If the weather is as beautiful where you are as it is in Kansas City (right now, anyway!), then you, like me, may have a hard time thinking about furnaces, heating and winter weather!
Yet frigid temperatures will be here before we know it, and if you find yourself in need of a new residential heating system, you may want to consider a biomass furnace.
Available in a variety of capacities, biomass furnaces are often powered by fuel made from wood and its subproducts and wastes. Typically referred to as pellet furnaces, these heating devices are named as such because they run off of wood pellets or shelled corn.
According to BobVila.com, “The definition of biomass fuel varies from state to state, but in general, it is an organic matter generated on a recurring basis that can be used for fuel.”
Wood pellets are an increasingly popular form of biomass fuel source that can be made from a variety of wood, as well as mill or agricultural by-product materials. Wood pellets burn more cleanly than cord-wood, a factor that has contributed to the pellets’ increasingly widespread use.
And as a whole, biomass furnaces are more efficient than traditional wood stoves thanks to a greater degree of consistency and dryness in wood pellets as compared to cord wood.
To switch to a biomass furnace, your home will need to rely on a central heating system. You’ll select a furnace based on the size of the space you need to heat. Installation can be completed as a DIY project, but if you opt for a furnace that heats your entire home, you may want to call in a professional. Either way, be sure to check your city’s codes, which may dictate installation practices depending on your furnace.
Would you consider switching to a biomass furnace? Or do you prefer a more traditional heating system?
Photo courtesy of Harman Stoves
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