Wood boilers are improvement on the traditional wood stove. They solve some of the inherent problems in wood burning and create a clean, safe, efficient source of heat. Wood stoves in one form or another have been used for centuries. Benjamin Franklin, invented the Franklin stove over 200 years ago as a safer alternative to open fireplaces. Fireplaces were dangerous, very inefficient, and likely to catch the wooden homes of that era on fire. Franklin's stove provided a good amount of radiant heat, relatively safely, compared to the open fireplaces of that day.

Wood stoves were "pushed to the back burner" by central heating units decades ago in urban and suburban environments. In the country however, many people have never stopped heating their homes with wood stoves, as well as cooking their meals, partly or entirely with wood. Problems remain in the use of wood as a fuel; the build-up of creosote in stove pipes and chimneys can still result in dangerous fires. But a properly maintained and operated wood stove is relatively safe.

In past eras, when at least one person in the family spent the majority of the time at home, keeping a wood stove burning was not a big problem. These days, however, with family members working outside the home, 40+ hours a week, when the fire goes out, it means having to come home to a cold house. In extremely cold weather, there is also the possibility of frozen and/or burst pipes. To many people, leaving their home with a fire burning in the wood stove doesn't inspire a peace of mind.

Wood boilers can be located inside or outside the home. They are designed to burn cleanly, with a minimum of creosote build-up. Wood boilers can be loaded with enough wood to burn for many hours without having to be replenished with more firewood. Wood boilers also heat water which can be used in hot water heating systems or combined with a hot water storage system. This heated water can be stored for later use and can stay hot for as long as 10 days.

Wood boilers can be built to use a variety of fuels, such as cord-wood and wood chips, wood pellets, corn and olive pits. Multiple fuel boilers offer a lot of flexibility, which can be important with the fluctuations in the availability and pricing of different fuels.

Due to recent dramatic increases in heating oil, propane and natural gas, people are looking at alternative sources of fuel for heating their homes. More people are choosing wood boilers as a logical money-saving solution. 

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