One of the oldest sources of natural heating fuel is making a comeback. Wood can provide alternative heating solutions that are more cost-effective, reliable and environmentally safer than petroleum-based fuels. Unlike coal or gasoline, wood is a renewable energy resource that does not contribute to the greenhouse effect – a leading cause of global warming. As more people become aware of the enormous impact that fossil fuels have on the environment, they are turning to wood to provide heating for their homes and businesses.
Wood provides alternative heating solutions that heat residential and commercial properties more efficiently and economically. Indoor and outdoor wood stoves are safer to use than other heating systems that use gas and much more economical than electricity. When wood is used as fuel in a heating system, no other fuel source is required. An additional environmental feature that accompanies using wood for heating is that it provides more heat. Burning wood reduces carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 90 percent.
An outdoor wood furnace provides many advantages over traditional forms of heating. Not only does it keep a home warmer, but it can also be used to heat water as well. It can replace a traditional water heater with a more efficient method of furnishing hot water while heating several structures simultaneously. It only relies on cord wood to provide a comfortable well-heated environment.
Indoor wood furnaces provide the same heating solutions without relying on any other fuel source, which differs from traditional furnaces. Some of the indoor wood-fueled heating systems use refined wooden pellets instead of logs. The benefit derived from using this form of heating is that the fuel utilizes a by-product of the timber industry. When sawdust is compressed and processed into solid pellets, they can be used in the wood burning system that utilizes a waste product as a fuel. This provides the user with a sustainable and completely recyclable fuel alternative.
Wood-fueled boilers are as easy to install as conventional ones and even include all the amenities of electrical or gas boilers. Service is minimal with readily available parts that are easily replaced. The design of these systems accounts for the longevity of these eco-friendly products.
The demand for alternative heating solutions will continue to grow in the next twenty or thirty years as the world’s current supply of non-renewable fuel diminishes. Using wood for heating helps defray the ever-rising cost of energy bills. The new stoves burn cleaner and are much more efficient thanks to technological advances in design. An alternative heating device is not only easier on the environment, but also on the family budget.