We own a 2700 square foot 1830's farmhouse. I was horrified when the propane bills topped 800 dollars per month. We closed the rooms off and set the thermostat at 67 degrees with little savings. I was about to spend 20 thousand dollars on new windows and insulation, when I discovered outdoor boilers. I shopped for a year, concerned about wood consumption, smoke, and what furnace to buy. I decided on the free heat machine due to the knowledgeable staff and sales department that put me at ease. I was still worried about the installation, but Bud Eastridge talked me through it step by step. I fired it up on the first cold day of the year and it hasn't stopped yet. We keep the house at 73 degrees, no closed doors, no sweatshirts and heavy blankets. I figure the comfort alone is worth it. I don't even chop wood ! I go to a local wood products company and load up hardwood blocks. 18 dollars a month can fuel my house without lifting an axe ! I have found several other sources for wood I haven't used yet. The smoke was not an issue, my closest neighbors only smells it occasionally. My wife hates the smell of smoke, but even she doesn't mind. There are many things I regret buying in my life, but I will never, regret this purchase.
Brian N.
Broadway, NC
"Thank You Timber Ridge for making available the Free Heat Machine. My 150 model has been in operation for two months now, and my wife and I could not be happier with it's performance. I really was impressed with your honesty concerning your furnaces. I met all the requirments as stated on your website and thought the outdoor furnace may be my best option for heat. The clincher for me was the price increase in heating oil. With the available wood I have, why pay the high oil prices and still be cold? So I done research on other outdoor furnaces. Everyone claims their product is the best and I wanted to know before I invested in one. After some research there was only one choice which was the best, The Free Heat Machine, hands down!! Quality, cost, service after the sale, Timber Ridge was the best choice. Bud Eastridge and the staff were most polite and helpfull during my purchase.
Installation was straightforward and the hardest part was digging the trench. Everything was there to install the system. The only items I had to purchase was a couple of hose clamps and some fittings for my hot water heater to be used with the preheater.
My brother uses a top quality fireplace insert to heat his house and we both get together and bring in the wood. He could not believe how little wood I use compared to his consumption. He keeps looking at my stack with amazement. And I don't have any mess inside from wood or smoke.
I load the furnace every 24-48 hours depending upon the temp.I have went four days on four - 6in. dia logs with highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s . With this furnace I can use 38 in. long logs as large as 18 in. in diameter. The longer lenght really helps in sawing wood as you can get a large load with a lot less sawing. And I don't have to split any of them.
When I first showed my wife the water preheater (holding it in the palm of my hand) I knew she could not believe this little device could supply hot water. After everything was up and running she could not believe all the free hot water. After three loads of clothes, dishes, the water was getting hotter. We love it !!! No more cold baths or showers.
Instead of trying to conserve oil and keeping the thermostat turned down, keeping the doors open as little as possible and conserving hot water, we feel a lot more at home and free of high oil and electric bills. The first month of operation our electric bill fell by $30.00 !!! due to the water heater and No other heat was required. This in turn resulted in a total savings of appx. $ 90.00 just for the first month. At this rate the Free Heat Machine will pay for itself very soon. We have lived here for 28 years and this is the most comfortable we have been in cold weather. Thank you again Timber Ridge for a great product, and a great group to deal with. You rate 110% in my view and I will refer anyone to you !!"
Sincerely,
Tony L.
Erwin, TN.
"Just a note to let you know how the boiler worked out. I felt it would be better to wait till I had a full season of use before I replied to you. I must say it worked as stated. I used 5 full cords of mixed wood, hard and soft, which were not seasoned. I filled it at about 6 in the morning and again at 6 in the evening. Rarely did it take more the 5 pieces at a time. About once a month I would remove some of the ashes which only amounted to a wheelbarrow or less for the enitre season. My time spent was only about 5 minutes a day. Oil is my back up and it never came on. Not only was everything needed for installation included but you were there to answer my questions about the operation of the boiler. I never heated with wood before so your help was invaluable to me. I just want to thank you and your comapny for a product that was easy to install and works better than advertised."
Thanks again, Dave B.
Hadley, NY
"The FREE HEAT MACHINE has performed well beyond my expectations. Almost two full heating seasons have passed since I placed THE FREE HEAT MACHINE in use. We have saved a bundle on our gas bill. The price of propane is ridiculous. We have gone from spending approximately $ 3,012 .00 to $ 250.00 a year. That's right , over $ 2700.00 a year savings. We were on a budget with the gas company. $ 251.00 a month we were spending for propane. Now it's approximately $ 21.00 a month. Crazy!"
Thank You
John M.
"Just a note to let you folks at Timber Ridge know how much my wife and I have enjoyed the Free Heat experience! From the first time we made contact with the company everyone has been very helpful. In the beginning we had second thoughts about the outdoor wood furnace, but when we continued to talk to different people at the company they were positive reinforcement to get us on the way to a life changing experience. During the entire process from ordering, delivery and installation the people in the company have been there for us. We have worked on the installation for the past 2 weeks and completed it part time in about 15hrs. We have really enjoyed the endless hot water for the past 3 days and look forward to the winter months because we know the warmth we will get from the Free Heat Machine will be worth the time we spent doing something together. Thank all of you at Timber Ridge for the help and your genuine concern for your customers. "
Ellen H.
Virgelina, VA
"We wanted to thank you and everyone at your company for your great product and great customer service. We really appreciate you standing behind your product and doing everything to make things work for us.
Everyone I have dealt with at Timber Ridge/Free Heat Machine has been friendly and knowledgeable. Everything we needed for the install was included and you driver did a great job of getting the truck and trailer through the tight spaces in our yard, as well as getting the unit in place.
Thanks again, and we will keep spreading the good word about you guy's."
John & Donna O.
Kalamazoo, MI
"I received my Freeheatmachine in fall of 2004.The delivery and set-up was completed and they answered any and all questions that I had. I installed the stove with the help of a neighbor. The installation directions were very clear and easy to understand.
I have a 3 bedroom, full basement house. I heat the entire house. Before I was spending approximately $1200.00 per year for heating oil. Since I started using my Freeheatmachine, I have not used any heating oil. With the prices today for heating oil, I would be spending $1500.00 or more. I heat my hot water also with the Freeheatmachine. Before, after doing laundry and one bath, we would have to wait for the water to heat, so that we could have more. Now, I have an endless supply of hot water. We have not run out of hot water since we started the Freeheatmachine. My electric bill dropped between $60.00 to $70.00 per month
The Freeheatmachine is basically maintenance free. I fill the stove in the morning and again in the evening. I use approximately 1 wheelbarrow load of wood each day. It burns so completely that I emptied half a wheelbarrow of ash at the end of 2004 and half a wheelbarrow of ash upon shutting it down at the end of April 2005. Neighbors often tell me that there is no smoke. And ask me if it is still working. I explain the stove process to them. I tell them that when the water is hot enough, the Freeheatmachine shuts down. And when the water cools down, it starts the fire back. That is why the smoke comes and goes.
Many co-workers have asked me about the Freeheatmachine. I give them a brochure and highly recommend this. I priced the other outside furnaces and this price was the best. Anytime I have a question,even now, about the Freeheatmachine, I can call the company and I get the answers I need right away. The staff has been extremely helpful. I am truly satisfied with my Freeheatmachine. I will be glad to be called a reference. Anytime someone in the area wants to check it out, I will be glad to help. I can only see savings $$$ in the future.
Thank You"
-- Steve M. Pelham,
North Carolina
"We live in a drafty old farmhouse which is hard to keep warm if the wind blows and it is very cold, but we have to say, with this wood burner we were not cold this winter. We figure we saved an average of $350 per month not having to use fuel oil to heat our home this year. With the cost of fuel going up we will continue to increase our savings!!"
-- Jack and Rhonda H.,
Indiana
"We don't freeze anymore. We love our heat machine. I can finally afford those winter bills."
-- Cathy K.,
Virginia
"We have a 6 bedroom house and nobody complained of being cold! We have 5 adopted children and 4 grown. With the money we have saved with our Free Heat Machine, our kids had a very nice Christmas."
-- Curtis M.,
Iowa
"Our electric water heater used to run out of hot water after only two showers. Now we can take showers back to back, run the dishwasher, and do a load of laundry. It is wonderful to be able to crank up the heat without feeling guilty for spending money."
-- Pete & Lori K.,
Michigan
"The prior 3 years our gas bills ranged from $125 to $200 a month in the cold months. Our gas bill last season was consistently at $18 a month. My husband doesn't sleep with his hood up on his sweatshirt any more and my kids think it is great not to have to wear sweaters in the house."
-- Julie C.,
Ohio
"WE'RE WARM !!!!!!!! We set the thermostat where we want without worrying about the cost of propane."
-- Reid W.,
Alannan VA
By Cindy Tipton, Press Lifestyles Writer
Johnson City Press (Johnson City, Tennessee)
Story published: 1/31/2003
If Pat Hilemon sounds a little giddy when she talks about being warm, she has good reason.
She and her husband, Ernest, have lived in their Chuckey farmhouse for 28 years. Though the charms of living in a house built in 1843 may be many, Hilemon had grown weary of freezing in the winter.
With no insulation and a lot of wind around the windows, the house was difficult to heat with an electric baseboard system - not to mention expensive.
"Our electric bill ran anywhere between $200 and $300 to as much as $749 a month," Hilemon said. "And we were not warm. We didn't even have all the heat on (in all the rooms)."
But all that's changed. Earlier this month, the Hilemons installed an outdoor wood-burning furnace. The couple had seen an ad for the heating system in a sports magazine. Ernest Hilemon had noticed a Jonesborough business sold similar systems.
"My husband said "I'll go over there and see what they have. We talked to them, they told us they could heat our house and we didn't look any further," Hilemon said.
Timber Ridge Inc.'s Tim Arrowood says the concept of outdoor furnaces has been around for about 20 years. "It started in Canada and Minnesota," he said.
Arrowood explained how the system works. The furnace's firebox is surrounded by a water jacket. Underground waterlines carry that hot water to the home, where an installed blower circulates the heat through ductwork.
Arrowood estimated the electricity required for the system is equivalent to the demand of four 100-watt light bulbs. The system also can be used to heat hot water for use in the home.
Because the Hilemons live on farmland, they have access to wood from fallen trees. Even if they end up buying wood, it'll still be less expensive than heating the house with baseboard heat, Hilemon said.
The system went live Jan. 11.
"They asked me if I was ready to turn it on. It was 27 degrees outside, the wind was blowing. They opened the front and back doors, and said when you get cold, we'll turn the heat on," Hilemon said. "I could see my breath. With the doors left open, within 10 minutes it was warm."
The big difference for Hilemon is having a warm house.
"Last month, we warmed three rooms -- bath, kitchen and bedroom -- and had a $287 (electric) bill," she said. "Before, I was having to keep all the doors (in the house) closed. You get claustrophobic. Now we can open all the doors.
"It's wonderful. I smile a lot. ... You just feel warm and I'd never experienced that."
Hilemon said her husband adds wood to the furnace once or twice a day, depending on how severe the cold is. "He can put large pieces in, so he's enjoying it so far," she said. "I don't know how he'll enjoy it in the rain."
Arrowood said these systems aren't for everyone. They are not for city dwellers because of municipal restrictions. Customers typically are drawn to this concept for one of three reasons: They're energy conscious, they're tired of being cold and paying high heating bills, or they want it for the novelty. The cost varies from about $4,000 to about $15,000.
For information on outdoor wood-burning furnace systems, visit www.freeheatmachine.com.
© 2001-03 Johnson City Press and Associated Press All Rights Reserved
http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/
The Free Heat Machine stainless steel wood burning outside furnaces (sometimes called an outdoor wood furnace, outside wood boiler, outdoor wood boiler, outdoor furnace, outdoor wood stove) can take care of all your residential or commercial heating needs.
If you have access to free or inexpensive wood, live in a rural area, and are looking for a method to save thousands on your heating bill - an outdoor wood furnace is the perfect choice. Timber Ridge sells the Free Heat Machine wood boiler direct to residential and commercial consumers across the nation to heat multiple buildings, hot tubs, pools, greenhouses, domestic water and more.