Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Hope everyone has a wonderful and warm Thanksgiving!
Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount
Use code Hearth2024
Click here
New England, from the state of stubborn, farmer wants to replace a woodstove for a wood furnace in the greenhouse. Any suggestions where to look? Does anyone make boilers of furnaces that heat air and can burn overnight?
New England, from the state of stubborn, farmer wants to replace a woodstove for a wood furnace in the greenhouse. Any suggestions where to look? Does anyone make boilers of furnaces that heat air and can burn overnight?
The yukons are way behind on technology. I would avoid them.
Burning through the night is a tough task for even most woodstoves. A woodfurnace is great because it can be EPA certified as clean burning and relatively efficient while having a huge firebox for lots of output potential. The ducting and forced air blowers allow you to really get some high output for a greenhouse.
Burning through the night though. That's tough. Unless your farmer considers that to be 8 hours. Then there are some options.
It's all about the fire box size, the BTU's needed, and the efficiency.
that's just the math. you can't cheat physics. how big is the greenhouse, what is the required temp in it, what is the insulation value, and what is the required burn time. this will give you the ballpark you need to look for in equipment.
you can gain some of that need in storage, either thermal or chemically in the form of wood in the firebox. there are some units that will deliver pretty well.
Their new EPA cert units are supposed to be out soon. Of course that impending deadline probably is helping coax things along...
There are plenty of stoves and/or furnaces that will go 8 hrs or more on a load...depending on what your heat load is like...if it is too high, then just go with a wood fired boiler. There are plenty of 'em out there big enough to do the job...
So, a little more info and needed help. The greenhouse has back up propane furnace units. But, because this is a farmer and food is not a priority for humans hence makes little money, she needs a wood furnace along with the propane. Are these my choices or am I totally barking up the wrong tree...
Hotblast (Northern tool) $1449
139,000 BTU
6.8 CF firebox no glass
Finicky, low output fan
Englander (Home Depot) $1199
100,000 BTU
4.6 CF firebox
Generally good reviews
Drolet EPA certified $1499
95,000 BTU
3.6 CF firebox
Generally good reviews
I would go Drolet, simply based on efficiency. Would not want a non-EPA unit, I don't think, unless willing to trade-off some things - like burning more wood, & burning dirtier.
The Hotblast will blast through wood supply, the Englander is middle of the road that some have found satisfaction with.
They have their heat load limits though & will only do so much - how much you want to do is kind of an uncertainty. If this is to replace just a prior LP unit, then LP consumption history the past years might help guess a heat load.
Dry wood is also a must. Is there a good reliable source of lots of dry wood? Like, say, 10 cords per year? That should be one of the primary decision factors in the whole concept no matter which furnace is picked.
There are more capable ones - such as Max Caddy. But then budget considerations would also have to come into play - something else the buyer will have to evaluate.
Thank you Maple1 very good advice and taking the time for a concise answer. She does have the wood supply, right now she just uses (along with propane Modine) a clunker of a woodstove meant to be in a hearth, ashes spilling everywhere in the greenhouse! Your Manhattan Project in your basement looks amazing....