Anyone who heats their home or uses hot water uses energy. There are many different ways to obtain that energy and some methods are more efficient than others. These methods all release stored energy from a fuel source to heat either air or water for a home, or to cook, clean, or do a variety of tasks with. The most common methods used in heating homes and water are electric heat and gas. These are not the most efficient methods available, but are simple and have automated delivery into homes. The cost of obtaining and using this energy is a growing concern for many people in the United States and around the world. Another concern is that in using the energy sources that are mass produced and automatically supplied to homes, people will be vulnerable to shortages and supply failures. As a result, many people are searching for alternative energy sources for answers. This also fuels a desire for people to be self sufficient should an interruption in traditional energy sources occur.
One of the things that make an alternative energy source viable is a plentiful, accessible fuel source. One of the most common fuel sources available to us is wood. Wood constantly is replenishing itself and growing. Wood is cheap and common and is also an excellent energy source. When burned, it releases plenty of energy that is clean and efficient. One way that people have learned to harness this plentiful energy source is by using enclosed furnaces that capture most of the released energy from burning the wood and transfer it to water inside the outer walls of the furnace. The water is then pumped to a home or other building to heat potable water, or to be transferred into the house via floor radiators, central air systems, or other type of heat transfer system.
With a little effort in obtaining and supplying a wood source, one can actually supply most, if not all of the heating needs for a household or small business using a wood stove. Wood can be obtained from various places including many free sources of unwanted wood from fallen trees or trimming that people will give away for free if you are willing to haul it away. Sawdust can even be made into wood pellets that burn more efficiently than a log and these can be burned in most wood stoves. Bulk wood supplies are also available to have delivered to your home inexpensively compared with gas or electricity and this makes it easier to maintain the supply. Even in colder areas like Ohio, a wood stove only needs to be fed every 12 hours or so. Wood stoves are available in many forms and can satisfy a variety of heating needs from a 2,000 square foot home to a 20,000 square foot business and can allow you to become completely self sufficient when it comes to heating your home or business or save a substantial amount of money compared to using traditional energy sources.
