chaikwa
ArboristSite Operative
Log Boiler guy showed up right on time today. Showed me the whole unit, inside and out. Very few parts to wear out or break. Even fewer electronics. It looks like it has been well thought out and constructed. It's basically a propane tank fire box with an air injection system controlled partially by stack temperature. The blower that feeds the air to the fire is variable speed so that the right amount of air is injected no matter how full the firebox may be. The way it is set-up, it's basically working on a gasification principle. All other controls and safeties are common 'analog' type controls found on most boilers and hot water furnaces. The whole water jacket is insulated with spray-on type foam insulation. The top feed door will accept logs up about 4 feet long and 16 inches or so in diameter. There is also a door on the end for conventional loading by hand.
Tom, (the owner), was a no nonsense kind of guy. Gave me a good run-down on the history of his company, the customers that he has and his business values. Although his warranty is only 3 years, it is on everything with no pro-ratings. Quite honestly, I can't see a 3/8" thick firebox burning out or developing a hole in 15 to 20 years unless the water isn't monitored for iron content, and he will give as many free tests a year as anyone wants. The outer water jacket, (tank), is 3/16" thick, so that shouldn't go anywhere either. In talking to him I got the impression that if a weld were to fail or something else were to prematurely wear out and was not caused by something stupid that I had done, he'd stand behind it. I wouldn't expect more than a 1 year warranty on anything electrical anyway, so I don't think 3 years is all that bad over-all.
The boiler is about the same size as any other OWB except it is longer. The width and height appear about the same. Some of that length is attributable to the longer firebox, but some of it also comes from that spacious control closet on the back end. There's more than enough room for pumps, valves and controls and nothing is just jammed into a small space.
Everything about it looked HEAVY. The top door had 2 gas springs to hold it open and they just barely managed the task, altho physically opening it didn't require all that much effort. The smaller end door felt heavy to open but swung easily on 2 heavy hinges.
The only thing that looked cheap was the latch that help that little door closed. It's a common cam-over Staco style clamp. I think I would have used at least the next size up or come up with something of my own design. The inner air injection tubes look like they could possibly be damaged from logs falling into the fire box when top loading, but in talking with Tom, I can't imagine with his background that he would put something cheap and easily damaged in there, KNOWING what it was going to be subjected to. I forgot to ask how thick walled they were, but they were about 2" in diameter, so theoretically they could be 1/4" or 3/8" wall, which should more than withstand the pounding a log dropping on them would cause. I don't think there was much skimping on anything as it weighs around 2 tons empty. Quite honestly, these two items were the only thing I could find fault with. And I'm REAL adept at picking apart another metal workers product!
I was going to take pictures of this thing and totally forgot. I'm in the middle of building a solar kiln and was concentrating on that today. I can build almost anything with steel but wood eludes me. It was giving me issues trying to square up 2 of the walls so I got side-tracked from the picture taking.
Tomorrow, the Hawken rep is coming out. I'll report back on that if anyone is interested as well.
Tom, (the owner), was a no nonsense kind of guy. Gave me a good run-down on the history of his company, the customers that he has and his business values. Although his warranty is only 3 years, it is on everything with no pro-ratings. Quite honestly, I can't see a 3/8" thick firebox burning out or developing a hole in 15 to 20 years unless the water isn't monitored for iron content, and he will give as many free tests a year as anyone wants. The outer water jacket, (tank), is 3/16" thick, so that shouldn't go anywhere either. In talking to him I got the impression that if a weld were to fail or something else were to prematurely wear out and was not caused by something stupid that I had done, he'd stand behind it. I wouldn't expect more than a 1 year warranty on anything electrical anyway, so I don't think 3 years is all that bad over-all.
The boiler is about the same size as any other OWB except it is longer. The width and height appear about the same. Some of that length is attributable to the longer firebox, but some of it also comes from that spacious control closet on the back end. There's more than enough room for pumps, valves and controls and nothing is just jammed into a small space.
Everything about it looked HEAVY. The top door had 2 gas springs to hold it open and they just barely managed the task, altho physically opening it didn't require all that much effort. The smaller end door felt heavy to open but swung easily on 2 heavy hinges.
The only thing that looked cheap was the latch that help that little door closed. It's a common cam-over Staco style clamp. I think I would have used at least the next size up or come up with something of my own design. The inner air injection tubes look like they could possibly be damaged from logs falling into the fire box when top loading, but in talking with Tom, I can't imagine with his background that he would put something cheap and easily damaged in there, KNOWING what it was going to be subjected to. I forgot to ask how thick walled they were, but they were about 2" in diameter, so theoretically they could be 1/4" or 3/8" wall, which should more than withstand the pounding a log dropping on them would cause. I don't think there was much skimping on anything as it weighs around 2 tons empty. Quite honestly, these two items were the only thing I could find fault with. And I'm REAL adept at picking apart another metal workers product!
I was going to take pictures of this thing and totally forgot. I'm in the middle of building a solar kiln and was concentrating on that today. I can build almost anything with steel but wood eludes me. It was giving me issues trying to square up 2 of the walls so I got side-tracked from the picture taking.
Tomorrow, the Hawken rep is coming out. I'll report back on that if anyone is interested as well.
Last edited: