Outdoor Wood Stoves. Got one?

[Fish4Brains]

I was actually thinking I would only run the air for the first period of the cycle then let the natural draft work once it was going good kinda like a force start then natural draft. I will see how it runs and get a feel for what she likes.
Brian

 

[MS-310]

Alsome job!!!


The last one I made was kinda like it and it has been the best one yet.
I had a 30lb spool of mig wire in it also, Make sure you put some stay bolts in it also, I always wanted to put some hand holes on the water jacket to clean any junk in the water jacket... Just an Idea
Jack

 

[Fish4Brains]

Can you explain a "stay bolt"?
I have not heard that before but if I need to make sure they are there I need an education.
Thanks

 

[MS-310]

They are "bolts" rods welded from the out side of the water jacket and thought the water to the inside of the fire box. Stay bolts keep the walls of the fire jacket from warping and keep the box from desorting. I didnt do this on my first 2 and have not had a problem yet but im sure in time this will happen. You could use 3/4inch or 5/8 cold rolled steal rod for this, Or go to you local boiler shop and ask them what they use for sure. k-zoo boiler could tell you the type of steel to use thats the best. I sure mild steel will be just fine. One other thing is that you will need to us a rust perventer, can get this is at a local wood stove place. You are making this an open system right???? (open vent on top of the stove)


Ps. Y they make the bolts go thought both boxes is so they can be repalced easy and put to gether also.

If you got any more ??? ask away.
plus make sure you slow the smoke down on its way though the fire box to the exit pipe. Smoke is fuel and heat so the more smoke you can burn or slow down so it can get burnt is going to help you out lots.

 

[Fish4Brains]

Thanks for the info. I do have some "braces" going between the two for support but they are permanent not replaceable. I also have a piece of channel I will be putting in the roof for a "baffle" it will run from just short of the front to the back and the smoke will have to enter it and go thru it to exit. I will be incorporating a smoke by pass as well so when loading I won't be getting a face full of smoke. Also i am waiting to water check it untill I get the majority of the plumbing on. Not wanting to fill it up and let the rust work untill i finish and get the corrision inhibiter in it. Thanks for the tips. I plan on building a second when this thing dies but not before. Just a tinkerer and I love to build stuff that scares most mamas boys.
Later

 

[mjs97]

i am also building a outside boiler. mine is round design, firebox 1/4 in. and jacket is 1/8in. i wouldn't think being round that i would need stay pins. what do you think? i have box supported on ends but nothing in middle as of now. was afraid if it did move it might poke hole in jacket possibly. thoughts on this?

thanks,
matt

 

[Fish4Brains]

I would think you would want something in there. Maybee a blade style instead of a round type it would have to be permanant. Did you salvadge material or buy rolled steel?
I was going to do round but the cost of the rolled material was outragous here.
Brian

 

[mjs97]

i had it rolled using new steel. cost was about $1000. alot of money but i know what i got now. i just liked the round concept but yours looks like it should work good also. my flue is exiting out the back, with a baffle in front of it making the heat and smoke go down to escape. will have power draft but will have switch to shut it off if i want to and use natural draft.

concern is having smoke exit door while filling, but am thinking of welding in a 6 in. lip or so to keep heat and smoke in box.



matt

 

[Fish4Brains]

Yes the smoke blowing in your face is not a desirable condition. Not sure what to do with a permanant baffle. in a round design maybe you could make the center of your baffle hinge and give yourself the ability to flip it up by way of a rod brought thru the front wall so the smoke goes directly out the hole. mine will be similar to this only it will be a horizontal drag . A grand for the rolling is what I was anticipating but my quotes were way more like 1600 so I canned it and whent with square all my material came to about a grand to.

 

[Butch(OH)]

Heat exchanger for shop?

My installation is coming along nicely. Lines and conduit is all burried and covered back up. Pad is in place for stove. Stove is next to my small (20x20) shop that is well insulated. I plan to heat it also. Proper heat exchangers cost too much and I want to be cheapo if possible. Been thinking about a car radiator and box fan controlled by line voltage thermostat for the shop. Since this brain storm I have been trying hard to find a reason why it would work and cant come up with one. Any thoughts? be nice now, LOL

 

[Fish4Brains]

I was thinking along the same lines as my setup will be verry similar. One thought I had was to get a small radiator from an import with the fan already on it, would need a 12 volt power supply to run it but thats cheap. I like the idea let me know how it turns out.
What type of conduit did you use for underground?
Brian

 

[Butch(OH)]

The 60' run to the house is a product made in CA. (cant remember the name) It is a 4" PVC covered with about 2" of urethane foam and an outer covering. It comes in 10' joints and is ridged so you need elbows for corners. I will pull std Pex line throgh it. Selling point was the pex can be changed out without excavating the yard. Power is coming from the shop through Std 1" PVC conduit in the same trench with 4" PVC. I will insulate Std pex line before pulling it to the shop, about 10' run. The power leads will terminate with a plug and wall socket to make generator hook up easy. Stove supplier reccomended switch for each pump for ease of service. Radiator could come from several sources but is free, as is line voltage thermostat thet I had for space heater. Fan will cost $10-15 I 'spose? A fellow down the road is using the heater out of a school bus to heat an entire business building in the manner you speak off with a converter. I don't have any old buses nor have any buddy's with one in the back yard, LOL

 

[MS-310]

I would find an fan out of an old furnace, round ones and but an 110 stat on it and it will work very well. i would go for an new import rad. cuz im sure it will be more efficent then an old big 4 core one.
Jack

 

[MS-310]

I now will be caring MICRO flex line very nice stuff $10.50 per foot.

JAck

 

[Fish4Brains]

MS can youtell what outside diameter the foam insulation you sell is ?
Also is it polysterene material.
Thanks
Brian

 

[bwalker]

here is what you want for underground pipe...easy to install and just about zero heat loss
Attached Images pipe 1 (Small).jpg (59.6 KB, 93 views)

I gotta call BS on this. I have this exact pipe and there is a line of bare ground from my furnace to the house when there is snow in the ground. I had previously used insul seal and it was much better albeit more of a pain to install.
FWIW its burried 24'' deep.

 

[slabracing]

thrmostst wiring

would anyone be willing to post how they wired the second thermostat(for outdoor furnace control) into existing forced air system?

 

[bwalker]

I am going on my fourth season with Heatmore. I havent had any problems with it.
Couple words of advice on wood boilers. 1. put some thought into placement. I have moved mine form its original position and its a pain in the azz. 2. Claims of efficiancy and such are mostly BS as ALL wood boilers use more wood than a regular stove so plan accordingly.
FWIW I live in the UP of MI and have a new construction 2000 square foot home with lots of windows. My wifes is always cold so the heat is set at about 75. I run the boiler form Oct 1 through April 28. I use between 7-10 cords of green hardwood on average. If I use seasoned wood its about a cord less.
Someone living in a colder climate like MN or Northern Ontario/away from the lakes or with a older home is going to use more wood.

 

[MS-310]

MS can youtell what outside diameter the foam insulation you sell is ?
Also is it polysterene material.
Thanks
Brian

The stuff we make here is about 6to 7inch in dia. The microflex is 5 inch.
yes, the stuff we make is out of a polysterene material.

 

[MS-310]

would anyone be willing to post how they wired the second thermostat(for outdoor furnace control) into existing forced air system?

Yes if you have 4wire thermostat wire its very easy, you take 2 wires and tie in to the red and green wires on the existing thermostat and then hook the 2 wires to the red and white side of the new thermostate(ether color to ether color) all this is doing is kicking on the fan and blowing air thought the rad. You will need to pull the fuse out of the air cond, unit cuz some times this back feeds and turns on the air in the middle of the winter. so in the summer you can put the fuse back in and just use your other thermostat like you used before. If you dont understand call me for any ?????
Jack
269-838-2011