Sam Streubel asked:


Even if you owned a million dollar townhouse in Boston’s Back Bay, there just isn’t enough room on a 25’ x 100’ lot for a townhouse, small deck, a couple of parking spaces AND a closed loop geothermal heating system.

However, a roof top solar system for hot water would be doable if you could get the idea past the Historical Preservation groups.

If you live in high humidity Alabama, the environmentally friendly swamp cooler will never be a viable substitute for more expensive air conditioning.

Only when you narrow down the choices for alternative heating based on where you live, can you begin to focus your time and energy on the most relevant, cost effective heating solution.


Urban Alternative Heating

Geothermal, outdoor furnaces and most wind power are not suitable for urban or small-lot suburban homes. Except for very small wind turbines (i.e., with rotors one meter or less in diameter) on very small towers, a property size of one acre or more is desirable.

Wood burning stoves have been used in urban areas for as long as I can remember. I bought my first air tight stove in 1976. Corn and wood pellet stoves are quickly gaining acceptance as new installations or replacements for existing wood stoves.

One Connecticut pellet stove dealer I spoke with said he sold so many wood pellet and corn stoves last winter he was forced to temporarily close one of his two stores for lack of product.

An adaptation of the wood or pellet stove is the fully vented fireplace insert. They are comparably priced to freestanding stoves and offer a simple way to turn an otherwise inefficient fireplace into a source of heat for multiple rooms.

Unvented gas log fireplaces or propane space heaters are less expensive to purchase and install but are controversial with respect to health risks and are prohibited in some localities. Make sure the unit you purchase has an ODS (Oxygen Depletion Sensor). This safety device turns off the heater when the oxygen in the room drops below 18%. (Normal is around 21%)

Decorative gel fireplaces are nice to look at, but aren’t considered legitimate heating devices.

Electric and hydronic (hot water) radiant heat are extremely versatile and can be installed anywhere. The hydronic application of radiant heat can be fueled by anything from corn to gas and can be adapted to heat driveways, hot tubs and of course, your home.

Solar for hot water is on the rise in urban areas. A neighbor of mine in the Port Norfolk section of Boston recently installed a solar array on the roof of his two family home. His contractor did a first rate job and it doesn’t detract from the visual appeal of his house at all. He also says his hot water bill now costs him “chump change”.

Let’s not forget the lowly space heater. For many homeowners who spend most of their time in only one room of an eight room house, an inexpensive space heater is often the first choice to supplement their conventional heating system.


Suburban Alternative Heating

Suburban lot sizes can run anywhere from ¼ of an acre to three acres. But even a quarter acre lot opens up the possibility of a vertical closed loop geothermal system.

A three acre lot will afford you the space to install a slightly less expensive horizontal closed loop geothermal system, a wind turbine or even an outdoor wood, pellet or corn furnace.

At approximately $5000, the outdoor furnace is your least expensive option. A quality 1,800 watt wind turbine and tower can be purchased for $7,000. If geothermal is your system of choice, a new, 3,000 sq. ft. home can be heated and cooled for around $20,000.

If you partner with a program such as Energy Crafted Home in Connecticut, it’s possible to receive a rebate of $713 per ton of geothermal heating/cooling capacity. For the 3,000 sq. ft. home just mentioned, it would mean a rebate totaling $2,971.

Although wind, geothermal and outdoor furnace systems are more expensive than the typical $2000 wood pellet stove, they are very efficient and pay for themselves in only a few years.

The increasingly popular manufactured home is a growing segment of the suburban real estate market, and fire safety codes are very specific as to what you can use to heat your home.

Check with your local building department to find out exactly which alternative heating appliances are permitted before you start shopping for the best deal.


Rural Alternative Heating

Just as the sky and landscape open up in rural America, so do opportunities for alternative heating.

With so much room to work with you could design a CHP (Combined Heat and Power Unit).

An obvious choice for homeowners in the Corn Belt would be an outdoor corn furnace for heat and hot water. Couple this with a low maintenance wind turbine for electricity and it’s possible to achieve a 70%+ reduction in energy costs when compared to fuel oil.

If your property includes a shallow pond or lake, a closed loop geothermal system will heat and cool your home for the cost of electricity to operate a heat pump.

The choices for alternative heating are plentiful no matter where you live. It’s just a matter of knowing where you fit in.

Jerry Holt asked:


Scenario:

My air conditioner is only a year old and it’s leaking water badly. It’s a window mounted air conditioner and I’m afraid the leaking water is going to cause damage to my exterior walls. Do you guys have any ideas or tips?

Solution:

It sounds like your drain line is clogged. That’s what allows your AC to drain off the water. This is a repair that you should be able to do yourself. A drain line should be cleaned out annually. Most drain lines flow with the help of gravity, releasing the condensation that collects in the pan. It overflows as a result of becoming blocked and soon you have a leaking air conditioner. Like I said, regular maintenance is necessary to keep it free flowing.

Because you have a window air conditioner it is probably piped from the outside and this case you should locate the drain line and flush it thoroughly. You could use a garden hose if you’re careful or you could also flush it with air.

If your air conditioning unit uses a condensation pump rather than gravity feed than it may need to be replaced. In this case the water is piped from the unit to the pump where it fills until the float reaches the appropriate level. After you turn it on check to see if it may be not running while it’s full. If the pump is not operating you might be able to replace it yourself or you may want to call and air conditioning technician. Remember, before you attempt any repair work be sure to unplug the air conditioner.

After you get it fixed remember to clean it annually to keep algae and dirt build up to a minimum.

W. P. Allen asked:


Nothing adds to the warmth, beauty, and charm of a room the way an electric fireplace stove can. It almost seems criminal to have the additional added value of greatly reduce heating costs! No matter what your personal style, the size of your home, or the dynamic of your family, there is sure to be an electric fireplace stove that will more than adequately suit your needs.

From elegant to whimsical, or from modern to vintage, there are an assortment of electric fireplace stoves that are sure to please your decorating taste. The immediate ambiance created by the stove with its realistic flames adds comfort and romance to any environment. For added realism, many models come with faux stovepipes that seem to disappear into the ceiling or up the chimney. Because these are simply ornamental pipes, the stove can be easily moved to accommodate any remodeling or rearranging of furniture. The only thing you will need to consider is whether there is access to a standard outlet.

Many models have the appearance of being cast iron, reminiscent of the one that your great grandmother may have had in the sitting room. Other models are sleek and modern to easily coordinate with today’s decor.

Beyond the beauty of the electric fireplace stove is the amazing savings that will be realized when the ambient heat takes the chill off a room. Many units are thermostatically controlled, which drastically reduces the need for central heat, especially when the entire house is not in need of being heated.

A concern with wood burning stoves that prevents many people from installing them in their homes is the fear of accidental burns, especially in small children or from accidental falls. With an electric fireplace stove, this is simply never a problem. In fact, many units would be perfectly suitable for use in a child’s room.

When considering the safety, beauty, versatility, and extreme savings in heating costs, an electric fireplace stove is a natural consideration for any home’s decor.

Wood Pellet Production Guide

Tony Bargas asked:


Painting your old cabinets tends to be one of the more affordable and homeowner-friendly home improvement projects. However, painting cabinets involves a lot of hard work to be done properly. The old finish would have to be removed and sanded down to the bear wood, then you would have to apply the primer and finally painting it, not to mention all the hardware would have to be remove also. This process is less expensive than replacing or refacing the cabinets. However, you would still have an old looking kitchen with old looking doors and all that you would have accomplished is changing the color and maybe the hardware and eventually seeing the grease stick to the painted cabinets accumulating the dust that will stick to the grease. The cost for painting your cabinets can range from $50 to $200 if done by the homeowner and $2,500 to $6,000 if a contractor is hired.

Kitchen Cabinet Refacing is the more affordable way as compared to expensive new cabinets, usually 50% less. Cabinet refacing will replace the cabinet doors and drawer fronts with new ones and the rest will be refaced to match your new cabinet doors and drawer fronts. Choose cathedral, arch, shaker, and many other styles and colors in wood or thermo-foil laminate. By replacing the doors, drawer fronts, hardware, new moldings, additional space, knick-knock shelves and other accessories available, you can design your dream kitchen.

Wood Pellet Production Guide

Christopher W Smith asked:


We hear a lot of mention on the news these days about people seeking alternative methods of heating their homes. After all, natural gas, which became the most economical way of heating a home in the mid 20th century, has become prohibitively-expensive for many people today. Propane and electricity are even more expensive than natural gas, and the initial outlay for a geothermal system is not an economical solution either. Therefore, many people are turning to the heating methods used by our ancestors and going back to stoves. For example, pellet stove reviews indicate that many people are opting for new technology ways to save on their heating costs.

One of the best-known brands of this modern technology is the Whitfield Pellet Stove. When you think about old-time stoves, you probably envision bulky black monstrosities that have to be stoked with constant loads of wood. Pellet stoves are nothing like these older versions. They are basic, classy-looking units that fit right into your living or family room décor. They are also high-tech as far as performance and high-efficiency combustion are concerned. This type of a stove will deliver up to 30,000 or 40,000 BTUs of heat with an 85% heating efficiency which will keep your home and family warm and comfortable.

Harman pellet stoves are also top-of-the-line as far as efficiency and decorative appeal. These sleek, streamlined units are built powerful and convenient to use, and have state-of-the-art temperature control so that your home will always be the temperature you want it to be. These beautiful, free-standing stoves are made of cast iron and are engineered to surpass any other cast iron stoves on the market. All you need do is fill the hopper and set the temperature, and your Harman pellet stove will be good to go. You won’t even have to empty the ash collector until you’ve burned a ton of pellets.

High efficiency pellet stoves are definitely a wave of the future. Nothing is more convenient to use, more dependable, or more efficient. According to pellet stove reviews that are found online, customers love both Whitfield and Harman stoves. Think of how cozy your home could be next winter if you added one to your life.

Wood Pellet Stove And Boiler Guide

Jonathan R Richards asked:


Almost everyone loves to watch a burning fireplace or stove. However, not too many people are very interested in the tiresome chore of chopping wood into small enough pieces that will be able to fit into a typical wood burning unit. On the other hand, if you have a corn or pellet burning stove, you can have your cake and eat it too. Watching the dancing flame is just as hypnotizing; but there is absolutely no wood to chop. The fuel for these units is made entirely from organic matter that has been compressed into tiny pellets. These pellets are so small that they can easily be stored in a container near the stove.

Pellet stoves usually burn up to a day or two with one loading of pellets. They burn very clean and very hot. Nevertheless, the outside of most of these units remain comparatively cool. But, precautions must still be taken when you are near the glass door. It will be scorching hot. These stoves are virtually smoke free; thus producing little pollution. As with most everything, there is one mayor negative feature of this unit. It relies on electrical current to operate. Therefore, it may be unreliable as the only source of heat during the cold winter months. On the other hand, battery powered units are also readily available for people who may want the added security of a second power supply.

Pellet stoves are very economical to use. They definitely will help reduce your energy costs. Since the fuel for these stoves is organic in nature, it can easily be replaced in a relatively short period of time. This means that none of our much needed forests ever need to be destroyed.

Wood Pellet Production Guide

Brian Gates asked:


Households that rely on solid fuel to heat their homes will be well aware of the costs involved in stocking up on coal or wood logs.

Getting an efficient stove and lined chimney is just the start – you’ll soon realise, via trial and error, that different fuels yields different results in terms of heat output. When winter sets in, you’ll be looking to maximise the heat from your fuel and cost will be an important factor.

The temptation is to get your hands on wood, any type of wood, the cheaper the better, to throw onto your fire. But anyone with any experience of trying to keep a fire going using unseasoned firewood will quickly realise that the quality of your wood fuel is of paramount importance.

For example ten (10) kiln dried logs with a water content of 25% or less generates the same heat output as thirty three (33) logs with a water content of around 60% (typically unseasoned wood) That’s more than three non-seasoned logs for every kiln-dried log.

This means you get a hotter, more efficient fire with a third of the number of wood logs.

Plus, the advantages of kiln-dried logs are many. The lighter weight of kiln dried logs means you can put more in your log basket and make fewer journeys between your wood store and stove. Kiln dried logs are bone dry and much cleaner which means they are better for storing inside and want make so much mess. Using fewer kiln dried logs means better control of the stove and fewer loads. The fire burns cleaner and hotter with kiln dried logs and the stove window is less likely to soot up. If you are burning on an open fire then there is much less spitting and sizzling which means it’s much safer and better for your chimney.

Finally, the bright flame and gorgeous wood fire smell also make kiln-dried logs much more aesthetically pleasing and create that real fire ambiance that everyone loves.

So, what about the bottom line – cost? Yes kiln dried logs are more expensive because they have had to go through a process of kiln drying but when comparing price remember about heat output and the fact that for every one kiln dried log you’ll need at least three normal wood logs.

In fact, when taking into account all the positives such as the burning efficiency, cleanliness, weight and aesthetics, investing in kiln dried logs makes a sound investment.