So — you’re thinking about getting a wood burning furnace. And you probably have a lot of questions. But if you’re like most people thinking about making a major purchase, the question at the front of your mind is probably, “Is buying a wood furnace worth it for me?”
It’s an important question. But what’s even more important is answering every facet of that question before you make your purchase.
And we want to help.
At HY-C, we manufacture forced-air wood burning furnaces — specifically the Fire Chief FC1000E and the Shelter SF1000E. We also make commercial-only wood burning furnaces under our Ignite Tech brand (both an indoor model and an outdoor model).
We know wood furnaces aren’t for everyone. But we also know that, for the right person, they’re the perfect solution for heating your home. And we want to help you discover which group you fall into.
In this guide, we’re going to take an honest, unbiased look at what makes someone a good (or bad) fit for a wood burning furnace. By the time you’re finished here, you’ll know whether or not a wood furnace is the right heating appliance for your home.
Potential Fuel Savings
Most wood furnace manufacturers will be quick to tell you that wood furnaces can save you lots of money on your heating bill. And they can — in the right situation.
To know whether or not a wood furnace will help you save money, you need to compare the cost of heating with wood to the cost of heating with more typical fuel sources (like natural gas).
Natural Gas Cost
The cost of natural gas varies widely by state. But even within the same state, natural gas prices can change drastically — especially if there are no natural gas pipelines in your area.
On average, homeowners in the United States pay about $15 per 1,000 cubic feet of natural gas. At the same time, the average U.S. house uses about 77 million BTUs per year for heating.
Bearing in mind that 1,000 cubic feet of natural gas is equal to about 1.039 million BTUs, on average, homes in the United States spend about $1,100 per year on heating with natural gas ($15 x (77 / 1.039).
Wood Heating Cost
Keeping our $1,100 per year figure in mind, the cost savings associated with wood heat come down to your access to wood fuel. In some areas, wood is plentiful. In fact, if you cut your own wood every year, you can realistically end up with a year’s supply for free.
Let’s imagine that you don’t want to go through the hassle of cutting, transporting, and storing multiple cords of firewood, though. Instead, you decide to buy your firewood. On average, a cord of firewood costs about $300.
Given that it takes between 2 and 3 cords of firewood to heat your home each year with a wood furnace, you’ll likely wind up paying between $600 and $900 to heat your home with a furnace if you buy your firewood.
This is an obvious improvement over $1,100, but it’s still clear that cutting your own wood offers the greatest opportunity for savings. But there’s another important cost factor to consider: installation.
The Installation Process
One of the most important things to prepare for when buying a wood furnace is the installation process. Specifically, there are two factors to consider that may give prospective buyers pause:
- The logistics of the installation
- The cost of the installation
The Logistics of a Wood Furnace Installation
Wood furnaces are heavy. Even on the “lighter” side, they’re around 450 pounds. The first step of installing one is getting it where it needs to go. So be sure you have a reliable way to transport its large, heavy frame to the installation location.
From there, it’s all about placement. The furnace needs to be in a spot where it can hook up to your ductwork and connect it to a chimney, all while maintaining proper clearance-to-combustible distances.
It’s crucial to plan ahead of time to ensure that the furnace make and model you want to buy can satisfy all of these conditions. After that, the next thing to consider is cost.
The Cost of a Wood Furnace Installation
The price of installing a wood furnace varies quite a bit. All told, installation typically costs between $3,000 and $8,000. Why does it cost that much? The answer comes down to two factors:
- Building a chimney
- Connecting the furnace to your ductwork
Every wood furnace needs a chimney to vent out smoke, gas, and other wood burning byproducts. Based on height requirements, materials needed, the complexity of your install, and labor costs, building a chimney for your furnace will cost anywhere between $2,000 and $4,000.
Connecting the chimney to ductwork is what allows it to distribute heat throughout the home. Again, depending on the condition of your current ductwork, the cost of materials and labor, and the complexity of the job, this will cost anywhere between $1,000 and $4,000.
Of course, if you have the DIY skills to complete both of these tasks on your own, you’ll save a fortune on installation. The only things for which you’ll be on the hook are the materials.
The Time Investment
The last (and perhaps most important) thing to consider before buying a wood burning furnace is the amount of time that goes into running and maintaining one. It takes a pretty big commitment to ensure your furnace maintains a steady supply of heat throughout the burning season.
Seasoning Firewood
The time investment in your furnace really begins before you even burn your first log. That’s because it’s not a good idea to burn just any wood in a furnace. Rather, you need to burn seasoned firewood — and the seasoning process doesn’t happen overnight.
The longer you allow your firewood to cure, the better it will burn (and the more heat you’ll get out of each log). It takes between 6 and 12 months to season firewood properly. This generally means you need to buy (or cut and split) your supply of wood fuel one full heating season in advance.
Day-to-Day Operation
Of course, the firewood isn’t going to burn itself. In order to keep your house nice and warm, you’ll need to load your furnace. Most furnace owners will tell you that they add wood to their units 2 or 3 times a day.
To make sure you don’t run out of heat through the night, you’ll likely need to load your furnace before you go to bed. Also, you’ll need to plan to add extra wood (or have a neighbor or family member assist you) if you’re going to be away from your house for an extended period.
Outside of the 8 to 10 hour burn times a wood furnace typically provides, they don’t offer heat on demand like natural gas. You’ll need to add fuel as you need it. Planning your burning schedule takes a commitment, but eventually, it will simply become a part of your daily routine.
Final Verdict: Are Wood Burning Furnaces Worth It?
So — are wood burning furnaces worth it?
As with so many things, the answer is, “It depends.”
First, there’s the fuel cost to consider. If you have access to free firewood that you can cut and split yourself, that’s a huge plus. Not only will you avoid costly alternatives like propane, oil, or natural gas, but you’ll essentially have access to free heating fuel.
Next, there’s the installation to consider. Again, if you can do it yourself, you’ll have a huge leg up. If you need professional help, though, that’s not a dealbreaker. Just be aware that it could cost a few thousand dollars (which you may or may not be able to make up over time if you cut your own wood fuel).
Finally, there’s the time factor. If you plan carefully, you should have steady, consistent access to properly seasoned firewood that you can load into your furnace as appropriate. Just be aware that operating and maintaining a wood furnace is a daily endeavor and that you need to plan accordingly.
To answer the question: For some, the answer is simply, “No.” A wood furnace may be too pricey, the installation may be too complicated or expensive, or loading it on a daily basis may just be too much to ask.
But if you’re DIY-minded, if traditional fuel sources are too expensive, and you don’t mind tending to one every day, there’s a good chance that a wood furnace is the perfect appliance for you.
If you do fall into the latter category, read up on our list of the best 4 wood burning furnaces of the year. It compares some of the top models head-to-head to help you choose which furnace is right for you and your home.
