ASHFORD, Conn. -- Some Connecticut businessmen said a proposed ban on outdoor wood furnaces will force them to close their doors.

Weeks after the ban was proposed, they are speaking out and said the heating method is misunderstood.

Mainline Heating & Supply owner Scott Bradley uses the wood furnaces he sells to heat his 7,000-square-foot showroom for free.

Bradley said, "You can heat your house, your garage, your hot tub, your swimming pool, or greenhouse. We heat a lot of barns with it."

However, the furnaces have come under fire and Attorney General Richard Blumenthal called for a statewide ban.

Blumenthal said, "These wood-burning furnaces emit huge amounts of smoke at low height close to the ground and therefore contaminate whole neighborhoods, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week."

Bradley doesn't agree. He said, "He's attacking an entire industry over certain individuals. If you take, for example, a car and you're driving drunk or speeding, you don't ban cars."

Bradley said the furnaces actually burn clean when they are used properly. Some of the models are EPA certified for low emissions. If you buy one, you're also eligible for a $1,500 tax credit.

Supporters of the outdoor furnaces said if there are complaints from an entire neighborhood, it means one of two things; the regulations are not being followed or the operator isn't using it properly.

Bradley hands out brochures that remind customers of state laws covering proximity to neighbors and chimney height.

The debate is likely to heat up again during the next legislative session.