By JANE HOUIN
Ohio Correspondent

PHILADELPHIA, Miss. — Because of their recent popularity, outdoor wood furnaces may seem like a recent innovation, but not to Hardy Furnace of Philadelphia, Miss.

“The Hardy” outdoor wood furnace was the first such on the market more than 30 years ago, and its business is still going strong.

In 1976, Jerome Hardy developed an outdoor wood heating unit for his own home in an effort to combat rising energy prices, after his wife vetoed the idea of a traditional fireplace because of the smoke and ashes that would bring with it. Working with his cousin and neighbor, Bobby Smith, the two installed units in their own homes and set about improving their design.

By 1979, the groundwork of their business was laid for the future. What had originally been a hot-air design furnace was redesigned as a water-based system, enabling the unit to provide hot water, as well as being adaptable to forced air and hydronic systems that could channel heat to multiple locations.
It was then that Hardy applied for and received a patent, and what would eventually become a multimillion-dollar nationwide business was born. The rest, as they say, is history.

Besides the longevity of their business, what sets Hardy’s product apart and makes it so popular is the all-stainless steel construction and quality design. Because the unit is set up 10-100 feet from the home, there are no smoke, ashes or wood inside the house.

The units connect directly to a home’s existing central duct or hydronic system and can heat not only the home but the household’s hot water, as well. Many of the business’ customers use their Hardy Furnaces to heat dairy barns, shops and greenhouses.

As heating costs continue to rise, the Hardy Furnace gives owners the ability to heat their home, barn, greenhouse or shop for less money and hassle that alternative heating options. Because of its 12-hour burn time, owners only need to check their furnace a couple of times a day. Their cordwood models come with a 25-year warranty, too.

Hardy Furnace will have a display at the Power Show Ohio, located in the Voinovich Building in booths 251-253, where it will have several of its furnace models on display in different sizes.