add on furnace vs owb

[Tjcole50]

Been going back and forth between a 2nd stove in basement, add on wood furnace or an outdoor boiler gassifier no storage. The lay out of my house kills my stove on my main floor. The nc30 battles a completely open concept A-frame with 21 ft cathedral ceiling. I load it 4 times a day in this weather. Which is the same amount of wood my neighnor loads in a central boilwr ... sad. Now my basement stove would sit smack in the center of house below my main level stove exterior chimney. There is an open stair case 10 ft away and I have 1/2" foam board and drywall down there. That's the cheapest option. I pieced together a through wall chimney for an add on furnace (can't use existing chimney other side of house) the chimney was 2500$!!! Plus a furnace price I'm sitting at 5-6k. Everything I have read says owb burns so much more wood. But for what I have seen they dont. I have s friend with an older hotblast and one with a newer one. Each burns equal to what I have seen owb go through. Plus I would have to make a chute through a basement window and handle wood that much more. So what say you guys?
Sorry for wall of text

 

[Joesell]

My owb went out last fall so I had a chance to sit down and think about my options.

I might be a glutton for punishment, but I went right out and bought the same owb. It still makes sense to me. Keeps the wood, the mess, and the bugs outside. Not to mention splitting is a whole lot easier because of the bigger pieces it can take.

I also like the fact that I can load it up and forget about it. It regulates the temp all by itself. I realize that there are some indoor units that do that. I just don't know anybody that has one that does. It seems like they're constantly messing with it.

 

[Tjcole50]

Gasser or no? How much wood consumption/house size

 

[Whitespider]

I have an indoor add-on furnace. The only thing I wouldn't like about an OWB is the goin' outside to tend it.
'Course, I'm bein' overly dramatic, it ain't like I sit in the house all day... any day
Still, part of my job is workin' on the road, sometimes all week, the wife and daughter would likely turn on the gas.
Other than that... I got nothin'.
*

 

[Tjcole50]

Wish I could use existing chimney for an add on but it's on the other end of basement and it's finished so rigging somethibg up won't work in the looks department. Removing a basement window for a chute is fine with me

 

[Joesell]

It's a CB 6048, non gasser.

I have a pretty big, really old farm house. I heat that, the hot water, and the hot tub. Still, my wood usage is down from the old one. Although I really don't keep track anymore. Even if I did, I doubt you or anyone has the same setup or heat loss I have.

I don't mind filling it outside. I do it when I'm leaving for work, and when I get back home. If I'm out side in between, I might check on it, but I don't have to.

My wife knows where it is, and has been know to fill it once in a while too.

 

[Tjcole50]

My wife is a champ as far as loading the stove. It's all we heat with with. It just can't handle subzero to well. I also want whole home heat and basement heat. She would have no issue loading an outdoor as long as I don't pile stumps size wood in front of it haha. I just wonder how much less an indoor boilwr with storage (located in out building ) really burns than a new gasser owb....

 

[NSMaple1]

What do you have for heat distribution system? If the house layout kills your stove, an OWB is going to also burn a lot of wood, likely.

 

[Cheesecutter]

I've had all 3, woodstove, add on, and owb. The owb does burn 30% more wood than the add on, but the labor/mess/time savings are worth it. I also load mine on my way to work and when I get home. It literally takes a few seconds to a minute to load it, plus 5 minutes a week to clean it.

 

[Tjcole50]

Is it a gassee or older style? Man my friends add on really eat the wood. 1 truck load lasts a friend of mine two weeks in his new central boilboiler which suprised me. As far as moving heat I really have nothing besides ceiling/floor fan. It's just alot of volume. It really does ok except for these hard extended cold snaps. I like the idea of outside convenience storage or no storage..
I am very back n forth with this investment. I actually really think a basement stove would work well with our layout and slow the heat from going straight to peak of the house. Especially with our open staircase which dumps to under neath the loft area. It's the cheapest but again adding more inconvenience with that I guess.

 

[brenndatomu]

Wish I could use existing chimney for an add on but it's on the other end of basement

~$1000 or so gets you a class A chimney in the right spot...
Also, what is the primary heat in the house? Gas, LP, oil?

 

[Tjcole50]

Lp... please show me where I can get a full class a through wall/brackets/supports for 1000!!!

 

[hupte]

I used to burn in a wood stove for many years. after installing the owb I'm burning exactly the same amount of wood. on the coldest days, an 8ft truck bed full of splits would last me 10 days in the wood stove. and that exactly what i'll burn in the owb. only difference is I spend alot less time processing and moving the wood with the owb. i'd guestimate if I spent 12 hrs per week processing wood for a wood stove, I'll spend 3 hrs a week processing wood for the owb. so its a 4:1 ratio.

just think 5 years from now what are you gonna wish you did differently? you gonna want more convenience? owb's are a big investment up front but well worth it in the long run, IMHO. with my wood stove it seemed like everyday in the house was either too hot or too cold. with the owb the house is much more consistent, plus there's no smoke, no mess, no bugs in the house.

what part of the country are you located in?

 

[Kevin in Ohio]

I used to burn in a wood stove for many years. after installing the owb I'm burning exactly the same amount of wood. on the coldest days, an 8ft truck bed full of splits would last me 10 days in the wood stove. and that exactly what i'll burn in the owb. only difference is I spend alot less time processing and moving the wood with the owb. i'd guestimate if I spent 12 hrs per week processing wood for a wood stove, I'll spend 3 hrs a week processing wood for the owb. so its a 4:1 ratio.

just think 5 years from now what are you gonna wish you did differently? you gonna want more convenience? owb's are a big investment up front but well worth it in the long run, IMHO. with my wood stove it seemed like everyday in the house was either too hot or too cold. with the owb the house is much more consistent, plus there's no smoke, no mess, no bugs in the house.

what part of the country are you located in?

Also remember too that your insurance "should" lower your premium for Not having the flame in the house. They are quick to add the extra but you have to remind them on a discount.

 

[Tjcole50]

NorthWest ohio

 

[brenndatomu]

Lp... please show me where I can get a full class a through wall/brackets/supports for 1000!!!

OOPS! My bad, your're right, it's only $821.22...at Menards...regular price. And, it would only add up to $690.38 if you catch the stuff on one of their famous "11% off everything" sales and then the pipe for $59.99 per 6 x 36" section when they do their fall heating sale (and other times too)
Here's the math...
1. Through the wall/support kit, $291.09
2. 6" x 36" (x 6 for 18' chimney) $449.94
3. Wall bands (x 3) $44.25
4. Lock bands (x 6) $35.94
-------------------------------------------------------
Total $821.22, at regular store prices (+ tax)

Now if it's on sale...
1. Through the wall/support kit, $291.09 - 11% = 259.07
2. 6" x 36" (x 6 for 18' chimney) $59.99 each, sale price = $359.94
3. Wall bands (x 3) $44.25 - 11% = $39.38
4. Lock bands (x 6) $35.94 - 11% = $31.99
--------------------------------------------------------
Total $690.38, at sale prices (+ tax)

This is for Supervent brand SS Class A pipe, good stuff, I put one up a few years ago and it has endured a few chimney fires without so much as a hiccup. I took it all apart 3 years after I installed it to make sure it was still OK, was fine, put it back up, still in service this very minute...but no more chimney fires now after getting on AS and gettin me some wood burnin edjamacation!

 

[tom reinbolt]

Here are my thoughts. I'm pretty new to this and just starting to understand my furnace.

I can't speak of an out door burner. I have a wood furnace in my basement.

It was COLD this morning-- -16 below. My propane OR woodburner cannot keep up with that cold. When it reaches about 15 or so the woodburner is nice--but needs attention every other hour or so. I am getting about 6 hours burn/warmth with my furnace. I have a big house with 9 ft ceilings and a 22x22x18 great room that has lots of windows--so I really can't expect a full 10 or so hours with any wood burning product.

The mess is in the basement--wood, ash, dust, etc. I built the house with a chute to load in the fall--so far it's worked.

As to an outdoor burner, my back yard view is not blocked by a green outhouse bellowing smoke--I guess for me that's the tradeoff.

As to cost--I see this as an investment. So the fixed cost of an installation will pay for itself--I've saved just this year a few grand in propane--propane is only about 2.20 a gallon with my co-op--fuel costs will go up someday--

How much wood do you have access to?

If you go with an indoor furnace, configure you ductwork to allow the propane to kick on when the woodburner runs out of heat--nothing like waking up to a cold house because you are out of wood and your firebox is cold.

 

[brenndatomu]

As to an outdoor burner, my back yard view is not blocked by a green outhouse bellowing smoke

Quote of the year right there boys!

Might haft steal that one from ya tom...

 

[brenndatomu]

I used to burn in a wood stove for many years. after installing the owb I'm burning exactly the same amount of wood. on the coldest days, an 8ft truck bed full of splits would last me 10 days in the wood stove. and that exactly what i'll burn in the owb.

Sounds like your stove was a hawg and your OWB is miserly...for a OWB that is. Probably not a normal scenario for most people, OP has a Englader NC30 stove (I think), not a hawg, so...

 

[hupte]

As to an outdoor burner, my back yard view is not blocked by a green outhouse bellowing smoke--I guess for me that's the tradeoff.

my wood pile takes up way more room than my owb. i enjoy looking at the owb actually. all i see is how much time, money and headaches it saves. burning inside, i always worried about burning the house down. so the simple peace of mind is well worth having to look at the owb. but to each their own.