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Multi-Fuel Furnaces
MEG,
Here is a first pass at an article for your web
site on multi-fuel furnaces. Let me know what you think about it. I was
trying to remain very short and may have left out some important info.
Also, I am familiar with HVAC and so may have assumed a level of knowledge that
the general public doesn't have. I also did not emphasize any
"preparedness" aspect of a multi-fuel furnace. (We live in such
a politically correct society, sigh.) I don't know what term to use.
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Most modern American homes are heated by a
centrally located unit. This central heat plant could be a boiler, furnace or
heat pump. Regardless of the type of unit, almost all of these are
dependent on a single energy source. Boilers and furnaces typically generate
heat from burning either gas or oil. Heat pumps get the heat from a source and
dump this heat in a house but they require sizable amounts of electricity to
operate.
The different heat plants are used in different
regions of the country. However, they all have the same disadvantage, they
depend on a primary energy source to operate. Natural gas or propane for
gas-fired boilers or furnaces and number 2 fuel oil for their oil-fired counter
parts. Heat pumps require electricity to run the compressor and the
resistance heating coils, if it gets cold enough. What we need is a
heating unit that can use several sources of heat energy such as wood, coal, oil
or gas.
A unit that meets these requirements is Eagle
Multi-fuel furnace manufactured by Alpha American Company. They offer
wood/coal/oil, wood/coal/gas and wood/coal/electric furnaces. The multi-fuel
units have two separate combustion chambers. One chamber is used for the solid
fuel (wood/coal) while the other chamber is used by oil or gas burner or by the
electric heating coils.
The Eagle furnace is designed to use wood or coal
as the primary heating source with oil/gas/electric as a secondary source.
The manufacturer offers a special two stage thermostat so that if the solid fuel
is not providing enough heat the secondary heat source will be used to keep your
home warm. In addition, with the oil/gas models, the furnace will light
the wood/coal for you. No need for you to light the fire.
Alpha American also offers the burner units separately
from the main unit. So if the need arises, an owner could swap out the gas
burner for an oil burner or vice-versa. This makes it a much more flexible
unit, since no one can foresee what the future holds in the way of fuel availability.
Another feature is that wood or coal can be used to keep your house warm by
gravity flow in the event of a power failure if needed.
Such versatility, of course, comes with a few
downsides. One is the unit is not inexpensive. Two combustion chambers and
the demands of wood/coal burning cause this. This unit also requires a
Class A or All fuel type chimney before it can be used. Often times,
contractors will use a cheaper chimney in a home. So this could be a
problem. The final thing consider is to allow plenty of room around the
unit. You will need the room for fuel loading, cleaning out the ashes and
cleaning the chimney.
If you plan for the required chimney type and
size requirements, the Eagle furnace provides unsurpassed flexibility in
selecting a fuel source for home heating.
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Jose Sousa
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