czar800
ArboristSite Guru
How Many of you guys make your OWB and have pictures.
I would love too see them!
I would love too see them!
How Many Homemade OWB Out There?
- Thread starter czar800
- Start date
Help Support Arborist Forum:
deeker
Tree Freak
New here, what is OWB???
WVwoodsman
Addicted to ArboristSite
Welcome DEEKER, OWB = Outdoor Wood Burner
ericjeeper
Addicted to ArboristSite
I have built two so far
The first one the firebox was a used forced air woodburning firebox previously.
The second I fabbed myself.. 30 inch diameter pipe four feet long.. Plenty of firebox space now
Here is the link to see the photos
http://www.pbase.com/ericjeeper/solar&page=all
The first one the firebox was a used forced air woodburning firebox previously.
The second I fabbed myself.. 30 inch diameter pipe four feet long.. Plenty of firebox space now
Here is the link to see the photos
http://www.pbase.com/ericjeeper/solar&page=all
NC4AB
ArboristSite Member
Ericjeeper -
Nice pics.
I've been contemplating building one myself using a propane tank as the fire box and a oil tank as the water storage. May be my summer project now that the time has changed.
I would also be interested in anyone's photos or experiences on building one from scratch, especially with forced air injection into the fire box.
Nice pics.
I've been contemplating building one myself using a propane tank as the fire box and a oil tank as the water storage. May be my summer project now that the time has changed.
I would also be interested in anyone's photos or experiences on building one from scratch, especially with forced air injection into the fire box.
ericjeeper
Addicted to ArboristSite
Thanks.. I tend to overbuild.
My firebox is 30 inch diameter Half inch thick pipe. The water jacket I lightened up on it is a mere .375 LOL I figured go big or stay on the porch. I do have forced air to feed the fire. It is thermostatically controlled by the temps in my buried 600 gallon storage tank.
My firebox is 30 inch diameter Half inch thick pipe. The water jacket I lightened up on it is a mere .375 LOL I figured go big or stay on the porch. I do have forced air to feed the fire. It is thermostatically controlled by the temps in my buried 600 gallon storage tank.
czar800
ArboristSite Guru
I have been contemplating doing the same thing with the same material LOL
propane tank and oil tank.... Great minds think alike...
innovative
ArboristSite Operative
I am thinking of building my own also. Can you tell me how big of an area you are heating and how much wood you use.
trialanderror
ArboristSite Operative
mine is a modified forced air 30 PSI boiler. steelking 4300b
added water jacket to the front and back and bottom, and now it's an open system (non pressurized)
i'm using an dwyer controller that switches 24v relays to control the damper solenoid and the blower motor. best of both worlds.
i also in the past few years wound up with 20+ of the same make/model 24v aquastats from commercial water heaters, so i threaded one of those in there just for back up if something ever happened to the dwywer in a tight time pinch..
if your build one yourself, go with a design that has as few welds as possible, otherwise it's alot of welding. MIG all the way.
have a hoist handy so you can flip/rotate your work around so you can crank the amps and get the puddle as deep as possible.... with water there's not much room for error. because the weld looks good and is strong doesn't mean it won't leak.....
before you wrap it all up and install everything, pump it up to ~15-20PSI and soap bubble all your welds....
if your going to heat alot of sq, or want the 'load and forget for a day' kinda burner, make a big firebox. something that holds maybe 200-300lbs of wood. mines kinda small. it's okay for 1 house. i've been pondering bigger plans....
/me eyeballs the 3200gallon tank behind the shop.....
i was looking at the CB's, and basically the waterjacket becomes the firebox dimensions of the next model up, and just keeps stepping up that way. so with some math you can figure out how many cubic foot of firebox is heating how many gallons of water, and BTU relations...it's kinda freestyle really...i don't care how effecient it is. i dumped $4800 in LP in the last year i used it.
i burned a SHEET load of wood, probably more BTU's then what i did in propane, but, it was free....so again, i don't care.
added water jacket to the front and back and bottom, and now it's an open system (non pressurized)
i'm using an dwyer controller that switches 24v relays to control the damper solenoid and the blower motor. best of both worlds.
i also in the past few years wound up with 20+ of the same make/model 24v aquastats from commercial water heaters, so i threaded one of those in there just for back up if something ever happened to the dwywer in a tight time pinch..
if your build one yourself, go with a design that has as few welds as possible, otherwise it's alot of welding. MIG all the way.
have a hoist handy so you can flip/rotate your work around so you can crank the amps and get the puddle as deep as possible.... with water there's not much room for error. because the weld looks good and is strong doesn't mean it won't leak.....
before you wrap it all up and install everything, pump it up to ~15-20PSI and soap bubble all your welds....
if your going to heat alot of sq, or want the 'load and forget for a day' kinda burner, make a big firebox. something that holds maybe 200-300lbs of wood. mines kinda small. it's okay for 1 house. i've been pondering bigger plans....
/me eyeballs the 3200gallon tank behind the shop.....
i was looking at the CB's, and basically the waterjacket becomes the firebox dimensions of the next model up, and just keeps stepping up that way. so with some math you can figure out how many cubic foot of firebox is heating how many gallons of water, and BTU relations...it's kinda freestyle really...i don't care how effecient it is. i dumped $4800 in LP in the last year i used it.
i burned a SHEET load of wood, probably more BTU's then what i did in propane, but, it was free....so again, i don't care.
innovative
ArboristSite Operative
mine is a modified forced air 30 PSI boiler. steelking 4300b
added water jacket to the front and back and bottom, and now it's an open system (non pressurized)
i'm using an dwyer controller that switches 24v relays to control the damper solenoid and the blower motor. best of both worlds.
i also in the past few years wound up with 20+ of the same make/model 24v aquastats from commercial water heaters, so i threaded one of those in there just for back up if something ever happened to the dwywer in a tight time pinch..
if your build one yourself, go with a design that has as few welds as possible, otherwise it's alot of welding. MIG all the way.
have a hoist handy so you can flip/rotate your work around so you can crank the amps and get the puddle as deep as possible.... with water there's not much room for error. because the weld looks good and is strong doesn't mean it won't leak.....
before you wrap it all up and install everything, pump it up to ~15-20PSI and soap bubble all your welds....
if your going to heat alot of sq, or want the 'load and forget for a day' kinda burner, make a big firebox. something that holds maybe 200-300lbs of wood. mines kinda small. it's okay for 1 house. i've been pondering bigger plans....
/me eyeballs the 3200gallon tank behind the shop.....
i was looking at the CB's, and basically the waterjacket becomes the firebox dimensions of the next model up, and just keeps stepping up that way. so with some math you can figure out how many cubic foot of firebox is heating how many gallons of water, and BTU relations...it's kinda freestyle really...i don't care how effecient it is. i dumped $4800 in LP in the last year i used it.
i burned a SHEET load of wood, probably more BTU's then what i did in propane, but, it was free....so again, i don't care.
Some good advice. Thanks!
I have read that if you create a good burn twice a day for a couple of hours that should produce enough heat to heat an average home. I believe they were talking of using a storage tank of 150-300 gallons for water storage and then drawing off from that when there is a call for heat. Any thoughts? I am trying to gather as much information to try and get educated before I dive head first into this project.
trialanderror
ArboristSite Operative
depends on alot of factors.
my controller is ultra sensitive. water temp drops a 1/2 degree it calls for heat.
my buddies CB, it needs to drop 10 degrees before it fires....
then again, his is natural draft, so it can be an hour or so before he gains 10 degree's back
with mine being forced draft, if i chill the water 10 degrees, i can recover that within minutes....
also is how big of HX you have in the house. my boiler still had the orginal tag on it, and was rated for 500,000 btu, that was before i put a bigger blower on it. my HX is 200,000 BTU, 1" pex, 1" copper. 2500sq house, the blower only needs to run 2-3 minutes and the house is satisified. mine you that also chills my water 10-12 degrees, but, i can recover that within minutes as well....
also remember flame produces heat, but it's 'moving' heat you can say. coals produce tremendous amounts of heat, and they just 'simmer'....
i can get quick recovery with a massive amount of 1/2" pine all piled in, but it won't hold as good as a bed of coals....
also note you don't need a massive forced draft, a blower motor choked down to maybe a 1/3 or a 1/4 of it's input is all that's needed to 'fluff' fresh air through the coals and generate alot of heat to satisify the water temp. either way setup a damper to snap shut and keep it air tight, as a draft that can draw will gradually creep temps up and have a potential of a boiler over if no zones/hx's are calling for heat. i used a throttle body so when if i loose power, spring snaps everything airtight.
i experimented and installed a 500 gallon water tank and insulated it in the garage. all you gain with that is the potential to store BTU', not really make more from the wood you burn.
with the xtra water, i can keep stoking/firing it all day long, and if it gets super cold at night, if the boiler does go out, i can still draw off the water until morning...all you really gain with that....then the next day is 'recover' time.
the more water you have in the system, you really should have a much bigger firebox to recover much faster.
you could have a zoning valve to the house. and the boiler on it's own loop. boiler temp 200f. house temp 160f. you pull heat from the house loop, and per say if the house loop drops to 140F, a zoning valve cracks open and draws fresh hot water from the boiler, then closes, and once, you pull heat from the house loop until the system repeats. sorta like ice melt. try and keep the water ~35F, while not letting 35F water get pumped into your boilers' water jacket...
honestly there's a million different ways to do anything with something like this. just whatever works and within your budget.....
my controller is ultra sensitive. water temp drops a 1/2 degree it calls for heat.
my buddies CB, it needs to drop 10 degrees before it fires....
then again, his is natural draft, so it can be an hour or so before he gains 10 degree's back
with mine being forced draft, if i chill the water 10 degrees, i can recover that within minutes....
also is how big of HX you have in the house. my boiler still had the orginal tag on it, and was rated for 500,000 btu, that was before i put a bigger blower on it. my HX is 200,000 BTU, 1" pex, 1" copper. 2500sq house, the blower only needs to run 2-3 minutes and the house is satisified. mine you that also chills my water 10-12 degrees, but, i can recover that within minutes as well....
also remember flame produces heat, but it's 'moving' heat you can say. coals produce tremendous amounts of heat, and they just 'simmer'....
i can get quick recovery with a massive amount of 1/2" pine all piled in, but it won't hold as good as a bed of coals....
also note you don't need a massive forced draft, a blower motor choked down to maybe a 1/3 or a 1/4 of it's input is all that's needed to 'fluff' fresh air through the coals and generate alot of heat to satisify the water temp. either way setup a damper to snap shut and keep it air tight, as a draft that can draw will gradually creep temps up and have a potential of a boiler over if no zones/hx's are calling for heat. i used a throttle body so when if i loose power, spring snaps everything airtight.
i experimented and installed a 500 gallon water tank and insulated it in the garage. all you gain with that is the potential to store BTU', not really make more from the wood you burn.
with the xtra water, i can keep stoking/firing it all day long, and if it gets super cold at night, if the boiler does go out, i can still draw off the water until morning...all you really gain with that....then the next day is 'recover' time.
the more water you have in the system, you really should have a much bigger firebox to recover much faster.
you could have a zoning valve to the house. and the boiler on it's own loop. boiler temp 200f. house temp 160f. you pull heat from the house loop, and per say if the house loop drops to 140F, a zoning valve cracks open and draws fresh hot water from the boiler, then closes, and once, you pull heat from the house loop until the system repeats. sorta like ice melt. try and keep the water ~35F, while not letting 35F water get pumped into your boilers' water jacket...
honestly there's a million different ways to do anything with something like this. just whatever works and within your budget.....
Last edited:
R W Ohio
ArboristSite Member
Some photos of the OWB that our son built.
R W Ohio
ArboristSite Member
A few more.
innovative
ArboristSite Operative
Thanks again for all of your insight.
[/I]
[/I]
I built the DEB Design IV plan boiler I am now in the process of building one twice as big.
Love the unit, I am heating a house 4500sqft, indoor pool, outdoor spa, 2 hot water heaters.
What ever you think you will burn in wood multiple by 2 times. I eat a lot of wood it is mostly free but still moving and burn 30+ cord a year takes lot of work.
They are all somewhat the same in design, I like the shaver probably as much as any because it is pretty simple for DIY'r.
Love the unit, I am heating a house 4500sqft, indoor pool, outdoor spa, 2 hot water heaters.
What ever you think you will burn in wood multiple by 2 times. I eat a lot of wood it is mostly free but still moving and burn 30+ cord a year takes lot of work.
They are all somewhat the same in design, I like the shaver probably as much as any because it is pretty simple for DIY'r.
Not the latest and greatest pic, I set it out about 3 weeks ago. I'm having the excavators taht are digging my garage, dig the trench for the thermopex, then I should be ready to roll. I'll try to get some more updated pics of it here shortly...
innovative
ArboristSite Operative
Ok I have a couple of questions:
I assume you have a water jacket surrounding your firebox. Is that the only water storage you have or do you have another tank somewhere?
I have no idea as to how much wood I will need to heat my house this winter. I am planning on just heating my house this first year to see how it goes and then I might look into plumbing it in for my hot water also. I know there are a lot of variables but what should I plan on for the amount of wood I will need for this winter. My house is 1800sq ft and not insulated the best but not to bad either.
Thanks for the help.
trialanderror
ArboristSite Operative
in my situation, i didn't care if it burned more or less then what i was using, i went from 6 fires down to 1, and the hazard was outside, instead of 2 in each house....i'll burn a few more sticks of wood to have the assurance of having a home every night when i get home...
Yes that is all the water i store.
The current one hold about 110-120 gallons the new one I am building will hold 300 gallon.
I really believe the amount of storage depends on what you are heating with it.
Your house is pretty small i think one like the first one I built would work just fine. DEB sells plans which make the process pretty helpful. I did make quite a few mods during the build process but it did give me a guide.
Guys I have another question did you use the Shaver techique of putting the smoke stack down in the burn chamber or create areburn chamber? I am curious this time I am following the shaver type design and putting the stack down in the burn chamber about 8 inches but I wondered if anyone had experience with that.
The current one hold about 110-120 gallons the new one I am building will hold 300 gallon.
I really believe the amount of storage depends on what you are heating with it.
Your house is pretty small i think one like the first one I built would work just fine. DEB sells plans which make the process pretty helpful. I did make quite a few mods during the build process but it did give me a guide.
Guys I have another question did you use the Shaver techique of putting the smoke stack down in the burn chamber or create areburn chamber? I am curious this time I am following the shaver type design and putting the stack down in the burn chamber about 8 inches but I wondered if anyone had experience with that.
Similar threads
