| Wood boilers take the idea of the traditional wood | | | | burn cleanly, with a minimum of creosote build-up, a |
| stove and improve on it, solving some problems | | | | boiler can be loaded with enough wood to burn for |
| inherent in wood burning and making wood a clean, | | | | hours without having to replenish the wood supply. The |
| safe, and efficient source of heat.Wood stoves have | | | | boiler, which can be located inside or outside the home, |
| been used for centuries; a very famous American, | | | | heats water which can be used in hot water heating |
| Benjamin Franklin, invented the Franklin stove in the | | | | systems and, combined with a hot water storage |
| 1700s as a safe alternative to fireplaces, which were | | | | system, can be stored for long periods of time (from |
| dangerous - likely to catch the mainly wooden homes | | | | seven to ten days) between firings.Some boilers are |
| standard back then on fire - and not particularly | | | | constructed to be used with a variety of fuels, including |
| efficient. The stove provided radiant heat in a relatively | | | | wood, oil, and gas, offering a lot of flexibility to the |
| safe manner compared to the open fires of | | | | homeowner, particularly with the fluctuations in the |
| fireplaces.While wood stoves were supplanted by | | | | availability and pricing of different fuels. Other boilers |
| central heating decades ago in urban and suburban | | | | are designed to burn corn or wood pellets, two more |
| environments, in the country many people continue to | | | | fuels which are increasing in popularity as alternatives |
| heat their homes, as well as cook their meals, partly or | | | | to traditional fuel oil or natural gas.With more |
| entirely with wood. But problems remain in the use of | | | | consumers waking up to the problems inherent in |
| wood as a fuel; while a properly maintained and | | | | heating with oil and natural gas, people are looking with |
| operated wood stove is relatively safe, the build-up of | | | | renewed interest at alternative sources of fuel for |
| creosote in stove pipes and chimneys can still result in | | | | heating their homes; and more and more are choosing |
| dangerous fires.Another problem is time. In an era | | | | wood boilers as a safe, sensible, and moneysaving |
| when at least one person in the family spent the | | | | solution.Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in |
| majority of the time at home, feeding a hungry wood | | | | southwestern New Hampshire and frequently |
| stove was not a big problem; now, however, with | | | | contributes to Tips and Topics. She has published |
| adults working outside the home at least forty hours a | | | | numerous articles in local and regional publications on a |
| week, if not more, having a fire go out means coming | | | | wide range of topics, including business, education, the |
| home to a cold house and, in extremely cold weather, | | | | arts, and local events. Her feature articles include an |
| dealing with the possibility of frozen and burst pipes. | | | | interview with independent documentary filmmaker |
| Also, walking away from a house with an active fire | | | | Ken Burns and a feature on prisoners at the New |
| burning in the wood stove doesn't necessarily inspire a | | | | Hampshire State Prison in Concord. |
| lot of peace of mind.Enter the wood boiler. Designed to | | | | |