Wood Boilers Cut Heating Bills. The Rub? Secondhand Smoke.

NY Times ^ | December 18, 2006 | ANAHAD O’CONNOR

[ichabod1]

I have a rabbit pellet stove/

[gorush]

It's a Geo-Comfort 3.5 ton unit with a 5 ton ground-loop with 5 zones in 2 buildings, The house in about 1500 sq. ft. with a 900 sq. ft. garage (heated, 1 of the 5 zones). The shop is about 1000 sq. ft. w/ 2 zones...all heat is through tubes embedded in a four inch slab. The cooling goes through a forced air system tied to the air to air heat exchanger ventilation system. We've been in for about 9 mo's now. monthly heating and cooling plus domestic hot water is averaging about 30-35 dollars/mo.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

We got a Water Furnace. Four 200 foot wells carry an antifreeze solution in sealed bundles out of the wells and into a heat exchanger. Incoming fluid is 59, bumped to 70 with electricity. Unit also heats a thermal floor system set at 65 and forced air throughout. House is 2750 sq. feet on two levels. Super insulated cellulose blown walls, earth sheltered on three sides, best Andersen double glazed windows available. $85/month for the power bill which includes two refrigerators, a freezer, hot tub etc. We also have an air-to-air unit that we run when cooking or when there are a lot of people in the house. The Lopi stove is nice but really not necessary.

[Just another Joe]

"You're Screwed" Ping! LOL!

LOL!!!! Story of my life :)

Must.......resist.......commment.........BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[CDHart]

They can have my Earth stove when they pry my cold, dead fingers from it.

Carolyn (also in the Missouri Ozarks)

[libertarian27]

"Um, um, um...........wait - only second hand TOBACCO smoke is deadly........so we've been told :)"

Yeah - that's what I thought too...

How can they regulate emissions from these Outdoor Wood Boilers...they got to BAN them.

You can't regulate smoke - can you?
I thought you can only Ban It....(sarc- for the slow :)

I'm hiding my candles....
I'll give it two years before Candles are Banned (non-sarc)

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Wow. An Earth Stove...
Like I said, here in Missou, we have firewood falling out of the ground so it'd be a shame to not use it.

[Nam Vet]

I sure remember the smudge pots burning in the citrus groves of southern california in the 50s and into the 60s. Those puppies could put out some serious smoke, but then again, that was the object!

I also remember the incinerators in everyones back yards and just leaving the garbage pail out on the curb for the local hog raiser to pick up. Remember the daily milkman and bakery truck?

I sure miss the smell of orange blossoms at night. It's been years since I smelled them.

Nam Vet

[Old Professer]

In temperature inversion weather coditions, the chimney would have to be 100s of feet high to dissipate the smoke; inversions occur most often as a storm is approaching and lifting after it passes and the wind blows cold, don't fret, candles are next.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Junk mail gets shredded for nesting materials in the chicken coop. :) I don't think there's a thing that comes into this household that isn't "recycled" in some way, LOL!

And I don't do it because I'm an EnviroWacko; I do it because I'm CHEAP!

[Old Professer]

You hunt, I'll gather and we'll leave this mess behind.

[rabidralph]

Good golly, I'd have no place to escape to if I had a hot flash.

I got some information on these soapstone fireplaces built by this manufacturer. Apparently, soapstone retains heat very well.

[ModelBreaker]

I have been in a home in the dead of a Minnesota winter that was heated with pellet....wonderful clean heat with minimal ash....of course my experience was pretty limited however, I was impressed

The outdoor furnaces don't have secondary combustion. So a bunch of the energy just goes up the smokestack. The interior wood and pellet burners have secondary combustion systems that burn the smoke. They get a lot more energy out of the same amount of wood and are produce almost no pollution. The EPA lets us burn our wood stove even on Red days because it's so clean.

For urban locations, I don't believe a good neigbor would use the outdoor burners. They work fine up in the hills. But even there, they are a LOT less efficient than the secondary combustion units. More wood, less heat. It would be nice to see the manufacturers start adding the secondary combustion to the outdoor burners.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

If you have fresh eggs, you're cool...

[Old Professer]

"When my power would go out here and there, I was warm and cooked on the stove."

I'm glad you're healed up enough to be here, but didn't the instructions say not to sit on the stove?

[Gabz]

You're dead meat..........

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I have 80 hens and one happy, but tired Rooster. ;)

I sell "cage free" eggs to the locals as one of my various income streams.

[Gabz]

I'll give it two years before Candles are Banned (non-sarc)

There has been stuff posted in various places that have indicated that candles emit WORSE stuff than SHS from tobacco.......I put it in the same category as SHS tobacco smoke, but it is out there, and it will eventually be used, and most likely in the same fallacious manner.

[Just another Joe]

You're dead meat..........

I couldn't resist. After all, you've only got one child.

(Ducking and running)

[Gabz]

And I don't do it because I'm an EnviroWacko; I do it because I'm CHEAP!

She tells the truth...........she makes me look like a spendthrift and my husband swears I can make Lincoln scream with the way I squeeze every penny :)