- Questions and Answers
- Homesteader Furnaces
- Stoker Furnaces
- Accessories & System Design
- Heating Cost Comparison
Questions and Answers
Questions most asked by people about Homesteader furnaces - the furnace that crushes ever increasing heating bills.
1) Who are Homesteader furnaces for?
Any individual or business that wants to crush high heating bills and ensure long term price stability.
2) Why will a Homesteader save me money?
Homesteader furnaces save you money by allowing you to burn free or very low cost fuels to heat your buildings and hot water. You can burn wood, square bales, pellets, coal or any combination of these fuels. You'll never be tied to any one fuel. If a fuel becomes too expensive you can switch.
3) Is there a mess or risk of fire?
All Homesteader furnaces are self contained and designed to be set up away from your buildings. As a result any mess from hauling wood and ashes is kept out and away from your home and out buildings. Any risk of fire that may result from hot ashes or a chimney fire is also kept away from your home and buildings.
4) How do you heat a building with the furnace outside?
All Homesteader furnaces heat a water/glycol mixture. The heated liquid is pumped though insulated underground plastic pipes to all the different locations that need heat. The heat is then transferred out of the liquid and the cooled liquid is pumped back to the Homesteader for reheating.
5) Will it only work with hydronic (hot water) heating systems?
No, it works with hydronic, forced air and radiant heating systems or any combination of these. With a forced air heating system, a specially designed water to air heat exchanger is installed in your duct system. A fan then blows air though the heat exchanger and warm air is distributed throughout your home. Circulating cold water through the same system will provide summer cooling. Forced air and hydronic heating systems, including radiant floor heating, can be installed in virtually any new or existing building.
6) How much work can I expect with a Homesteader furnace?
The amount of work will depend on your heating load and the type of fuel you burn. With wood, you'll have to cut and haul the wood home but it doesn't have to be split and it only has to be cut into 4' lengths so it really isn't all that much work. The extra large door makes it easy to load the Homesteader and when you burn wood it has to be refuelled every 12 to 36 hours. Flax straw bales last anywhere from 2 to 6 hours. When you burn bales you'll have to refuel more often. The stoker system, which allows you to burn coal or pellets, is available with a small hopper or it can be directly coupled to a hopper bottom bin. The small hopper holds enough coal or pellets to last for about 24 hours and is generally filled manually. With the stoker coupled to a hopper bottom bin refuelling is totally automated. Various sizes of hopper bottom bins are available. Some can hold enough coal or pellets to last for a full year or more. Regardless of the type of fuel you burn the firebox walls will have to be scraped down periodically to maintain maximum efficiency. Scraping the walls takes about 5 minutes of your time and the type and quality of fuel will determine how often it has to be done. Burning damp wood creates more creosote than properly dried wood. Low grade coal also results in more deposits than higher grade coal and certain pellets create more fly ash that also has to be scraped off the walls. The chimney has to be inspected and cleaned as required and the ashes have to be emptied. There's no need to put the fire out as the full length scoop type ash pan can be removed and put back in at any time. In addition to the above the water level has to be monitored and an annual water sample has to be sent to the factory for analysis.
7) What happens when we go away?
Depending on the fuel and heating load a Homesteader may hold a fire for several days. With the stoker and automated refuelling the Homesteader will hold a fire for a much longer period. But for extended periods, you should have a backup system. For existing buildings you can leave your present heating system in place and for new construction your hot water tank or a boiler can be plumbed for backup.
8) What all can I heat with a Homesteader furnace?
With one Homesteader furnace you can heat virtually everything you want to heat, new or existing. You can heat one or more homes, all their domestic hot water, the pool and the hot tub. With the same Homesteader furnace you can also heat your garage, barn, shop and greenhouse. Each heating load can have its own thermostat for individual temperature control in any building. On the farm your Homesteader can also provide heat to assist grain drying with aeration. Elsewhere it could be used to heat everything from the water at the car wash and cement plant to factories, warehouses, office buildings, motels, restaurants and more. In some cases, where neighboring houses are reasonably close together, several neighbors can share one Homesteader. There are three different models to match most heating loads. For higher loads a Homesteader furnace can be designed and manufactured to meet your exact requirements.
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HOMESTEADER Furnaces - 25% More Efficient
1) Self venting expansion stack for water jacket. All Homesteader furnaces are open systems. This is the safest system with no change of explosions or bursting water lines. The vent is designed to have the smallest amount of water evaporation possible.
2) Self-contained and ready to set up outside. Totally insulated, including bottom and door. Covered with prefinished metal cladding. Fiberglass insulation (R20) is used all over the Homesteader except the bottom which is styrofoam. Spray foam insulation is not used because it can break down when exposed to high temperatures such as it would be on the outside of the water jacket. Styrofoam is used on the bottom to keep the bottom of the stove warm and therefore prevent condensation and eventually rusting.
3) Extra large insulated door, with gasket seal, is totally adjustable to maintain controlled burning. The insulation keeps the door cool and eliminates the need of having water pipes running to the door that can crack or break.
4) Adjustable Aquastat senses water temp. and automatically opens or closes the damper to control burning and maintain desired water temp. without wasting fuel. For safety a 200° manual reset limit control is standard. Thermometer displays water temp. A natural draft tamper is used to control combustion air. With natural draft combustion air you have more control over your fire. you only introduce as much combustion air as you need to reach a desired temperature. With forced draft control you are blowing a lot of cold air into the furnace that has to be warmed up before the water begins to benefit. Also, with natural draft you get a better secondary burn because the smoke and heat are not being forced out of the chimney. If the fire is extinguished on a forced draft system the aquastat will call for heat and the blower will blow in cold air cooling the system down very quickly. The natural draft system will hold its heat much longer. A natural draft combustion system is also safer than induced draft. If the system is calling for heat while you open the door the blower will come on. Sparks could result possibly causing burns or a fire outside the stove.
5) Self draining water level sight gauge. This allows you to easily check and maintain a desired water level in the furnace.
6) High efficiency heat exchange water tubes through fire box increases efficiency. Water is heated much more quickly and efficiently because of the added surface area.
7) Cast iron grates and full length scoop type ash pan ensure long life, lets you burn hotter fuels like coal and allows you to clean the ashes out with the fire burning. In developing the Homesteader design one of the biggest problems people had with other stoves was ash removal. The fire had to be extinguished and it was a hard dirty job to get all of the ashes out. With the Homesteader system once the ashes are completely burnt and broken down they fall through the grates and into the ash pan. Then all you have to do is pull the ash pan out and empty it, all with minimal effort and mess. The fire never has to be put out and re-lit.
8) Non pressurized water jacket surrounds firebox and extends down beside ash pan for maximum efficiency. The design of the water jacket is also very important. The majority of the water is located on top of the fire box where most of the heat is. It also extends down along all sides for maximum heat recovery. There is no water jacket on the bottom of the stove because there is very little heat below a fire. Also the ashes laying on a water jacket can become acid, causing premature failure.
9) Extra large 7 gauge steel firebox ensures long life and minimal refueling. Easily takes 4' long logs and square bales. Depending on the heating load and outdoor temperature the large door and large firebox keeps refueling down to a minimum. With wood you only have to refuel every 12 to 36 hours.
10) The returning cooled water is uniformly distributed along the bottom of both sides of the water jacket through a manifold system. Then it is reheated as it travels up along the water jacket and through the heat exchange tubes in the firebox. Maximum efficiency is achieved by this distribution and re-heat system. The cooler returning water is introduced near the bottom of the Homesteader so that it has the least effect on the hot water already in the stove. The top manifold evenly draws heated water from the furnace.
11) Maximum heat recovery with a 6 foot, high temperature, insulated, rear exit, stainless steel lined chimney, with cleanout plug. This prevents any rain or condensation from entering the firebox prolonging the life of the Homesteader furnace. There is also a hinged baffle at the opening of the chimney that re-directs exhaust gases for a maximum heat recovery during a secondary burn.
12) Lifting ring for loading and unloading Homesteader.
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HOMESTEADER Stoker Systems - Low Cost Heating with Automated Refuelling
Homesteader Stoker Systems are designed specifically for people who want to crush their heating bills but don't want to give up a heating system that has automated refuelling.
The Homesteader furnace can be ordered with an optional stoker. When coupled to a hopper bottom bin, refuelling is totally automated. With the stoker you can burn coal or pellets. Certain grains can also be burnt with the stoker. If you want to burn grain please call the factory for information. The Homesteader can also be ordered with the stoker opening and the stoker can be purchased and added on later.
Coal as a Heating Fuel
If you were born before 1955, chances are you can remember the old coal furnaces. Back then, almost every single home and business had a coal furnace. But by the end of the 1960's almost all of the old coal furnaces had been replaced with natural gas, propane, fuel oil or electric heating systems.
When you think back to those old furnace monsters you can't really blame anybody for replacing them. Back then the fuel they were switching to was much more competitive than today, and with a coal furnace in the home there's always coal dust. Carrying ashes through the house to take outside can also be messy. Those old coal furnaces really weren't all that efficient. Clinkers had to be cleaned off the burning head, they had to be shovelled full of coal, ashes had to be carried out and for one reason or another some of them made an awful lot of noise.
In the last 25 years almost everybody has forgotten about coal. When people see the new Homesteader stokers the first question they ask is if coal is still available today. What people don't realize is that coal is the most abundant fuel in the world and other than wood, which is basically free for the taking, coal is by far the cheapest. In Alberta there are more than a dozen large coal mines as well as a number of smaller mines in operation. In southern Saskatchewan there are 5 coal mines in operation today.
The biggest users of coal today are the electric companies. 90% of the electricity used in Alberta is generated in coal fired plants. In Saskatchewan its about 70%. Even Manitoba, with all its' Hydro electric generating stations, still uses the coal fired plants in Brandon and Selkirk to supply electricity during peak winter months. These 2 coal fired plants supply about 10% of Manitoba's electricity when water levels are low. More in a severe drought.
In addition to many homes and businesses being heated with coal in the state of North Dakota most of their hospitals and schools are heated with coal. And that includes the new ones. Coal is the cheapest fuel, coal mines have never been more efficient and because coal is so abundant, all indications are that coal will continue to be the cheapest fuel for many years to come.
The Homesteader Furnace and Stoker are designed to be set up away from your home and buildings. Any mess stays away from and out of your home. With a hopper bottom bin coupled to the stoker, refuelling is totally automated. The burning head is engineered to give you high efficiency burning with minimal maintenance. The extra large diameter burning head has forced air slots throughout the entire head to efficient burning. And to maintain high efficiency the burning head is self cleaning. A rotating ash ring automatically removes ashes from the burning head. The new Homesteader furnaces and stoker are much more efficient and require less maintenance than the old coal furnaces of yesterday.
The stoker also has an adjustable feed rate. It is easily set to match the burning rate of coal or pellets. By turning the stoker off you can still burn wood or square bales in the same furnace.
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Accessories & System Design
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With any heating system there's more to it than simply having somebody sell you a new furnace. For maximum heating efficiency and year long comfort somebody has to calculate the heating load, design the system and determine which components and controls are going to work best. That's where the people at Heat Innovations come in. In addition to manufacturing the Homesteader Furnace and Stoker the people at Heat Innovations are also licensed heating specialists. They understand heating, they know what works best and they are dedicated to providing a complete heating system that works.
Whether you have an existing home or are building a new one and whether you want to heat one building or 5 buildings with your Homesteader Furnace, the people at Heat Innovations can design and supply a total system for you. Components include water to air heat exchangers, air handlers, hydronic baseboard heaters, in floor heating pipes, water to water heat exchangers for heating your pool, hot tub and domestic hot water, circulating pumps, piping, fittings, valves, controls and more. All they really need to get started is a rough diagram of your yard and buildings. |
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1) Incoming hot water line from Homesteader Furnace. Water temperature is generally set between 140°F and 180°F depending on heating load and outside temperature.
2) Pump circulates water in a continuous loop between the Homesteader Furnace and home or buildings.
3) Side Arm heats domestic hot water. The Side Arm is plumbed into your existing hot water tank. Hot water from the Homesteader circulates through the Side Arm and heats your domestic hot water. When the Homesteader is not being used turn your existing hot water tank heater back on. Other water to water heat exchangers are available for heating your pool and hot tub. All with automatic temperature controls.
4) Ball valve controls flow through Side Arm
5) In homes with an existing forced air heating system a special water to air heat exchanger is installed into the main hot air duct. When your thermostat calls for heat the furnace fan blows air through the heat exchanger and the heat is distributed throughout your home.
6) Bleeder valves are required at all high points to bleed air out of the water lines. Mostly on Startup.
7) Cooled water is pumped back to the Homesteader for re-heating. |
With forced air heating systems, heat is concentrated near the ceiling while the floor remains cold. With In-Floor heating the heat profile is ideal for the human body. Warm floor, cool ceiling. |
Hydronic In-Floor Radiant Heating
Regardless of the type of heating system you have, forced air or hydronic (hot water), the Homesteader Furnace works 100% with either system or any combination of the two. If you are building new, or remodelling we'd like to suggest that you consider installing a hydronic In-Floor Radiant Heating System. We recommend In-Floor heating in all buildings from homes and offices to shops and manufacturing plants.
In-Floor heating does cost more to install but there are 2 major advantages. The first advantage is efficiency. Compared to a forced air heating system the In-Floor system is about 30% more efficient. The extra costs are quickly paid back with fuel savings. The other advantage is comfort. Unlike forced air systems that concentrates heat neat the ceiling, hydronic In-Floor Radiant Heating creates a heat profile (see graph on left) which is ideal for the human body. Warm at the feet and ankles, where blood circulation is poorest and temperate at head levels where body temperature is highest.
Whether you have concrete floors or wood floors Hydronic In-Floor Heating can be installed in any new or existing building. |
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Heating Cost Comparison
| Multi Building - 300,000,000 BTU's/year |
| Fuel |
Yield in BTU's |
Fuel reg's per year |
Example Unit Cost |
Total Cost/Yr. |
| Natural Gas |
35,301 BTU's/m3 |
8,500 m3 |
42¢* |
$3,570 |
| Electricity |
3.413 BTU's/kWh |
87,900 kWh |
6¢/kWh |
$5,274 |
| Fuel Oil |
36,300 BTU's/L |
8,264 L |
46¢/L |
$3,800 |
| Propane |
24,200 BTU's/L |
12,400 L |
34¢/L |
$4,216 |
| Coal |
19,000,000 BTU's/ton |
16 tons |
$26/ton |
$416 |
Prices listed are for comparison purposes only. Energy prices do change and will vary from region to region. Please contact your local energy company for current prices. Taxes have not been calculated into the above comparison. The bigger the fuel bill the more you'll pay taxes.
*Natural Gas price includes distribution costs.
**Freight would have to be added.
***An example cost of wood has not been gives. Most people who burn wood enjoy the physical activity of cutting their own wood. Other than the time it takes to cut, wood is basically free.
| Homesteader Specifications |
| Model |
Outside Dimensions |
Firebox |
Flue |
BTU's/hr*** |
Gals. |
|
Height to Peak* |
Width |
Length** |
Height |
Width |
Length |
|
|
|
| IV-92 |
66"* |
45" to 55" |
70 1/2" |
37" |
33 1/2" |
60" |
6" d. |
250,000 |
200 |
| V-92 |
77"* |
70 1/2" |
49" |
33 1/2" |
60" |
6" d. |
300,000 |
230 |
| V1-92 |
93"* |
67" |
70 1/2" |
64" |
51" |
60" |
6" d. |
600,000 |
330 |
Doors are 36" high X 18" wide - all models
Ash pans are 5" high X 16" wide X 5' long - all models
Models V-92 and V1-92 have separate ash pan door.
*Add 14" for expansion tank vent
**Add 12" to length for door and damper control
***BTU's will vary with type of fuel.
For higher heating loads custom built units are available.
All models are available with a stoker for burning coal.
In order to accurately compare the costs of heating fuels we must first of all realize that we are not buying natural gas, electricity, fuel oil or coal. What we are buying is heat and heat is measured in BTU's. In town, homeowners need to buy about 200,000,000 BTU's to heat their house and hot water for one year. On the farm, with a heated shop, a farmer has to buy about 300,000,000 BTU's per year. Hot water accounts for about 25% of the average heating bill. There are some homeowners and farmers who use less heat than we've stated above but there are also some who will use more. Based on a total annual requirement of 200,000,000 BTU's in town and 300,000,000 BTU's on the farm lets compare the annual costs of heating with the various fuels.
Natural Gas Is it really the cheapest? A cubic meter of natural gas yields 35,301 BTU's. To produce 200,000,000 BTU's in town it will take 5,666 m/3 at a cost that will range from $642.52 in Alberta to $834.60 in Saskatchewan to $1069.17 in Manitoba. On the farm you'll need 8,500 m3 at a cost ranging from $963.90 in Alberta to $1252.02 Saskatchewan to $1603.95 in Manitoba.
Electricity A Kilowatt Hours (kWh) of electricity yields 3,413 BTU's. In town you'll need to buy 58,600 kWh to produce the 200,000,000 BTU's. On the prairies the cost will range from about $2700 to $4300. On the farm you'll need to buy 87,900 kWh at a cost that will range from $4000 to $5000. If you live in north western Ontario, where electrical costs are considerably higher, heating costs go right out of sight.
No. 2 Fuel Oil Fuel oil yields 36,300 BTU's per litre. In town you'll need 5510 litres and 8264 on the farm. Yearly costs will range from $1700 to $2900.
Propane Propane yields 24,200 BTU's per litre. In town you'll need 8264 litres for the year and on the farm 12,400 litres. WIth propane prices ranging from 26 cents per litre in Alberta to 30 and 31 cents in Manitoba and Saskatchewan it will cost from $2148 to $2561 to heat with propane in town and from $3224 to $3844 on the farm.
Wood One cord of poplar yields 17,000,000 BTU's. To produce 200,000,000 BTU's of heat requires 12 cords and the produce 300,000,000 BTU's for a farm requires 18 cords. Poplar is an excellent fuel. It doesn't smoke or throw sparks and it is one of the easiest to cut. Poplar is better than white birch which produces more creosote. Both spruce and fir produce a lot more creosote and less heat than poplar. Oak produces the most heat per cord, but is hard to cut.
Coal One ton of coal from the Bienfait Mine near Estevan, Saskatchewan yields 14,000,000 BTU's. In town you'll use 15 tons per year and it will cost $270. On the farm you'll use 22 tons of coal worth a total of $396. Coal from Hanna, Alberta costs more but it also produces more heat. To the cost of the coal you'll have to add trucking, but you can have coal trucked a long way and still save hundreds of thousands on heat.
Pellets The heating value of pellets is almost identical to coal. The costs do vary with the type of pellet - screening, straw or wood. Depending on your distance to the coal mine or pellet plant the costs of pellets are usually competitive with coal.
*Prices used are for comparison purposes only. Prices do change and will vary from area to area due to local market conditions. Please consult your local fuel supply dealer or utility for current prices in your area. Taxes have not been calculated into the above prices. Please remember the bigger the fuel bill the more you pay in taxes.
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