and actually is a form of gas! However, by 1988, the technology to burn smoke as fuel (known as “wood gasification”) had been perfected to the point that the EPA mandated it by law in all airtight wood burners… except for indoor and outdoor furnaces and wood cook stoves. When this law took effect in 1988, over one thousand indoor woodstove companies went out of business, leaving only sixty or so still standing!
In 2011, the EPA will also require all outdoor wood boilers to use some form of gasification technology and pass a tough test, yet only a small handful of manufacturers have yet chosen to embrace this technology. Our industry predicts that history will repeat itself in 2011 -- only a very few outdoor wood boiler companies will survive the new EPA law in 2011.
This “shakedown” will become a disaster for any stove retailers still offering outdoor furnaces made by non-surviving companies. Unfortunately, homeowners will ultimately be left “holding the bag,” since it will likely become impossible for warranties to be honored or to obtain repair parts from such manufacturers. Meanwhile, we decided to play it safe and quietly sit on the sidelines, waiting it out to see not only which companies would survive but which one would emerge as the leader.
This past spring, while attending the industry’s largest trade show, we were astonished and excited to witness the unveiling of a revolutionary new outdoor furnace model that burns smoke so completely that it simply disappears as soon as the load of wood is fully caught, even after the air is choked down. The delivered thermal efficiency is 92.6%, a level so high as to be undreamed of only half a dozen years ago.
We watched the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association (HPBA) award Central Boiler’s model E-Classic 2400 their prestigious “Vesta” award for the most innovative product in its class, which has never yet been won by any outdoor wood furnace company. Central Boiler, in business in Minnesota for 26 years, originally began perfecting their future prize-winner in 2007. Their engineering and design skills were justly rewarded at this trade show, where we realized our watching and waiting was finally over. It became clear that Central Boiler’s new outdoor furnace had no equal and that they will thrive after EPA regulations kick in. Their furnace is EPA Hydronic Heater Phase 2 Program qualified. The EPA states that Phase 2 qualified models are 90% cleaner than unqualified models.
Central Boiler’s three-step “wood gasification” process basically forces the smoke down through the bed of coals, where it ignites due to intense heat. Smoke, formerly an unwanted by-product, is now transformed into heat for your home. As a result, savings in wood use can range from 50% to 70% compared to the ordinary outdoor boilers that will share the fate of the dinosaur in 2011.
The only downside to these new generation boilers that we can see is their higher initial cost compared to either the common ones, or to high-efficiency indoor woodstoves. However, here’s some good news… unlike their inefficient furnace competitors, Central Boiler’s new E-Classic models will qualify for the IRS high-efficiency wood-burning tax credit. When a homeowner files their 2010 tax return, the IRS will credit 30% of their purchase made before December 31, 2010, up to $1500. For anyone with a large expensive heating job, an EPA qualified outdoor furnace will pay for itself in a few short years, and then it is free (or nearly free) heat forever. Money does grow on trees when you heat with wood!
You can see Central Boiler’s new gasifying models at Custom Fireplaces & More at 1611 E. Spring St., in Cookeville. Contact us for details at 931-526-8181, 800-264-8181 or email to fran@customfireplaceandmore.com. Hours are 9:00 to 5:00, Mon. to Sat. and by appointment beyond regular hours.
