OWB'S any helpful thoughts?

[wooddog 066]

WELL just was curious around how much wood you guys burned in your outside furnaces and whats the best way to burn like if the logs fit in the door you get longer burntimes also does any one have a freeheat machine and what do ya think of it?

 

[nparch726]

I'm sure you'll get quite a few responses on this one. Your OWB performance and burn rate will vary greatly depending on your local climate, wood type used, and of course the size and efficiency of your home.

Last year was my first year with a Central Boiler 5036 and I loved it. I'm heating a 1800 sf house that's not the most efficient, but isn't terrible either. I burned somwheres in the neighborhood of 7 cords of mixed wood last year.

I cut way too much wood last year so I was pretty well prepared, but I've heard from several folks that weren't as prepared or didn't have enough wood, and that sounds like a huge headache to have to scrounge for wood when you need it or to have to buy wood.

Lots of great people and good advice on here, don't be afraid to ask questions! Good Luck!

 

[wooddog 066]

I used to have a little newyorker wood/coal boiler and it burned 6 cords a winter but it wasnt big enough once i put a big addition on my home and put radiant heat in the floors the water temp never went above 120 degrees so i sold it already ran the pexlines and maxx-r underground insulation underground i cant wait to get my furnace i just am curious if i will burn the same or what because my house is insulated well but now that i can throw whole logs it will be nice no more splitting unless it fits through the door but my wood supply is good i have 5 cords already under leantoo building and about 15 cord in a pile seasoning for next year!!!!

 

[Alan Smith]

I burn less in my CB 5036 than my buck stove did. heat all the house and 2 water heater . the Buck was 1 room heater i use about 17 pieces of 16"to 20" in 24 hours in CB 5036 with Temp 18 TO 20 degree

 

[superwd6]

I to think I burnt less wood with my E-Classic than a wood stove. Hard to tell since one stove wouldn't heat the house. I do sleep all night now with the boiler. I heat my pool with mine on an 1.5 acre lot and the neighbors on either side of me didn't even know I had a boiler. Central boiler made the highest quality built unit of any I looked at a year ago. I've been a heating man for over twenty years and have seen a lot of crap, don't go for the cheap stuff- it'll bite you in the long run

 

[wooddog 066]

I too think i will be happy with a OWB i love to cut wood and its good because i can keep all my wood dry atleast 6 cords sit and dry all year long even after it seasoned for two years in a pile!! but i know they say you can burn green and pine i just like hearin from all the guys on here and there input and different types of setups

 

[Circle B MN]

I too think i will be happy with a OWB i love to cut wood and its good because i can keep all my wood dry atleast 6 cords sit and dry all year long even after it seasoned for two years in a pile!! but i know they say you can burn green and pine i just like hearin from all the guys on here and there input and different types of setups

This is what has given OWB's a bad name and caused regulatory action in several states. Feed your boiler ONLY dry seasoned wood.

 

[wooddog 066]

Thats the main thing i agree and also the a techguy were i bought my boiler is good seasoned wood around 2 yrs old but i guess burn times with everyone else will be different due to climates and how well insulated there home is!!!:agree2:

 

[wooddog 066]

anyone else have any good thoughts on burn times and how much wood they use and how often they feed it keep'em coming i love this stuff

 

[pwl]

I have a 2000 square foot house and heat my DHW. The house is 2x4 construction and not insulated worth a damn. I burn approximately 9 cord in my CB 5648.

 

[wooddog 066]

thats not too bad considering also i wonder if you would use more if you have forced air than baseboard hotwater heat andor radiant floor heat?

 

[Butch(OH)]

1945 Cape Cod and shop plus domestic on a bit less than 11 cords. We now burn less wood than when we were heaing the house and shop with 2 stoves and are warmer plus no gas bill for hot water 5 months a year. This is 2 cords a year less than when we started because we believed the burn anything, dry split or otherwise lore. We now burn 2 year old split wood as we did when we had stoves.

 

[oneoldbanjo]

I heat a 2,200 square foot house, domestic hot water, and an 1,800 square foot garage. I only burn when the temperature is below 40 degrees and I burned 6 cords last year. My house and garage are new and built from styrofoam SIPS panels and it is very well insulated.

My fire never goes completely out during the heating season -but it I only add enough wood each morning and each night to get me to the next filling cycle. Small fires allow the coals to burn up in my Woodmaster and it smokes far less when there is little wood inside to be smokey. I cut the rounds to 30 - 40 pound sizes and the burn times are longer and the amount of coals is less than with smaller wood - however there are plenty of limbs in the mix and they get burned as well. After 3 years of burning I don't waste my time cutting anything smaller than 4" as it is just too much work for the amount of heat it provides.

 

[Gap Goat]

Free Heat Machine

WELL just was curious around how much wood you guys burned in your outside furnaces and whats the best way to burn like if the logs fit in the door you get longer burntimes also does any one have a freeheat machine and what do ya think of it?

I have had my OWB from Free Heat Machine for the past two years. I have never been exposed to any of the others so I can't compare it to any of them. I can say that I have been VERY happy with the one I have. I am like wooddog 066 and enjoy cutting and splitting. I have a Polaris UTV and if i can lift the wood over the tailgate and into the bed then I don't split it. Any that I can't lift I split there. I have noticed that the later it gets, the smaller the pieces I can lift. It must be the angle of the sun because I know I'm able to work all day long....I did it 30 years ago :lifter:

 

[wooddog 066]

thats the way i have been cutting 20 to 30" long and if it will go in the door it will get burnt but i figure a whole log takes longer to burn from outside in than a split one but i am also 30 yrs old but i just really love this stuff if any of you guys have any pics of your setups please post them i would like to see how you guys have them!!

 

[gwiley]

3500-3600sf house, high ceilings, lots of windows, wife keeps it at 78degF, all hot water and house heat from the OWB

10 cords/year mixed hardwood/pine

cut everything 2-4' long, much of it is not split at all - only split or shorting stuff to heavy to lift into the furnace (Central Boiler 5036)

Used to spend $5000/season on propane keeping the place at 68degF

 

[wooddog 066]

whole log or split

Whats your guys thought split wood like wood insert size or go with the big rounds as long as you got a good coal base?

 

[gwiley]

Whats your guys thought split wood like wood insert size or go with the big rounds as long as you got a good coal base?

Larger pieces of wood burn slower than smaller pieces. Softwoods like pine do much better left as large as possible (assuming you have dried them properly).

 

[wooddog 066]

all of my wood will be seasoned however i been cutting like H@@@ because we have had a bunch of storms around here leaving alot of wood available especially everyone in my town knows how much i love too cut wood so i have been getting all i can but its all green but i just keep circulating the plie but i have been cutting all wood around 20-30" long for the new arrival of my OWB

 

[Medman23]

thats not too bad considering also i wonder if you would use more if you have forced air than baseboard hotwater heat andor radiant floor heat?

To answer this, yes you will burn more wood to heat your house with forced air with a heat exchanger in the plenum. The lowest usable temp I can feed my heat exchanger is 130*F to keep the house at 70*F. with baseboard, you can use water at a lower temp than this, but not much lower, and only if the flow in gal/min is low enough to allow the heat transfer.
Radiant in-floor is the most efficient, using temps down to 90-100*F. This means that you can let the fire in the boiler die down a bit and still keep the house warm.
Really, reducing your wood use in the boiler is a matter of matching the wood load to the demand so that the boiler does not idle much, as idling just sends the heat up the stack.
I have a gasification boiler with 500 gallons of storage and burn 6 cords to heat 2400 sq.ft. and Domestic HW plus a 1200 sq. ft. shop. I have forced air in the house and ceiling mount radiators in the shop.

Ryan