Heating Your Dream Home: The Pearson Family Story

When the Pearson family was ready to build, and eventually heat, their dream home in Minnesota, Shaine says they started looking seriously at a wood boiler.

Shaine Pearson lives with his family in Duluth Minnesota, working as an operations manager for an electrical distributor.

“Growing up my dad had a wood stove in the basement pumping out heat like a nuclear reactor and I just always loved the feeling.”

As an adult, the Pearsons had a 2,000 sq. ft. home that cost thousands of dollars to heat every winter with propane. They added a wood stove to offset the cost and the family loved the heat as well as the experience of chopping and preparing the wood.

Together with their three kids, Liam (3), Tessa (5), and Avry (8), the family tackles the woodpile as a team.

“It’s some work… but it’s something to do in the dead of winter, so we like it.”

Heating Your Dream Home

Then, when the family built their 3,600 sq. ft. dream home and garage with its many windows, heated slab, heated garage floor, and heated floors upstairs, they knew it would be a big bill every winter.

Because they already loved using the wood stove, when it came to heating their dream home adding a wood boiler was a no-brainer.

And by harvesting their own trees, “it’s basically free heat,” he says.

Shane Pearson

Photo courtesy Shaine Pearson

The Research Phase

However, Shaine says because a wood boiler is a large investment, he wanted to do his research first. For over two years, he spoke with every contractor he could find about boilers. He quickly learned what to avoid, and what to look for in an outdoor wood furnace.

The key points included longevity of the unit, price, burn box material, warranty, customer service, ease of cleaning, and remote connect capability.

“After a lot of research, I decided to go with HeatMasterSS. But buying a unit comes down to who will answer the phone when you need a question answered.”

His local HeatMasterSS dealer also alerted him to the 26% US tax credit and the extra savings available.

“Pineview Woodstoves was the nearest HeatMasterSS dealer, which was a bit of a haul, but they were great to deal with.”

Wood Boilers, A Way Of Life

More than the savings and the comfort, he says running an outdoor boiler is simply a way of life.

“My wife has figured out how to run the splitter, and the kids have the wood stacking pattern nailed down.”

“As a family, I love the simple connection to independence and self-sufficiency. Unfortunately in today’s world, kids are so disconnected from self-sufficiency. And these basic skills go a long way in building responsible young adults.”

His tip to new boiler owners? “Don’t oversize! You want the unit to work a bit harder and stay clean.”

HeatMasterSS is a family-owned company that has been manufacturing outdoor furnaces for over 20 years. Our mission is simple; help families achieve heating independence and save money.

If you have any questions or want to learn more, we’d love to hear from you today!