Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

permaculture - [permaculture] Wood Burning Stoves and *** Furnaces***

permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: permaculture

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Harold Waldock" <hwaldock@telus.net>
  • To: "Permaculture@Lists. Ibiblio. Org" <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] Wood Burning Stoves and *** Furnaces***
  • Date: Tue, 14 Feb 2006 12:58:13 -0800

*** Does anybody know of any woodsawdust woodchip to pellet equipment for
sale anywhere? ***
*** Are there any other furnaces other than the Tarm (Denmark) and Garm
(US) that heat water and have hot fireboxes, gasify, and have efficient heat
exchange systems like these? ***

I've been looking up wood burning stoves & furnaces as an alternative to
Nat. Gas. Nat. gas was priced $14.00 mbtu this winter (up from 3.50 in 99)-
that is a warning of future prices but prices will be low until next winter
unless the summer is very hot. All of us North Americans (over 50%) of NA
switched from oil to Nat. gas heat and hot water in late 1970- early
1980's. Now we all have to get off Nat. Gas. Permaculture designers will
be expect to come up with some design answers.

Key options I have so far identified for Canadian winters

1) Groundsource heat pumps - when you have reliable electricity and enough
capital. However they are always installed with a backup for peak
requirements: electricity or wood.

2) Wood fired furnaces heating both hotwater and space
Tarm from Denmark (actually considered a gasifier burner)
Garm from Minnesota (impressively low exhaust temp.)

*** Are there any others that heat water and have hot fireboxes, gasify,
and heat exchange systems like these? ***

Both these burn hot and fast to heat water and are very efficient.
A sensible option for both these water heaters is to have insulated tanks
would also have a solar hotwater system integrated. One would only fire up
if the tank (3 days of heat) got cold because the sun did not shine. (well,
umm had 26 consecutive days of rain last month (1 day short of all time
record) and record cloudy days month last month and 4- days of sun in 2
months so far this winter in Vancouver - sunny to day!)

3) Coal - well I just don't want to go there although it is reletively
cheap for the BTU's.

4) In BC electricty is now cheaper than nat. gas and may be a mid term
solution for many except when the lights go out. The problem is the rates
will rise soon as we import 10% of our power and must build expensive new
capacity.


The main questions for me has been

1) cost of fuel supply
Wood in cords is harder to handle compared to pellets.
There are only
60 pellet makers in NA. Business is booming. $250 a ton can heat for 6-8
weeks claims supplier $4 a 40lb bag.

*** Does anybody know of any woodsawdust woodchip to pellet equipment for
sale anywhere? ***

2) Efficiency & Creosote & Pollution (government restrictions on
stoves)
Wood stoves can reach 75%-83% effieciency some radiant EPA
types meet
this
Wood stoves with "Water jacket" have much lower efficiency
because the
firebox is so cold. The wood stove has to be designed for water not just a
radiant stove with "water jacket" attached that often have effeciencies
below 65%.
In this part of Canada we have mostly softwoods that have
more creosote
than hardwoods. We would need efficient stoves capable of burning creosote
well. ie putting on the damper for the night would reduce the temperature of
the burn and increase creosote build up.
In Vancouver Fraser Valley area there are restrictions in
some places
such that a house may not be newly built with wood stove/furnace. Air
pollution is a problem in the valley. Su Dennet is correct in saying that
if we don't have effecient clean burning wood stoves and furnaces they will
be made illegal. There is ongoing problems with the vast majority of
outdoor wood burners as their design is very old inefficient despite claims,
very smokey (when the auto-damper closes) to the point of causing conflict
with nieghbours, municipal laws against smoke & wood stoves. In the
Okanagan the winter air pollution index rises significantly because of wood
smoke.

3) ease of use: automatic fuel supply, ignition
Well we have a culture of convenience and appeasment not
everyone will schlep.
One has to consider the needs of seniors









Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page