OWB Cost?

As some of you know my dad has been fighting Leukemia for the last year or so. He's still getting treatments, and his immune system is still down. They have always heated with wood, but he's not supposed to be around it due to mold spores, and things.

They have an Forced Hot Water oil furnace, but you guys know how expensive those things are to run.

What would it cost to put in a OWB, so they could keep the wood outside, and either I or my mom could feed it? I'm just looking for ballparks at this point.

Thanks

Check with dealers first, prices do change, and they can estimate all fittings, etc.
But about a year ago, I paid 9 to 10 thousand for my setup. Cl 5036 on a cement pad, 50 feet of thermo pex, 100 feet of pex, water to water heat exchanger, side arm for dhw, and bunch of fittings, etc.
My cost varies, i didn't keep close tabs on my spending, but i did a bunch of extra stuff too. I did all work myself, so no install costs.
My house had propane boiler, hot water heat, all one zone. So while installing owb, i replumbed for 2 zones, added new tstat, zone valves, pump, etc. Some where in that 9 to 10 number, I also had a few hundred to by lumber and stuff for my wood shed.
Hope it helps

I installed a Shaver 250 series 3 years ago and spent close to 6000.00 on the unit and probably close to another 2000.00 on parts and install. I did most of the install myself like running the PEX, digging the trench, insulating the pipe, etc... but I did have a plumber friend do the hookups for the heat exchangers and getting the hot water in the loop. I have 2 furnaces in my house do to it being an old 1800's farm house that were hooked to propane so I did purchase another pump and I run two zones off of mine. I utilized an existing concrete pad I had and since i installed mine in December I was honestly just trying to get in in before the propane tank needed filled or I would have done some things differently. I think depending on what size unit you need the 8-10K price range would be fair. I have already hit the positive on the bank account for installing this since it was costing me about 3000.00 per year jsut to heat the main florr of the house to a lousy 67 degrees. Now we wear shorts and t-shirts inside in December and the house is a steamy 75-78 or so. It is nice being able to keep the wood outside and hopefully you will only have to load it once or twice a day. I load mine up when I leave for work and then restock it when I get home about 12 hours later. I then top it off befor ebed but that is usually just to add a few pieces to get through the night. Depending on the temps where you are at yo umight only be a one time a day person. I probably oversized mine for what I needed so I might burn a little more than I need to but down the road I hope to be heating a barn with it as well so at least I have room to grow.

I am in the process of hooking up my new owb now. I went with a portage and maine. I got the boiler, a heat exchanger for my forced air system in the house, a plate style heat exchanger for my domestic hot water, a big heat exchanger with fan for the shop, 75' of insulated pex for the underground plumbing, a heat only thermostat, an inline water filter, two taco pumps with isolation valves, and a mixing valve for my hot water. All of this was picked up from a retailer in Trego, Wisconsin for about $9500. I still had to get some 60' of regular pex and some assorted plumbing, pex fittings and ball valves and such. I would say definitely plan on 10k. I also had a 12x20 slab poured to set the burner on and stack wood. I am also going to install some lighting so i can see when I am loading. Not cheap but neither is heating oil/gas. The whole setup will pay it self off in about 5 years. Plus look at it this way, you have chainsaws and with a owb you WILL be using them which is a good right by me. Good luck and I hope your dad is doing ok.

I went with the Portage and Main Optimizer 250. Its a gassification boiler so that upped my price from the start. I have a total of 13,500 in mine with everything else. It will pay for itself in 4 years with the current cost of oil.

There are many other cheaper options available so its best to ask around and do as much research as possible. A great site thats dedicated soley to OWB's is outdoorwoodfurnaceinfo check them out. Lots of very friendly and knowledgeable people there.

I have a total of $2400 in mine, but I built it and installed it myself. I also sourced used material from the scrapyard when possible. A friend of mine just wrote to me today asking for help on a project because I am good at "cheap, clever solutions" - a nice way for him to say I'm cheap!

Mine was basically less than a one year payoff. You'll have to decide if your cost is worth it for the number of years they plan to use it.

Hope your dad is better for next year's heating season no matter what you do.

You don't have to go top of the line, brand new either. I got a older hardy h2 for 1000, and hooked it up for about 400$. Not as efficient as newer stoves, but my wood is free, and it gives me time to save up for an upgrade.

Having done this research just last year...

You've got basically two (legal) choices in the State of Maine:

1. Buy a new unit. Must be white stickered EPA Phase 2 gasser.

2. Buy a used conventional unit.

Conventional units are going to be a lot cheaper, but if you're going to do it legally, you'll have to scour Craigslist or Uncle Henry's and take your chances on something used (No Warrantee). If you just throw in any old wood, they smoke and they burn a whole lot more of it. But, from what I hear, they'll burn just about anything...Part of the reason they're not legal (new) anymore.

Gassers have a more expensive start up cost (Warrantee) and they're easier to get your hands on, but they burn less wood and don't smoke if you run them correctly. I don't have a conventional stove, but from reading on the AS - gassers are more labor intensive in terms of maintenance. And they're finicky about the wood they want - dry is key.

I know I haven't said a thing about specific cost yet - but that's semi-on-purpose. I think what you'll find (like I did) is that your costs will vary greatly depending on what you want to do with your parent's system, what type of unit you buy, where you want to place it (thermo-pex $$$), how fancy you need/want to go on the inside plumbing/heat exchangers, how much of the work you can do yourself, etc.

There's a guy in Lyman that installs OWB's. If you want his contact info, just PM me. He sells OWB's, but he'll install used units I think.

J1m said:

Having done this research just last year...

You've got basically two (legal) choices in the State of Maine:

1. Buy a new unit. Must be white stickered EPA Phase 2 gasser.

2. Buy a used conventional unit.

Conventional units are going to be a lot cheaper, but if you're going to do it legally, you'll have to scour Craigslist or Uncle Henry's and take your chances on something used (No Warrantee). If you just throw in any old wood, they smoke and they burn a whole lot more of it. But, from what I hear, they'll burn just about anything...Part of the reason they're not legal (new) anymore.

Gassers have a more expensive start up cost (Warrantee) and they're easier to get your hands on, but they burn less wood and don't smoke if you run them correctly. I don't have a conventional stove, but from reading on the AS - gassers are more labor intensive in terms of maintenance. And they're finicky about the wood they want - dry is key.

I know I haven't said a thing about specific cost yet - but that's semi-on-purpose. I think what you'll find (like I did) is that your costs will vary greatly depending on what you want to do with your parent's system, what type of unit you buy, where you want to place it (thermo-pex $$$), how fancy you need/want to go on the inside plumbing/heat exchangers, how much of the work you can do yourself, etc.

There's a guy in Lyman that installs OWB's. If you want his contact info, just PM me. He sells OWB's, but he'll install used units I think.

Click to expand...

Thanks. I go by that guy everyday. I haven't stopped in to talk to him yet since I'm not sure how serious they are about installing one. It couldn't hurt to talk to the guy though. :hmm3grin2orange: Like everything, there's lots of variables.

I bought a used Hardy H4 for $4000 (it's 3 years old). I did about half the install myself, digging the trench, insulating the lines and dropping them in myself. Paid a guy to do the rest because I wanted to be sure it was all done correctly. All told I have about $5000 into it. It'll pay for itself in less than 2 years.

boiler etc.

Somesawguy said:

As some of you know my dad has been fighting Leukemia for the last year or so. He's still getting treatments, and his immune system is still down. They have always heated with wood, but he's not supposed to be around it due to mold spores, and things.

They have an Forced Hot Water oil furnace, but you guys know how expensive those things are to run.

What would it cost to put in a OWB, so they could keep the wood outside, and either I or my mom could feed it? I'm just looking for ballparks at this point.

Thanks

Click to expand...

Save your money,

Purchase a 42 gallon capacity Haman Wood and Coal Boiler
and put it in a prebuilt shed with an overhead door
that can be trucked in and delivered to you.

You would be able to put it (the shed) on a concrete slab and have the
water lines installed before the shed is delivered.

You would want to install the boiler on the slab and run the pipe through
the shed wall with a clay thimble in the shed wall before going out the stove pipe.


You cold arrange with the shed builder to have a shed built without a floor for the use
of the Harman boiler and to store wood and coal if you want to burn coal.

You would have to anchor the pressure treated sill to the slab with a ram set of course
which is easy to do.

You will have a pressurised boiler that is rated for steam and be in EPA compliance for
burning wood and coal with zero issues from the zoning inspectors and the insurance folks.