Published: September 22, 2009 10:34 pm      

Alternative heating

People look to escape high costs of natural gas during winter months

With the rising costs of natural gas, many homeowners are opting for alternative fuel sources to heat their homes, garages and workshops during the cold, winter months.

Even though the demand for alternative energy sources, such as corn and pellet stoves, is present, a local businessman said the economy has limited the number of people who can purchase one right now.

“For the way the economy is, I feel we are doing pretty good though,” Kenny Wheeldon, owner of Wheeldon’s Alternative Energy in Logansport.

According to Wheeldon, those contacting him are looking for an alternative energy, something other than natural gas or electric.

He has noticed a trend of people leaning towards using corn pellets again as the source for the bio-mass units he typically installs, which can burn corn, wood, or wheat.

“With corn, you can burn 150 to 180 bushels,” he said. “The entire heating season can cost $600, depending on how and where you get the corn.”

The units also offer a more consistent heat than natural gas, he added.

Despite the cost of the unit, Wheeldon believes people can see a return on their investment within two years of the initial purchase.

The indoor stoves can be self-cleaning. Homeowners need to check it daily though and clean it of ash.

Outdoor wood burning stoves, which use a boiler system to heat the indoors, is another alternative heating source.

The outdoor option has seen an increase in popularity, especially in recent years.

Nick Williams, owner of William’s Boiler Systems in Walton, said his business has been extremely busy.

“We surpassed last year’s sales by the end of May this year,” he said.

The increase in demand surprised the business owner, especially with the cost of the unit and the state of the economy .

“When you purchase something like this, you have to look at the big picture and the return,” he said. “I’m amazed with the way the economy is how many are looking at the big picture.”

Williams estimated the return on savings with the boiler system could take around 2 1/2 years.

The business owner said he has installed the outdoor units in the country and within city limits. He suggests those interested in installing one in the city to check with zoning to make sure there are not any issues.

Williams said of all his customers, between 95 to 98 percent don’t pay one cent for natural gas during the year.

Cass County residents Bob and Ann Day decided to install an outdoor wood burning stove made in Minnesota three years ago. After paying steep gas bills, the Days say they haven’t regretted the decision.

“It was costing us $2,000 a year for propane,” Bob said.

Now the couple only uses propane gas to run their appliances and Ann said they don’t even spend $200 a year on propane.

The unit not only heats the entire house, but an upholstery shop as well.

Housed in a shed-like building, it is located nearly 80 feet away from the home. Two water lines, buried three feet underground, run to the home and hook into the furnace.

Bob fills the stove with wood every 12 to 14 hours. The burning wood heats the 150 gallons of water, which circulates through the water pipes to heat the home and shop.

He said the unit requires very little maintenance. Bob must add a slight amount of water to it after the summer and oil the motor. To clean the unit, he must use an auger, which helps pull out ash into a bucket.

“It burns so hot, it burns almost all the ashes and smoke,” he said.

Williamscleans his system three times from October through May. With his system, Williams simply opens the door and scoops out any ashes.

A temperature gauge on the unit allows a combustion fan to turn on at 160 degrees to help the fire start and continue, Bob explained. Once it reaches 180 degrees, the fan turns off.

As for wood supply, Bob doesn’t have to worry about running short any time soon. The Days own 185 acres of wood, which means they don’t have to purchase any.

“If you have to buy all the wood during the winter, you wouldn’t save very much money,” he added.

The system was not cheap, Bob admitted and he predicts it will take four years from the time he purchased the unit to wait and see the overall savings.

Still, that hasn’t discouraged him.

“I’m tickled to death,” he said. “I wish I had it 15 years ago.”

When deciding on the type of unit to install, Bob didn’t want to deal with an indoor wood burning stove.

“For one thing, you have problems with a lot of insurance companies,” he said.

Kevin Crook, with American Family Insurance, said the company doesn’t add a surcharge for corn or wood burning stoves, as long as it is not the primary heat source. He said the company can’t even offer a homeowners insurance policy if the indoor stove is the primary source.

“It’s not permissible due to the high liability of the house burning down,” he explained.

For those who are looking to insure a home with an indoor burning stove as secondary heat source, the company has a booklet of state regulations that must be followed.

As for the Days, they said they can’t imagine ever going back to using natural gas as a main heating source.

“I wouldn’t even give it the first thought,” he said. “I’m very impressed with it.”

• Denise Massie is a staff writer at the Pharos-Tribune. She can be reached at (574) 732-5151 or denise.massie@pharostribune.com