Natural Home Heating

Table of Contents

Part One Heating Basics 1

Chapter 1 Heating 101 3
It’s All about Comfort, 4 / Energy Units, 7 / Heat Loss, 8 /
Heat Gain, 10 / Nonmechanical Heating, 11 / Mechanical Heating, 11

Chapter 2 Types of Heating Systems 13
Choosing a System, 13 / Two Common Choices, 19

Chapter 3 Heat Sources 25
The Sun, 25 / Stoves, 26 / Hot-Air Furnaces, 27 / Boilers, 29 /
Fireplaces, 30 / Masonry Heaters, 31 / Outdoor Boilers, 32 /
Heat Pumps, 34 / Fuel Cells, 35

Chapter 4 Fuels 36
The Problems with Fossil Fuels, 37 / Renewable Energy for Home Heating, 38 /
Fuel Cost Comparison, 46

Part Two Heating with the Sun 49

Chapter 5 Passive Solar 51
The Potential of Solar, 51 / Passive Solar Design, 52 / Backup, 59 /
Other Passive Strategies, 60

Chapter 6 Active Solar 63
History of Active Solar, 63 / Active Solar Design, 65 / Sizing the System, 66 /
Collectors, 66 / Types of Active Systems, 68 / Hot-Air Systems, 69 /
Solar Room Systems, 71 / Other Systems, 72

Chapter 7 Active Liquid Solar Heating Systems 73
How Liquid Systems Work, 73 / Solar Domestic-Hot-Water Systems, 75 /
Solar Space Heating, 82 / Hybrid Systems, 83 / Maintenance, 83 / Backup, 84 /
Costs, 85

Part Three Heating With Wood 87

Chapter 8 Working with Firewood 89
A Recent History, 90 / Types of Firewood, 91 / Sources of Firewood, 93 /
Splitting Logs, 97 / Drying Wood, 98 / Handling Wood, 99 / Burning Wood, 100 /
Dealing with Ashes, 101

Chapter 9 Woodstoves 102
Catalytic Stoves, 103 / Noncatalytic Stoves, 103 / Choosing the Correct Stove, 104 /
Warranties, 110 / Price Range, 111 / Which Woodstove Is Best?, 111

Chapter 10 Woodstove Installation 112
Stove Placement, 113 / Clearance Requirements, 114 / Hearthpads, 116 /
Chimneys, 117 / Stovepipe, 120

Chapter 11 Woodstove Operation 124
Seasoning Your New Stove, 124 / Starting a Fire, 126 / Maintaining a Fire,
128 / The Overnight Fire, 129 / Effects of the Weather, 129 / Chimney Cleaning, 131 /
Chimney Fires, 132 / Maintenance, 133

Chapter 12 Wood Furnaces and Boilers 135
Wood-Fired Central Heat, 136 / Choosing Your System, 141 / Installation, 142 /
Operation, 143 / Maintenance, 144 / Backup, 144 / Warranties, 144 /
Price Range, 145

Chapter 13 Wood Fireplaces 146
Brief History of the Fireplace, 146 / Types of Fireplaces, 147 / Location, 149 /
Improving the Traditional Fireplace, 149 / Warranties, 155 / Where to Buy, 155 /
Price Range, 155

Chapter 14 Masonry Heaters 157
Masonry Heaters in North America, 157 / How They Work, 158 /
Design and Construction Considerations, 160 / Kits, 162 / Safety, 163 /
Environmental Issues, 164 / Solar Compatibility, 164 /
Choosing Your Heater, 164 / Installation, 166 / Operation, 166 / Maintenance, 167 /
Backup, 167 / Warranties, 167 / Where and What to Buy, 168 / Price Range, 169

Part Four Heating with Biomass 171

Chapter 15 Biomass Basics 173
History of Corn and Pellet Heating, 173 / Pellets, 174 /
Corn and Other Biomass Fuels, 178

Chapter 16 Pellet Stoves 182
How They Work, 182 / Types, 184 / Burner Design, 185 / Convenience Features, 186 /
Other Features, 187 / Sizing a Stove, 187 / Installation, 188 /
Operation, 189 / Maintenance, 190 / Backup, 191 / Warranties, 191 /
Where and What to Buy, 192 / Price Range, 193

Chapter 17 Pellet Furnaces and Boilers 194
Pellet-Fired Central Heat, 194 / How They Work, 196 / Sizing a Furnace or Boiler, 198 /
Important Features, 198 / Installation, 199 / Operation, 200 /
Maintenance, 201 / Backup, 202 / Warranties, 202 / Where and What to Buy, 202 /
Price Range, 203

Chapter 18 Corn- and Grain-Burning Appliances 204
Corn Power, 204 / How They Work, 205 / Types, 206 / Burner Design, 207 /
Important Features, 208 / Sizing the System, 208 / Installation, 208 /
Operation, 209 / Maintenance, 210 / Backup, 211 / Warranties, 211 /
Where and What to Buy, 212 / Price Range, 213

Part Five Geothermal 215

Chapter 19 Geothermal Home Heating and Cooling 217
Types of Heat Pumps, 217 / How Heat Pumps Work, 219 / Environmental Considerations, 221 / Heat Pump Systems, 222 / Heat Pump Components 224 / Capacity Rating, 226 /
The Distribution System, 226 / Heat Pump Contractors, 227 / Which Heat Pump Is Best?, 228

Chapter 20 Air-Source Heat Pumps 230
Types of Air-Source Heat Pumps, 231 / Choosing the Correct Heat Pump, 232 /
Sizing Your Heat Pump, 232 / Installation, 233 / Operation, 235 /
Maintenance, 237 / Backup, 238 / Warranties, 238 /
Where and What to Buy, 238 / Price Range, 239

Chapter 21 Ground-Source Heat Pumps 241
Savings from the Ground Up, 241 / Types of Ground-Source Heat Pumps, 243 /
Operation, 243 / Choosing the Correct Heat Pump, 244 / Sizing Your Heat Pump, 244 /
Installation, 245 / Maintenance, 250 / Backup, 250 / Warranties, 250 /
Where and What to Buy, 251 / Price Range, 252 /
Solar-Assisted Heat Pumps, 253 / Notes from the Field, 253

Epilogue 255
Organizations and On-Line Resources 257
Glossary 263
Bibliography 273
Index 275