How many facecords a year in your OWB??

[indiansprings]

I just sell wood, don't have an OWB, but at least 18-20 customers use them. I would say on average most will use 13-15 full cord of wood there are many varibiles involved size of home, insulation, heat exchangers used, etc. I know if I were buying an OWB, my first choice would be a Central Boiler, or Wood Master, you couldn't give me a Wood Doctor, they are a total pos from want I have seen first hand, warped cracked doors, cracked fireboxes etc. Get one with a big enough door to put wood in, Hardy's have too little of door and too little water capacity. Most customers say they get 8-10 hours between loading, the poor cuy with the wood doctor fills every 5 to 6 hours. I've had folks with CB's say twice in twenty four hours. I don't think most customers realized how much work maintaining an OWB would be when they purchased theirs. several of the customers wished they had just used a quality stove like a Pacific Energy, Jotul, etc or a furnace like a Yukon Eagle, they didn't realize they needed to maintain the waters ph level/condition the water, the labor of cleaning out, how much wood they burn etc. Several have 8-10k tied up in their systems, and realize it is going to take a while to recover the cost.

 

[applefarmer]

I just sell wood, don't have an OWB, but at least 18-20 customers use them. I would say on average most will use 13-15 full cord of wood there are many varibiles involved size of home, insulation, heat exchangers used, etc. I know if I were buying an OWB, my first choice would be a Central Boiler, or Wood Master, you couldn't give me a Wood Doctor, they are a total pos from want I have seen first hand, warped cracked doors, cracked fireboxes etc. Get one with a big enough door to put wood in, Hardy's have too little of door and too little water capacity. Most customers say they get 8-10 hours between loading, the poor cuy with the wood doctor fills every 5 to 6 hours. I've had folks with CB's say twice in twenty four hours. I don't think most customers realized how much work maintaining an OWB would be when they purchased theirs. several of the customers wished they had just used a quality stove like a Pacific Energy, Jotul, etc or a furnace like a Yukon Eagle, they didn't realize they needed to maintain the waters ph level/condition the water, the labor of cleaning out, how much wood they burn etc. Several have 8-10k tied up in their systems, and realize it is going to take a while to recover the cost.

Your joking right? I have been around some form of wood heat my entire life. I grew up with a yukon eagle in my parents basement, I had a add on in my own house for 10 years until I did my addition back in 08. I can say without a doubt if you plan on heating EXCLUSIVELY with wood, a owb is by far the easiest wood burning appliance to use. I light one fire per season. I put in one gallon of water treatment 4 years ago, it takes less than five minutes to send in a annual water sample at no cost other than postage. I load the stove once in 24 hours except on the coldest days, shovel out half of the ashes once per month. I have no worries about a chimney fire. At the end of the season I completly empty the ashes and throw a 5 gallon bucket on the stack. As far as cost, I wish I could get a 3 year ROI on everything I bought.

My experence with indoor furnaces was the daily chore of empting the ashes through the basement and out the door. Having to relight a fire at least once a week if not more often. Temperature swings, especially during the shoulder seasons. Splitting wood. Cleaning the chimney twice a season. For me the extra 2-3 cord I use in the owb is well worth the effort, I know I have owned, operated both.

 

[J.W Younger]

Your joking right? I have been around some form of wood heat my entire life. I grew up with a yukon eagle in my parents basement, I had a add on in my own house for 10 years until I did my addition back in 08. I can say without a doubt if you plan on heating EXCLUSIVELY with wood, a owb is by far the easiest wood burning appliance to use. I light one fire per season. I put in one gallon of water treatment 4 years ago, it takes less than five minutes to send in a annual water sample at no cost other than postage. I load the stove once in 24 hours except on the coldest days, shovel out half of the ashes once per month. I have no worries about a chimney fire. At the end of the season I completly empty the ashes and throw a 5 gallon bucket on the stack. As far as cost, I wish I could get a 3 year ROI on everything I bought.

My experence with indoor furnaces was the daily chore of empting the ashes through the basement and out the door. Having to relight a fire at least once a week if not more often. Temperature swings, especially during the shoulder seasons. Splitting wood. Cleaning the chimney twice a season. For me the extra 2-3 cord I use in the owb is well worth the effort, I know I have owned, operated both.

It has to be some kind of cold for me not to get an 18hr burn out of a load of white oak or hickory. Rea oak and cherry ani't to shabby either. Dogwoods good and elm works ok too. Most days I can git a 24 hr burn long as I'm here to watch it. Good dense ,dry wood is the key too many people burnin green wood just cause they can.

 

[Penguins87]

I have a Woodmaster 3300 heating my 1400 sq. ft home to 74* and DHW. Wood is 90% hardwood seasoned a year+ ( some poplar, basswood, and hemlock mixed in). Burning 7.5 to 8.5 full cords a year from Labor Day to Memorial Day. Checking in the morning, raking coals forward, and adding a split or two. 6 or 7 splits at night on the coldest nites. Shoulder seasons usually 5 or 6 splits for 24 hours.

 

[Whitespider]

My experence with indoor furnaces was the daily chore of empting the ashes through the basement and out the door. Having to relight a fire at least once a week if not more often. Temperature swings, especially during the shoulder seasons. Splitting wood. Cleaning the chimney twice a season. For me the extra 2-3 cord I use in the owb is well worth the effort, I know I have owned, operated both.

Hmmmmm........ Indoor furnace here, heating 100% with wood. Daily chore of emptying the ashes? I empty the ashes once a week at most, and I do it without letting the fire go out. Re-lighting isn't a big deal using well seasoned firewood, and the fire doesn't even go out between Thanksgiving and Easter. Temperature swings? Yeah, sometimes. Splitting wood? How do you get your wood seasoned if'n ya' ain't splittin' it? I've let oak lay in-the-round for three years and it's still wet when I split it. Chimney cleaning? I have to replace the flue pipe about every three years, but I haven't cleaned the old brick chimney in 18-years... been no need, but I inspect it every time I replace the flue pipe. Extra 2-3 cord? Man, 3 cord of oak will easily heat my entire home for two months, or maybe even more (depending on the year), during the coldest part of the winter. Extra effort? I use less wood and can re-fill the firebox, naked, during a blizzard, and never get a chill... that's a lot less effort in my thinking. Plus, I can also store the entire winter wood supply in the basement, within a few steps of the furnace, where it stays dry and warm... I've got between 4 and 5 cord of elm down there now, probably add another cord or two, and sometime after Thanksgiving I'll toss down a couple cord or so of oak for the coming cold weather. I don't even cover my wood stacks... no need for a shed... because my "this year" supply is "covered" by the same roof that keeps me warm and dry.

Hey, not sayin' that one is better than the other... but I wouldn't have an OWB on a bet. Besides, when the power goes out, and it does every year (a few years ago we lost power for over two weeks due to an ice storm) I still have heat and a place to cook.

 

[applefarmer]

Hmmmmm........ Indoor furnace here, heating 100% with wood. Daily chore of emptying the ashes? I empty the ashes once a week at most, and I do it without letting the fire go out. Re-lighting isn't a big deal using well seasoned firewood, and the fire doesn't even go out between Thanksgiving and Easter. Temperature swings? Yeah, sometimes. Splitting wood? How do you get your wood seasoned if'n ya' ain't splittin' it? I've let oak lay in-the-round for three years and it's still wet when I split it. Chimney cleaning? I have to replace the flue pipe about every three years, but I haven't cleaned the old brick chimney in 18-years... been no need, but I inspect it every time I replace the flue pipe. Extra 2-3 cord? Man, 3 cord of oak will easily heat my entire home for two months, or maybe even more (depending on the year), during the coldest part of the winter. Extra effort? I use less wood and can re-fill the firebox, naked, during a blizzard, and never get a chill... that's a lot less effort in my thinking. Plus, I can also store the entire winter wood supply in the basement, within a few steps of the furnace, where it stays dry and warm... I've got between 4 and 5 cord of elm down there now, probably add another cord or two, and sometime after Thanksgiving I'll toss down a couple cord or so of oak for the coming cold weather. I don't even cover my wood stacks... no need for a shed... because my "this year" supply is "covered" by the same roof that keeps me warm and dry.

Hey, not sayin' that one is better than the other... but I wouldn't have an OWB on a bet. Besides, when the power goes out, and it does every year (a few years ago we lost power for over two weeks due to an ice storm) I still have heat and a place to cook.

Ya so do I, its called a backup generator. It runs my entire house including the owb and my well. Wasn't trying to start a fight here but I wanted to say what my experiences have been. For me a owb has made heating with wood much easier. By the way, you must have one hell of a large ash pan if you can make it for a week. I let my ashes build up once in my add on, it cost me a set of grates. To each his own, I really don't care as long as your using wood.

 

[Whitespider]

Naw, I wasn’t trying to fight either, just voicing an opinion. Yeah, I have a generator also… purchased just shortly after that two week power outage… ‘cause I learn quick… LOL. No ash pan, the ashes just fall through the cast grates onto the furnace floor, I push the coals to the back of the stove, lift up the front grate and shovel them into a steel bucket… pull the coals back to the front and load it up. By the time I get back from emptying the bucket the fire is-a-blazin’.

 

[CJ1]

I go through 8-10 full cords per season. I built my own OWB and I heat 3600 SQ FT. Basically it is a C/B Classic size. Anyway I heated with a indoor stove and went through the same amount of wood. I put 1 row of wood in my stove about 3'x3' and it lasts 24 hours. If I want to go 48 hours I'll put 2 rows in. If I fill the stove it will run 3-4 days. I will not go back to a indoor stove after using this unit. I hardly use the fireplace anymore either. I have less than $5000 into my whole system. It basically paid for itself in the first year. CJ

 

[woodman6666]

I filled my homemade OWB 12 times last winter. Thats heating 60x100 shop with heated floors another shed 1 house and hot water. My firebox is 8ft round and 10ft deep, you can do the math if you like on cords. It is filled with skid loader never by hand.

 

[Blazin]

I filled my homemade OWB 12 times last winter. Thats heating 60x100 shop with heated floors another shed 1 house and hot water. My firebox is 8ft round and 10ft deep, you can do the math if you like on cords. It is filled with skid loader never by hand.

You win! :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[23putts]

Taylor 450 - 3000 sq ft home - 400 sq ft shop - 8-10 full cords from OCT-MAY Burning all oak blocks with no bark from the local saw mill.

 

[Coldfront]

Never had a owb but now have a free standing wood stove and in my old house I had a wood furnace in the basement. As far as ashes I don't think I ever cleaned out more than a 5 gal. pail of ashes per week out of either. And I also kept about a months worth of wood in the basement with the wood furnace so I never had to go outside when it was below zero out. Now I keep about 2 weeks worth of wood on the front porch so I only have to take a couple of steps out in the cold to get more wood. I have nothing against owb but I am pretty sure you burn a lot less wood with a inside stove or furnace, and they are a lot cheaper and easier to install. But who knows maybe someday I will try the owb I like the idea of free hot water, that is probably where most of my propane use comes from I'm guessing about $35 per month just to heat hot water.

 

[turnkey4099]

Ya so do I, its called a backup generator. It runs my entire house including the owb and my well. Wasn't trying to start a fight here but I wanted to say what my experiences have been. For me a owb has made heating with wood much easier. By the way, you must have one hell of a large ash pan if you can make it for a week. I let my ashes build up once in my add on, it cost me a set of grates. To each his own, I really don't care as long as your using wood.

I don't know exactly how often I empty mine but it is around 5-7 days. Really depends on tpe of wood I am burning. Ashely knock-off with grates. I do have to rake the ashes through the grate regularly. My fire is also 'constant on' from beginning to end of season.

To me the cutting, splitting, stacking, hauling are all side benefits of heating with wood. You can't get that good of a workout in a gym.

Harry K