| Shaver Outdoor Furnace is one of - of not THE oldest manufacturers of
outdoor wood furnaces in Northern America. We have been building quality
wood furnaces since 1972 - 36 years!
We have a simpler, nicer
looking furnace that's made to stand the test of time. We use our own tried and true 36-year old
design. We believe we have the best - and certainly
the best price by far.
We are located in north Arkansas but we ship to the extreme north in
Canada, so we know all about
cold temperatures. We heat our own 5000 sq. ft. home with a Shaver Outdoor Furnace.
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| What is the Shaver outdoor wood
furnace? |
| It is a safe and efficient way to heat your home with wood or/and coal. The Shaver furnace is designed to look like an attractive
outside storage building and is
normally installed outside, away from the home or building being heated.
A lot of our furnaces are installed in garages, barns or other
outbuildings.
Having an
outdoor furnace totally eliminates smoke, pollution, bugs and wood debris within
the house. A water jacket surrounds the huge furnace firebox and the heat
is transferred from the wood fire to the water.
|
| How can the Shaver heat my home and water? |
| The heated water is pumped to the home or building through insulated
underground pipes (Pex pipe). A water-to-air heat exchanger (lake a small
radiator) or a water-to-water heat exchanger
conveys the heat into the home's forced-air furnace, boiler, or radiant
floor heating system.
Your thermostat controls the temperature just like in a conventional
system. You get safe, even, comfortable heat.
It can also supply potable hot water to your hot water heater to
provide domestic hot water. This allows for normal thermostatic control so
you don't get scalding water.
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| What are the advantages of the Shaver
outdoor wood furnace? |
| The Shaver removes fire hazards from your home or building because the
fire is outside!
An outdoor wood furnace also helps your indoor air quality and can
alleviate respiratory and allergy problems caused by burning wood indoors
. No more dark sooty walls and bugs either!
Thermostatic control provides your home with even, steady heat.
Current owners of the Shaver are also using up to 25 to 50 percent less
wood compared to other heating alternatives. Since the Shaver can burn
larger pieces of wood it will dramatically reduce time spent preparing the
wood. Costs for large round timbers are also dramatically less than for
smaller split wood. You can get this type of wood for $90 a cord compared
to $120+.
The Shaver Furnace means easy maintenance and few parts requiring
service. We don't have any circuit boards to burn out. You don't need costly electrical gadgets and features to cause
problems down the road. This is a proven design of over 36 years! Keep it
simple and efficient, is our motto.
All of our parts are off-the-shelf parts that are available anywhere.
There are no proprietary parts that have to be purchased from the factory!
The house will be less drafty when heating with the outside boiler, because there is no combustion
taking place inside, drawing in cold outside air to replace that used in combustion.
|
| What do the experts say?
|
| According to the University of Nebraska,
"Wood burning stoves may not only save people money on their heating
bills this winter, but also are a clean alternative to electric or gas
furnaces," Adams said.
Scott Josiah, state forester with the
Nebraska Forest Service at UNL, said "There also are environmental
benefits to using wood heat. Wood heat produces little pollution and is
environmentally friendly, especially when wood is used in a
high-efficiency wood burning stove and where firewood is a readily
available resource."
|
| What is the BTU rating of your furnace? |
163,200 REAL BTU. Don't believe the outlandish claims of 300,000 BTU from a
65 to120 gallon furnace! They simply aren't true.
A BTU is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 pound
of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit.
That means that if the normal water temperature is 60 degrees F and it
needs to be raised to 180 degrees, that it will take 163,200 BTU to do
this. Remember that a pound of water is about 16 ounces. A gallon of water
is approx 8 lb.
(170 gal. x 8) = 1360 lb.
Temperature change = 120 degrees
1360 x 120 = 163,200 BTU
You'd have to heat 100 gallons of water to 435 F to extract 300,000 BTU
- simply not possible.
Find out how many BTUs you need HERE.
|
| Is wood burning bad for the environment? |
| A wood heating system is the right choice for the increasing number of
consumers who are concerned about our environment. Wood is a totally
renewable resource, which, when burned, results in no net carbon dioxide
increase. Carbon dioxide is a part of the natural plant-growth cycle and
occurs naturally when trees are allowed to rot on the forest floor.
On the other hand, fossil fuels release carbon dioxide when burned
which otherwise would stay trapped in the earth. This causes a net
increase in carbon dioxide, which is believed to be responsible for the
heat-trapping "greenhouse effect." So when heating with wood
versus fossil fuels, you actually achieve a net reduction in greenhouse
gas emissions.
In addition, harvesting firewood has a pruning effect on forests, which
allows net growth to flourish. The wood you burn likely comes from your
local area -- it's not imported and not subject to price increases due to
events outside your control, as is the case with oil.
Many times the owners have land with fallen trees spread throughout
abundantly.
|
| How long will the furnace last? |
| We have a 20-year Limited Warranty plus a 5-year ON-SITE warranty on the furnace - NOT pro-rated.
There is a 30-year warranty on the siding.
Electrical
components such as pumps and fans are warranted for 1 year.
The life of your furnace depends upon proper maintenance. With proper
maintenance your furnace will give you many years of dependable service.
We have Shaver Furnaces in service that are over 30 years old, with the
old style wood
siding!
|
| What about
Stainless Steel Wood Furnaces?
|
| Stainless steel may last longer than mild steel in
an outdoor furnace, but not all stainless is a “forever” product.
There are many grades and some of them are subject to rusting and
corrosion. Automobile exhaust systems are made from one of the lower
grades; they resist high temperatures but totally corrode.
Most outdoor
furnace manufacturers went to stainless steel to get in on the stainless
quality image, but since it’s expensive many of them went to a low-cost,
cheap-grade stainless - which is still subject to rust and corrosion!
During the manufacturing and welding process for stainless steel, if the
proper quantity and blend of corrosion-resistant and stabilizing elements
are used, then it does indeed become a “forever” product. These
elements optimize weldability without the need for post-weld annealing to
restore ductility, formability, toughness and corrosion resistance.
If you do purchase one of the lower grade stainless steel furnaces, be
sure that the same model made in steel has a proven track record of
corrosion resistance. The furnace design is every bit as important as
the material that it’s made from.
|
| How long is the warranty? |
| Shaver Outdoor Furnaces have a limited 20-year warranty! The Shaver
furnace also has a 5-year ON-SITE warranty,
including parts and labor
on the entire structure, in the very rare case of a leak.
There is a 30-year warranty on the siding.
Electrical
components such as pumps and fans are warranted for 1 year.
|
| What can I expect to pay for an outdoor wood furnace? |
| Total prices will vary depending on the shipping location but our prices start
at $4,477, picked up at our facility..
|
| Why is the water jacket so
big? 170 gallons is a lot more than others! |
| Many stoves do not have enough water capacity and tend to cycle too
often. You load the stove with wood and fire it. With a small water
capacity, the water reaches set point temperature and the stove shuts
down. The Hardy™ just has 100 gallons in their base
model and 130 in the next model up! You still have a good load of wood in
the firebox that sits there and smolders.
The Shaver Outdoor Furnace has a large water tank capacity, so you can
burn the total load of wood with good draft, burn and efficiency.
More water also means more capacity (available BTUs) but at the same
time the water
doesn't have to be heated as much either.
|
| How heavy is your furnace? |
| Our furnaces weigh in at a hefty 1600 lb dry, which is a testimony as to
how much steel is really in the furnace. The Hardy H2 furnace only weighs
650 lb. The Hardy H4 is only 850. Hmmm... What does that tell you?
Many of the competition's fireboxes are only as thick as a trailer fender!!
|
| Won't the firebox burn out eventually? |
| The Shaver Outdoor Furnaces are made with heavy gauge steel and will
never rust out, to be sure. Can you imagine a piece of metal 4/10"
(.400") thick ever rusting though? (many boilers out there are only 1/5"
or .200" thick). That is why there are many Shaver Furnaces with over 30 years in service, still going
strong.
What about stress cracks? The extreme thickness of the
metal we use helps avoid stress cracks as well. We simply don't have the
problems other folks have.
|
| Antifreeze
as a Rust Inhibitor
|
|
Unscrupulous dealers will
tell you that the sole purpose of antifreeze is to keep the furnace from
freezing up. Not true; the main reason is rust prevention. Rust is the
enemy in the outdoor furnace business.
Antifreeze is generally not needed as it
takes a very long time to freeze 170 gallons of water and there is
plenty of expansion room in the top of the tank anyway.
There are several other alternatives to prevent
freezing and at a far less cost. An in-line electric heater can be installed
on the return line and set at just above the freezing mark as an extra
safeguard.
Even better, you can also simply leave the
pump running if you go on vacation and it will extract heat from the
furnace keeping the water warm. The pump only uses 110W, about the
same as a light bulb.
Antifreeze is an excellent rust inhibitor
but it does have a disadvantage. It is designed to keep engines cooler.
When used in an outdoor furnace, it has been stated that it takes 18
percent more firewood to heat the water/antifreeze mixture than to heat
plain water.
Do not use regular automobile antifreeze.
The best glycol additive is Dowfrost from the Dow Chemical company. It is
environmentally friendly, allows higher operating temperatures, has
excellent anti-corrosion features plus it has a longer life expectancy than
other glycols.
We have also heard that Beet Juice is an
excellent and inexpensive antifreeze! Beet Juice has a neutral Ph just
like water.
|
| Is this furnace (boiler) pressurized or non-pressurized? |
| The Shaver Outdoor Furnaces are non-pressurized. They are
atmospheric vented, which means they are totally safe and never build up pressure.
|
| Is there a lot of heat loss when the unit is outside and it's below
32° F? |
| The units are very well insulated to avoid heat loss. In fact icicles form
on the outside of the siding in the winter due to the R50 insulation in
the roof. That means that the heat is being kept inside!
|
| Can I connect the
Shaver to a forced air heating system? |
| Yes, more than 80% of all of our installations are connected to existing
forced air heating systems.
A heat exchanger (much like a heater core in a car) is mounted in the
ductwork. When the fan blows air through the heat exchanger, you get heat!
|
| I only have baseboard electric heat, how can I use the
Shaver? |
| Many people with electric baseboard heat elect to install radiant floor heat
between the floor joists or Hydronic baseboard heaters on the wall.
|
| Can I heat my domestic water with the
Shaver? |
Yes, our system circulates potable hot water in a closed system, between
the outside furnace and the hot water heater. This keeps the hot water refreshed,
hot and ready to go at all times. No heat exchanger is needed on your hot
water heater!
We show you how to plumb it right into your hot water heater - saving $200
for a side-arm exchanger! Most people find they save between $30 and $60 a month heating their water
with an outdoor wood furnace.
|
| Can I connect the
Shaver to a pressurized heating system? |
| Yes, in one of two ways. It's best to use a water-to-water heat
exchanger so that the heat can be transferred from the water in one system
other. You can connect it directly to the existing system by
depressurizing it but we don't advise it.
|
| Should I consider radiant heat? |
| Radiant heat installed under new or existing floors can be a great way
to heat your home because there are no drafts and the floors (and your feet)
are toasty warm! Radiant floor heat is the most efficient way to transfer
heat, however, it is important that you design the system correctly. This is
also expensive but pays for itself with warm tootsies!
Many people with electric baseboard heaters opt for this method.
|
| Can the Shaver heat my pool and/or spa? |
| Yes, many Shaver Outdoor Furnace customers heat their pool and/or spa.
You can put wood in the furnace every 3 days or more in the summer. I
guess this is where many manufacturers get the outlandish claims of 72 -
96 hours burn time!
Remember that smoke output will be greater in the summer due to
the smoldering fire and plan
accordingly.
|
| Can I heat more than one building? |
| One of the many advantages of the Shaver Outdoor Furnace is the ability
to heat multiple buildings from one location. We have heated up to 6
buildings and a hotel with the Shaver Furnace. Simply add a pump and Pex
line to your location and you will have an additional heated area or
building.
|
| Can I use an outdoor wood furnace if I live in town? |
| Wood may not be the best fuel choice in densely populated urban areas
where automobile exhaust and other pollution already puts excessive
strains on air quality. Smoke can also overwhelm your neighbors if the
wind blows the wrong way.
However, in suburban, small town, and rural areas,
wood makes good sense. If you choose to install your Shaver furnace in a
densely populated area the stack height should exceed the rooflines of
existing homes if within 100 feet..
|
| How often do I have to fill it up? |
| We put wood in our furnace at 8 AM and 8 PM. So 2 times a day. Don't
believe exaggerated claims of 72-96 hours! This just isn't possible
- except in the summer, heating only water and a pool, hot tub or spa.
The size of your house, outdoor temperatures and the size of the house
will determine how much wood you use and how often you fill the furnace
along with whether you heat hot water.
|
| Does the furnace come fully assembled? |
| Yes, it is delivered to you ready to
install AND includes a circulation pump and a built-in heat exchanger for
your domestic hot water..
|
| Can boilers explode? |
| The Shaver Outdoor Furnace is a non-pressurized systems which totally
eliminates the possibility of an explosion.
|
| Do these furnaces need to be near the house? |
| We recommend that the Shaver Outdoor Furnace be within 100-150 feet of the
house. Claims in product brochures and manufacturer's
websites that these units can be 500 ft from the house are true but only
if an upgraded pump is used AND the Pex pipe is well-insulated..
The furnace can be 10 feet from the house according to
most insurance companies but the chimney must go to the ridgeline of the
home.
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| Do I have a choice of colors? |
The Shaver Furnace is available in 20 different colors, to be sure it
will compliment the exterior of your home or match other buildings..
Currently available colors are shown below:
20 colors for your siding!
A total of over 8000 color combinations -
sides, corners and roof
 Plus
Galvazume which lasts 6 times longer than Galvanized metal!
Also introducing RealTree™ Camouflage!
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