Alternative Heating Strategies, Saving the planet, saving money

People have found they can save significant dollars every year by heating their homes by using “alternative strategies.” These strategies typically involve burning different fuels to produce heat, finding a low-cost source of energy, and heating only areas where you actually live.

Some homes get through an entire winter using corn, pellets made of wood or other materials, anthracite coal, or even good, ol’ fashioned firewood. Many these days use more than one type or hybrid methods.
Any number of manufacturers have found unique ways to put common materials to use as heating fuels, including corn, chaff, coal, wheat straw, and wood pellets—you name it, and if it burns, it can be put to use. Particularly in areas with heavy timber, firewood stoves, boilers, and furnaces keep things toasty inside the house.

A fast-growing trend is the use of geothermal heating (and cooling, as it turns out), where tubes extending into the soil pull heat from the earth and circulate in your structure. These are typically expensive, but do have the benefit of a nearly zero-cost heat source that lasts for decades. One innovator, Terra Caloric from Michigan, has even developed a lower-cost hybrid method using your existing drinking-water well.

The comfort from small space heating can’t be ignored. Today this includes fireplaces, fireplace inserts, freestanding wood stoves, and electric floor heaters, like the EdenPURE 360 Super Climater. The key aspect of this approach is the you’re not heating rooms that your not in, thereby saving money.
What follows are some of the industry’s most exciting alternative approaches to keeping warm.

CENTRAL BOILER

Classic Edge HD Outdoor Wood Furnace
Enjoy all the benefits of wood heat without the problems associated with indoor burning U.S. EPA-certified clean-burning, this outdoor furnace comes in three sizes up to 240,000 BTUs/hour, but burning wood is far from antiquated—Central Boiler’s FireStar combustion controller monitors all functions of the furnace and optimizes the gasification process automatically. Built-in wi-fi lets you monitor the furnace with your phone from anywhere. Maintenance is enhanced with a fully accessible heat exchanger and ash collection area.
Central Boiler, Inc.
800-248-4681
centralboiler.com

HARDY HEATER

Model KB 125
Hardy Pioneered outdoor wood heating in 1976, and the certified clean-burn heater, Model KB 125 utilizes the latest gasification technology to burn wood gases then transfer heat to water through multiple heat recovery chambers. This process reduces wood consumption and exhaust emissions—energy consumption and pollutants are reduced, providing lasting environmental effects to our communities. Made of stainless steel like Hardy’s other coal and light commercial wood burning furnaces, the KB 125 is “Made in the USA” and backed by a 25-year limited warranty.
Hardy Manufacturing Company, Inc.
800-542-7395
hardyheater.com

LAMPPA KUUMA

Kuuma Vapor-Fire 100
The highest efficiency cord-wood furnace tested by the EPA, this is the only wood furnace certified by the EPA to pass the strict 2020 Phase 2 emissions standards. It burns nearly as clean as a natural gas furnace. Plus, high efficiency means burn times of 10 to 15 hours are not uncommon, depending on the wood provided. User- friendly, Lamppa Kuuma says you just load the wood and walk away—the forced-air furnace takes care of the rest. The Vapor-Fire is designed and built with a 40-year service life in mind, and carries a 25-year warranty.
Lamppa Manufacturing Inc.
800-358-2049
lamppakuuma.com

NAPOLEON

S-Series wood stoves
The S-Series are EPA-approved wood burning stoves that come complete with a modern cast iron door and pedestal base in a metallic charcoal finish. The S-Series features a kitchen style pull-out ash drawer with a removable ash pan and lid. The lever-action door handle (with a removable handle shield) remains in a convenient up position whenever the door is open, making cleaning and refueling safe and easy. Napoleon also manufactures efficient gas and pellet-burning models, as well.
Napoleon Fireplaces
866-820-8686 napoleonfireplaces.com

TERRA CALORIC

Well-Connect
If you have a well, Well-Connect is an affordable alternative to traditional, custom geothermal heating and cooling installations. Because it works in combination with your home’s current heating system, Well-Connect heats for 50 to 75 percent less than propane, fuel oil, or electric. Well-Connect is eligible for a 30 percent Federal tax credit and was awarded the Michigan’s Governor’s Energy Excellence Award. Unlike traditional geothermal systems, Well-Connect can typically be installed in one day.
Terra Caloric, LLC
989-356-2113 wellconnectgeo.com

EDEN PURE

360 Super Climater
Why heat or cool an entire house when you are in just one room? The EdenPURE 360 Super Climater utilizes patented soft heat that radiates from the unit and “rides” the humidity of the room to provide an even, moist heat without reducing oxygen or drying out the air. The all-season, compact, portable, light weight EdenPURE 360 Super Climater heats or cools a large room with even temperature control. Features include bladeless fan technology, overheat protection, and automatic tilt switch turn off.
EdenPURE - Suarez Corporation Industries
800-839-0981 edenpure.com

COMFORTBILT

HP22 Series pellet stoves and inserts
Designed for ease of installation, the HP22 series offers 50,000 BTU performance at 86% efficiency or more. ComfortBilt stoves feature a mono-bloc steel interior structure, heavy gauge steel exteriors, carbon-steel doors, air wash low maintenance ceramic glass, multi- stage tempered steel electronic igniters, and two-stage burn design. ComfortBilt pellet stoves’ smart controller can run a preset day/time specific routine; the integrated thermostat lets users set the unit to a specific home temperature, also adjustable with remote control.
ComfortBilt Pellet Stoves
919-973-4079 comfortbilt.net