Need to Know about Electric Log Splitters

Electric log splitters can save your back and your sanity especially if you depend on a wood stove as your primary source of winter heat. Anyone who has ever split firewood by hand with an axe knows that not only is it backbreaking hard work, it can be dangerous work too.

Axe accidents happen when inexperienced users become overtired and continue working, losing their concentration and injuring themselves. Unless you are in really great physical shape, it doesn’t take long to become overtired splitting wood by hand. Even experienced wood splitters can injure themselves when an axe slips or a distraction arises.

Electric log splitters are easy to use once you’ve read the manual and have had someone show you how to operate the machine. Both horizontal and vertical models are available, with the horizontal models being by far the most popular for home use. If, however, you live in a wooded area and will be using the electric log splitter on sloped or uneven terrain, you may well find a vertical splitter to be more stable and easy to transport.

Electric log splitters all work basically the same way. The log is first placed in cradle which holds it securely in place. A ram with a sharp wedged blade is then forced into the log at one end with enough pressure and power to split it into two pieces. A good all-purpose electric log splitter for home use can be purchased new for around $500, with larger, more heavy-duty models also available.

If you have a need for a heavy-duty log splitter, you may want to consider a hydraulic or professional model. Hydraulic log splitters can run in the thousands of dollars, depending on the size of the logs you want to be able to split.

Lots of people make their own electric log splitters and plans and free advice on how to do this are both readily available online. One site that offers detailed plans and even DVD instructions for building your own electric log splitter is buildwoodsplitter but you can also find lots of good basic information for building and using your own homemade electric wood splitter at MotherearthnewsMotherearthnews.com.

Another good option for splitting wood without breaking your back or injuring yourself with an axe is to look into adding a wood splitter to your walk-behind tractor or electric brush mower. If you own a piece of garden machinery like this, check with your distributor to see if wood-splitting attachments are available that use the gasoline or electric power provided by the tractor.

Splitting firewood is much easier and safer with an electric wood splitter, but that doesn’t mean you can happily throw all caution to the winds. You’ll want a good pair of safety glasses and some heavy gloves to protect you from splinters and flying wood chips, both of which can cause pain and injury when lodged in an eye or in tender skin.

Never operate your electric log splitter around children or animals, and make sure you don’t overtax the machine by loading it with larger logs than it is designed to handle. Finally, after creating a pile of firewood with your electric log splitter, you will still need to properly stack it up off the ground in a dry area where it can season and dry out. Freshly split wood can be safely burned in an open pit, but in any other application you will want to remove as much moisture as possible before using it, which means proper storage and the passage of at least a year’s time.

You realized you need to improve heating efficiency within your home. The cold winter months are coming and each year the bill seems to be larger than last years. This is very terrifying and very tiresome all at the same time. One of the best ways that you can make this years energy bill a little more livable is to take some steps now to improve heating efficiency within your home. There are several things that you can do, big and small, that can help your home to be more efficient energy wise.

Ways to Improve Your Home Now

There are several things that you can insure about your home for this yearï¿½s heating bills. To improve heating efficiency, you’ll want to make sure that this is done yearly or as needed so that you’ll always get the most out of the energy your home burns.

Your HVAC First: The heating, ventilating and cooling system within your home is the largest draw of power. It is also the most common place to find your biggest losses in energy. First of all, take the time to have your system checked annually at the least. This update will insure that it is working at its optimum. Also, make sure that you properly clean the filters in your heating unit. A clogged heating filter will trap air, hot air, from getting to your home. Check with the owners manual for your furnace or other heating system to make sure you are performing the regular maintenance on it.

How's Your Duct?

Another way to save some money and improve heating efficiency is to make sure that your duct system is working as it should. Make sure that that you seal any leaks that you find as these will allow cold air to enter into the air and therefore circulate throughout your home. Seal these with duct mastic. Check your attic as well. This is a common place to find leaks. Do you have holes that were put in place for plumbing or wiring? Make sure they are sealed off.

The Hot Water Tank. This is another area that you are losing heating energy. You’ll want to make sure that it is an energy efficient model of course. You’ll also want to have it wrapped especially in an unheated area of the house. If you have a tankless model, then you’ll already have an advantage as these tend to use much less energy as they do not need to keep a tank full of water hot.

How can checking your windows improve heating efficiency?

It is as simple as the fact that you’ll lose heat through leaky windows very quickly. This means that your furnace is turning on more often than it needs to compensate for that. So, what can you do? If you are replacing them, make sure to go with at least a double pane and make sure that they are energy efficient. Other things to do include insuring they are tightly sealed and weather stripping closes off any of the leaks and spaces in them.

What about the Heating Itself?

If you are in need of a heating system, then you have the most ability to improve heating efficiency. Simply, you can actually replace the fuel burning furnace that you have with a more energy smart version. Your first choice is to upgrade to a energy efficient model that still burns oil, propane or gas. Yet, you can go a step up from this into a hydronic heating system and heat your home through a liquid mixture that circulates through your home heating it from the ground up. If you are really looking to save some money, go with a geothermal heating system. These access the Earths stored heat supply and enable it to heat your home completely naturally and safely, with not fuels besides the electricity that powers the motor.

To improve energy efficiency in your home, you should analyze what could use a little tweaking or adjustments to make sure that no heat is escaping. You should also consider the fact that by installing a geothermal, solar or other natural powered heating system you will be saving money from month to month, year to year for the next several decades. This is the most effective way to improve heating efficiency.

With only minor modifications, biogas can be used to fuel a conventional tank-type gas water heater, thereby allowing the biogas home producer to get hot water ‘off the grid’. Heating your water without using nonrenewable energy sources not only saves money, it helps rid the environment of pollution caused by the run-off from livestock farming and the methane gas produced at landfill sites.

Biogas is a renewable energy source created by the natural processes of fermentation and decay. A typical home biogas unit consists of a digester (or fermentation tank) and a gas holder. The digester is usually a short cylinder with a feeder tube on one side into which the homeowner pours dung or other specific types of organic waste. As the waste ferments, the biogas is then siphoned off and collected in the holding tank. Nutrient rich slurry is drained out a separate pipe once the biogas is extracted from the manure and this slurry by-product can then be used as fertilizer or garden compost.

A conventional gas water heater is made up of an insulated water storage tank with a pipe that feeds cold water into it and a pipe that runs hot water out of it to your sink, shower, and washing machine. Under the tank is a gas burner that is kicked on by a thermostat to keep the water in the tank evenly hot. A relief valve on the side of the tank controls the pressure inside the tank.

On one side of the gas water heater is a gas supply line, a gas shut-off valve, and a gas burner control. In order to use biogas that you produce at home to heat hot water, you will need a modified hot water heater that is set up to burn methane gas, which is the main ingredient in biogas but is not present in LP or natural gas that you pay to burn.

Some areas of the United States are already using biogas in ordinary daily applications. Much of the biogas currently used for gas hot water heaters and for electricity production comes from the methane produced at landfills and at dairy farms. You may already live in an area where biogas is produced by your public utility.

Biogas is also being successfully used in third world countries such as India, where animal waste is a normal part of daily life. In foreign countries where home biogas production has caught on, it is typically used for cooking and for electricity production, not to fuel gas hot water heaters but there is no reason it cannot be used this way.

If you own livestock, using biogas to fuel your hot water heater may be an excellent option for you, and many resources can be found online that will help you get started and help you decide how to best use the waste products you have on hand.

You don’t have to be a scientist to learn how to tap alternative energy sources to save money and help reduce dangerous carbon emissions that feed global warming. Many easy, affordable options already exist for everyday applications and one or more of those options will be just right for you and your family.

Geothermal heating and cooling is an alternative energy source that has been around for several decades and is now widely used especially in new construction. Geothermal energy is very cost competitive and consists of a series of pipes buried in the ground and hooked up to heat pumps which move hot and/or cold air through your home. Geothermal energy works for both heating and cooling because the top ten feet or so of the earth’s surface maintains a steady temperature of between 50 and 60 degree Fahrenheit almost everywhere on earth. Heat removed from a home during summer by a geothermal heat pump can also be used to heat water for the house.

Geothermal alternative energy is expensive to install, but once in placed is renewable and inexpensive to maintain. Geothermal is a good alternative energy sources choice if you absolutely have to completely replace your current heating and cooling system or if you are considering new construction.

Solar alternative energy is available to everyone. If you are on a tight budget, passive solar energy can be generated simply by letting sun warm a room in winter or by using a material that holds onto the heat generated by the sun in your floors or walls. Solar panels can be expensive to install but once installed can generate electricity off the grid or can be used to heat water. In some areas of the country solar alternative energy installations are subsidized by state and local governments, so check your state’s website to see if financing or grant money is available. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Another alternative energy source that is catching on quickly in recent years is the pellet or multi-fuel stove. Unlike conventional wood stoves, pellet and multi-fuel stoves are so highly efficient that they produce almost no residue or ash. Most pellet stoves produce about a cup of ash every seven to ten days and they produce no creosote at all. Because they burn so cleanly, they do not require a separate chimney like a wood stove would and can instead be vented directly outside.

Pellets are manufactured from compressed sawdust or saw grass and come in 40-lb plastic bags that look a lot like bags of landscape mulch. Multi-fuel stoves will also burn fruit pits or dried corn. Pellet and multi-fuel stoves are so cost effective that an average household can easily save over a thousand dollars or more a season, just by supplementing or replacing their fossil fuel heating system with a pellet stove.

Finally, biogas is a fairly new but very exciting form of alternative energy that makes use of animal waste and other forms of organic waste to create methane gas, which can be burned to heat water, cook food or fire electric generators thereby creating off-the-grid electrical power.

Biogas is already being effectively used by some communities by siphoning the methane gas from landfills and livestock farms and it is also being used in third world countries to generate power for cooking and hot water. Alternative energy is an exciting and rapidly growing field. Once you discover all the forms of alternative energy currently available as well as all the exciting new form currently in development, you’ll wonder how and why fossil fuel ever became our planet’s default energy source.

Cold weather is on the way again and while you might not want to think about the cost of home heating right now, learning how to supplement your traditional home heating system before the snow flies can save you hundreds of dollars over the course of the coming winter.

Not everyone can afford to replace a greedy oil furnace or dated, inefficient traditional home heating system, but you do have plenty of good options for supplementing your system and thereby reducing the cost of using it.

Here are some of the most popular ways to supplement traditional home heating systems:

Wood stoves: Today’s wood stoves come in many different sizes and flavors, from small traditional cast iron wood stoves that cost less than $200, all the way up to high efficiency Jotl wood stoves that are pricier but create even less ash and toxic byproducts than high-end pellet stoves. You don’t have to burn a wood stove constantly to save big on your heating bill, but you may find that you enjoy wood heat so much that you end up using your traditional home heating system for back up instead of vice versa. Wood stoves have to be installed correctly in order to be safe, so make sure you get all the help you need meeting local codes.

Pellet stoves and multi-fuel stove: Pellet stoves burn compressed sawdust or grass pellets that are widely available at most building supply and farm and feed stores. Multi-fuel stoves burn pellets, fruit pits or dried corn. Both kinds of stoves have the advantage of direct venting to the outside of your house and both produce very little ash and toxic by product. An average homeowner can safely install a pellet stove alone in a single afternoon. No chimney is necessary.

Add-furnaces and biomass burners: Many energy-efficient add-on furnaces are available today that can save you money by burning renewable energy sources instead of fuel oil, natural gas or kerosene. Wood burning add-ons, pellet and multi-fuel add-ons, waste-oil burners and biomass burners (burners that use waste wood and plant refuse) are all good ways to stretch your fuel dollar. Make sure you install them properly and up to local building codes to avoid accident.

Solar space heaters: If you have a sunny window or wall in your home you can make or buy a solar space heater that will greatly reduce the amount of fuel you have to burn in your traditional home heating system.

Passive solar options: Many people think of expensive roof panels when they hear the words ‘solar energy’ but in fact, simple sunlight can go a long way towards reducing winter heating bills. Let the sunlight into a room during the day and then use thermal drapes or shades to hold in heat at night. Trombe walls can also trap the heat of the sun passively and keep a house warmer. Using dense materials that hold the heat can help too.

In addition to choosing energy efficient ways to supplement your traditional home heating system, make sure you don’t choose some of the more popular and even dangerous supplemental heating sources.

Plug in electric space heaters use large amounts of energy and are not very effective, so steer clear of them. Never use a conventional cook stove or gas burner for indoor heating. Stay away from kerosene heaters too: They start fires and are not really meant for home use.

Heating and air conditioning systems are nowadays an important tool to consider especially because the constant global warming results in the gradual appearance of only two seasons: extremely hot summers and freezing winters. Heating and cooling systems have become the answer to the question whether it is still possible to lead a comfy life and enjoy the right temperatures at home, at work, at school or while chatting with our friends in downtown. Those who are neither familiar with the matter nor with the functions of such systems should read this article and seize the benefits of this long-term investment.

Quest for alternative solutions

After so many attempts at creating the adequate premises for a postmodern lifestyle, which only damaged the environment and destroyed the ecosystem, it is time for a change. An essential step in this transformation process is decreasing the impact of our actions on the environment by using alternative sources of energy. It needs to be mentioned that there are two types of heating and air conditioning systems: conventional and geothermal ones. Of these two categories, only one implies the combination of heating and air conditioning and this is best known as the geothermal heating and cooling. The final beneficiaries of these revolutionary money and energy savers are both the homeowners and the builders themselves. As for the latter, they have immediately seized this unprecedented opportunity to substantially increase their sales by offering their customers a unique 2 in 1 product: a heat-pump in winter and an air conditioning system in summer.

Advantages of heating and air conditioning

The advantages of this practice are obvious. Firstly, it provides the users with the right temperature, by preventing them from melting down in summer and freezing in winter. What such a system does is to use the earth as a main heat source. Therefore, conditioned air and heat are distributed evenly throughout the house or building, according to the users’ needs and desires. To put it in a nutshell, the warmth located in the earth is best used to heat the building in winter and cool it in summer.

Secondly, its efficiency is justified by the low costs, when it comes to energy bills. Apparently, geothermal heating and air conditioning systems are more expensive at their purchase than conventional systems. However, the energy saved by the users is a guarantee of the savings made on utility bills (for instance on hydro, heating and air conditioning costs altogether).

Nevertheless, it is important to mention that these systems also ensure the protection of the environment, because the pollution that they cause is significantly inferior to that caused by heating and air conditioning systems based on fossil fuel. The explanation is that, while conventional systems use combustion to produce heat, geothermal ones creates heat by moving it from one place to another one. Furthermore, such systems can be deemed a renewable energy form.

Fourthly, their maintenance is simple, based on two procedures: either cleaning the pipes by means of acid wash or replacing the well pumps after a long period of time, usually exceeding 10 years.

Perspective on lowering global warming effects

Considering that human activities have a major contribution to the global warming process and that greenhouse effect is a result of the burned fossil fuel, agriculture and land clearing, this geothermal method of heating and cooling is highly recommended today. On balance, it is obvious that such a method is not only an efficient means to diminish the negative effects of our actions on the environment, but also to save energy and money on utility bills.

A natural gas furnace is an economical and efficient method of home heating. Experts recommend buying a gas furnace with an efficiency rating of at least 90% for best performance. However, if you plan to stay in your home less than five years or if you live in a milder climate, you can get good performance out of any gas furnace rated at 80% or better and you will save at least $1,000 on the furnace and installation. A 92% to 97% efficiency multistage gas furnace will cost the most of all (around $3,500 and up including installation) but will save you money on utility bills by using a variable speed blower to maintain a constant temperature. The high end option is a good choice if you plan to stay in your home indefinitely and are looking to reduce your monthly costs.

Although it is not widely known and not available in all areas of the U.S. you can actually use biogas instead of natural gas to heat your home once you have a gas furnace. All you need is a biogas reactor and a way to feed the biogas into your furnace so that you can burn it for fuel. Biogas is already being made available in many local communities that are situated close to corporate dairy or pig farms, and in communities that have invested in conservation equipment that siphons off landfill gases to burn locally as home heating fuel.

Biogas is a natural substance that is created when bacteria degrade biological material without using oxygen. This process is known as anaerobic digestion. Anaerobic digestion occurs naturally in septic systems, marshes, rubbish dumps and landfills, digestive systems, and even in the Arctic tundra. Biogas is most often a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide and because it is easily generated through the natural breakdown of organic waste, it is also a promising renewable energy source.

Biogas can be burned efficiently in a gas furnace without any problem and building a biogas reactor is not a difficult project. If you want to generate enough biogas to heat your home, either from livestock or from farm waste, you will probably want to enlist professional help. The reason for this is that biogas, like any form of combustible vapor, can explode or catch fire and you don’t want that to happen on a large scale.

Companies like Biogas Energy Inc. can help you get started with a farm application or you can contact your state department of agriculture. Many states already have biogas conversion programs in place for farms and agri-business.

Building a biogas reactor at home is a straightforward, easy project, but most home-built biogas reactors are used to power home generators, not to pump the biogas directly into a gas furnace. Free plans and instructions for building your own biogas reactor at home. Siemens, a corporate manufacturer of agricultural machines and energy materials, also builds biogas digesters, storage tanks and heat exchangers. Most Siemens products are designed for large industrial applications. The web site Siemens provides lots of good general information on biogas and its potential for home use in a gas furnace.

Free easy instructions for how to build a simple biogas generator are available along with lots of good basic information about biogas as a renewable energy source. Last but not least, if you are interested in biogas for home use in a gas furnace, contract your public utility about the available of biogas in your specific area of the U.S. You may be surprised to discover that a portion of the natural gas supplied through the utility for your gas furnace is already biogas siphoned from your public landfill or from local farms.

Choosing an alternative garage heater can be a great way to gain exposure to green heating methods, especially if you’ve never used any of the more common ones. Once you successfully install and use an alternative garage heater, you may decide to rethink the heating system for your home as well.

Alternative heat doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. Choices for alternative garage heaters include Trombe walls, wood stoves, pellet stoves and used oil furnaces or boilers to name just a few, but many common sense options like insulation, weather-stripping and passive solar will help maximize the warming effects of whatever alternative garage heater you choose.

Trombe walls are a form of passive solar heat first popularized in the 1960s. A Trombe wall is built to face the sun and is made from a material that can act as a thermal mass (such as stone, metal, concrete or adobe) An air space is built into the Trombe wall and glazing and vents at the top and bottom of the wall turn it into a passive solar collector. During the day, heat builds up in the thermal mass and warms the air space, and then at night the heat is released into the garage.

If you are building a garage or are up to renovating at least one wall and you have the option of a sun-facing wall, a Trombe wall may be the only alternative garage heater you need. Once installed, the heat is basically free. If you live in an area where the winters are hard and the nights are very cold, or if your garage is situated such that a sun-facing wall is not a good option, you may want to install a small wood or pellet stove.

nexpensive wood stoves are easy to find but using a wood stove as an alternative garage heater requires a willingness to meet all the safety standards for installation. Most wood stoves need a separate chimney and building codes dictate specifics of how much clearance is required and what kinds of materials can be used for a hearth.

Keep in mind that, if you choose a wood stove as an alternative garage heater, you will have to regularly clean the chimney. Wood stoves create a by-product called ‘creosote’ which builds up over time in the chimney and can ignite if not regularly removed, causing a nasty garage fire.

Also, although it may seem obvious, many people forget to consider where they will get the wood to burn in the stove. Not all wood burns well or cleanly, and all of it has to be chopped. If you have to pay for wood, or if you don’t like to chop wood, a wood stove might not be your best option for an alternative garage heater.

Pellet stoves burn compressed waste wood (sawdust pellets) saw grass pellets, corn, or fruit pits, and are a good choice for an alternative garage heater if you don’t want to mess around with chopping wood or cleaning a chimney. Pellet stoves burn so cleanly they can be vented directly outside and do not require a separate chimney. Creosote is not an issue with a pellet stove and the pellets come pre-packaged in 40-lb bags available at any big box building supply store.

If you choose a pellet stove as your alternative garage heater, keep in mind that some will burn only compressed wood or saw grass pellets, while others are called ‘multi-fuel stoves and will take dried corn or fruit pits too.

Many people successfully mix fruit pits with pellets for a longer burn, and if you have a source for free fruit pits you are ahead of the game. Local canneries may have them, although more and more people are using pellet stoves, so the days of free fuel may be ending. Still, bagged pellets are cheap, easy to find and will keep a stove going for 24-36 hours per bag, depending on the size and type of pellet stove you purchase.

Finally, you may be able to pick up a used oil burner to use as an alternative garage heater. Watch the ads in your local newspaper and also online resources like E-bay and Craigslist for the right unit. If you do find a used oil burner, you may be able to fuel it in part with biodiesel, a non-petroleum based fuel made of waste cooking oil and vegetable by-products.

Whatever alternative garage heater you choose, make sure you are up to local building codes with your installation and be sure to install a smoke alarm, a carbon monoxide alarm and a small fire extinguisher.

A steam boiler is a type of furnace that creates heat by boiling water into steam using a variety of different fuels. A biomass boiler is a steam boiler that makes use of renewable fuels made from waste wood, agricultural crops and agricultural waste, industrial waste and fast-growing trees and brush. Steam boilers are great for use with biomass because they are constructed so as to minimize pollutants and carbon emissions, yet they are able to make use of renewable energy sources.

A steam boiler that burns biomass fuel can be purchased in one four different forms: fully automated, semi-automated (or ‘surge bin’) pellet-fired, or combined heat and power (CHP). A fully automated steam boiler uses a system of augers and conveyers to move the biomass fuel from a live floor into the boiler where it is burned. No human handling of the fuel is necessary once it is dropped off by truck; the fully automated steam boiler uses the fuel and monitors how much is left.

A semi-automated steam boiler, sometimes called a ‘surge bin’ biomass boiler, requires a bit more human intervention and maintenance simply because it has a smaller bin to store the biomass fuel. Often a semi-automated steam boiler is a good choice for heating multiple buildings with one steam boiler. A semi-automated steam boiler will have to have its bin refilled more frequently, but a fully automated steam boiler for such an application would most likely be prohibitively massive.

A pellet-fired steam boiler burns processed wood or agricultural pellets instead of raw wood chips, crops or other waste. Pellets are generally made of compressed sawdust or plant material and burn very cleanly. The advantage of a pellet-fired biomass boiler is that pellets burn for a longer than raw biomass material and create very little emission of any kind. One disadvantage is that because this type of steam boiler burns processed fuel, the cost of the fuel itself may well be higher than it would be with an automated or semi-automated steam boiler set up to burn raw biomass.

A combined heat and power (or CHP) steam boiler produces power using up to 100 pounds of pressure per square inch within the system, and the heat produced is actually a byproduct of the power production. A CHP steam boiler is more expensive than any of the other types and because of the pressure involved in generating the power and heat, it requires and experienced, trained boiler operator to keep it running efficiently and safely. For this reason, CHP steam boilers are most often used in industrial and public applications, for example in public buildings, factories, and/or school buildings.

With the price of coal, oil, and natural gas rising and the availability of fossil fuels limited in many parts of the U.S. steam boilers that can be used as biomass boilers are regaining popularity. They are efficient producers of heat and sometimes power; and they can be fueled and maintained using whatever waste products are plentiful in the locales in which they are installed.

A Propane heater is a portable heating unit that runs on liquefied petroleum gas (also known as LP gas or propane). Propane is also the fuel of choice for many conventional whole house furnaces, especially in rural parts of the U.S. where natural gas is not yet available. Natural gas must be piped to a home, whereas propane can be stored in an on-site refillable tank. Because propane heaters and furnaces already are popular in rural communities, the potential to fuel them with biogas produced on site or locally at farms and landfills is very good. Biogas is frequently manufactured in rural communities as a way to make constructive use of animal waste created by hog and dairy farms.

How do you choose the propane heater that is right for you?

The first thing to do is determine how much heat you want from your propane heater and then determine the size of the living area you want to heat. Calculate the total cubic feet of the area you plan to heat by multiplying the length by the width of the room. Next, calculate how much you want to increase the temperature of the room in which the heater will be placed. You can calculate this desired temperature increase by subtracting the temperature you want the room to achieve from the average current temperature in the room. Finally, to find the number of BTUs you will need from your propane heater, plug your numbers into the following formula:

Total Cubic Feet X .133) X Desired Temperature Increase = BTUs Required.

The number you get at the end of the equation (under BTUs required) is the number of BTUs you want to see advertised on the box of the propane heater you decide to buy. Write that number down before you head off to the home supply store so you don’t forget it. Propane heaters typically are used to heat garages, workshops or small rooms that can’t be serviced by a conventional gas furnace. LP (propane) furnaces are comparable to natural gas furnaces in efficiency and burn very cleanly. They come with three different efficiency levels: 95%, 93% and 80%. If you are thinking of replacing a high-cost coal or oil furnace with a propane furnace, aim for at least 93% efficiency unless you don’t plan to stay in your house for more than a year. Choosing an 80% efficiency propane furnace will result in higher fuel bills that will negate the lower cost of the furnace over time (unless you live on a farm and can use your own biogas instead).

To use biogas in a propane heater or LP gas furnace, the biogas must be purified to the same quality as natural gas. This can be done but may require specialized equipment. If you have a public utility that already uses biogas and can supply it to your home (many already refine biogas by tapping landfills and farms) then you are already good to go. Using biogas in that case is a simple matter of calling your public utility and making inquiries. If you have your own on site supply of biogas, talk to your contractor about what kind of equipment you need to refine the gas to LP furnace quality. You may even be able to obtain federal funding to convert farm waste to biogas.

Hot air oil furnaces typically run on the same petroleum-based diesel fuel that is used in the trucking industry. You purchase this fuel yourself at the diesel pump of any gas station if you have a diesel engine automobile. Many older homes in the Midwest and Northern East coast of the U.S. have hot air oil furnaces.

The diesel fuel you buy at the gas pump is more expensive than home heating oil and is tinted pink so that law enforcement officers can fine truckers who are caught running their vehicles on the lower priced fuel. The two fuels are identical, but one is taxed to maintain roads and the other is not.

As anyone who has ever owned a hot air oil furnace can attest, home heating oil is by no means inexpensive however. It may be a bit cheaper than diesel, but it’s no bargain. With the price of oil increasingly volatile, the availability and feasibility of using petroleum-based fuel to heat your home is becoming ever more problematic.

What’s more, hot air oil furnaces tend to be less efficient that high-performance natural gas or LP furnaces. Burning oil too efficiently creates chimney vapors that can result in moisture problems from overly cool exhaust. A typical efficiency rating on a good hot air oil furnace will be between 78% and 85%, much lower than high-efficiency natural gas furnaces. Another problem with hot air oil furnaces is that the oil must be delivered to your home and stored in a large tank that is usually located in the basement near the furnace. In the summer of 2008 many small home heating oil companies on the east coast went bankrupt due to problems obtaining the business credit they needed to buy oil. Customers who had paid thousands of dollars in advance for their deliveries simply lost their money and had to go looking for another source.

If you can’t get anyone to deliver home heating oil for your hot air oil furnace, you have no heat. It’s that simple. One emerging solution is biodiesel, a fuel that is made by refining waste oil from restaurants and also by processing vegetable oils that are not fit for human consumption. Biodiesel is not inexpensive and you still have to get it delivered to your home. You may have trouble finding a supplier. But if demand continues at the current pace, suppliers are bound to increase in number.

Biodiesel tends to burn hotter than petroleum-based home heating oil, so most experts recommend mixing the two fuels at first until you find the optimal ratio. On the other hand, some people report no issues with using pure biodiesel as a replacement for petroleum-based oil. Since the idea is so new, if you want to try this alternative fuel in your existing hot air oil furnace, you will probably have to find out for yourself what works for your specific situation.

Biodiesel fuel can also be produced at home, but it isn’t easy to make. You still have to find sources for waste cooking oil, and then you have to refine it to a purity that is appropriate for your furnace. While adapters that allow diesel engines to run on unprocessed waste oil are currently getting a lot of publicity, it is not recommended that you attempt to use unprocessed waste oil in a furnace.

When the East coast had their crisis with home heating oil in the summer of 2008, many people went out and purchased wood pellet stoves a very high-efficiency, easy-to-install heating source. If you have a hot air oil furnace, you may want to explore secondary sources of home heating in case oil becomes too difficult to obtain or the price becomes prohibitive.

Fireplace corn stove inserts are inserts that you can fit into your existing fireplace without affecting the existing structure. The design of those corn stove inserts makes them fit easily into all types of fireplaces without any need to alter the masonry structure of the room and the fireplace. These fireplace inserts let you use an existing indoor fireplace. All you have to do is to place the insert inside the existing masonry fireplace. Fireplace corn stove inserts produce efficient heating without leaving too much of ash behind. Corn, by itself, is one of the best alternate fuels as it can be found in abundance unlike oil, gas or wood. Moreover, corn is non-polluting and comparatively produces more heat when compared to other fuels. Burning shelled corn fuel is economically feasible as compared to the rising costs of other available fuels.

Choosing a Corn Stove Fireplace Insert

Corn stoves fireplace inserts are fireplace inserts that you can install and maintain with ease. Some fireplace corn stove inserts have multiuse design and besides using them as a fireplace inserts you can use them as a stand-alone device for any part of your home. Generally, the corn-burning fireplace inserts burn entire kernels of shelled corn with 16% moisture. You will need to choose and buy a good corn stove with better energy efficiency. Try to select one that can hold more corn, so that it can burn well and produce heat for a longer duration without the need for refueling. The bigger the stove, the warmer the less hassle you have for frequent refueling.

The next thing on your checklist should be the choice between a pressurized and non-pressurized fireplace corn stove inserts. Although their price and installation costs will be higher, pressurized corn stove systems are better because they are more efficient and they run longer with less maintenance requirement. Above all, they work under any condition. Non-pressurized corn stove systems, on the other hand, will cost you less and the installation cost is reasonable. These systems are compatible with almost all fireplace designs. Moreover, these fireplace inserts are environment friendly because they use renewable fuel. A few things you need to do as a part of the maintenance and working process, for either kind of fireplace corn stove inserts are.

Always fill the hopper with corn properly. Fill it to the top.

Empty and clean the ash pan each week.

Clean the entire system. This includes the burn pot, hopper, glass and doors.

The shelled corn must be dry. The moisture content should not be more than 16%. This is because corn with higher moisture content will have a lower heat value per unit weight.

The shelled corn should not have fines. Corn having fines will cause problems with the fuel-loading auger.

Try to get corn storage bins in place so that you can store corn for the entire season.

Types of Fireplace Corn Stove Inserts

There are many types of fireplace corn stove inserts available in a variety of sizes and styles. The style and design of fireplace inserts vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Each stove insert lends its own unique style to your home. The size of the corn hopper also differs according to the type of insert. A bigger insert will definitely have a bigger hopper so that you can put more corn into it. This will help you eliminate the need for frequent refueling and enjoy uninterrupted heating for a longer duration.

Nowadays, many people are concerned about finding an alternative to fossil fuel in order to continue living our lives that we presently enjoy. There are so many abstract opinions about potential alternatives that one can spend a great deal of time considering all the options available to mankind.

With just a small amount of research, one can find out that approximately 90% of the energy that the earth uses comes from fossil fuels. While these fossil fuels are continually used, their stores are being depleted and also have a direct effect on the environment that some say is irreversible. Smog, greenhouse gasses, acid rain and global warming are not positive contributing by-products of using fossil fuels and for this reason, many seek alternative measures for the goodness of mankind and our planet.

Coal: This resource is abundant in many parts of the world, extremely cheap and easy to transport, and can be mined with simple methods as it has been done in the past. It has been the main source of energy for many parts of the world today, and liquid fuel can be made from coal. Unfortunately, it does take energy for this liquid fuel process, more than should be necessary. When finding an alternative to fossil fuel, coal is extremely polluting, much more than oil or natural gas, contributing to smog, acid rain, mercury pollution and the greenhouse effect. Most coal cannot be mined for energy resources since it contains too much sulfur and produces too much solid waste from production. Coal is not efficient in the sense that oil is needed in order to mine it and only a small amount; approximately 35% of its energy can be transformed into electrical energy.

Natural Gas: The advantages of this resource are abundant, clean burning, producing less greenhouse gasses than oil; convenient for heating, and easy transportation are just some of the many positive effects of natural gas. If natural gas is the answer for finding an alternative to fossil fuel, one will have to examine the negative aspects of this option. Gas wells drain quickly unlike oil that will continue to produce for decades on end, it is extremely flammable and is likely not the solution that environmentalists are looking for.

Nuclear Power: There is much heated debate on the subject of nuclear power that many feel quite strongly about. On the positive side, nuclear power is cheap, produce no smog, and can be situated close to consumers. When finding an alternative to fossil fuel, the negative aspects of nuclear power are the topics of today with environmentalists. The waste from nuclear power plants last thousands of years, without any real set way on how to dispose of the hazardous waste.

These are just 3 alternatives that the government and scientists have looked into for finding an alternative to fossil fuels. Others such as wind power, tar sands, nuclear fusion, methane hydrates, and even solar energy have their positive and negative aspects to each one, making the decisions for alternatives not an easy matter.

Alternative fuel is the way of the future. If you haven’t begun changing your home over, now is the time to take this into consideration. The dependence that the world has on oil is very worrisome especially with oil reserves beginning to deplete around the globe. But there are other options out there and contrary to what others believe, it can be beneficial and easy to switch to these sources. While just a decade or two ago it was unheard of to most people, today alternative heating, electricity and other needs can readily be met.

What is Alternative Fuel?

To some, the expression alternative fuel is a turn off but it shouldn’t be. The only stipulation to a fuel that is considered to be alternative is that it be something that isn’t reliant on or made from a fossil fuel. The realization here that many fossil fuels will run out is necessary. The good news is that there are different options for the needs that you have. The most well-known include alternatives like solar power, wood heating, wind power, and water power. Each of these works by using things that are renewable in or on the Earth unlike that of oil.

Which Alternative Is Right For You?

There is more than one alternative fuel available today. You can select to use a combination of methods. Here are some things to consider when looking into various types of alternatives.

The cost: Above anything else, you need to know what it will cost you to install and use a given type of alternative fuel in your home. Some things are expensive. For example, to use radiant floor heating coils may need to be placed under the floor boards of a home, which can be a costly construction project. But, make sure you look at the long term benefits of doing that type of work as it may pay for itself in the long run.

Availability: Some products are hard to come by or they are just hard to maintain. For example, depending on where you live, if you purchase a stove using corn, it may be a bit more difficult to find in comparison to finding a heating oil contractor. Again, it may still be well worth it to consider.

Your lifestyle: Some types of alternative fuel do require some adjustment on your part. While you may need to make decisions on these things, you are sure to see that these simple lifestyle changes can pay off in the long run and really turn into small things for the benefits they offer as alternative fuel sources.

Without a doubt, the environment needs us to consider alternative types of fuels for our daily lives. No matter which type of fuel you do use, realize that you are benefiting yourself in your pocket as well as in the air you breathe in. Take the time to look into the options available to you that will suit your own needs.

Do you know the facts about solar energy? Many people think that solar heating, solar cooking, and solar energy in general are all topics for future generations, space age ideas whose time has not yet come. Yet the facts about solar energy are nothing like that. Solar heating and cooking have been around for hundreds of years. Passive solar has been used for decades effectively and cheaply.

Even high tech solar applications are becoming more common and more affordable with each passing day.

Here are some important facts about solar energy you might not know:

In one hour, more sunlight falls on planet Earth than is used by the entire population for an entire year.

Solar cookers have been available for decades, work great, use no electricity, and can be purchased in basic forms for less than $20 each.

A one kilowatt solar energy system prevents 150 pounds of coal from being mined and 300 pounds of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.

The average U.S. household spends 25% of its energy costs on heating water and 50% on heat and air-conditioning.

A solar water heater can save up to 85% off the cost of heating water electrically.

Solar energy comes in both passive and active forms. Passive solar energy stores the natural heat of sunlight in natural heat-retaining materials like stone. Active solar energy makes use of photovoltaic panels and batteries for generating and storing electricity.

In some areas, electricity generated by solar photovoltaic panels can be sold back to the public electrical utility, reducing or eliminating a monthly household electric bill, and in some cases resulting in a monthly payment from the utility.

Anyone can make use of passive solar by using heat-retaining materials in walls (such as trombe walls) floors (stone, etc.) or thermal windows that let heat in but don’t let it back out.

Solar space heaters can be constructed at home for under $100 out of pop cans and simple construction materials.

You may be eligible for federal tax rebates for any residential solar energy installations you complete in 2009 or 2010. In some states, government-backed financing is also available.

New facts about solar energy are emerging every day, keeping solar energy in the news and at the forefront of green energy discussions. One of the most exciting facts about solar energy is that it has the potential to single-handedly meet all of earth’s energy needs with a bit of funding for installation and new and better ways of tapping sunlight. Solar energy is a completely renewable resource. It is abundant and readily available, and we use only a very small portion of it on any given day. Learn the facts about solar energy and see if you can’t make some small application to your own situation. Once you get started, you’re sure to become an advocate. Who doesn’t love the sun?

Why are ecological buildings better? When it comes to the design process, structural advantages and actual construction, there is no trumping the ecological building. They captured the attention of investors and developers alike because they are a better, more cost-efficient alternative to the modern buildings we have. But what precisely, is wrong with the modern buildings lining our blocks?

Out with the Old: Ecological Buildings

Let's take a look at some statistics. Of all the recently renovated or newly built buildings, 30% expose occupants to chemical-laden or stale air, not to mention molds. As a result, these occupants suffer from what we call the sick building syndrome. Human staff are by no means the only victim of these buildings. The environment suffers, too! Modern buildings use up a rough estimate of 40% of the world's energy and building materials. Approximately 55% of the wood that is cut for non-fuel purposes go to the construction of these buildings. All these considered, it comes as no surprise for developers and investors to gradually shift the focus from modern to ecological - when it comes to building design.

In with the Green : Ecological Buildings

Are ecological buildings similar to green buildings? Not really. Unlike a green building, an ecological building promotes a mutually beneficial relationship among the various elements and systems that come to play in, within and with the building. A green building, on the other hand, simply reduces the building's negative effects to the environment. The crucial difference is, thus, this: green buildings minimize negative effects; ecological buildings maximize benefits.

Ecological buildings are big on the following environmental concepts:

Refurbish. Although an ecological building can be made of new materials and using new construction methods, making use of old structures and improving what is already there are two huge parts of the ecological building process.

Reuse. Stones, bricks, timber joints, and steel beams from demolished buildings are reused in ecological buildings and they form part of a new construction.

Recycle. Artificial slates, building boards, and other materials can be fashioned from broken concrete and debris of demolished structures.

Ecological designs reduce the quantity of new materials used in new construction by increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of these materials. Moreover, ecological buildings are constructed using recycled materials. Thus far, timbre remains to be the most renewable material source. However, timber use should be carefully planned and managed to prevent decay and deterioration.

So why ecological buildings are better? Here's food for thought: the ING Bank's new headquarters is an ecological building. In making it, scientists, engineers, architects, and its future tenants worked together to come up with solutions to make the structure ecological in the truest sense of the world. The result of this collaboration? A healthy, efficient building that raked in $3.4 million in annual savings. Clearly, not only is an ecological building a more conducive place for a healthier, better-performing workforce, it's also one that allows you to reduce power costs and save tons.

Some alternative stoves are made out of cast iron, which means that they naturally look like an antique wood burning stove. This is also means that they look great in a cottage or a chalet. A small antique stove can really warm up the look of a basement or a family room. Many artists have an antique wood burning stove installed in their garage or loft style studios so they can work in cozy comfort all year long. Thankfully the antique wood burning stove goes with most types of decor. Of course the ideal decor that it goes with is a country or western style. Gas stoves also look great in ranch houses and colonial style homes.

However just because and antique wood burning stove refers to an older era does not mean it cannot provide a fashionable and ironic counterpoint to other décor in your room. For instance an antique wood burning stove can look quite great in a cold and steely room that is otherwise painted in cool tones. In fact the juxtaposition of the space age and the antique has a very Stanley Kubrick type of feel to it. This combination of retro plus super contemporary styling is very fashionable lately and a fixture in most modern condos.

Antique wood burning stoves also come with all kinds of different detailing. Depending on the model kinds of decorative scrollwork and detailing on the legs and on the trim of the stove. You can also get antique wood burning stoves with beautiful brass or ceramic detailing. These stoves suit every type of décor from Arts and Crafts to Victorian to California Ranch styles. As an alternative heat source the antique wood burning stove is much easier to maintain than an open fireplace. For one thing, it just doesn’t get as dirty as a fireplace as there is not enough air running through it to blow embers and soot around. You still clean this heat source with gridiron style tools but it is just not a big messy job.

The best thing about an antique wood burning stove is it mixes the best of the past with the present. With today’s modern heating systems you really do not give your family what families enjoyed for centuries, which was some type of hearth that everybody could gather around to cook or warm themselves. This is especially desirable in the winter when the snow is gently falling or if there is the soft, gentle patter of rain on the roof. Your enjoyment of your antique wood-burning stove also does not have to stop at just warming your home either. You can also cook on them!

Corn burning furnaces are rapidly becoming a favorite among homeowners looking for alternative heating sources. These unique furnaces use an excellent fuel of biomass fuel, corn, for heating instead of a more expensive form of non-renewable resource. Whereas natural gas, propane or coal utilizes resources that are quickly dwindling in supply and may not be around for the next generation, corn can be grown easily year after year. For this reason, corn burning furnaces are quite inexpensive to fuel and run, regardless how harsh winter’s cold winds blow. Instead of freezing in your home and still shelling out a small fortune in heating costs, warm up to the idea of installing a corn burning stove in your home.

Corn burning furnaces are quickly becoming more widely used in all parts of the country, although the idea of stoves or furnaces that use corn as a fuel source is certainly nothing new. Residents of the middle of the country have been heating their homes with corn burning furnaces for many years now. This trend is catching on all over the country with good measure—these furnaces are incredibly clean burning and efficient so that you can ensure your hard earned cash is not burned along with the corn.

These furnaces use dried kernels of corn to produce heat by burning the kernels in the stove area of the furnace. Instead of corn cobs to fuel the furnace as popularly believed, the dried corn is a much more effective way to heat a home. In fact, corn is the most efficient biomass fuel on the market today. Other forms of biomass fuels include cherry pits, but they are unable to be produced in great supply so that homes all over the country can be reliably heated with this biomass method of fuel. For those concerned about the environment, burning corn as fuel is a great way of ensuring the Earth’s environment is damaged in your attempt to heat your home.

When looking to purchase corn burning furnaces, there are a variety of options available on the market for all budgets. For those on a limited budget, consider smaller furnaces or stoves that will be easy on the pocket book without compromising the heating quality of your home. If you do decide to purchase a smaller stove, carefully consider the position of the stove in your home to ensure you maximize the areas affected by the heat produced. Situate your stove in a central location to your home or in a favorite room usually occupied by your family. Many residents also choose to place a corn burning stove on a lower level of their home so that the heat will rise and heat the upper areas of the home.

Often, individuals looking to save money on heating costs for their home turn to wood burning fireplaces. Although a wood fireplace is generally cheaper than electric heat or a gas furnace, the necessary work involved in heating a home with wood is often too great for the average homeowner. Plus, most urban and suburban settings prove difficult for residents to find cut wood available for burning. With corn burning furnaces, there is no mess and potential risk from infestation that comes with wood. Furthermore, homeowners do not have to deal with the hassle and worry of collecting wood for the winter’s burning or ensuring the wood remains dry for the burning process. However you cut it, corn burning stoves and furnaces will save you a great deal of time, hassle and money when it comes to heating your home. These furnaces will allow you to ensure your home and family are properly heated this winter while not have to dip into you savings to do so.

What better time to use cord wood? As gas and energy prices in the world market soar, drop, and on some days do the Macarena, firewood is fast becoming a popular heating alternative in many homes. Sold in cord wood, firewood is indeed a cheap solution heating. A cord wood is typically a stack of wood measuring approximately 128 cubic feet. The term is mostly used in the firewood industry but it may also be used in reference to certain timber products. Generally, a cord wood is a stack of wood – ideally, tightly stacked – and bound by a cord that measures approximately about 4 x 4 x 8 ft. The initial stacking of wood held by a cord is the accepted cordwood measure. For example, if the wood in question is stacked at a dealer’s yard and deemed to measure a cord, then this is accepted as the true cord wood measure. If loose wood is thrown in, delivered, and later on stacked to measure cord, this stack is simply used to measure how much wood was delivered – it is not a cord wood measure.

Cord wood is a 17th century concept. It was created when wood literally had to be bound by a cord when sold. The standardized measurement was supposed to help people buy and sell firewood more easily. But because the actual amount of wood is influenced by how the wood is stacked, the measurement has always fluctuated in volume. When you are buying firewood, it’s a little bit difficult to accurately measure what you’re paying for. But, you can drive up to the dealer’s yard and see for yourself precisely what you will be getting. That way, you will have an idea how much to expect in a cord wood prior to delivery. You may also be given a discount if you come to pick up the firewood instead of having it delivered. But as cord wood is a crude measurement, word of mouth is probably the best way for you to get a fair price for what you’re paying. Fair dealers acquire a certain reputation in their community and people would normally give positive recommendations for a dealer they felt have dealt with them fairly. So yes, cord wood the unit of measure remains a crude way to quantify the firewood you buy. But cord wood the firewood is a simple, viable, and inexpensive way to reduce energy consumption in the home. Moreover, when you buy the ecological alternative to cord wood that is compressed sawdust with low-emission firewood you help both the environment and your piggy bank.

Choosing the right kind of wood stove type is a matter of understanding your specific stove, the wall and ceiling clearance you have to work with, and your budget. Most wood stove pipe is made out of 22 or 24 gauge stainless steel and comes in either single or double wall construction. Single construction stainless steel wood stove pipe is easy to find in most local hardware or building supply stores and is the least expensive option. Single construction stainless steel wood stove pipe requires at least 18 inches of clearance from the stove to the chimney, and is available in black, blue and galvanized outer finishes. It is easy to work with, lightweight, and conducts heat very well, so your room will warm up rapidly if you choose to install this type of pipe.

On the down side, single wall construction wood stove pipe wears out quickly. The type of steel used in single wall construction wood stove pipe is actually eaten away over time by the exhaust produced by the burning wood. Single wall construction wood stove pipe has to be completely replaced every three to five years to remain safe and functional. So while single wall wood stove pipe is cheap to buy and easy to work with, you will have to replace it on a regular basis, which for some people is a major drawback. Double wall construction wood stove pipe is made with a stainless steel inner wall and a black steel outer wall.

Double wall wood stove pipe is harder to find but is often available at construction supply retailers, or it can usually be special-ordered from wood stove supply stores. Because double wall wood stove pipe is better insulated than single wall wood stove pipe, double wall pipe only requires six inches of wall clearance and eight inches of ceiling clearance. It is definitely the pipe to use if you are working in tight quarters. Double wall wood stove pipe also lasts many more years than single wall pipe.

On the down side, double wall wood stove pipe is much heavier than single wall pipe, and it is much more difficult to work with (or at least clumsier). Double wall wood stove pipe also costs more, (although, keep in mind that you will not be replacing it nearly as soon as you will single wall pipe, so that cuts down on the real cost over time). Double wall wood stove pipe is a good choice for durability and clearance, but it isn’t the cheapest way to go. How do you choose which wood stove pipe is best for your application? If there ever was a time to get professional advice, choosing the right wood stove pipe is it. Ask your wood stove retailer about pipe installation and clearance, and make sure you understand how to properly vent your stove and where to place it. Check out all the building codes in your area and talk with your home insurer before you make a single purchase.

Wood stoves are great money savers once property installed, but they can be tricky to install correctly and efficiently. Each situation will be different. Once you understand the safety requirements, go with the best wood stove pipe you can afford so you can spend your time enjoying your stove, not replacing the corroded pipe every few years.

There are different types of heating system for your home and that is why you have to take into consideration all the possibilities before taking a decision. In this article we are going to make a brief presentation of the most used systems be they conventional or not. Another thing that we will try to do here is to help you understand which solution is the best for your household. There are a few things that must be taken into consideration when deciding on a certain heating system, such as the fuel availability, the amount of hot water needed and so on.

Home Heating Solution Boilers

Some of the most popular heating solutions are boilers. Today there is quite a wide variety of such systems on the market. The conventional boiler is designed with a combustion chamber, which is surrounded by water. Once the water is heated it starts to circulate through the entire system. The thing about this type of heating system is that it wastes a lot of the heat produced, and thus the fuel, by heating the surrounding air. That is why a much better option would be to use a condensing boiler that is much more efficient. This type of boiler wastes almost no heat and they are environmentally friendly. However, the condensing boilers have a much shorter lifespan and they are much more expensive than the conventional ones. The last type of boilers is the combination boiler that besides hot water it also provides central heating of your household. The problem with this type of system is the fact that it cannot provide central heating and hot water at the same time and it also has a low water rate meaning that only one tap can be fed at a time. In case there is not too much need for hot water in your household the best choice for you would definitely be the combination boiler as it takes very little space and it is quite easy to install and most importantly really cheap to run.

Why You Should Consider Installing a Blower

Wood stoves have always looked charming. Unlike the sterile furnaces that heat many homes wood burning stoves provide a quaint atmosphere and suggest a flavor of nostalgia. But, wood stoves add more than mere aesthetic. They offer cost-effective heat to a home. Rather than using gas or burning other costly fuels to generate heat, a wood stove can provide warmth as long as there is enough wood available. Unfortunately, even wood stoves have limitations.

Unlike central heating units that can easily distribute heat throughout a house, a wood-burning stove's capacity to provide heat is not without constraints. Though cost-effective, the stove's efficiency in heating an entire house or a huge room is limited. However, a wood stove blower can compensate for these limitations. For example, if your wood stove is located in a large room, a good blower can send heat to every corner of that room, ensuring that everyone is warm. Similarly, if you only have one wood stove in your home and other rooms are frequently chilly, you can use a blower to "push" some warm air into those other distant rooms.

What to Look For In a Blower

First, a wood stove blower is often designed to fit specific models of stoves. For example, an SBI-Drolet blower can fit most Drolet stoves while some blowers will work with a large variety of wood burning stoves. Second, some blowers offer easy installation, hooking onto your stove with a few screws. Others are more complicated and may require someone with experience to install. Third, some blowers are powered by plugging them into an outlet while others operate on batteries. You should consider each of these things to determine which fits your needs best.

Where to Buy a Blower

You can purchase a wood stove blower either at your local home improvement shop (such as Home Depot) or online. There are several websites from which you can order your blower and have it delivered to your doorstep. Further, many of these websites have customer service staff available to answer any of your questions before and after your purchase. Often, because these websites don't have the same expenses as large stores like Home Depot, they can offer very competitive prices.

A blower can help your stove warm your entire house or large room more effectively. Pushing warm air with fans and motors, these blowers can transform an already cost-effective heating solution into an efficient heat supply for every room in your home. With a little research, you can have a blower helping your charming wood-burning stove heat your entire house.

When I say solar water heater, some people might envision a hot water tank or pool heating system, but what we are actually talking about here is a way to heat your home efficiently and comfortably using water and solar power. As we all know, the rising cost of home heating by traditional methods has many looking for alternative ways to keep their houses cozy during the winter months. Solar energy is just one of several alternative energies that is being looked at by today’s cost conscience homeowner.

A solar water heater may work in conjunction with a hydronic home heating system. This system works by passing water heated by a boiler through a series of pipes and valves that are laid underneath the home’s sub floor. Relying totally on radiant heat, this system can keep your home warmer than an air-forced system and may save you up to 40% in energy costs if you choose to operate your boiler with gas or electric. If you choose to operate your boiler using solar power, operating costs could very well be zero.

Sounds great, huh? I mean who wouldn’t jump at the chance to heat their home free of charge? Well before you jump at this exciting heating alternative make sure that you do your homework first. Just as a solar water heater has many advantages, it also has some disadvantages. Be sure that you are familiar with both before you make your final decision.

Since we’ve already touched on some of the advantages of a solar water heater, let’s take a few minutes to examine some reasons why this type of alternative heating system is not the answer for every homeowner.

One of the main disadvantages of a solar system is how much it costs to install one. Depending on the size of your home, you may need to install several solar collection panels and this could get quite expensive. But with a lifespan of up to 20 years, solar panels more than pay for themselves in energy savings. In fact, they can pay for themselves in as little as three years. So I guess the question that you need to ask yourself is this: Am I willing to make a large investment into a solar water heater now for future savings?

To install the hydronic system is another trouble. If you already have one installed and in use, great! Upgrading to a solar system will be a breeze. If not, you might want to keep in mind that these systems are best installed in new constructions and major remodels as they involve laying pipe in a bed of concrete underneath your sub floor.

Just as the sun doesn’t shine every day, solar power, which relies on this sun, can be unpredictable. Granted, your solar water heater will be able to store energy to be used on cloudy days but you might still have to operate a backup heating system from time to time.

Keep in mind that these disadvantages should not deter you from seeking a solar power source to heat your home but are meant only to help you make an informed decision. Heating your home with solar energy is a great way to save a lot of money and Earth’s natural resources.

With cold weather approaching fast, homeowners are once again thinking about whether it might finally be time to think about replacing oil or gas heat with something more environmentally friendly and economical. Whether you are replacing oil heat or replacing gas heat, you have lots of great green choices for a new home heating system that is both sustainable and affordable.

The following home heating systems are among the most popular choices for replacing oil or gas heat. Many more are available, but these are some of the best:

Geothermal Systems: Geothermal home heating systems are one of the most ecologically sound choices for replacing oil heat or replacing gas heat. A geothermal system taps the heat of the earth itself by burying lines underground (below the frost line). In winter, the heat of the earth itself is circulated and in summer the reverse process provides air conditioning. This is possible by means of a heat exchanger: a device similar to the one in a standard air conditioner. A heat exchanger takes heat out of the earth in summer and takes cold out in winter. geothermal heat is fairly expensive to install (between $8,000 and $15,000 for existing construction), but once installed is almost free. If you can tap solar for the electricity to run the heat exchanger, you basically have free heating and cooling for life.

Pellet and Multi-fuel Stoves

Pellet stoves are high-efficiency wood stoves that burn pellets made of pressed sawdust or saw grass. Multi-fuel stoves burn wood pellets, saw grass pellets, dried corn, or fruit pits. Unlike conventional wood stoves, pellet and multi-fuel stoves produce very little ash and almost no toxic byproducts. They both can be vented directly outside (much like a conventional clothes dryer) and need no special chimney, making installation easy and safe. A single pellet stove can easily heat an entire home if well placed. Pellet stoves cost between $1100 and $2000 depending on size and features, so they are very affordable.

High-Efficiency Wood Stoves

Conventional wood stoves burn wood in an air tight chamber, which creates lots of ash and toxic fumes. By designing a wood stove to burn wood in an open chamber, companies like Jotl have been able to create home heating stoves that look much like fireplaces but are so efficient they are comparable to pellet stoves in ash production. You can also burn larger pieces of wood in these stoves, so less splitting is necessary. Jotl stoves are a bit pricier than conventional wood stoves, but they last a lifetime and are incredible energy-efficient and safe.

Waste Boilers and Furnace Add-ons

If replacing oil heat or replacing gas heat is too daunting and you just want to do something that will cut your heating bill without having to rip out your existing system, you can add on any number of furnaces that will use your oil or gas system to circulate heat obtained from renewable energy sources such as waste wood and weeds, waste oil, wood, or even wood pellets. Do-it-yourself instructions for all these add-on furnaces are widely available online, but it’s a good idea to have your arrangement checked out by a professional to make sure it conforms to local building codes and is safe to operate.

Any of these choices for replacing oil or gas heat will save you money and protect the environment. When combined with other alternative solutions such as solar electricity and solar water heating, it is possible to reduce home heating and utility bills to almost nothing at all. It takes time and commitment to get there, but the peace of mind is more than worth it not to mention the lower bills!