Page 1 of 7 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 62

Thread: Experience with, and opinions of, outdoor wood boilers.

  1. #1

    Experience with, and opinions of, outdoor wood boilers.

    I’ve been researching HVAC options. I want to have radiant floor heating servicing the basement and 1st floor. I am thinking that an outdoor wood boiler, with a hot water tank as a backup (and providing DHW - http://www.radiantec.com/systems-sources/systems.php), is a viable option.
    A friend of mine helped install an outdoor wood boiler and he swears by them. They cost 5 grand plus (a nat gas boiler is 7k plus though) but also advertise burn times of 48hrs in a well-insulated home.
    I am also thinking I could add the wood boiler after the fact, and live simply on the H2O tank at first – to spread the costs out while building.

    Thoughts?

  2. #2
    LHBA Member rckclmbr428's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Roanoke, VA
    Posts
    4,078
    I'm looking at the same thing for my permanent home
    www.WileyLogHomes.com
    "Hand Crafted Traditions"

  3. #3
    LHBA Member rreidnauer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Allegheny highlands
    Posts
    10,913
    I don't know if things improved in the last few years, but they were getting a bad reputation of being terribly inefficient.
    All my bad forum habits I learned from LHN

    Rod Reidnauer
    Class of Apr. 9-10, 2005
    Thinking outside the vinyl sided box

  4. #4
    LHBA Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Ronceverte, WV
    Posts
    1,695
    I may well try combining the HAHSA (Mother Earth News, IIRC) with a masonry heater design (http://www.mha-net.org/) to maximize efficiency, and still keep flames outside the home.

    In a nutshell, hot smoke zig zags back and forth in masonry (brick or stone), as it does a good masonry heater. But like a HAHSA, sand surrounds all the brick or stone, and coiled in the sand is copper tubing.
    Last edited by donjuedo; 09-19-2014 at 05:07 PM. Reason: more detail

  5. #5
    Well a close friend of mine helped a friend of his install a wood boiler, and he seems to be totally sold on the idea. I am going to try and meet with the owner of the unit and pick his brain and see his setup.

    He recommended using Central Boiler as the make as they are top quality.

  6. #6
    LHBA Member rckclmbr428's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Roanoke, VA
    Posts
    4,078
    For me the efficiency isn't the big selling point, it's not having to carry all the wood into the house before burning it. I live in the middle of the largest deciduous forest on earth, if I have to burn an extra cord a year it'll cost me an extra mornings worth of work to cut and split it. My friend has one that heats his house, his pool, and his garage as well as his hot water tank. He has a deal with a local tree company that they can dump wood on his land for free. He just splits it and puts it in
    www.WileyLogHomes.com
    "Hand Crafted Traditions"

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by rckclmbr428 View Post
    ... He has a deal with a local tree company that they can dump wood on his land for free. He just splits it and puts it in
    wow ! what a deal!!

  8. #8
    LHBA Member dazedandconfused's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Sinking Spring, Pa
    Posts
    683
    and I have been told you can burn any type od wood green or not however like Ronnie stated, make sure you got the annual wood pile in check, it does take work, can't wait to see how many cords I can use to heat my place with the blaze king.

  9. #9
    LHBA Member rckclmbr428's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Roanoke, VA
    Posts
    4,078
    I've burned a whole deer carcass, minus the hams in his. It felt very gangster/mob like shoving it in.....
    www.WileyLogHomes.com
    "Hand Crafted Traditions"

  10. #10
    LHBA Member rckclmbr428's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Roanoke, VA
    Posts
    4,078
    The smart guys around here put up a cheap carport with the stoves opening inside, then rig up a lights on the carport and stack all the wood inside the carport. Stay dry while loading and mostly out of the weather and the wood is never far from where it's being burned.
    www.WileyLogHomes.com
    "Hand Crafted Traditions"

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •