Indoor wood furnace vs. Outdoor Boiler - The differences?

[skid row]

I agree !

There are plenty of other specs in the law regarding setbacks from structures and property lines, but obviously those wouldn't concern you with 75 acres.

Out of curiousity, may I ask what part of the state you are looking in?

I will bet ALL of those whiners that are crying about woodsmoke were not even alive when coal was the primary heating fuel in the country.

They are the same type of goofball's you hear complaining at steam/engine shows about the smell.

Next there will be ordinances stating where you can legally fart.

Just can take the "idiot" out of some people.

 

[woodbooga]

We looked into an OWB but ruled against it pretty much out of the gate. Neighbors are too close in our little industrial revolution-era village, now in the middle of nowhere. We heat with a stove that keeps the oil furnace pretty quiet, even on a -5° morning like today. The old wood furnace is still down in the cellar and rehabbing it is a project I'd like to take on, However, some structural work to the chimney would need to be done first.

Not wanting to scare you off, but before you start thinking too much that those 75 acres are $$$ in the bank, please do be aware that NH's tax system is very regressive. With no sales or income taxes, virtually the whole tax burden of funding education falls on local property owners.

If you go ahead with the purchase and move, try to lay some groundwork to put the wooded acres into current use and possibly obtain tree farm status. Both would mitigate some of the sting of your semi-annual property tax bill.

 

[jburlingham]

My neighbor (actually behind me some 1000ft) called EPA on me in Jan of 07. They sent a guy out to check my smoke,wife had just loaded the furnace when he arrived,said my smoke was at +40% opacity ! I recieved a registered letter a week later saying if I didn't remedy the situation that I could be fined 25k a day for each day the violation occured!!! WTF?

I did some things and responded to CT EPA and have not heard a word. Until this lady gets a hair across her _ _ _ again???? She's a greenie that doesn't work and just looks for things to ##### at. Her hubby owns a well known chain around here,I'll pass it along via PM just in case she is lurking!!!:censored: :censored: :censored:

Let me know what chain, and Ill avoid providing them any buisness:greenchainsaw:

 

[Shootemup]

We looked into an OWB but ruled against it pretty much out of the gate. Neighbors are too close in our little industrial revolution-era village, now in the middle of nowhere. We heat with a stove that keeps the oil furnace pretty quiet, even on a -5° morning like today. The old wood furnace is still down in the cellar and rehabbing it is a project I'd like to take on, However, some structural work to the chimney would need to be done first.

Not wanting to scare you off, but before you start thinking too much that those 75 acres are $$$ in the bank, please do be aware that NH's tax system is very regressive. With no sales or income taxes, virtually the whole tax burden of funding education falls on local property owners.

If you go ahead with the purchase and move, try to lay some groundwork to put the wooded acres into current use and possibly obtain tree farm status. Both would mitigate some of the sting of your semi-annual property tax bill.

I'm aware of the tax situation in NH, but everything is a trade-off. I get land, close to the National Forest. My wife gets her new, big house, and gets closer to her family.

We both get land that has water, and we can grow stuff on and be somewhat self sufficient.

About 75% of the land is in current use. The property taxes are about $5200 I believe.

Am I allowed to still cut trees on my property, even though it's in current use?


Thanks for the help so far guys!!!


CrappieKieth - I like your suggestion, and I'm going to look into it. I know the summers are both somewhat short and mild, so I wonder how much use I'd get our of an AC system.

Shoot

 

[woodbooga]

About 75% of the land is in current use. The property taxes are about $5200 I believe.

Am I allowed to still cut trees on my property, even though it's in current use?

Shoot

I'd still look into getting tree farm status. The Society for the Protection of NH Forests of the UNH Cooperative Extension would be good resources. If I recall, I think the minimum acreage requirement is 10acres.

You should have no problem harvesting for your own personal use from 75 acres and still be within what's accepted under CU. The enabling legislation that created it intended to provide farmers and woodlaand owners with some relief as a way of stemming overdevelopment.

Still, I'd verify with someone more authoratative than yrs truly.

 

[CrappieKeith]

Whatever you decide to pull the pin on make sure the unit you get has these 5 features.
Thermal mass ...the more the better,reburn of gases(30-40%)of your heat can come from burning these gases(smoke),a lot of heat exchanger surface area ,draft alleviation(you only need 400 degree stack temps )and a stat to cycle the burn rate.

Being I live in Mn. where it's always freakin cold....gravity heat is a huge deal.
Keeping my pipes from busting is a main concern plus no scramble when the power goes out.
A problem with cheaper furnaces is that no power means no blower to take heat away from the firebox.This can result in steels letting go and filling the house with smoke.
I only need a/c for about 2-3 months a year ,but when the humidity is high it sure is nice to sit in a cool dry house. I sleep better cool during the summer.
Having oversized ducting costs me less in electricity too.It's easier to move the heat or cooling.
I also have a h.e.p.a.which rids me of any air born pathogens.
My regular filter gets replaced every month or so .My home is pretty must on the lower end of being dusty.
Last .... a good insulated flue is a clean flue and a good drafting flue so no smoke is smelled in the home.
I only have a wood add on but Yukon makes a great multifuel wood/gas or wood/oil furnace where the liquid will lite the solid fuel.
Some day....someday.

 

[Mike Van]

I love my Tarm indoor wood boiler. It provides a good deal of radiant heat so my basement stays at 67 degrees all winter. It handles heating my 3000 sq. ft. house and hot water(no storage).But as everyone says, you have to bring the wood in/bugs/ smaller pieces of wood, etc. Personally, I wouldn't trade mine for an OWB furnace.

Same deal with the Harman I have. Basements at about 70 here.

 

[Techstuf]

Keith, I agree with everything you just said. Especially the part about insulting the flue.

Mine gets insulted several times a season!


lol.


Good points.



TS

 

[CrappieKeith]

I just caught that....insulted/insulated flue

 

[twofer]

Work with what ya got

If the house is heated with baseboard I would lean towards an indoor wood boiler since you could hook it directly into the existing system. This would result in a complete pressurized system that doesn't need any water maintenance. In addition to that, an indoor boiler is going to burn less wood.

Man I wish I had baseboard for my EKO...

 

[Shootemup]

Thanks guys.

What are some of the top brands of indoor wood boilers?

 

[jer427]

Tarm, Greenwood, AHS Woodgun to name a few. I have a AHS woodgun and love it. It does take some maintenance every couple days to a week but the wood saved in efficiency is worth it to me. Plus i don't have to clean the chimney out because no creosote is produced. Although i do check it about 1 a month just to make sure.

 

[Ductape]

Tarm has a distributor a lil north of your new house. I think in Lyme.

 

[ktm rider]

I had an OWB for 4 years and now I have an indoor boiler in my detached garage. I burn mostly coal but i do occassionally burn wood in it.

If you have a garage you really can't go wrong with an indoor boiler. They are more efficient and a heck of a lot cheaper than an OWB.

I absolutely hated my OWB. It ate wood and I was a slave to the dam thing. I couldn't get a burn time over 9 hours. ( I know some OWB's are a bit more efficient)

Something you also have to keep in mind and the main reason I sold the OWB and went with the indoor unit is that it is dam cold outside in the winter and my wife HATED standing out there and tending the fire while I was I work. I wasn't too fond of it either. That is no longer a problem.

If you don't have a garage why not just buy a Home Depot shed for a grand and put the indoor boiler in side that. that would be alot cheaper than an OWB, have a longer burn time, have an ASME stamped boiler that will last for generations and possibly side step a few of these regulations and Bans that are popping up on OWB's

Just my 2 cents..

 

[Shootemup]

I had an OWB for 4 years and now I have an indoor boiler in my detached garage. I burn mostly coal but i do occassionally burn wood in it.

If you have a garage you really can't go wrong with an indoor boiler. They are more efficient and a heck of a lot cheaper than an OWB.

I absolutely hated my OWB. It ate wood and I was a slave to the dam thing. I couldn't get a burn time over 9 hours. ( I know some OWB's are a bit more efficient)

Something you also have to keep in mind and the main reason I sold the OWB and went with the indoor unit is that it is dam cold outside in the winter and my wife HATED standing out there and tending the fire while I was I work. I wasn't too fond of it either. That is no longer a problem.

If you don't have a garage why not just buy a Home Depot shed for a grand and put the indoor boiler in side that. that would be alot cheaper than an OWB, have a longer burn time, have an ASME stamped boiler that will last for generations and possibly side step a few of these regulations and Bans that are popping up on OWB's

Just my 2 cents..

Good points.

The house we are interested in has both a huge garage and basement.

Do you think the efficiency would be even better with it in the basement as opposed to the garage? The garage has just an attic above it where as the basement has 2 more floors above it.

 

[November Wolf]

I have a OWB and hydronic baseboard inside. I also have a 80 gallon Hyrdojet boiler mate. Nice thing about it is It is heating my home and DHW and I only load it once a day for a 24 hr burn time. The mess is outside and I don't have to bring wood in doors.

 

[ktm rider]

Good points.

The house we are interested in has both a huge garage and basement.

Do you think the efficiency would be even better with it in the basement as opposed to the garage? The garage has just an attic above it where as the basement has 2 more floors above it.

I would put it in the garage. That would keep all the mess in the garage and not in the house. Besides, getting enough wood/coal to the basement might be tough.

I don't think your efficiency would suffer in the garage. Most of the boiler heat is transferred to the water anyway and doesn't through much radiant heat.

 

[bobfeather]

can't speak for owb as i have never owned one but have had indoor wood furance ( air ) for 25 years burn approx 4 full cords a year to heat 1600 sq foot house ( plus basement ) keeping house approx 75 deg sometimes 80, sometimes 65 depending on filling furnace, closing windows etc
for sure there is a mess with wood in basement etc but really can't imagine any other way basement is finished 3/4's, the 1/4 is laundry , mechanical & wood storage never have to go outside thing i am very carefull about is the only wood that gets thrown in is good, dry, clean wood so not bugs etc only dust, bark , crud etc that i sweep up & toss in furnace
bob

 

[woodbooga]

The house we are interested in has both a huge garage and basement.

If you move back this way, you'll need to begin refering to the below-ground part of your house as the cellar. Or rather, the cellah. (Post-vocalic R's are in short supply here soe we economize so they'll be available when it comes time to get sawin'. Which we pronounce as sah-rrin.)