Outdoor Wood Furnace Pros and Cons

An outdoor wood furnace is an excellent choice to consider as a landscape remodeling project when winter approaches. This is the time when people start to plan how they're going to stay warm during the heating season.

They think about the difference between outdoor boilers and the indoor boiler that is currently running their existing system. 

How Do Outdoor Wood Furnaces Fit in with Landscape Remodeling?

It's pretty easy to add the installation of an outdoor wood furnace or wood boiler to an existing landscaping project. Working with professionals helps you determine the best placement for the outdoor wood burner, and they can take care of the entire installation process 

Landscape remodelers can explain exactly how the outdoor wood boiler works to keep your home warm, so you don't have to worry about deciphering the manual on your own later. 

Outdoor boilers can create enough hot water to heat your entire house. In fact, they can provide more warmth than an indoor wood-burning stove. However, before you make pick your outdoor wood stove, it's important to consider the pros and cons of outdoor furnaces.

5 Pros of Outdoor Wood Boilers

Independence

You are in total control of how much fuel you use for the indoor heating process. You determine how much you spend on your indoor heating system.

You can also decide what you want to heat, for example, you can use the heated water from your outdoor boiler for warming your pool or hot tub.

Eco-Friendly

These warming devices are designed with the environment in mind. When used correctly, modern outdoor wood-burning furnaces ignite cleanly with less ash, but without less heat. 

Burning wood in your outdoor wood furnace is actually carbon neutral, which makes it more eco-friendly than indoor stoves.

Durability

Modern outdoor burners are made from materials that are durable enough to withstand even the coldest winters without affecting their optimal performance.

Do a little homework on the materials used in outdoor furnaces, including the water heater, water jacket, and insulated pipes so you know what to look for when you buy an outdoor furnace.

Talk to your landscaper about which brands use the highest quality materials in their outdoor boilers. 

No Fuss Cleaning

Your outdoor furnace is going to need regular cleaning, but unlike indoor wood stoves, you don't have to worry about spilled ash or wood shavings around your outdoor wood furnace. 

5 Cons of Outdoor Wood Burners

Where's the Wood?

Outdoor wood furnaces are great if you have a ready supply of wood for fuel. However, you could end up paying a chunk of money for enough wood to keep your boiler going. 

There's an extra cost if you buy well-seasoned wood, which will burn efficiently. Wood with at least 25% water content can create more smoke. Creosote buildup also affects the efficiency of your outdoor wood-burning furnace. You'll have to clean the outdoor boiler more often. 

However, after a little experimentation, you can determine the most cost-effective way to generate hot water for the heat exchange tubes, without generating too much heat that could damage the heat exchanger. 

Smoking Area

Modern outdoor wood furnaces are designed to burn clean, producing much less smoke than old furnaces. There will always be smoke but your landscaper can advise you about the proper use of a smoke stack and the best place for your burner to minimize pollution.

Proper Maintenance

The thing about an outdoor boiler is that you have to go into the cold to carry out the maintenance tasks. You must also check on your wood store to ensure it's still dry so the fire will burn with optimum efficiency.

Labor

It's not just maintenance; an outdoor boiler always demands some labor, even if it's just stacking and fetching wood.

Storage

You need a proper place to store your wood. It must be protected from the elements and dry enough to allow the wood to season. You might have to build a special storage area near your house.

However, the wood for indoor wood furnaces also needs to be stored somewhere, so both options take up space. 

An advantage of having landscape remodellers on the scene is that they can create an attractive wood store that doesn't detract from the beauty of your newly landscaped garden.

Get the Right Outdoor Furnace for Your Space with West Hills Masonry!

Do the pros of outdoor wood boilers outweigh the cons?

The answer is subjective, but some cons can be turned around, and while they might not turn into pros, at least their impact is negated.

If you want to find out more about outdoor wood furnaces or about landscape remodeling in general, our team of experienced professionals specializes in outdoor living and more.

Email us at info@westhillsmasonry.com or contact us at 714-519-5009 at West Hills Masonry today!