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| Thank you for your email and follow-up. I am in the process of selecting one of the several contractors I have spoken with. Without a doubt, the service you provide in his area is second to none. Again, I thank you and will let you know the final outcome once the project is completed. |
Regards,
Homeowner in
Accokeek, Maryland |
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In the first part of my look into the realm of outdoor furnaces the main ingredient was a boiler situated away from the main structure and heated by wood. Insulated pipes run underground from the outdoor furnace to the home and provide warmth either from direct piping in the floors or from a heat transfer unit within a blower unit. This unit can also hook into a pre-existing oil or gas furnace which doubles as a back-up unit in case the wood supply dwindles.
The working model I visited belongs to Freeman who chose the Wood Doctor™ mainly because of its availability in his area. Instead of a sole-purpose option, which is the norm for many users, Freeman has his unit set up to accommodate a variety of heating requirements. It will even heat a swimming pool that will be used for 7 months of the year. In addition, Freeman customized his design in ways that the normal outdoor furnace could handle but was never envisioned. |
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| The unit has been placed in a sheltered, well-lit area with the door facing the wood supply for easier handling. |
| Figure: A The fuel supply is readily available from the acreage he is clearing. |
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Figure: A |
Figure: B |
Figure: C |
| Figure: B This is an innovation that suits Freeman's needs. Instead of the heated water going straight to the house he has built a storage unit composed of a stainless-steel liner he scrounged from a dairy. He then built an outer shell of pressure-treated plywood and the space in between is insulated with blue foam sheets. |
| Figure: C Just inside the house is the main switching area for the heated water. Freeman has also allowed an extra valve for expansion. The smaller zone valves above control heat going in to each room. |
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Figure: D |
Figure: E |
Figure: F |
| Figure: D The gray tank stores water from the well. Bath and kitchen water are not directly hooked up to the flow from the outdoor furnace. Instead, this heated water flows through a stainless-steel transfer case which acts much like a heat exchanger for a Venmar™ system. A separate water supply from the well is heated through this process and goes into a water heater for storage for the kitchen and bathrooms. Because the water is already heated the water heater is really just a storage container but can kick to heat the water in if there is a problem with the outdoor furnace system. |
| Figure: E This picture shows how the tubing is laid for the in-floor heat which is water that comes directly from the outdoor furnace. |
| Figure: F This is the basement view of the pipes which provide heating for the zones. The lighter pipes show the cold water return to the valves where the water is then directed back outdoors to the furnace boiler. These pipes will be covered when the basement is finished off. |
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