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How About Wood Burning Furnaces?

The aftermath of the 1973 oil embargo was a time when homeowners received tax incentives for installing insulation and energy efficient windows, turned down their thermostats and considered alternate energy sources. Sound familiar? It was also a time when I bought my first wood burning furnace. I never forgot when the young woman at the store claimed that the wood stove, "would become part of the family". Four decades later I find myself attached to my stove just as I was the old chocolate lab I had when I bought it.

Over the years I've had several types of heating systems including gas hot water, oil forced hot air and electric; and have found wood heat the most versatile and comfortable. I don't consider it heat as much as warmth. Warmth is a better description because it not only provides heat, but it possesses character and aesthetic value as well. It truly becomes the centerpiece of a room. There is an old adage that wood warms you twice, once when you cut it and once when you burn it. It is true.

Wood stoves are like people, they come in all shapes and sizes. Manufacturers offer a variety of models from functional to decorative. Prices range anywhere from under $500 for a plain black, steel plate stove to several thousand dollars for high-end soapstone stoves with glass doors and enamel finish. If dcor is not important there are excellent stoves on the market that will heat your home for under $1,000.

Once you have figured out your budget you must determine the dimensions and capacity required. The average stove stands about 30" tall and roughly 24" wide and deep, however models are as varied as automobiles. Size is a major factor for installation, but heat output (BTU) is also essential and determined by the amount of space you plan to heat in your home. Generally, the higher the BTU the more space it is capable of heating. For example, a wood stove with a 40,000 BTU rating will heat about 1,500 square feet while a 60,000 BTU will be in the 2,000 square foot range.

The size of the fire box will limit in the amount of wood and size logs that the stove will handle. The average firebox can accommodate about 40 lbs. of hardwood, however the capacity of larger stoves exceeds 60 lbs. and there are stoves on the market that list over 80 lbs. of capacity. Log length is typically 16-18", but there are stoves on the market that will handle 20"and over. You can save yourself a lot of headaches by knowing the fire box capacity when cutting or ordering wood.

The average shipping weight of a wood stove is about 450 lbs., but there are stoves that weigh over 700 lbs. Unless you have a vehicle capable of handling such a load and have enough strong backs to lift it into place you should consider having it delivered. Most stores and distributors offer delivery and installation options.

I have to admit that when the woman at the store told me the wood stove would become part of the family I thought she was merely a romantic. However, three decades later my kids are grown and out of the house and three dogs have spent their days by the warmth of the stove that remains sitting on the hearth in my family room.

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