wood burning add on furnace

I run a DAKA in my house and have been pleased with the heat it's put out. However, if I knew then what I know now, I would run something like a Caddy or Kuuma or any of the clean burning furnaces that are out now. I'm not unhappy with my burn times or wood consumption, but I would like the piece of mind knowing that the smoke is being used up and my chimney isn't getting dirty.

I do not have that type of situation but the best advice to give you no matter what you install is to get your fuel supply now! That means get it as soon as you possibly can. Burning wood is not like burning oil. There, you can install the furnace and then order the wood. That is a definite no-no with wood. And do not believe the wood sellers when they say the wood is ready to burn. What they really mean is that it is ready to sell but wood needs time to properly dry. It has to be split and then stacked in the wind to dry and that usually takes a minimum of a year but with some types of wood it can take 3 years or more! Buying wood is not like buying oil. One might buy popple for his fuel and the other might buy hickory. Which do you think will be the happiest?

Would you put some fuel into your car that was not the best? It would not run right nor will that furnace.

http://www.psg-distribution.com/product.aspx?CategoId=15&Id=325&Page=description

http://www.lamppakuuma.com/

http://www.yukon-eagle.com/

There are three companies that offer clean burning add on furnaces.

Might want to add this one to that too. It's catalytic and EPA certified, (I think). http://blazeking.com/furnace-apex.html

I have a Harman sfa 1500 seems to be working fine! You can also burn coal in it! So you'll have time to get your wood seasoned! http://www.harmanstoves.com/products/details.asp?cat=central-heating&prd=forced-air&f=FURSF1500

Those Harman stoves are very nice and built like tanks, I saw one a few years back. I would also look at Woodchuck, Charmaster and Brunco. I would also not exclude the big box stoves like US Stove, Daka, Firechief, Englander and Vogelzang, if you are on a budget.

Check into the Newmac furnaces, made in Nova Scotia, I believe. Myself, my Dad, and a few other relatives have them. Dad's is still in use after 25+ years, the only repairs being a fan limit, replacement firebrick in the firebox, and a patch welded on the outlet side. Very simple but good controls, thermostat controlled with forced draft, and a 16" ?? main blower, and real-sized supply and return plenum connections, with filters. It heats his 1600 sq. ft. with no problem. Well built internals and sheet metal.

We're coming up on our first full season using a Vogelzang Norseman 2500 as our primary heat source, but it can also be set up as an add-on supplementary furnace.

It's a budget furnace in the $1200 range, but seems to be built fairly well other than having rather tight clearances on the blower motors. It's not designed for secondary burn and therefore isn't as efficient as the Yukon-Eagle, Kuuma Vapor Fire, Wood Chuck, or some of the other high-efficiency wood furnaces, but it's also 1/3 of the price.

If you're on a budget, I can recommend the Vogelzang, but if you can afford something more efficient, I'd recommend moving in that direction instead. You'll burn less wood, have a cleaner chimney, and get more heat for the same amount of effort and fuel supply. I'm eying the Kuuma Vapor Fire as a replacement for the Vogelzang in a few years.

A big plus to consider in a furnace just because they have them now, is a glass door. You know what's going on w/o having to guess or open the door.