Hydronic Heaters (also called wood boilers or outdoor wood heaters/boilers/furnaces) burn wood or other biomass to heat liquid (water or water-antifreeze) that is then piped into occupied buildings to provide heat. Hydronic heaters are typically located outside the buildings they heat, but may also be located indoors. For more information visit: Summary of Requirements for Wood-fired Hydronic Heaters.

List of EPA Certified Hydronic Heaters.

There are two major types of wood-burning fireplaces, traditional masonry fireplaces and pre-fabricated "low mass" fireplaces. Most fireplaces, whether masonry or low mass, are not used as a primary source of heat; their function is primarily for ambiance and secondary heating.

Fireplace inserts are similar in function and performance to free-standing wood stoves, but are designed to be installed within the firebox of an existing masonry or metal fireplace. A certified installer will make sure the flue liner in your masonry chimney is installed correctly. If your fireplace is factory built (or "zero-clearance"), you must use an insert that was specifically designed and tested for your unit to make it more efficient and less polluting.

A fireplace retrofit is a device that is installed into an existing wood-burning fireplace. The primary purpose of the retrofit is to reduce wood smoke pollution from existing fireplaces.

Forced-air furnaces (also known as warm-air furnaces) are designed to burn cord wood, wood pellets or wood chips to heat an entire residence. Heat from these furnaces, which are typically located indoors, is distributed through ducts using a blower fan. Stacks or chimneys for these furnaces are generally on the roof of the home they heat. Large forced-air furnaces are capable of outputting 65,000 BTU per hour or more while small forced-air furnaces output less than 65,000 BTU per hour. For more information visit: Summary of Requirements for Wood-fired Forced Air Furnaces.

List of EPA Certified Forced-Air Furnaces.

A masonry heater is a site-built or site-assembled solid-fueled heating device, consisting of a firebox, a large masonry mass, and a maze of heat exchange channels. It stores heat from rapidly-burning fires within its masonry structure, and slowly releases the heat into the home throughout the day. Masonry heaters currently do not require EPA certification.

Modern heat pumps suitable for New England’s cold climate are extremely efficient. Unlike outdated furnaces, boilers, and space heaters that rely on electric resistance, heat pumps do not convert electricity to heat. Instead, they use a comparatively small amount of electricity to move existing heat from outdoors to indoors. And in the summer they provide cost-effective cooling (moving indoor heat outdoors), eliminating the need for an air conditioner. They generate no emissions; and as electricity from the grid gets cleaner year after year, so does the thermal energy heat pumps provide. For more information visit: Air-Source Heat Pump and Ground-Source Heat Pump.

Gas-fired boilers and furnaces are designed to burn either natural gas or propane. They emit very little pollution, require little maintenance, and can be installed almost anywhere in the home. Today's gas-fired boilers and furnaces can be vented through an existing chimney, or direct vented through the wall behind the stove. While some models do not require outside venting, EPA does not support their use due to indoor air quality concerns. For more information visit: Gas-Fired Boilers and Furnaces.

Decorative fireplace logs can be installed in an existing fireplace. While not designed to be a significant source of heat, decorative logs provide an alternative to burning wood. Because they burn either natural gas or propane, they have low pollution emissions.

A wood-burning appliance that is sized and placed properly with a venting system that delivers adequate draft will reduce wood consumption, produce more usable heat, and reduce maintenance from inefficient fires. Experienced professionals will properly size and place equipment for the best heat distribution.

A certified technician should install your EPA-certified wood stove or fireplace insert to ensure proper performance. A certified technician should also conduct annual maintenance on the system to ensure it continues to perform as intended.

Whether installing a wood-burning appliance yourself or utilizing a certified professional, a permit and inspection is required by your local Building Department to ensure the installation meets the proper building and fire codes.

Note: Outdoor Wood Burning Furnaces (OWFs) constructed, installed, established, or modified after July 8th, 2005 must comply with the provisions of Connecticut General Statute 22a-174k. Read Connecticut Outdoor Wood-Burning Fact Sheet (PDF) for more information.

For a certified professional near you, consult the Chimney Safety Institute of America or the National Fireplace Institute.

Outdoor Wood Burning Furnaces (OWFs) constructed, installed, established, or modified after July 8th, 2005 must comply with the provisions of Connecticut General Statute 22a-174k. Owners or operators of an OWF must also comply with Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies Sections 22a-174-18, 22a-174-23 and all applicable local ordinances. Read Connecticut Outdoor Wood-Burning Fact Sheet (PDF) for more information.

EPA recently strengthened its clean air standards (Standards of Performance for New Residential Wood Heaters, New Residential Hydronic Heaters and Forced-Air Furnaces) for residential wood heaters to make new heaters significantly cleaner and improve air quality in communities where people burn wood for heat. The rule applies to newly manufactured residential wood heaters manufactured after May 15, 2015. Visit Final New Source Performance Standards for Residential Wood Heaters for more information.

To assist small business owners who manufacture and distribute new residential wood stoves, pellet stoves, hydronic heaters and wood-fired forced air furnaces, EPA and DEEP developed the following compliance guides:

• Small Entity Compliance Guide for Standards of Performance for New Residential Wood Heaters, New Residential Hydronic Heaters and Forced Air Furnaces
• Compliance Guide for the Retail Sale of New Residential Wood Heaters, Hydronic Heaters and Forced-Air Furnaces as Required by the Federal New Source Performance Standard (PDF)
• Connecticut Outdoor Wood-Burning Fact Sheet (PDF)

Get the best efficiency from your wood stove or fireplace using the following steps:

• Season wood for at least 6 months.
• Store wood outdoors, off the ground, with the top covered. Watch EPA's How to Build a Firewood Storage Shed on You Tube.
• Wood burns best at a moisture content of less than 20 percent. Test wood with a wood moisture meter before you burn it. Watch EPA's Wet Wood is a Waste on You Tube.
• Start fires with newspaper, dry kindling, or all natural fire starters, or install a natural gas or propane log lighter in your open fireplace.
• Buy and burn locally cut firewood to decrease the risk of transporting invasive forest pests to your property.
• Learn more from the Don't Move Firewood campaign.

When using your wood burning appliance, follow these guidelines for safe operation:

• Keep flammable items, like curtains, furniture, newspapers, and books, away from your appliance.
• Only use newspaper, dry kindling and all-natural or organic fire starters. Never start a fire with gasoline, kerosene, or charcoal starter.
• Do not burn wet or green (unseasoned) wood. Burning wet would will cause you to burn up to 30% more wood to generate the same amount of heat.
• Many wax and sawdust logs are made for open hearth fireplaces only. Check your wood stove or fireplace insert operating instructions before using artificial logs.
• If you use manufactured logs, choose those made from 100 percent compressed sawdust.
• Build hot fires. For most appliances, a smoldering fire is not safe (increases the chance for chimney fire) or efficient.
• Keep the doors of your wood-burning appliance closed unless loading or stoking the live fire. Harmful chemicals, like carbon monoxide, can be released into your home.
• Regularly remove ashes into a covered, metal container. Store the container outdoors on a nonflammable surface.
• Keep a fire extinguisher handy.
• Check the air quality index (AQI) before you burn.
• Do not burn wood on days the air quality is "unhealthy for sensitive groups" or above.

These materials can release toxic or harmful chemicals when burned, may damage your appliance, and will increase the chance of a chimney fire:

• Household trash, including cardboard, plastics, foam and the colored ink on magazines, boxes, and wrappers
• Coated, painted, and pressure-treated wood
• Ocean driftwood, plywood, particle board, or any wood with glue on or in it
• Wet, rotted, diseased, or moldy wood
• Plastic, asbestos, rubber, manure and animal remains

To further separate wood-burning myths from facts, watch Wastebusters - Wood burning Myths on DEEP's You Tube. Channel.

A newer, properly installed wood heater produces a hotter fire, which requires less fuel and releases little smoke. Make sure your wood heater is an EPA-certified appliance. To identify an EPA-certified appliance, look on the back for a metal tag, refer to your owner's manual or check the list of appliances. Heaters with solid doors are generally older and should be replaced and disposed of properly. To learn more, visit how to choose an appliance.

If you burn firewood, make sure it is dry, or seasoned. Wet wood can create excessive smoke. Moisture meters allow you to test the moisture level in wood, and can be bought at hardware stores or on the internet. Properly dried wood should have a reading of 20% or less. Hard wood tends to have the most energy per cord. Use the following steps to prepare wood to burn efficiently:

• Split wood into pieces 6 inches in diameter or smaller for faster drying.
• Stack off the ground, split side down
• Cover stack to protect the wood from rain and snow
• Store for at least 6 months for softwood, and at least 12 months for hardwood.
• Watch EPA's Split, Stack, Cover, Store: Four Simple Steps to Drying Firewood on You Tube.

If you burn wood pellets, burn pellets certified by the Pellet Fuels Institute (PFI) and always keep your pellets dry and pellet heater clean and well maintained.

Weatherizing your home by sealing and insulating cracks and crevices can help reduce overall heating needs and heating bills. Caulk around windows, doors, and pipes to seal air gaps and add weather stripping to doors and windows. Check out EPA's ENERGY STAR home improvements page for additional tips.