Wood furnaces or boilers have been around for a long time and have been used to heat homes for over 180 years. Even with the advent of fossil fuels and the proliferation of electricity and electrical heating systems, wood furnaces and boilers are still the most economical option. If you have a pool or hot tub, you have probably thought about how great it would be to have them heated, but the cost may be discouraging. However, a wood boiler is an excellent option for heating the pool hot tube.
How Does a Wood Boiler Work?
Wood furnaces work using simple concepts that ensure their efficiency. They use gasification technology, where a defined amount of oxygen is used to burn wood at high heat. The process that is now optimized uses up to 80-90% of all the energy of the wood and converts it into heat. The efficiency of these wood boilers makes them ideal to meet multiple heat needs in the house.
The energy captured in the furnace heats water which is then distributed throughout the house. If sized correctly, our wood boiler can heat hot tubs in the winter or summer and heat a pool.
Wood Boilers to Heat A Pool
You can use a wood boiler to heat the pool and extend the swimming season well into the cold season. Additionally, the cost of heating the pool with a wood boiler is significantly less than using other options like electricity. The gist of this technique to heat the pool is to get the heat from the boiler to your swimming pool which is achieved through a heat exchanger.
A heat exchanger keeps the pool and boiler water separate while transferring heat into the pool’s water. We can transfer heat between two fluids without contact. When setting a wood boiler to heat your pool, you must find an efficient and durable heat exchanger. You can find different types of exchangers on the market, but the most popular ones are shell-and-tube heat exchangers. Pools typically use chlorine or salt to keep the water clean and clear. If you have a chlorine pool, use a stainless steel heat exchanger. You must use a titanium heat exchanger if you have a saltwater pool.
Wood Boilers to Heat Hot Tubs
Soaking in a hot tub in the winter is one of life’s less talked-about pleasures, but maintaining the heat in the tube can be expensive. Wood boilers are excellent at keeping the right temperature in your hot tub if you have it set up right. A heat exchanger is still a key component for efficiency in the hot tub setup. Compared with a hot tub with an electric heater, the wood boiler is safer and more financially sound in the long term. Like a pool, you will use a stainless steel shell-and-tube heat exchanger for chlorine water and a titanium heat exchanger if you have saltwater.
What Are the Benefits of a Wood Boiler?
Long Term Investment
With the right choice of unit, a wood boiler can provide service for 30 to 40 years with consistent efficiency. You will usually see a good return on investment in just a few seasons after installing one.
Versatile
Getting a wood boiler to heat your home and the pool or hot tub will not require replacing your entire heating system. The boilers can work with multiple systems like radiant in-floor or forced air heat.
Bottom Line
Having a hot bath or swimming in a warm pool in the chillier months is a fantastic experience that does not have to be brought down to how much it will cost. With a wood boiler, you can have these with just a few wood logs, which will cost much less than gas or electricity. With a wood boiler, you will also have much more control over your energy source, which is a great plus.