Alternative Heating Tips & Considerations
Buying an Outdoor boiler or Outdoor Water Furnace
We are pleased that your a taking a close look at the incredible energy efficient design of the Portage & Main Outdoor Water Furnace with it's quality workmanship and performance. It is rapidly becoming the number one choice of the value conscious consumer who realizes the true cost is not the price you pay up front, but also includes the cost of fuel, labor, maintenance and life expectancy of the purchase. With the inevitable triple digit oil prices coming in the very near future; these values that have stood the test of time, will become even more important.
We encourage you to thoroughly compare boilers or outdoor water furnaces and ask lots of questions before investing in any heating system Educate yourself to make an informed smart decision. It's what's on the inside that counts! Color doesn't matter much.
Some questions include:
- How efficient is the furnace/boiler? This will help you determine the cost of the fuel you require.
- What is the stack exit temperature? This will indicate how much heat is extracted from the fuel and transferred into the water jacket. A high stack temperature will indicate that you are trying to heat the outdoors--an impossible task!
- Are there sparks or fire coming out of the stack? Sparks or flames exiting the stack are a sign of inefficiency, mot to mention dangerous. Check this out at night.
- Does it have a round firepot? If not, what did the steam engine designers know over 200 years ago?
- Does it have basic wood technology 101--air over and under the fire? Think of your campfire circle--nearly everyone has removed a brick or lifted a long to introduce more air and watched as the fire burnt more efficiently.
- Does it have an ash pan? What are the advantages of an ash pan?
- What makes the unit efficient? Heat Exchanger? Or is it a basic box barrel design?
- What is the real warranty? What is it constructed of? Is it double welded? How are the welds done?
Portage & Main Outdoor Water Furnaces Lead the Industry with Standard Features
- Burn 1/3 to 1/2 less wood. Very Efficient. Gives more heat from less wood.
- More heat recovery area includes a multi-pass heat exchanger, above the fire.
- Surrounded by water, the multi-pass heat exchanger has maximum heat extraction and is easily cleaned.
- Water filled baffle near back of the firepot provided first 2 passes for heat recovery.
- Exhaust gasses travel through a water cooled trough design heat exchanger over eight feet with 180 degree turn around.
- Firepot and heat exchanger are made of 1/4" W44 cold rolled mild steel which eliminate the problems associated with stainless steel.
- All parts are laser cut for precision fitting which allows the bevel to be filled with double welding.(Boiler style welding for total penetration)
- Round firepot eliminates side wall warping. Round has less expansion/contraction therefore less weld stress. Round is self circulating; therefore no cold or hot spots. Round gives the fire better flame contact with the metal. Round is stronger to last longer, just as the steam engines were round for a reason.
- Water filled/cooled grates pick up more heat.
- Shaker grates are available for burning coal and or wood.
- Air is injected under the fire, up through the water cooled grates and above the fire--over and under combustion air makes for clean complete burns.
- Easily removed ash pan makes ash removal clean and quick to do. Regular ash removal eliminates ash build up which causes corrosion and insulates the bottom of the furnace. The ash pan allow air under the fire for better burns.
- Easy to open and close furnace door with safety latch.
- Furnace door is sealed with top quality industrial core gasket giving a long lasting positive seal.
- Easy to read float water level. There is no plastic hose or sight glass to discolor/fog.
- Digital read out aqua stat to set water temperature differential within one degree. High limit safety aqua stat.
- Convenient multiple hook ups enclosed behind a lockable hinged door.
- Chimney exits at the back of the furnace not through the roof--no corrosion at water level--prevents leaking into the insulation.
- R20 fiberglass insulation will not crack, sweat or cause exterior corrosion.
- One piece roof with powder-coated baked-on finish has no trims to rust or deteriorate. Snow will not melt off the roof.
- Furnace has quality mirror like paint finish available in two color combinations black & brown or brown & black.
- Clean out tool, stainless steel stack and top quality certified chemical boiler treatment included.
- CSA US approved. Portage & Main do not charge extra for this certification.
- Manufactured for over 30 years.
- Portage & Main Outdoor Water Furnaces--The original efficient green one since 1973.
Portage & Main Outdoor Water Furnaces--
The Original Efficient Green One Since 1973!
Best Burn Practices
- Read and follow all operating instructions provided by the manufacturer.
- Fuel Used: Only use listed fuels recommend by the manufacturer of your unit. Never use the following: trash, plastics, gasoline, rubber, naphtha, household garbage, material treated with petroleum products (particle board, railroad ties, and pressure treated wood) leaves, paper products and cardboard.
- Loading Fuel: For a more efficient burn, pay careful attention to loading times, amounts. Follow the manufacturer's written instructions for recommended loading times and amounts.
- Starters: Do not use lighter fluids, gasoline or chemicals.
- Location: It is recommended that the unit be located with due consideration to the prevailing wind direction.
- Always remember to comply with all applicable state/province and local codes.
This information recommended by our industry association, the Hearth, Patio and Barbeque Association (HPBA), and supported by Portage & Main Outdoor Water Furnaces is available as a printable brochure Outdoor Water Furnaces Best Burn Practices
Advanced Wood Heat with a Portage & Main Outdoor Water Furnace-The Smart Option
- Simple to operate and easy to maintain.
- Maximum heat from minimal wood.
- Adapts easily to new or existing heat distribution systems.
- Renewable resources give you independence.
- Time tested proven reliable technology.
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Portage & Main Furnaces Save You Money
- Portage & Main Furnaces offer the quality priced furnaces among top-tier brands. Please do not confuse quality with price. A lesser quality furnace may have a cheaper price tag, but consider the long term costs.
- With Zero-Down financing, your low payments can be Less tan your current heating costs, so your savings can begin immediately.
- Portage & Main Furnaces have industry's best warranty so you can have confidence in your purchase. Limited lifetime warranty.
- Excellent time-tested and proven design with quality manufacturing practices give you the assurance that you are receiving a furnace that is highly efficient so you can economically achieve the heat you require.
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Common Heating Fuel Values
Common Heating Fuel Btu Values
| Fuel | Btu's |
|---|---|
| Anthracite Coal: 1 ton | 25,000,000 Btu's/ton |
| Natural Gas: 1,000 cu ft (1 mcf) | 1,030,000 Btu's/mcf |
| L P Liquid Propane Gas per gallon | 91,600 Btu's/gallon |
| Electricity: 1 kilowatt hr | 3,413 Btu's/kwh |
| Oil per gallon | 138,690 Btu's/gallon |
| Wood Pellets | 17,000,000 Btu's/ton |
| Hard Wood-White Oak-Seasoned | 24,700,000 Btu's/cord | Medium Wood-Tamarack-Seasoned | 20,800,000 Btu's/cord |
| Soft Wood-White Pine-Seasoned | 15,800,000 Btu's/cord |
- When you purchase any fuel for heating needs, you are purchasing Btu's. It does not matter whether you pipe it, pour it, shovel it, or stack it; heating fuel produces Btu's.
- Btu-British thermal unit--the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree F. One gallon of water weighs 8.34 pounds.
- When comparing costs it is important to note that electric heat is 100% efficient; where a coal stove may be rated at 75% efficient and a wood stove may be rated between 20 to 30% efficient. The estimated cost to for heating fuel must take into consideration the amount of btu's that are extractable and useable. It is very important to know the furnace's efficiency rating.
Common Heating Fuel Btu Equivalencies
| Fuel & Amount Required | Btu's |
|---|---|
| Hard Wood-White Oak (1 cord) | 24,700,000 |
| Medium Wood-Tamarack (1.2 cords) | 24,960,000 |
| Soft Wood-White Pine (1.6 cords) | 25,280,000 |
| Electricity (7,325 kilowatt hrs) | 25,000,225 |
| Heating Oil (180 gallons) | 24,964,200 |
| Wood Pellets ( 1.47 tons) | 24,990,000 |
| LP Liquid Propane Gas (272.0 gallons) | 24,997,640 | Natural Gas (24,271 cu ft) | 24,999,130 |
| Anthracite Coal ( 1 ton) | 25,000,000 |
- The above table lists the amount of heating fuel required to produce approximately 25,000,000 btu's.
- The above calculation where preformed assuming that one is able to extracted all the Btu's from the fuel. Electricity is the only heating fuel that is 100% efficient; therefore one must consider the efficiency of the furnace/boiler/stove before calculating operation costs. Portage & Main Outdoor Water Furnaces, often called boilers are 75% efficient and the Portage & Main Wood Gasification Units--Optimizer 250 have even greater efficiency. Consider the operational savings. Many wood boilers are only 20 - 30% efficient.
- Compare fuel costs is a handy link to help you compare fuel costs thanks to the Pellet Fuels Institute. Please follow their instructions and enter the dollar amounts for fuel in your area. Electricity amounts are entered in cents.
More tips and considerations coming soon...
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