It almost seems as if each day the price of just about everything in the world increases. One those price increases includes the cost of home heating. There are many families who continue to live with the cost of high heating; however, others refuse to. Refusing to pay a large amount of money to heat your home does not mean that you have to go without heat, but it does mean that you will have to find alternative heating methods.

The use of an outdoor coal furnace is a popular heating alternative that is used by a large number of homeowners. An outdoor coal furnace is a low-cost and safe way to provide heat to a home. What many individuals do not realize is that a home is not the only thing that can be heated by an outdoor coal furnace.

Owning and operating a business can be costly even for the most profitable businesses. This is why many business owners try to cut costs wherever and whenever they can. The latest increases in heating costs have left many business owners looking for alternative heating methods for their business. An outdoor coal furnace can heat a business in the same way that it will heat a home. Since the unit is placed outside, a retail store or an office with an outdoor coal furnace will not experience any smells or fumes.

Garages are either attached or not attached to a home. Many times when a home is heated so is the attached garage. Home owners with a separate garage may be looking for a cheap way to heat it. A garage or a shed are one of the many buildings that can use an outdoor coal furnace for heating.

It is also possible for an outdoor coal furnace to heat a farm. Due to the steady decrease in revenues and the increase in heating prices there are many farmers who are loosing valuable money. Purchasing an outdoor coal furnace is a great way to help relieve the costs of heating a barn, no matter what the size of it.

In addition to just heating a building, an outdoor coal furnace will provide hot water. This means that a business owner, garage owner, or a farmer can still complete their daily activities with hot water. It is also important to note that an outdoor coal furnace can provide heat for swimming pools and hot tubs. There are many coal furnace models that are designed to provide heat and hot water to multiple buildings and sources.

Once an outdoor coal furnace has been purchased and installed, the outdoor coal furnace will soon begin to pay for itself. Thanks to this low-cost heating method many families are able to afford more necessities and many business owners and farmers will still be able to operate their business without having to pay outrageous operating costs. Whether you are a homeowner, a business owner, or a farmer you should least consider further examining the benefits of an outdoor coal furnace.

by Harriet Goodrich

Posted: July 21st, 2008 under Home Heating, Outdoor Furnaces, Questions & Answers.
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For the past 12 years Northland Distributing & Manufacturing, Inc. has been selling hydronic supplies for outdoor wood furnace systems to it’s Crown Royal Stoves dealers all over America. In 2007 we decided to start offering our hydronic heating supplies to the general public as well as other companies in the construction industry. This entailed a massive overhaul to the Northland Distributing website to showcase all products available. This product list is steadily growing to encompass additional items not offered previously.
With long lasting relationships between Northland Distributing and the product manufactures we have been able to negotiate low pricing that others are unable to offer.

Now you don’t have to wait for normal 8:00 - 5:00 office hours to place your order. Today Northland Distributing & Manufacturing, Inc. is announcing it’s new online venture Hydronic Heating Supplies. By taking our low prices and extensive catalog one step further into the digital realm, we are able to make your shopping and ordering experience easier. Now you can compare pricing with other companies, place orders and read product reviews from other customers at any time of the day.

If you have any questions or comments about our new online store Hydronic Heating Supplies, please feel free to contacts us toll free 1-866-361-7355.

Posted: June 5th, 2008 under Advertising, Home Heating, Outdoor Furnaces.
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CROWN ROYAL STOVES OUTDOOR WOOD FURNACES INSTALLATION GUIDE
ALL INSTALLATIONS AND OPERATIONS MUST FOLLOW FEDERAL, PROVINCIAL, STATE, AND LOCAL CODES FOR WIRING, PLUMBING, INSTALLING CHIMNEY. ALL WORK MUST BE PERFORMED BY QUALIFIED PERSONAL ONLY.

1. Inspect the ground conditions that you intend to install your outdoor wood furnace on. If the area is unstable or has a history of staying wet, you may have to improve the soil with gravel as well as raising the elevation. A cement pad of 4″ - 6″ inches should then be used. The outdoor furnace in most cases can be placed on four cement blocks and they should not be less than 24 inches wide, 24 inches long, 3 inches thick. Obtain the footprint of the model of the outdoor furnace you have purchased. Place your blocks so that the legs will be in the center of them. For a pad, the width need not be greater that the outside width of the outdoor furnace. The length of pad should be as long as the outside length dimension and an added length is desirable as a work area at the loading door. A four-foot extension is most commonly used.

2. Select a tubing product of at least one inch inside dimension, which is rated at 180 degrees F 100 PSI continuous flow. Plan to have no joints, couplings, unions, etc. joining the tube between the building being heated and the stove. The chance for a leak is too great. The pipe should have a construction of polyethylene and an oxygen barrier. Also, mark your feed and return lines prior to covering and allow enough pipe above ground at both ends for a relaxed connection.

3. The supply and return tubing needs to be insulated to prevent heat loss from the outdoor wood furnace. It is recommended that at least 1/2″ of insulating material be used. Both the return and supply pipes can be insulated together so that the temperature drop is minimized.

4. All wiring must conform to local codes. Use an electrical wire rated and approved for underground installations. This wiring can be placed in the same trench below the water lines. Use 12-2 UF wire with ground to provide power to the draft inducer blower, aqua stat, night light, etc. at the outdoor furnace / stove. This is satisfactory for most applications but a state certified electrician must be consulted.

5. There are some products that incorporate the supply and return pipe, insulation, and moisture shield into one product. This is fine, but do not select solid black drain tile, it will eventually crack causing moisture to seep through the insulated pipe and heat loss into the ground. The critical issue is to keep the insulated pipes from coming into contact with the soil, ground water, etc. We recommend using Insul-Seal, which is available in 3″ and 4″. This product is water tight and resists heat loss.

6. The trench must be 24″ deep and 8″ - 12″ wide. If possible have a gradual slope in your trench to allow drainage away from lines and out of the trench bottom. Place electrical supply in bottom of trench and cover with 6″ of gravel or dirt. At this point a water barrier is required. Several methods are possible, but the most important factor is; if ground water comes in contact with your heating lines, it will be the greatest heat loss to your system. A minimum of R10 insulation value is recommended, and a water-tight vapor barrier such as a continuous poly tube of plastic PVC pipe to encase your insulation is a must.
NOTE: If you need to bury lines under an area where vehicles will cross, you should increase the depth of trench to three feet or place planks over the trench in that area to spread the load and reduce the pressure generated on the lines.

7. The supply and return tubing and the power wire can be lowered in the trench, brought through the buildings being heated, and extended a minimum of 36″ out of the soil where the stove is to be placed. Seal the openings around the tubing where it enters the building and seal the tubing where it extends out of the ground at the location where the stove is to be placed.

8. Connections to the outdoor wood furnace are clearly marked. The installation of isolation valves at both ends of the pump is recommended as well as a valve at the return line. This will allow you to shut off water supply for repair or if additional heating components are added to the system. It is recommended that piping used is able to withstand 100 PSI at 180 F, and is at least 1″ (inch) in diameter. 1 1/4″ (Inch) piping is recommended for larger systems. A single junction box at the rear of the furnace is included for your power supply, and should be connected by a qualified person.

9. A hole large enough to accommodate two lines and insulation is required and attention to sealing this point of entry is very important. Be sure to bring pipes, insulation and vapor barrier completely through wall and seal from both sides.

10. You will require either water to water (tube and shell or plate) or water to air heat exchanger (rad) to transfer or extract heat energy from the hot water your outdoor furnace has produced. Your local authorized dealer or certified plumber can design and install a system to best suit your requirements.

11. The Class A stainless steel chimney pipe comes in various lengths, spanning from eighteen (18) inches to forty eight (48) inches. Install each section of piping by placing male and female sections together then twisting them to lock sections together. When installing your chimney piping, it is recommended by the chimney manufacture that it must be laterally braced every eight (8) feet. It is also recommended by the chimney manufacture that the height of the piping does not exceed a total of forty (40) feet.
If additional height is needed, contact your local dealer or Northland Distributing & Mfg, Inc.

Posted: March 20th, 2008 under Outdoor Furnaces, Questions & Answers.
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Americans love having options. Options allow us to select the outcome of a particular situation. An option may be a small as what to have for lunch or as large as how to heat a home. Americans looking to heat their homes have a number of home heating options and that is something that is very pleasing for many.With the high cost of gas there are many individuals who automatically eliminate it as a home heating method. With gas eliminated that leaves coal, wood, and electricity. There are a number of benefits to heating your home with electricity, but there are also benefits to heating your home with wood or coal. For this reason, there are many homeowners who make the decision to purchase a wood furnace or a coal furnace. What if there was an option that would allow you to have both? That option is what is known as a wood and coal burning furnace.

A wood and coal burning furnace is a combination of each individual furnace. Many times the furnace is used as a wood furnace, but there is always the option of using the coal.

Most wood and coal burning furnace owners use the coal only as a secondary backup. If coal is never used in a wood and coal burning furnace it is still nice to have the option to use it if need be.

Having a choice may be the greatest benefit of owning a wood and coal burning furnace, but there are additional benefits. Another one of the most popular benefits of owning a wood and coal burning furnace is the money that could be saved. Using wood and even coal to heat your home is often drastically cheaper than the cost of heating a home with gas. A wood and coal burning furnace can provide cheap home heating for houses of all sizes.

Another benefit of owning a wood and coal burning furnace is the safety that it provides. Since wood and coal burning furnaces are outdoor furnaces they are likely to reduce the risk of a house fire. It is possible for an outdoor furnace to be installed close to the home, but it is often safer when it is a small distance away. The chances of a fire occurring in an outdoor furnace is slim, but if one should occur it can’t spread to the home if it is not right next to it.

As you can see, there are a large number of benefits to owning a wood and coal burning furnace. In fact, the above mentioned benefits are just a few of the many. If you are interested in learning the additional benefits of owning a wood and coal burning furnace then you should get browsing. Simply by reviewing product descriptions and pictures you should be able to see why there are an unlimited number of benefits to owning a wood and coal burning furnace.

by: Erik Holden

Posted: March 13th, 2008 under Outdoor Furnaces, Questions & Answers.
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http://www.reuters.com/news/video/videoStory?videoId=58075

Jun. 25 - Alternative biomass fuels like wood chips are starting to compete with conventional coal and gas heating systems in the UK.

Companies and public authorities are starting to think about cleaner ways to heat their offices and other buildings.

Chris Burns reports for Reuters

© Reuters 2007. All rights reserved.

Posted: June 26th, 2007 under Outdoor Furnaces, Outdoor Wood Burning.
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1. Read and follow all operating instructions supplied by the manufacturer.

2. FUEL USED: Only those listed fuels recommended by the manufacturer of your unit.
Never use the following: trash, plastics, gasoline, rubber, naphtha, household
garbage, material treated with petroleum products (particle board, railroad ties and
pressure treated wood), leaves, paper products, and cardboard.

3. LOADING FUEL: For a more efficient burn, pay careful attention to loading times and
amounts. Follow the manufacturer’s written instructions for recommended loading
times and amounts.

4. STARTERS: Do not use lighter fluids, gasoline, or chemicals.

5. LOCATION: It is recommended that the unit be located with due consideration to the
prevailing wind direction.
• Furnace should be located no less than 100 feet from any residence not served by
the furnace.
• If located within 100 feet to 300 feet to any residence not served by the furnace, it
is recommended that the stack be at least 2 feet higher than the peak of that
residence.

6. Always remember to comply with all applicable state and local codes.

Provided by the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association (HPBA), Outdoor Furnaces Manufacturers Caucus.

Posted: June 20th, 2007 under Outdoor Furnaces, Outdoor Wood Burning.
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