FAQ
Review some of the questions most frequently asked by our customers. If you do not see your answer here, please feel free to contact us anytime for more information.
What is an outdoor wood furnace?
An outdoor wood furnace is a safe and efficient way to heat your home and provide hot water using wood for fuel. The Shaver furnace is designed to look like a storage building and is installed away from the home or building being heated. An outdoor furnace eliminates smoke, bugs, and wood debris from within the home.
Midwest Outdoor Furnace - Steinacher Sales 21690 Richey Hollow Rd. Jerseyville, IL 62052
How much can I save with an outdoor wood furnace?
As shown in the figure to the right, energy used by a space heater and water heater in a typical home are about 61% of total energy consumed. An outdoor wood furnace you can replace nearly all of this cost for heating your home and water and reduce your gas/electric bill by up to 60%.
How does the outdoor furnace heat my home?
Heated water is circulated to your existing furnace and a thermostat is used to control the temperature inside the home. A forced air furnace is attached to your duct system and the heated air is blown through the existing ducts to heat your home.
What are the advantages to outdoor wood furnaces?
An outdoor wood furnace is safer, cleaner, and offers more even heating of your home or business. Since the fire is outside, there is no need for fireplaces or wood stoves which is safer for your customers and any children you may have around your home or business. This can also improve air quality and alleviate respiratory and allergy problems caused by burning wood indoors. There’s also no more bugs or dark, sooty walls or ceilings.
Thermostatic control provides even, steady heat all around your home, even when you’re away.
The outdoor furnace can accept larger pieces of wood and may dramatically reduce the time spent preparing wood. Large, round timbers cost significantly less than split wood, you save money too.
Maintenance is also easier and less costly with an outdoor furnace. Your outdoor furnace has no circuitry that will burn out and doesn’t require expensive electrical gadgets to operate. The outdoor furnace is simple and efficient. All parts are off-the-shelf and available at most hardware stores. You don’t need to order proprietary parts from the manufacturer.
Is wood burning bad for the environment?
Heating with wood is the right choice for an increasing number of consumers who are concerned with their impact on the environment. Wood is a renewable resource, which, when burned, has no net carbon dioxide increase.
Carbon dioxide is released as part of natural plant-growth and decay cycle. Burning wood creates no net increase over the natural release from decay on the forest floor. On the other hand, carbon released from burning fossil fuels releases gasses that would have otherwise stayed trapped underground.
In addition, harvesting firewood has a pruning effect on the forest, which allows new growth. If you’re able to secure a local source for the wood you burn, or use wood from your own property, you’re further improving growth of local vegetation and reducing fossil fuel use for transportation. You’re also less impacted by price increases due to events outside of your control, as may be the case with oil.
What do experts say?
According to the University of Nebraska, “Wood burning stoves may not only save people money on their heating bills this winter, but also are a clean alternative to electric or gas furnaces,” Adams said. Scott Josiah, state forester with the Nebraska Forest Service at UNL, said “There also are environmental benefits to using wood heat. Wood heat produces little pollution and is environmentally friendly, especially when wood is used in a high-efficiency wood burning stove and where firewood is a readily available resource.”
How long will the furnace last?
We have a 20-year Limited Warranty, including parts and labor on the entire structure and a 30-year warranty on the siding. There is also a 100 percent conditional warranty on the furnace. This warranty is NOT pro-rated. Electrical components such as pumps and fans are warrantied for 1 year.
The life of your furnace will depend upon use and proper maintenance. Remember, treatment must be used in the water in your outdoor wood furnace or the warranty is void. Always refer to the owner installation manual for proper maintenance on your furnace. With proper maintenance, your furnace will provide many years of dependable service.
What can I expect to pay for an outdoor wood furnace?
Prices start at $4,147 for a forced air furnace and $5,177 for water furnaces. Total price will vary depending upon shipping and other features selected.
How heavy is your furnace?
As evidence of the quality components used in our product, our furnaces weigh a hefty 1400 lbs. or more. Hydronic models will obviously weigh much more once the water has been added after the installation is complete.
Is there a lot of heat loss when the unit is outside and it’s below 32 degrees?
Some heat loss will occur, but the units are very well insulated and designed to avoid heat loss.
Can I use an outdoor wood furnace if I live in town?
An outdoor wood furnace may not be best choice in densely populated or urban areas. The smoke may bother or overwhelm your neighbors on windier days and also adds to the air quality issues where automobile exhaust and other pollution are already high.
An outdoor wood furnace is ideal for rural, small town, and suburban areas. If you choose an outdoor furnace, the stack height should be taller than roof lines of any existing homes within 100 feet of the furnace.
Do these furnaces need to be near the house?
Check with your insurance company for policy information, but the furnace may be as close as 10 feet from the heated structure. Furnaces also may be installed 100 feet or more away from the structure, depending upon your needs. If the furnace is installed within 100 feet of any existing structures, the chimney must be at or above the ridge line of the roof.
Do I have a choice of colors?
Currently, there are 20 colors available for both the sides and trim of your furnace. A camouflage option is also available. There are plenty of options to help compliment the exterior of your home or match other buildings on your property.
