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Earth Wood Stove InformationThe Earth wood stove is manufactured in Missouri and can be shipped anywhere in the United States. This company features 6 different models of outdoor wood furnaces that can be used to heat your home, barn, garage and swimming pool.
What are outdoor wood furnaces?Outdoor wood furnaces are large wood stoves that are kept outdoors away from the home. They heat water and distribute that heat to your home heating system through underground pipes. The biggest advantage to these stoves is that they are outside of your home. This means no more firewood mess in the house, but it also means that you'll need to go outside to feed the furnace twice a day.
Earth Stove ModelsThe company offers six different models. The models are fairly similar except that they differ in size and some models feature an ash door/grate system that makes clean-up easier. The Models include:
The models are all fairly similar with the exception of the size of the units(firebox and water tank). The are priced affordably from $4,000-$5,300 depending on the model. Advantages and DisadvantagesThe pros and cons to Earth outdoor furnaces are pretty similar to all outdoor wood boilers. Here's a breakdown on the basics:
Advantages No more dealing with wood inside the house. This means no more worrying about bugs and the dirt that inevitably gets tracked into the house when heating with wood. Safety is often a reason that people tend to use outdoor wood stoves. This is true to a point, as you don't have to worry about a chimney fire in your home. It should be noted, however, that a properly installed indoor wood stove when operated properly and installed according to manufacturer's instructions, is a relatively safe appliance. Earth offers a 25 year limited warranty on their stoves. They also note that replacement parts for their wood stoves can be found at any local hardware store. This is convenient as you won't be waiting several weeks for an important replacement part.
Disadvantages Outdoor wood stoves produce lots of smoke! With the exception of some newer models produced by other companies, they are notorious for creating smoke. The smoke is often a point of contention with nearby neighbors. If you don't own a lot of property, it's likely that an earth wood stove is going to cause problems with your neighbors. Having an outdoor wood stove can be a blessing and a curse. You'll still need to feed the stove at least twice a day, regardless of the weather. It's not that big of a deal, but be prepared to brave the elements a couple of times per day to load the stove.
RecommendationOutdoor wood furnaces are a good option for people that own a lot of property, and have lots of access to cheap or inexpensive firewood. Just beware of problems that the smoke could cause in your community. The EPA is starting to take a harder look at outdoor wood stoves and many companies are starting to improve the efficiency and emissions of their models. The EPA has listed the companies that are making the newer cleaner models. Earth's models are not on that list, so they are still going to produce a lot of smoke.
The bottom line is that I recommend the newer EPA models, but if the smoke is not a concern to you, an Earth wood stove could still be a good choice because it is priced affordably.
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