Seeing as how bassman is in Saskatchewan, then birch is about the best that he can do. His only other viable options are likely poplar and pine. Depending on where he is in Sask, pine might be an expensive option due to scarcity. Of the three options, birch will give him the best heat.
While I have zero experience with OWBs, I still realize that sizing is important (just as it is with wood stoves).
It's like this: I would be driving myself nuts trying to heat my house with a tiny wood stove from an ice fishing shack, but with a nice big stove that was rated for a larger square footage than my house is, I can fill that sucker up and then relax and enjoy the heat.
I believe that the same holds true for OWBs, correct?
bassman
There have been some good suggestions in this thread, particularly about sizing. Give the posters an opportunity to give you some feedback based on real data. Explain your set-up (OWB lines, insulation in your house, etc) and see what they come up with.
Hopefully there is a solution that will fill your heating requirements without breaking the bank.
This forum has some good representation from OWB users, so let them help you figure it out based on their long-term experiences.
If it turns out that the best thing is to abandon your OWB in favor of another heating method, then at least you can go forward with that knowing that you are doing what is best for you.
I believe that the knowledge on this board can really assist you in dealing with your issue, and I'd hate to see that opportunity wasted by us focusing on things that do not add to a possible resolution.
Of course, with zero knowledge I have nothing to contribute so will just be reading to learn, but isn't that what these forums are also for?