Does anyone use their OWB all summer long for domestic hot water only? Pros and cons? Suggestions? I have all the free firewood I can use and would love to not use fuel oil.
OWB summer burn for DHW
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Though it's not a "true OWB" mine's built on a junk OWB with lots of copper for the water and pea gravel for the mass.
In the summer I isolate everything relating to the house heat except the sidearm by opening and closing a couple ball valves.
I prefer to burn large chunks of lesser quality softwood in the summer.
In the summer I isolate everything relating to the house heat except the sidearm by opening and closing a couple ball valves.
I prefer to burn large chunks of lesser quality softwood in the summer.
birddog486
ArboristSite Lurker
I burn the OWB throughout the summer months to heat the DHW and fish room but I end up having to relight the stove a couple times a week because it goes out.
Even with the hastle of it going out it's still worth it.
Even with the hastle of it going out it's still worth it.
oneoldbanjo
Addicted to ArboristSite
Have you ever shut it down for a month to see what it cost to provide DHW the expensive way? It is just my wife and I in our house and we don't use a huge amount of hot water. I think our biggest energy user is our electric clothes dryer and our utility bills are always about $ 60 - $ 70 a month no matter what the season is. I don't think burning in the summer would save us much more than $10 - $20 a month and keeping the fire going is not worth it to me......I enjoy the time away from my OWB.
I stop burning once the daytime temperature reaches the 60's and the night temperature is over 50. I also start burning the stockpiled Cedar when the weather warms up as it seems to burn well with lots of idle time, it leaves little ashes and the smoke smell is nice when the wind happens to blow toward the house. I just loaded the last wood into my OWB this morning as it was in the 40's.....and the rest of this week will be in the 60's to 70's.....with a chance of 80's coming.
I agree , I don't think for the savings its worth it . Any wood your burning even though its junk wood its fuel you could be using when you really need it . I like the break away from it also and like to cut wood for the next season without having to worry about having wood on hand to burn all summer . After letting it go out I clean it real good , spray the inside down with used motor oil and kerosene , take the stack off and I'm done for quite a few months .
Summer use
I have burned year around for the past 5 years. I typically burn fresh fence line wood and scrap wood that I wouldn't burn in the winter. I fill my Central Classic boiler every other day. The wood I burn would typically go into a burn pile. My wife also says I need the evening mental break I get every time I head out to the stove!! LP isn't cheap!!
I have burned year around for the past 5 years. I typically burn fresh fence line wood and scrap wood that I wouldn't burn in the winter. I fill my Central Classic boiler every other day. The wood I burn would typically go into a burn pile. My wife also says I need the evening mental break I get every time I head out to the stove!! LP isn't cheap!!
Blazin
Addicted to ArboristSite
No I never have, I agree with the others that it's not worth the time and effort, let alone having a smoldering stove all summer. Plus it's nice to take a break from the dragon after a long winter! 
Laird
Nemo me impune lacessit
No I never have, I agree with the others that it's not worth the time and effort, let alone having a smoldering stove all summer. Plus it's nice to take a break from the dragon after a long winter!
Same here. I would have to redo my supply and return lines, adding some valves to bypass the furnace HX. Even then it would add enough heat to my crawlspace that the AC would have to work harder to negate the added heat. My lines also pass through the garage and HX in the garage making it too warm as well.
Too little benefit for me.
scag52
ArboristSite Operative
Mines been burning for two years now. Load every few days .Still check it once a day though its always near full. Use half rotten pine or whatever i can find. even stumps and branches.Only takes minutes to check/load.
Also, Do you have a garage ? Very nice to wash cars/equiptment with hot water. i wouldn't even consider shutting it down.
Also, Do you have a garage ? Very nice to wash cars/equiptment with hot water. i wouldn't even consider shutting it down.
Thanks for all the input. I think the tight as a frog's butt part of me will win and I will keep feeding the junk wood into the "dragon". I'll let you know if lazy beats cheap, but somehow I doubt it.
Blazin
Addicted to ArboristSite
Thanks for all the input. I think the tight as a frog's butt part of me will win and I will keep feeding the junk wood into the "dragon". I'll let you know if lazy beats cheap, but somehow I doubt it.
Lazy has nothing to do with it on this end, by the end of May I'll have burned 20 full cord, then I will be starting on next years 20.
J.W Younger
ass kissing impaired
Yeah,some of the things you need to do is mix a few sticks of a good coaling wood in with the junk.Also if possible play with your idle air untill you find where it will stay lit.What I did was drill a couple of extra holes in the fresh air door and use screws to add or cut off air. After you get it right its very little hassle and a good way too keep the processing area cleaned up.At times during the summer it will go for better than 2 weeks between fill ups and I allmost never see the forced air kick in.
Lazy has nothing to do with it on this end, by the end of May I'll have burned 20 full cord, then I will be starting on next years 20.
OMG 20 FULL CORDS-------what are you heating and what did you do BEFORE the OWB?
Blazin
Addicted to ArboristSite
2 houses and a 2100sq ft garage, one of them houses my 85 year old mum likes the thermostat on 80 which is fine as long as she's happy
Before the OWB 5 years ago I bought fuel oil :check:
Mister Twister
ArboristSite Operative
I shut mine down for the summer also. I clean it up good spray with oil and cap the chimney. It cost me roughly $30 a month for propane with a family of four and that includes my kitchen range. I rotate 2 100# tanks and fill them at the local propane filling station. Usually a 5 -6 weeks on a tank.
Lazy has nothing to do with it on this end, by the end of May I'll have burned 20 full cord, then I will be starting on next years 20.
HOLY WOODHOG BATMAN!!:msp_ohmy:
I don't blame you for giving it a break! If I had to process 20 cords in a year I'd probably be relying on the local hospital's heating system. That's a bunch of wood brother, but it still beats the crap out of the oil bill don't it?
Mea Culpa, Lazy was only to apply to myself.
Blazin
Addicted to ArboristSite
Yeah at this years price it woulda been around $8-9K for all three places for fuel oil, once again I told opec to go blow it out thier ass
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