Efficiency of outdoor wood boilers

[jwolfrun]

I have enough trees that I have to cut for other reasons that I would love to get a wood boiler. They advertise them as very clean burning but everyone I have seen in operation was putting out a lot of smoke. I have heard that they are actually very high polluters. Anyone know the truth of this and ways to make them cleaner burning?
Jim

 

[joecool85]

They do smoke more than a fireplace, but they aren't bad if:

- You get a newer unit (old ones smoke way more than newer ones)
- You burn seasoned wood (burning wet wood is where a lot of the smoke comes from)
- Put a nice tall pipe on it, having a 1-2' pipe won't draft well and when it does smoke it will be right in your face
- Get the right size OWB for you (OWBs smoke more when they are at "idle," so you don't want a huge OWB to heat a cottage, it will idle more.)

 

[Husky137]

My OWB smokes very little if at all when at "idle".

Some manufacturers are coming out with 2008 models that are more epa friendly. Supposed to be more efficient than current models.

OWB's are not perfect and burn a lot of wood but it seems that stupid people have much more trouble running them efficiently.

I wouldn't trade my OWB for anything except maybe completely free heat.

 

[bnew]

Im with Husky on this one.

 

[ktm250rider]

Yeah mine seems to smoke more when burning. Im using wood thats only about 6 months seasoned. Once I get a good burn going, smoke diminishes almost completly. When idling, just a waft of smoke out of the chimeny. I plan on putting a lift kit on the flue very soon.
Ive had mine for about 3 weeks and love it, wouldnt trade it either. Id like to get one season on it so I have an idea how much wood Ill need.

 

[Bill Bednarick]

I'm with ktm250rider, but I have about 3 months on mine.

I love it, but I've burnt allot more wood compared to what I remember burning as a kid and the stove we had was a pre-EPA regs stove.
Of course I do only the boiler for heat, and all my hot water with it.

And green wood smokes allot there is no getting around it, I've burnt a little just to see. It also could use a taller flue, dealers should tell you you need more stovepipe.

I've been burning mostly standing dead maple and beech so far and it smokes very little.

Between the maintenance cutting of my woodlot and the tree service disposals I get, I will be way ahead on the heat bill before long.

It will be interesting to see what the EPA regs do. I would like to burn less and have more dry wood on hand.

It's not like I'd want to cut less.:chainsawguy:

 

[woodchuck76]

Outdoor wood boiler

I'm with the crowd that wouldn't trade it for anything.I'm in my second year burning.Once you figure out the unit's needs .It is just a routine.My Central Boiler will smoke when you first fill it up.But if you satrt out with a small load and get some hot coals going .The smoke goes away.After that you really have to look for the heat wave coming off the stack

 

[hockeypuck]

this is my second year burning, and husky has put it together nicely. I am burning seasoned wood this year and what a difference in wood usage.

 

[grandpatractor]

yup what he said.
alot of what you see with green wood is steam and not smoke. I may tend to burn more wood than normal but I am also running higher thermostat setting than I would if I were buying gas. Burning seasoned wood makes a big difference on the amount of smoke.:greenchainsaw:

 

[jwolfrun]

Anyone know then the epa standards will be out?
Jim

 

[MS-310]

First of the year.... you wont see much till about 2 years then all of the new OWB will need to be EPA cert.