Owb question

[ievko82]

Right now I have a jotul fireplace insert trying to heat 2000 sqft. I am considering going to an owb, it would have to be a catalyst one because I have neiborghs kinnda close by, maybe 200 ft away is the closest. I'd like to know what kinnda daily, weekly, monthly, maintenance I'm looking at? I really like the idea of not having to worry about having a wb inside.

 

[Como]

Right now I have a jotul fireplace insert trying to heat 2000 sqft. I am considering going to an owb, it would have to be a catalyst one because I have neiborghs kinnda close by, maybe 200 ft away is the closest. I'd like to know what kinnda daily, weekly, monthly, maintenance I'm looking at? I really like the idea of not having to worry about having a wb inside.

That depends, do you have an out building you could put a small gasser in?

 

[ievko82]

That depends, do you have an out building you could put a small gasser in?

I didn't plan on puting it in one but I could I have a 12 x 20 storage shed that it could either go in or shelter could be added onto the rear of it....is it a must to have these in a building?

 

[Como]

I didn't plan on puting it in one but I could I have a 12 x 20 storage shed that it could either go in or shelter could be added onto the rear of it....is it a must to have these in a building?

By the sound of it your btu output is 65k max, sounds like you need a bit more so let us use 65k for the time being.

The first thing you need to do is determine your load and whether there are cost effective measures to reduce it.

Coming back to the 65k, that is a relatively small load to be considering a Wood Boiler system, so you would be looking at the smallest boiler with lots of storage, can not see an OWB being a logical solution.

How do you intend to distribute the heat?

 

[ievko82]

By the sound of it your btu output is 65k max, sounds like you need a bit more so let us use 65k for the time being.

The first thing you need to do is determine your load and whether there are cost effective measures to reduce it.

Coming back to the 65k, that is a relatively small load to be considering a Wood Boiler system, so you would be looking at the smallest boiler with lots of storage, can not see an OWB being a logical solution.

How do you intend to distribute the heat?

I was planing on just using the manifold that goes into your duct work, I'd also like to heat my water with it...this is all just an idea. I'm trying to see if this is the best thing to gain a more heat and less bother with loading every 4 hrs or so.

My house has 10 ft celings and pretty large windows also. Even tho it is a newer home between the windows and high ceilings my wb burner works pretty hard to keep the 1st floor warm.

 

[AIM]

There isn't really any maintenance to them. Fill em up and enjoy the heat.
Watch the water level and clean it out real good every spring.

As far as size goes. I wouldn't go with the smallest. I wouldn't get the biggest either. (at least not for 2000 sq ft.)
The bigger the unit= the bigger the firebox. The bigger the firebox= less frequent fillings.

Additional water storage is a waste in my opinion. Sure it might allow you to go a bit longer between fillings but the additional plumbing and the room the tanks take up isn't worth the benefit.

 

[VTWoodchuck]

Right now I have a jotul fireplace insert trying to heat 2000 sqft. I am considering going to an owb, it would have to be a catalyst one because I have neiborghs kinnda close by, maybe 200 ft away is the closest. I'd like to know what kinnda daily, weekly, monthly, maintenance I'm looking at? I really like the idea of not having to worry about having a wb inside.

I'm not sure about the catalyst ones. I have a Central Boiler thats about 7 years old. I had replace the door gasket once, thats it, and I run it year round. Just clean out the ashes every 2-3 months and check your water level. Easy-peasy.
Plan on burning ALOT of wood.

 

[H-Ranch]

You'll have to decide if it's appropriate for your neighborhood. I wouldn't want to see you invest in it and then have upset neighbors. If you're going store-bought then you'll really have to consider the investment and expected payback period.

As I always say, you have to WANT an OWB - it's not for the casual user. For me it's perfect, but may not be for the next guy. As far as maintenance I don't have to do much. I fill it twice a day. I would say monthly I empty the ashes and check the water level. Every season you should clean the burn chamber and check the water quality. I have replaced the fan and the door gasket each one time in three years. I have also had to repair mine three times due to my design and welding abilities. I am not heating water yet but plate type heat exchangers may also require periodic cleaning.

 

[ievko82]

You'll have to decide if it's appropriate for your neighborhood. I wouldn't want to see you invest in it and then have upset neighbors. If you're going store-bought then you'll really have to consider the investment and expected payback period.

As I always say, you have to WANT an OWB - it's not for the casual user. For me it's perfect, but may not be for the next guy. As far as maintenance I don't have to do much. I fill it twice a day. I would say monthly I empty the ashes and check the water level. Every season you should clean the burn chamber and check the water quality. I have replaced the fan and the door gasket each one time in three years. I have also had to repair mine three times due to my design and welding abilities. I am not heating water yet but plate type heat exchangers may also require periodic cleaning.

I'm am planning on just buying one not building my own, tho that does sound like a fun project. If I would get one I would be getting a gassifier one,so if it is anything like my gasification wb it should be fairly smoke free correct?

 

[H-Ranch]

I'm am planning on just buying one not building my own, tho that does sound like a fun project. If I would get one I would be getting a gassifier one,so if it is anything like my gasification wb it should be fairly smoke free correct?

I don't have any experience with gassification units so I can't say how much they smoke relative to older models. When I built mine I had visions of smoke filling my little clearing in the woods - it just hasn't been an issue at all. My opinion is that the amount of smoke has a lot to do with the user's operation of the unit and how seasoned the wood is. My guess is that newer models have a higher efficiency and less smoke - they may also be less tolerant of green wood which will help anyway.

 

[ffpup]

Owb

I use a Taylor and have for several years. My first on was approx. 30 years old and would have still been in use if I had maintained it every year. Taylor is the most simple to operate and load in my opinion. If you will stay a year ahead on good seasoned hard wood smoke wont be that big of a problem. Me I burn what ever i can get and let her smoke. I like a Taylor because of the simplicity of the process. It has one thermo coupler that turns on the draft fan in the front. I could stock all the parts that make it work for a couple hundred dollars. I heat 2000 sq. feet with a t-450. I am in nc its not as cold as you are in WVa. Probably the next size up would be good.

 

[603doug]

I have a wood doctor 10000 and when it is burning you can not see any smoke. We heat 2 buildings with it and it has been online for 5 years. Maintenance is every couple of weeks shoveling a bucket of ash. Wood doctor is no longer but I would buy a boiler designed like this again. But do the research on your stove, operational,efficiency and the health of the manufacturer. Wood doctor failed to deliver on orders and did not refund deposits posted in some of the forums

 

[brenndatomu]

I don't have a OWB, but I know lots of people who do and I have done a bit of research on them due to considering buying one myself a couple years back. I didn't end up buying one.
You are correct, a gassifier boiler would be relatively smokeless like your current WB. If you have neighbors close by you'll probably want to stay with a gassifier. Gassifiers work best if they are fired up and left to burn straight through the whole load of wood beginning to end. Operating like this requires heated water storage. The guys that I know of that run storage LOVE it. You can get away with loading every couple days in mild weather too! If you go with a boiler be prepared for a substantial investment up front.
FYI, there are a bunch of guys running this type of setup over on ********** (boiler room)

 

[russhd1997]

Right now I have a jotul fireplace insert trying to heat 2000 sqft. I am considering going to an owb, it would have to be a catalyst one because I have neiborghs kinnda close by, maybe 200 ft away is the closest. I'd like to know what kinnda daily, weekly, monthly, maintenance I'm looking at? I really like the idea of not having to worry about having a wb inside.

I'm am planning on just buying one not building my own, tho that does sound like a fun project. If I would get one I would be getting a gassifier one,so if it is anything like my gasification wb it should be fairly smoke free correct?

The only thing that I regret about purchasing my OWB is that I didn't do it sooner.

Not much maintenance involved. Periodically shoveling the ashes and topping up and testing the water when needed. Mine came with a test kit to test the water which I do when I have to top it up.

Check your local laws. Up here in NH you can only install the gasifiers if you buy a new OWB. Some areas also have regulations for how close you can be to your nearest neighbor.

With gasifiers dry wood is a must for them work properly.

 

[greendohn]

Have you considered an add on wood furnace?
I love my OWB, but ya' gotta love cuttin' fire wood to feed one.
I live in a small rural community with an additional 6 foot of stack installed and I've bought 3 more lengths of pipe to install to get the smoke up. My unit is a non gasser and smokes pretty good for the 1st couple cycles with 1 y/o seasoned wood. No trouble from the neighbors, yet, they are a pretty good bunch for the most part. I installed in 2007 and wish I'd of bought one 10 years ago.
Ya' better like to cut fire wood,,,buying can get expensive feeding an OWB.
Buy the best insulated water lines you can buy.

 

[Uncle John]

Have you considered an add on wood furnace?
I love my OWB, but ya' gotta love cuttin' fire wood to feed one.
I live in a small rural community with an additional 6 foot of stack installed and I've bought 3 more lengths of pipe to install to get the smoke up. My unit is a non gasser and smokes pretty good for the 1st couple cycles with 1 y/o seasoned wood. No trouble from the neighbors, yet, they are a pretty good bunch for the most part. I installed in 2007 and wish I'd of bought one 10 years ago.
Ya' better like to cut fire wood,,,buying can get expensive feeding an OWB.
Buy the best insulated water lines you can buy.

+1

The only advantage to an OWB that I know of is you keep the mess outside.
There are several disadvantages. One being you gotta go out and load it even if the wind chill is -30.

 

[AIM]

+1

The only advantage to an OWB that I know of is you keep the mess outside.
There are several disadvantages. One being you gotta go out and load it even if the wind chill is -30.

Keeping the mess outside is a HUGE one though. And you don't HAVE to load the thing in -30 temps if you set it up in a structure.

What are the (several) disadvantages? The ONLY disadvantage I can think of is cost. OWB and the setup isn't cheap.

OWB's are just like anything else. If you don't set em up right. If you don't use em right. They just won't work right.

 

[Uncle John]

Keeping the mess outside is a HUGE one though. And you don't HAVE to load the thing in -30 temps if you set it up in a structure.

What are the (several) disadvantages? The ONLY disadvantage I can think of is cost. OWB and the setup isn't cheap.

I have to load mine twice a day no matter what!
And I have seen below zero wind chills for days, and I'm in Indiana.
More initial cost.
More maintenance cost.
Use a lot more wood.
More smoke.
(I have one and wish I had gone the other way)

 

[ievko82]

Have you considered an add on wood furnace?
I love my OWB, but ya' gotta love cuttin' fire wood to feed one.
I live in a small rural community with an additional 6 foot of stack installed and I've bought 3 more lengths of pipe to install to get the smoke up. My unit is a non gasser and smokes pretty good for the 1st couple cycles with 1 y/o seasoned wood. No trouble from the neighbors, yet, they are a pretty good bunch for the most part. I installed in 2007 and wish I'd of bought one 10 years ago.
Ya' better like to cut fire wood,,,buying can get expensive feeding an OWB.
Buy the best insulated water lines you can buy.

I know it's hard to get a good estimate but how much wood are we talking....I cut approx 8 to ten cords a year ( mostly cherry ) would I be cutting a lot more for an owb?

 

[AIM]

Setting it up in a structure means simply a building, shed, shop, etc.
I have mine in a lean too off the side of my garage. I had some insurance issues to start off with but now that those are resolved I absolutely love it. I wouldn't heat any other way.

No doubt standing outside in an ice storm loading the thing blows. I did it for 2 seasons and decided to move it.
All I can say is that EVERYONE that has an OWB should build some sort of structure around it. You will NEVER EVER regret it. Structure needs not be fancy or even attached to another building. Just a roof and 3-4 walls with enough room to put a truckload of wood in will suffice.

Yes, building anything will add to the cost of the system but it is worth EVERY penny.