Heating with wood and coal (NRAES 23)

This 72 page publication (NRAES-23) was originally published by the Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service (NRAES, previously known as the Northeast Regional Agricultural Engineering Service), a multi-university program in the Northeast US disbanded in 2011. Plant and Life Sciences Publishing (PALS) was subsequently formed to manage the NRAES catalog. Ceasing operations in 2018, PALS was a program of the Department of Horticulture in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Cornell University. PALS assisted university faculty in publishing, marketing and distributing books for small farmers, gardeners, land owners, workshops, college courses, and consumers.

This book is intended to provide basic information on using wood or coal for home heating. Choosing a fuel, fireplaces, stoves, and furnaces are discussed. Stove installation basics and safety are reviewed. Intended for homeowners and educators. If you're heating your home with a solid fuel, or are thinking about making a switch to a solid-fuel heating system, a newly revised book is a must-read. It provides updated information on technological advances and installation code changes in solid-fuel heating systems. With today's uncertainty about the cost and availability of fossil fuels, many people are considering making the switch to a solid-fuel heating system, while others are opting to supplement an existing system. Consumers quickly learn there are many solid-fuel heating systems to choose from, and being well informed is critical to making the right decision. Since the strong revival of burning wood for home heating in the 1970s, major advances in stove design have caught up with present-day demands for convenience. These newly developed stoves, of which the most significant is the catalytic woodstove, reduce creosote and emission problems and burn solid fuels more efficiently. This highly practical book is full of information to help you evaluate the strengths and drawbacks of various heating systems and how well each meets your personal needs. The book will be useful not only to consumers, but also to extension educators; stove manufacturers and retailers; energy specialists; and woodlot and sawmill owners. While many resources compare relative fuel costs, this book considers the relative costs of the heating units themselves, as well as for their installation and maintenance. It also considers the investment in time required to use and maintain the various types of systems available today. Eleven tables, 45 figures, and a stove installation checklist supplement the text.