Combination Wood/Oil Boilers

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Booshcat

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I haven't seen any discussion of these hybrids. I know they have been around for quite some time and have been toying with the idea of getting one.
I am in a position due to my wood supply to supplement my heating costs, but I have a small ranch and small children (1300 sq/ft.). There is not any room for an indoor wood stove, and I am not interested in committing to any sort of full time wood system.
I figure with the combo I would have a hedge against the fuel prices and could, if necessary, go to full time wood use if required.
Does anyone have any experience with these?
 
Waste oil all the way!! I've converted a Beckett oil burner to waste motor oil, hyd. fluid, etc.
 
Not so smokey...

If you design and use them right a used oil burner will burn hot and clean. Some large chain stores are installing used motor oil burners for PR reasons.

Also, to answer the original question here, Central boiler makes a combination wood and LP, NG or fuel oil boiler if you want a dual fuel option outdoor boiler/furnace. Burn wood and/or one of three types of fuel in them. We bought a wood-only Central Boiler as we have an endless supply of firewood and we do not have fuel options here, unless we went with LP or oil and paid the man to truck it in here. We also did not have any room to put a stove or furnace or boiler unit in the house, so we got an outdoor boiler and put it out behind the carport.
 
hamradio said:
Waste oil all the way!! I've converted a Beckett oil burner to waste motor oil, hyd. fluid, etc.

I was woundering about how to do that did you jet it bigger and preheat the oil or what?????? I would love to know thanks.
 
THE best advice I can offer is-
Go to www.groups.yahoo.com/group/altfuelfurnace. If that doesn't work, search in the Yahoo groups for Altfuelfurnace. Very good group, very, very helpful. Don't waste your money on plans. Anything thats in plans is somewhere on the net for free.

Here's my burner setup-
Beckett AFG oil burner off a 50k btu warm air furnace, had a .5 gallon per hour nozzle, with pressure pump (100psi)

I took the original nozzle and pump out, and used a special nozzle. Actually, it wasn't very special; a Reddy heater nozzle for $12. Real waste oil burner nozzles are nearly identical; the reddy nozzles are made by a company that makes real waste oil burner nozzles. The difference is that the reddy nozzles cost like $20 less.

The oil needs to be preheated. For motor oil and hyd. fluid, I think I heat it to like 170 or so degrees F (been a while since I messed with it). Heaters are cartridge style elements. Normally a few bucks a piece, I got a lot of 8 for a buck on eBay. The heaters go in a aluminum block, with holes running through it for air and oil (I'll explain the air). I spent a few hours and just milled a aluminum ingot left over from sand casting into a block with holes for heaters and oil.

The nozzle needs compressed air. I got a compressor for free. Hopefully it lasts.

To fully understand it, check out the altfuelfurnace group I mentioned. Like I said, very helpful. And when it burns right, it doesn't really smell, and doesn't generate smoke. My favorite fuel for it is hydraulic fluid and tranny fluid, since it burns very nice. With some additional parts, ($30) I can burn vegetable oil. My system was done on the cheap, and I don't plan to use it for home heating. I was to use it for making maple syrup. If it were to be in constant use everyday, I'd use some higher quality things that I didn't make. :D Now, I'm not liable if you go try it, mess up, injure yourself, or try to put it in your house, and burn your house down. :D Pretty cool thing to see, though. I can do an oil change on the four wheeler, and heat with the oil I just took out of it (though I really should filter it better).
 
Here's some pics of mine burning on a mix of transmission fluid and veggie oil-
2vn3spc.jpg


34y5w6s.jpg


I estimate that at maybe 150k btu's, maybe 100?
 

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