Outdoor wood furnaces are better for the environment which is an important consideration. In addition, by using wood you are lowering your dependency on foreign fuel. Burning wood is environmentally friendly. Burning other types of fuel is not. Wood is a renewable resource so burning it does not release carbon dioxide into the air in the same way that fossil fuels do when burned. The release of carbon dioxide is widely believed to be the cause of the greenhouse effect that is an element in global warming. In addition, outdoor furnaces are not just for heating your home. They can be used to heat hot tubs, pools, garages as well as other outdoor buildings.

When shopping for an outdoor wood burning furnace there are certain features that you want to look for. While all wood furnaces will provide heat, some will be more efficient and some less based on the way they are built. In addition, outdoor wood burning furnaces need to be built for the outdoors in order to withstand the harsh elements and continue to heat your home in the most efficient manner possible.

The best outdoor wood furnace will have several important features but first and foremost it will meet all industry standards and will be approved by the requisite government agencies depending on where you live. Important features to look out for include:

• Parts made from high quality stainless steel
• Automatic but simple controls
• A thick firebox door that will maintain heat and not let it escape
• Safety latch on door to prevent children from access and also blowback risk
• Insulation from thick, quality fiberglass
• Legs to keep out rodents and other bugs
• Controls that are in the front of the furnace for easy access
• A large door for ease of  loading the wood

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An outdoor wood furnace is located in a building outside of the home to keep the smoke mess away from the home. The wood produces heat which is transferred through insulted pipes underground into the home. Outdoor wood furnaces can also heat other buildings and areas such as greenhouses, pools, and spas. The benefits of the outdoor wood furnace are that you will not be bothered with smoke or ashes while still keeping warm all winter.

In the old days, the only choice was to burn wood in a fireplace. It didn’t warm the entire house, but only the room where the fireplace was located. Now, the entire house can be kept warm in the chilling winter with an outdoor wood furnace, which is much more convenient. The entire house gets heat distributed throughout it and nobody has to breathe the smoke that can come from firewood. The heat is controlled with a thermostat so you can heat the home as warm as you like. This method of heating is much cheaper than electric heating.

There are other types of wood furnaces besides the outdoor variety. There is a Central Wood Furnace which is placed inside the home. It either uses forced air or hot water to keep the home warm. There is also the Multi Fuel Furnace which can either be located inside or outside the home and it can also burn other types of fuel besides wood such as gas or oil.

If you choose an indoor furnace, you can decide between one that burns only wood or one that burns wood as well as wood and gas or wood and oil.

As with everything the price depends on what type of furnace you want, the manufacturer, and more. The price of a wood burning furnace can average from $1,000-$8,000. The prices can also be lower or higher. Used furnaces will be cheaper while the top notch ones to keep large homes toasty warm will be at the high end.

While a wood burning furnace is cheaper than other heating alternatives, it does require work and tends to be messier. You will have to keep a supply of firewood and also stack it and replenish the furnace with wood when needed. Obviously it also produces smoke and ash, which other heating alternatives such as gas or electricity do not do. You need to make sure to use the right type of furnace filters for a wood furnace. If you don’t mind this extra work, then you will benefit greatly from the monetary savings, environment friendly benefits, and the reliability of a wood furnace.

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2. The Advantages of An Outdoor Wood Furnace
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