Wood Heating In Illinois

Wood heat is best-suited to homes located in rural and suburban areas

Firewood and pellets derived from wood waste or corn all qualify as biofuels. They are fuels made from renewable natural resources. A biofuel-based heating system can take the form of a freestanding stove, a fireplace insert or a larger furnace that supplies hot water or hot air to a central heating system.

Homeowners who heat with wood or pellets often use a wood stove or fireplace insert as a supplementary heat source. In return for feeding the fire, periodically removing the ashes and cleaning the chimney, they are able to spend less on oil or gas that fuels the main heating system.

A smaller number of households have wood or pellet furnaces in use as the main heating system. Some of these units are "multi-fuel" furnaces that can burn wood or pellets as well as oil or gas, giving the homeowner a choice of fuels to use.

The value of heating with biofuels depends a great deal on homeowner behavior. Wood stoves pose a greater fire hazard than boilers and furnaces that burn fossil fuels. Wood stoves can produce hazardous pollution if poor-quality firewood is used or if the stove is not certified as clean burning by the EPA.

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