Outdoor Wood Boilers

[Oldswagon]

Anyone on here us an outdoor wood boiler?

Looking at installing on to heat my house and garage. So far I like the Central Boiler CL 5036 and the Portage and Main BL-28-40. The Central seems to be an old proven design, but inefficient. The Portage and Main seems to be more efficient, cleaner burning, but has a fan draft instead of a natural draft (more parts to fail). I am not interested is a gasification stove.

Any opinions?

 

[Bryankkkk]

My dad is actually a outdoor wood furnace seller. He sells Woodmasters and they are awesome. Im not a expert, but there is a reason why he has been a dealer for them for many many years.

We heat our shops and hot water and heated floor. We also have one at our house which heats our garage, 2 story house, and hot water.

 

[Kruse]

I have a HeatSource 1. Before you plunk down the money, make sure there are no restrictions on buying an outdoor boiler. I BELIEVE the whole state of Delaware or Massachusetts completely outlawed these things and won't even allow them to be grandfathered in.
Also, check with your insurance agent before you buy or fire it up for the first time. Despite having the wood burned outside of your house, some insurance companies will raise your rates. Use the biggest chunks of wood that will fit in it. I have no complaints. Load the thing up and it can burn for up to a couple of days before needing more wood.
And BTW, if you try to Google HeatSource 1, they no longer have a web page as they moved manufacturing from Nebraska to Kansas and I guess their web site isn't up yet.

 

[eljefino]

Hah! Splitting stumps is for nerds!

Those things are all over Vermont.

 

[Bryankkkk]

aint nobody got time to split wood!! Maybe cut it shorter so the door can close but that is about it.

 

[rjundi]

Hopefully you live a decent distance from your neighbors. Not sure why(maybe short chimney) you get a real stench if you are close by to one of these things of unhealthy air when not burning right.


NH which is Live Free or Die passed laws related to setbacks from neigbors and chimney heights etc.

 

[Oldswagon]

Thanks for the advice. There are no local or provincial laws, and the nieghbours live far away. I will look into the Woodmaster and Heatsource 1. Those other two I can get locally.

 

[BituminousCoal]

You may want to look into a coal stoker boiler, such as the one made by portage and main. FAR less work, much higher efficiency, no hand-loading and far less emisisons. A good coal fired stoker boiler adjusted properly burns with no smoke, soot, or smell and can have combustion efficiency in the mid 80's - at least double what you get out of batch fed wood boilers. The fuel is so inexpensive that it is something you should definitely look into.

 

[Shannow]

Between my back yard and the big brick building, there's an octagenarian who has been hand stoking his coal fired donkey (boiler, home heat, hot water) for 60 years.

See if you can work out where it is ?

Living in a town where solid fuels are making a resurgence, it's (like almost everything) the operator that makes it a nuisance.

 

[Rob_Roy]

Outdoor wood boilers are ok if...

1. You have a huge supply of wood, and don't mind handling it.
2. You are around to reload the boiler several times per day.
3. You and your neighbors don't mind the smell of wood smoke.
4. You diligently monitor the water chemistry of the boiler.

Previous post on the same thing: http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubb...184#Post2815184