House And Home Tips And Tricks

To cover the basics, a portable air conditioner is called such because it can move. It is given this distinction because there are certain air conditioners that once they are put in place are fairly permanent and cannot be moved from room to room. Normally portable air conditioners are lighter than most window units and weight between 60-80 pounds, are on wheels and are fairly simple to transport or if you will, are portable. If this sounds up your ally then you’re looking for a portable small air conditioner

The RA 9KE Small Portable Air Conditioner Unit

While these portable air conditioner units are small, they still pack a 9000 BTU wallop. They can be moved from room to room via four wheels on the bottom and have programmable timers for up to twelve hours via an included remote. This small portable air conditioner unit is a great supplement to a larger central conditioning system in those areas that receive extra midday sun.

Cost is both saved on both the portable air conditioner unit itself as well as the fact that no install is needed making it cheaper. Because these smaller portable air conditioners from Royal Sovereign are indoors collected mildew and mold are less of a concern over traditional air conditioner that have the compressor outside.

Small portable air conditioners can be perfect for cooling your home or small office. Portable room air conditioners are not totally stand alone however and do require that you are able to vent the warm air that the conditioner “sucks” out of the air. This is done via a flex tube to a window, door or other existing vent already in place. The hot air just needs to get out of the room for the portable air conditioner to do its job effectively.

You will find that most manufacturers will supply a flex hose with your air conditioner purchase and longer than standard 5-7 feet lengths can be purchased if needed. One thing to remember is that the longer the hose, the harder your portable unit needs to work to pump out the hot air. Try to stay away from distances longer than 15 feet and sharp kinks or obstructions in the hose.

What portable air conditioners do have in their corner is quick installation without destroying any part of your house. They are also a better option when trying to cool extra hot spots that are already serviced by central cooling units.

Another consideration when picking out a portable air conditioner unit for a small room is that the AC is narrow. This will allow for less of an intrusion on the room and save valuable floor space.

Delonghi portable air conditioners have been all the rage lately. They are one of the most sought after smaller portable air conditioners. They are high quality and energy efficient, which is important in our attempts to lessen out impact on the environment. In my opinion the thing that has made Delonghi portable air conditioner unit so popular is their blend of quality, price and reliability.

Another often mentioned portable air conditioner manufacturer on the market is Soleus. Soleus is the name most people will find if looking for a cheap portable air conditioner. This seems to be exactly the case by looking at forum discussions on this particular company. Reviews are not good for this cheap portable air conditioner at present. Reviews of low power levels, small water tanks, incomplete units and lack of customer support seem to be the major issues. One particular unsatisfied customer stated that the Soleus air conditioners do not work and the company doesn’t even care, citing that the warranty is useless. Quite a strange thing to read about a company that says there products are ” the most powerful products on the market”.

Portable air conditioner parts

Portable air conditioners are relatively simple machines and don’t have as many small parts as you would expect. It basically breaks down into five major parts and I would only mess with one of them if you are getting adventurous.

Cooling system
Blower fan
Thermostat control
Selector switches
Air conditioner filter.

As long as you clean your air filters regularly and do not allow water to stagnate in your drainage basin and cause odor, you can expect many years of quality cool air from your portable room small air conditioner while using less energy than a larger non-portable unit. These units are relatively maintenance free so looking for parts is not much of a concern.

Thanks to the miracles of modern science, air conditioners can save you from the fire and brimstone of summer heat. When you are out looking for air conditioners there are two main styles that you will be sorting through. Unit coolers and central cooling systems. If the house is yours and your budget is unlimited, a central air conditioner is the crown jewel.

Central air conditioners

When buying new central air conditioning equipment, it is very important to have the work done by a qualified contractor. Most review sites and available information say that the best way to save money on a central conditioning unit is by hiring a good contractor. This is followed in close second by picking an energy efficient system. A proper installation of a central air conditioner will ensure that the unit is tightly sealed and no energy is wasted thought leaky ducts thus saving as much money as possible.

When speaking of saving money through efficient air conditioning systems the topic of SEER usually comes up. Central air conditioners are rated by something called SEER or seasonal energy efficiency ratio. Without going into details, the higher the SEER the more efficient your central conditioning system is thus saving you money and helping the environment through less power demand.

Portable air conditioners

For those of us that rent or cannot afford thousands of dollars for a couple of cooler degrees, the portable or unit systems will be the best choice.

Unit systems include portable air conditioners and window air conditioners. These are called unit systems because they are self contained and do not require duct work that must be added to the house. The portable conditioner systems weight between 50-80 pounds and can be wheeled from room to room as long as you can run the exhaust tube to a nearby window. The window air conditioners must be installed in a window frame and do require minimal installation that can be handled with common home tools.

Central air conditioners work to cool down your whole house, not just one location. They do this by being hooked up to a central duct work system that pumps the cool air from the conditioning system, through the duct work to all area’s of the house. One big advantage of a central cooling system is that the intricacies of measuring room sizes, BTU’s and placement of the conditioner are no longer such a major concern. Now the whole house will be cooled through one central machine and then dissipated out evenly via duct work.

Mini Split air conditioners

Mini split air conditioners are a cross between a window or wall air conditioner and a central air unit. The mini split air conditioner has the compressor outside with a vent unit coming into your home. While they are a compramise between an expensive cental cooling system and a room air conditioner, the mini split will need to be installed by a HVAC professional. This could cost you more on the install but the lack of noise from the system is a great plus in its favour. Another plus to the mini split air conditioner is that there will only be a 3 inch hole in your wall as opposed to a 12 inch one from a window style air conditioner. As well it is a ductless air conditoiner, and that means no running serious ductwork through your house.

Buying A Brand Name Air Conditioner

Lennox, Carrier, Trane and GE

When selecting any product of substantial value that you want to last, you should go with a name you trust. air conditioners are no different. Besides looking at consumer reviews for opinions, you will also want to go with the trusted names like General Electric, Trane, Lennox, Whirlpool, and Carrier air conditioners. These companies have been around for years and as such their air conditioners have stood the test of time. If you do end up spending a little more on you cooling system, the peace of mind and longer warranties will more than make up for it.

A Word About Carrier air conditioners

Carrier air conditioners have been setting standards of excellence since 1902 when a gentleman name Willis Haviland Carrier decided that things needed to be cooled down a little. Carrier is a large air conditioning manufacturing company specializing in cooling and refrigeration systems. At present Carrier has a work force of 43,000 employees in over 172 countries. Carrier air conditioning has been touted as the major company responsible for the development of the modern air conditioner.

Carrier covers the full spectrum of air conditioners and accessories including; portable, window, central systems, RV air conditioners and special industrial applications. Not only do they cool air down but Carrier has a full line of heating and refrigeration systems as well.

After doing some research about different companies, it’s my opinion that you can always tell a lot about a company by what they do of their own accord. Carrier is committed to a higher level of social responsibility and strives to help the community through financial contributions to groups like environmental agencies that are closely related to or affected by the technology that Carrier produces.

Air Conditioner Parts

Air Conditioner Filters

One of the most important things to maintain on your new cooling unit is the air conditioner filter. Dirt and debris in the filter will reduce the air flow and thus the effectiveness of your conditioning unit. Once your air conditioners filtering unit becomes very clogged with dirt and debris, those dirt particles will bypass the filter and start messing up the air quality along with the machines working parts.

While some air conditioner filters can be cleaned and reused, some need to be replaced altogether. If the filter on your cooling system can be replaced, it should be done or at least checked every month or two. Just like in any machine, the frequency that you change your air conditioning filters depends on the external operating conditions. Dusty environments combined with heavy use will speed up the need for a cleaning or replacement of your systems filters.

Perhaps the most widely used air conditioners are the window air conditioners. They are quite popular for heating and cooling in both domestic and commercial premises. The basic advantage of a window air conditioner is that unlike the central air conditioners and the split air conditioners, it fits well in the window giving a good look and it does not occupy any space of the room at all.

Moreover, window air conditioners do not need to be shifted every now and then from one place to the other. However, like any other air conditioning equipment, it produces noise, the intensity of which differs with the type and size of the window air conditioners. Constant noise can indeed be very disturbing and distressing to the home and surrounding residents.

It is, therefore, advisable for the consumer to compare window air conditioners by checking the sound power level labels on the unit or in the literature specifications. The noise levels are often given in decibel ratings and the higher the decibel level, the louder the unit will be. The sound pressure increases by a factor of ten for every 10-decibel increase. For example, 60 Decibels is 10 times louder than 50 Decibels and 100 times louder than 40 Decibels.

The compressor and the fan are combined in a single unit and mounted in the window air conditioners and this is the source of all the noise in the air conditioner. The other causes of noise could be worn bearings, cabinet rattles, dirty or rusty fan blades, worn rubber mountings and compressor wear. Regular maintenance can reduce the noise to some extent but with the passing of time, there is bound to be an increase in the level of the noise.

You should check whether your window air conditioner is vibrating or producing a rattling noise and if so, then it is not a normal situation. The reason for this can be improper installation or loose side panels. If, however, you hear a scraping noise, you should either take the help of an authorized service provider or you can also try to find out the cause and repair it yourself.

The following steps can help you in tracking the fault and repairing it:

You should tighten the screws holding the front panel onto the unit. You should check carefully the window all round the unit. You should then turn the window air conditioner on and press your hand against the sash. If you find that as you press your hand against the sash, the sound changes in pitch, then you should put some wooden shims in the gap between the window air conditioners frame and the sash. If, however, the pitch of the noise changes when you press your hand on the glass, you should use some insulating cellophane tape between the glass and the frame. You might have to use putty if that does not reduce the noise.

If you feel that the sound is originating from within the unit, you should take the unit out of the window and check to see if the fan blades are bent. If so, just bend them back so that they match the others.

Portable air conditioners Ensure Economy And Convenience

With the onset of the damp weather, it becomes difficult to survive without constant central air conditioning but that can prove to be quite expensive. The answer to this problem is a portable air conditioner as it has many advantages. It is easy to shift from one place in the home to another and that makes a portable air conditioner the ideal cooling system solution for your home, office or industrial site.

The portable air conditioners are easy and quick to install, as they do not involve any lifting or tearing up of windowsills. Moreover it can be shifted very easily from one place in the home to the other. For taking care of the hot spots in the central air conditioning, the portable air conditioners are far more convenient than window air conditioners. It is also ideal for window shapes, which present problems for installation. There is nothing like portable air conditioners for use as a spot cooler in the home.

A portable air conditioner is an excellent choice for saving money as just one unit needs to be purchased and it can be shifted easily to where you need it as it is mounted on castors and some can weigh only about 36 pounds. Moreover, as only one room is cooled at a time instead of the whole house, the total energy consumption is very low as compared to other air conditioning systems.

Another advantage of portable air conditioners is the energy efficiency that they provide. The average efficiency is in the 8 to 10 range although some are as high as 15, which is 50 percent better than most older central air conditioners. The small size of the portable air conditioners is very advantageous and as such it can fit in a corner or against a wall. It functions like an effective dehumidifier if you do not vent the warm exhaust air out through a window and its size is also the same as that of a room dehumidifier.

In order to reduce humidity and allergies, even the small ones remove 35 pints of moisture per day from the room air. The portable air conditioners also use the heat-exchange principle as the other air conditioners to cool and dehumidify the air. The operating principle is also similar to a window air conditioner as the room air circulates over cold evaporator coils to cool and dehumidify it inside the unit. The room air is exhausted outdoor after flowing over the hot condenser. There is no chance of already-cooled indoor air escaping outside as two ducts are now used.

Nowadays, you have electronic controls in most models and you can set the desired room temperature, blower speed, start and stop timer, and operation mode (cool, dehumidify, heat). The portable air conditioners also have hand-held remote control with which you can conveniently change all the settings as per your need.

The other features of portable air conditioners include a built-in air cleaner with an optional charcoal filter and oscillating louvers to distribute the cool air throughout the room. You can also switch off the louvers to direct the flow of air towards yourself, if you so desire.

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Your gas furnace creates heat in your house by burning a fuel source (gas in this case) and then sending the resulting heat to the rest of your house. When the gas burns it creates hot vapors which are sent into a piece of metal tubing. This metal tubing is called a heat exchanger and for good reason. The reason for the heat exchanger is to dissipate heat from the gas furnace into the air that is passed over the heat exchanger and into the rest of your house.

There are four major types of gas furnaces and the one you pick basically depends on the location of your furnace and the duct work that will accompany it.

When needing a furnace that will blow hot air through low pipes you need a counterflow gas furnace because this type takes air from the top of the furnace and shoots it out the bottom.

The highboy and low boy gas furnaces are the most common because the heat is pushed out the top to be vented in several appropriate directions from the top plane.

The less common horizontal gas furnace blows air out sideways so that it can be used in tight spaces like attics and crawl spaces.

A gas furnace can come in different models and types and as such each different model has a different level of efficiency. Open burner gas furnaces that use a standard pilot are the least efficient because of the lost heat through the smoke pipe. A condensing gas furnace is the most efficient and different because there is a condensing coil that extracts even more of the heat from the exhaust gases saving you money. While the major part of efficiency for the gas furnace lies in the burner itself, here are some pretty standard tips to help you save on your gas bill.

1. o Simply lowering your thermostat by 3 to 5 degrees can save you 10 to 20% on your gas bill.
2. o By lowering the amount of heat lost by upgrading the insulation in your attic and walls you can save you up to 25% on your gas bill.
3. o Weather stripping around windows and doors is another big gas saver.
4. o Proper maintenance of your gas furnace will insure efficient heating.
5. o Along with proper maintenance come replacing the gas furnace filter. This alone can save up to 2% on your gas bill.
6. o Make sure that your gas furnace is blowing the air to the right places. Leaks in the duct system can loose hot air before it gets to the desired room. Patch the gap!

If you have had enough of whopping energy consumption bills due to use of electronic heating devices, its time you switch to pellet stoves. Pellets stoves refer to stoves that use pellets as a fuel. Pellets are very cost effective and are quite efficient as compared to the electronic devices used for the heating purposes.

pellet stoves are effective home heaters. A pellet stove is just like a wood stove; the only difference is that it is automated.

A pellet stove is quite simple to use. You are just required to add pellets to the hopper of the stove and thereby set the desired heat output. The stove will automatically determine the optimum amount of air for combustion. Most pellet stoves come with a fan to circulate air via heat exchanger. Some stoves rely on radiant heat delivery process.

What is Pellet Fuel? Pellets are biomass products, made-up of wood paste or sawdust. Pellets acts as a renewable and clean burning fuels. More than 600,000 thousand people in North America use wood pellets for heat. These pellets are used in fireplace inserts, furnaces and freestanding stoves. The pellet fuels turn waste materials into sources of energy.

How do pellet stoves work? pellet stoves are basically electronic devices. These stoves automatically adjust and control combustion, blowers, fans and heating. You are required to insert pellets into the hopper located at the top of the stove. A hopper generally holds up to 80 pounds of pellets.

Most pellet stoves contain an auger. The purpose of the auger is to deliver pellets to the combustion chamber from the hopper. The movements of the auger can be set manually, but it’s generally set automatically. Pellets are delivered at a rate of 1 pound per hour, in case of glowing fire, and 5 pounds per hour, for a blazing fire. The size of the fire depends on the amount of the feed.

The pellets are fed into the fire pot of the combustion chamber. To encourage super heated flame, combustion air is blown into the chamber. A fan, provided inside the stove, draws in the room air. The drawn air is heated at about 250 degrees in the heat exchanger. Then the warmed air is thrown back in the room. pellet stoves rely on convective heat. This is the reason why pellet stoves are not hot when touched.

The combustion gases are vented outside the room via flue which exits on the top of the unit. pellet stoves do not require chimneys.

Types of pellet stoves.

pellet stoves are available in various styles and size varieties. There are different types of pellet stoves available. Here are some examples.

For great flexibility freestanding pellet stoves are available. These stoves are available with installation options. These stoves are supported by a pedestal. Freestanding pellet stoves are designed to be installed in any area of the house. However there is one limitation, they should never be installed in sleeping areas. These stoves are placed on a protector which is non-combustible in nature. Freestanding pellet stoves should always be installed at a safe distance away from combustible surfaces.

Fire place inserts are also a type of pellet stoves. These are installed in working fireplaces. The space between the fire place opening and insert is covered decoratively by a panel. These pellet inserts are typically installed in masonry fireplaces. These pellet stoves offer your home a look of fire place setting. These stoves are economical. You can apply bricks around and atop this type of stove to give it a look of fireplace. You would require a non-combustible floor protector to provide for air space under the unit.

pellet stoves, no doubt, provide you with low cost fuel and reduces your energy consumption bills drastically. Mother Nature provides yet another better fuel alternative to keep you warm and cozy.

Michael Jason writes articles on a number of different topics. For more information on pellet stoves please visit http://www.stove-ideas.com/pellet-stoves.html and for additional Stove articles please visit the following article page http://www.stove-ideas.com/stove-articles/

Changing and cleaning the furnace filter are some of the simplest things you can do to extend the proper functioning of your home heating system. While furnace filters were primarily used for the protection of the furnace itself, there has been an increasing trend in the belief that a high grade filter will also increase the over all air quality of the house.

There are several types and styles of furnace filters our there and here are the most common:

Fiberglass furnace filters are the cheapest to buy but block the largest dirt and dust particles and thus protect the furnace as intended. Because the fiberglass filter is not meshed very tightly, the smaller particles like pollen and mold can get through.

Studies by the CMHC have shown however that even the most expensive furnace filters that were designed to catch even the smallest particles and spores do not greatly increase air quality. The reason is because the main cause of poor air quality in households has nothing to do with the furnace itself. Particle density in the air has to do with how much the dust is being stirred up by activity in the house itself. This would include smoking, doing laundry, pets and dust around the house.

The best filter in tests is the ESP furnace filters. ESP filters work by producing an ionized electrical field that “magnetizes” pollutant particles and collects them on the filter material. And of course it does collect the most particles, but may not increase you homes air quality because the filter is located in the basement away from the air you actually want filtered.

There are also washable electrostatic furnace filters that collect dust and debris through a static charge and pleated mesh type filters. The pleats create more surface area to trap more particles and so are slightly more effective than the electrostatic type filter.

High Efficiency Particulate Air filters or HEPA for short, are what hospitals and other areas where air quality is of utmost importance use. While they may be the highest quality, they also block air flow and so are not efficient when used in a household setting.

So now that you understand where the dirt and dust actually comes from, choosing what type of furnace filter you need isn’t really such a big deal. The real purpose of the filter is to protect the furnace and not your lungs. The lung protection is better dealt with on a household cleaning level. While the furnace filter will contribute to your air quality some what, the only real concern that you should have is that you change it every month or so.

Choosing a furnace for your home is not difficult. The following list are features that you may want to look for when buying your furnace.

1. What type of furnace do you want? Will it be Gas or Electric?

The Gas Furnace

The gas furnace is always more affordable to use than the electric furnace where gas is readily available. On the downside, burning fuel generates fumes. In well-maintained gas furnaces, the fumes generated are enclosed in the exchanger and then exit the house through an exhaust vent.

Remember, a gas furnace must be checked by a qualified professional at least once a year. The professional would check the furnace for holes, leaks or cracks. A break or crack in the furnace lets carbon monoxide seep into your house or place of business.

The Electric Furnace

The electric furnace has a higher cost than a gas furnace. On the upside, since electric furnaces do not use flames, it does not generate any carbon monoxide. The electric furnace is cleaner and safer than a gas furnace.

2. The Quality of the Furnace

The quality of the furnace determines how long and how well it will perform. Choosing a brand of furnace that has a history of quality and reliability can be less costly in the long run. Ask your contractor about which brand will be optimal for your needs. A free estimate for the purchase and installation are available in some companies.

3. The Efficiency of the Furnace

The efficiency of gas furnaces are determined by the AFUE or Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency ratings. The AFUE ratings identifies how efficiently is the fuel being consumed. In most cases, a higher AFUE rating means it takes less fuel to heat your home.

Gas furnaces with higher ratings cost more than those with lower ratings but may save you more money down the road. A minimum rating of 78% is established by the government in 1992. Many furnaces have an efficiency rating of about 60% prior to 1992.

a. The Mid-Efficiency Furnaces

The mid-efficiency furnaces are also called ‘induces draft furnaces’ or ‘non-condensing furnaces’. The mid-efficiency furnace offers the bare minimum of 78% efficiency up to about 80%.

b. The High-Efficiency Furnaces

The high-efficiency furnaces are also known as ‘condensing furnaces’ or ’sealed combustion furnaces’. The high-efficiency furnaces has an AFUE rating as high as 96%. Some furnaces use a two-stage valve and an efficient variable-speed motor to raise comfort and effectiveness.

4. The Comfort features of furnaces

Several furnaces provide features that increases comfort and efficiency.

a. The features of the two-speed furnace

The furnace can function at low speed for most of the time. It allows for a more quieter operation for a longer amount of time compared to a ’single-speed furnace’. The longer run periods allow for fewer start/stop cycles, less drafts, and very little temperature variance.

The temperature swing is limited to about two degrees compared to the four degree variance of the single-speed units. The two-speed unit gives better circulation which prevents warmer air from rising and the cooler air from settling down. The two-speed unit gives a more consistent temperature in the house.

b. The features of variable-capacity furnaces

Furnaces with variable capacity provide a combination of efficiency and comfort. The variable-capacity has a motor that regulates your needs by automatically adjusting air volume and speed. The var-cap furnace provides the most efficient heating and cooling.

A fan comes with the var-cap furnace. The fan will reduce your cost during summer. If the fan is used throughout summer, the central air conditioning unit increases in efficiency.

5. The furnace noise level

Unfortunately, all furnaces do not come with a standard rating system for sound unlike heat pumps and air conditioners. Although, two-speed units and var-cap units generally operate at a low noise levels.

The two-speed and var-cap furnaces run for longer periods and lower sounds than the standard unit. Certain var-cap units has features that prevent ‘creaking’ of the ducts due to expansion and contraction caused by changing temperature. The temperature differential is reduced so that the creaking noise is also almost eliminated.

For more great furnace information and resources check out: http://www.furnaceadvisor.info

The air filter in an air conditioning system keeps the cooling coils and air inside the room clean and free from all pollutants, pet dander, ozone emissions and airborne particles.

There are many different kinds of air filters available today, such as HEPA, standard, pleated, electrostatic and electronic filters. Of these, standard, pleated and electrostatic filters are the most common types of filters that are used in air conditioners. Generally these filters are located in walls, ceilings, furnaces, or in the air conditioner itself.

Standard Air Filters, having the capacity of removing 10 percent of the airborne pollutants, are made of spun fiberglass with cardboard frames. They should be changed once a month.

Pleated Air Filters catch around 35% to 40% of the particles in the air. Owing to their greater surface area with filter material folded back and forth like a paper fan, manufacturers claim that they can last from two to four months. The cost of these filters ranges from $5 to $20 which is slightly more than that of standard filters.

Electrostatic filters use filter media, which use an electric charge to attract the dirt particles in the air. These filters may have electric charge built-in, or else the air moving through the layers of the system creates electric charge. They may cost from around $20 to over $100 each. These filters only need to be changed once a year.

Sometimes people with allergies may consider the usage of an electronic air cleaner in the air conditioner, which works on the same principle as that of electrostatic filter. However, it is far more effective than electrostatic filter and does not hinder the flow of air inside the air conditioning system. Whatever type of air conditioner filter you use, it is advisable to check the cleanliness of the coils of the filter by a contractor at least once in a month.

Perhaps the most important measure that will ensure the efficiency of an air conditioner is frequent replace of its filters. One should change the air conditioner’s filter regularly, as clogged, dirty filters block normal air flow and reduce the system’s efficiency significantly by impairing the coils’ heat-absorbing capacity.

Air Filters Info provides detailed information on home, car, electronic, and HEPA air filters, as well as air conditioner filters and air filter manufacturers. Air Filters Info is the sister site of Air Purifiers Web.

As with anything used around the house and home, the outdoor wood furnace has a list of pros and cons. Lets take a look at some of the features and statements made about outdoor wood furnaces so you can decide for yourself. We will discuss the pros of this style home heating first. The second part of this article will cover the cons.

It would seem that the obvious first advantage of the outdoor wood furnace is that the actual fire is now outside your home! Safety is one of the most prominent features of burning your furnace outside. Besides the fire, fumes and smoke are now further from the house and in the case of an incident, pose much less danger.

The danger of home heating fires is real. In 1994 alone there were an estimated 73,000 home heating fires that killed 487 people. Injuries were around the 2000 people mark. This in itself makes for a convincing argument for outdoor furnaces over indoor wood burning.

A lot of clients report a decrease in respiratory and allergy like systems when switching from indoor to outdoor wood furnaces. Because the smoke and soot are now outside the indoor air quality is greatly improved.

Outdoor wood furnaces state that burning wood as a source of home heating is friendly to the environment because it saves on burning nonrenewable fossil fuels. Since wood is renewable and according to manufactures does not contribute to carbon dioxide levels, this is good for the environment. It may sound contrary to saving the environment but wood burning furnaces is actually endorsed by the U.S. forestry service.

Because of smoke from the burning of wood in outdoor furnaces, most of these appliances are used in rural settings. The good thing about the rural location is that it lends itself to being able to provide your own fuel at little or no cost through your own cutting or using of scrap woods or land clearing leftovers. More savings can be had if the outdoor wood furnace is equipped to also heat your water. With the furnace not only heating the home but the water also, statistics show that savings up to $4000 per year can be realized through not burning oil or gas.

So there you have the most often sited advantages of the outdoor wood furnace. Most of these facts are pushed by the manufactures. In the next part of this article, we are going to look at the disadvantages of the outdoor wood burning furnace. Most of these comments and points however, come from the users themselves.

Read about outdoor wood furnace disadvantages.

When you think you have seen all there is to home heating, along comes the corn furnace. If you are new to this type of home heating, a corn furnace is specially designed to burn grains or kernels of corn. In the age of depleting resources from the oil and gas industry, this is a very cool and novel idea.

Lets take a look at how a corn furnace works. First we obviously know what it burns for heat, but how does it all come together? Well a hopper on the side of the furnace holds the corn pellets or kernels. The corn is fed into the furnace by this hopper like a trickle feed into a high intensity burning chamber. How much corn you allow to feed into the furnace in turn effects how much heat the system cranks out. Because the fuel is so dense, air is blown in by a fan in order to “fan the flames” and allow it to burn. In order to use the heat produced by the corn furnace, air is blown through the hottest parts of the stove and into the room or ducts.

From the comparisons in prices that I have done, corn furnaces look really good. They actually have the cheapest fuel for the amount of heat produced. Corn is first and coal is second. An important consideration if you are looking into getting a corn furnace is if the system is able to handle other pellet type fuels as well. This is important if you decide that corn is either not your thing, becomes short in supply or increases too much in cost.

How much does a corn furnace cost? Low end home heating systems can cost around $1500, all the way to $3000 plus. The price of the system is dependant on the amount of heat you would like it to produce. Bear in mind that the cost quoted on a corn furnace is usually just the actual burning system itself and not the installation or venting systems and accessories that will be needed.

I think the whole idea of using corn as a fuel is awesome. While some inner city and suburb type folks may find getting fuel for the corn furnace a bit inconvenient, I can’t think of anything better for someone living on a farm or close to one. Looking into the future, if people start thinking a little greener, maybe some more fields will start replacing parking lots. I mean we would have to keep our corn supplies up, right?