(PRWEB) July 21, 2006 –- It won’t be long till many home owners will be forced to look for an alternative heating source.
Deciding which product (corn or wood) to use to heat your home with depends on some factors such as: Are either product easily available where you live? If buying wood will it figure out to actually be less expensive than your current heating system? Another problem with heating with wood could be: “Are you able to handle the wood or load the stove?” If living in a corn production area, corn maybe the way to go to heat a home or shop. Corn has stayed at a good price for use as a heating source. Many people can buy the corn directly from the local farmer or coop.
“ Are you able to handle the wood or load the stove? ”
Another item to think about is the square feet (sq. ft.) of living or working space you are going to try and heat. Most corn heaters are made with the idea of being used in a home, either being an insert type or free standing stove. Wood heaters come in different sizes and styles.... inside stoves, outside wood heaters using forced air and outdoor wood boilers are the main types. The forced air system will be cheaper than a water boiler type system. One of the pros of a water boiler is it will furnish as much hot water as a house could use from the system. The ability to be set farther away from you home and possibly heating two buildings. Having a stove in the house is messy since tracking in with wood or taking ashes out makes a mess.
The actual initial cost of your heating source is going to play a large role in the purchasing of a system. Payback can be pretty quick on an outside wood heater using forced air, and a corn heater will be less expensive than a water boiler system. Forced air systems can be as under 2000 dollars installed. Corn stoves can range from 1200 to 1800 dollars. While a water boiler system can be anywhere from 6,7 to 10000 dollars. So the payback time can be much longer on these types.
Corn can be handled easily in 50# sacks, stored in a garage and transported into the house pretty easy. Many corn heaters require filling once a day and make very little ash. Wood heaters require more room for your wood supply and you need to keep it dry that will get all the BTU's out of it when as you burn it.
If living in a city, water boilers maybe outlawed from your area due to the amount of smoke they make and having a short chimney that makes the smoke hug the ground and could smoke out the neighbors. Some forced air systems have a taller chimney and less smoke that comes down to hug the ground. Always check with your county or city to make sure you can use an outside unit. Corn stoves can be vented easily and do not produce smoke.
Water boilers also need to be maintained since hard water can clog up the system. In many areas that is a concern. No heater is maintenance free, they all require some preventative maintenance to keep the trustworthy for years to come.
If the house is hard to heat now, just buying a different system will not solve that problem. Caulking, new windows, insulation in walls and overhead can reduce your heating costs a substantial amount in a year’s time. Don't buy too small of a stove to heat your home, knowing the square footage will make it easier when looking for a heater.
Ask your neighbors and friends what they use, if they like it or don't. Do they have a dealer that is easy to contact, will go the extra mile to help them? Your product is just as good as the folks that stand behind it That is something often overlooked, and sadly it is found out too late that they are not much help. On the other side of this there are many great dealers and manufacturers. So word of mouth from others is a good indication of a specific product.
Search Google and Yahoo for "outside wood heaters" or "outdoor wood furnace," "water boiler," "corn stove" are some good terms to use. As with anything seasonal, don't wait till the day you want to change your heating system to start looking. Manufacturers sold more units last year (2005-2006) than they have in many years and were backordered for months at a time.
For more information on the news included in this release (or an interview) contact Scott Bradley or visit www.outsidewoodheater.com.
About Bradley Enterprises:
In business over 17 years selling forced air outside wood furnaces locally and shipping throughout the entire USA from the website. Number one in sales volume of the Lil’house outside the house forced air wood furnace.
Scott Bradley, Public relations director
Bradley Enterprises
417-581-7755
http://www.outsidewoodheater.com
