Hello,
Look here.
http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=1891
Having built my own back in '02 and having seen about 25 brochures before building it, and doing as much research as my tiny mind could do, there are a few myths for sure. I'll list my favorites, and qualify them by saying that they pertain only to the "basic" setup which would be the outside of the firebox is the inside of the waterjacket. No refractory materials etc...
Efficiency: It's a joke. Period. Real world, about 25% if you're lucky. These beauty's use a LOT of wood for the heat load. You can tell me how great yours is, that's fine, I guarantee it is a pig.
Green wood: Sure, if you don't mind wasting all that energy boiling the water out. I look at it this way:
Seasoned wood is approx. 15- 20% water, so that 20lb. log I just threw in contains 4lb, or 1/2 a Gallon of water.Thats just one 20lb. log. 100lbs of seasoned wood, 20lbs, or approx 2-1/2 gallons of water. Green wood of most species contains a
lot more water than that. I can and have burnt green wood, "burning" is a loose term.
Very low smoke: There are a lot of variables here, but by and large, by thier very design, they smoke a LOT compared to a decent woodstove. They don't have much choice. You are constantly cooling the flames. Unburnt hydrocarbons galore.
You need this very expensive water line insulator: My 75 foot run looses on average, 2-4 degrees stove to house. I used 3/4 PEX each in closed cell pipe insulation ( the pipes should never touch) Central Boiler actually sells pipe insulation where the pipes are in intimate contact for the length of the run. Heat transfer working against you the whole run. I ecclosed it in a 2" EPS foam "box" 42" deep in the ground. Cheap, just the way I like it.
25 year warranty You best read the fine print.
Free heat Does anyone believe this?
Ours is superior to thiers Um, as far as efficiency, probably not. "Ripple top firebox,' super-mega baffle" "water cooled door" or or whatever other gimmick employed, they are just not that different. Longevity is a whole 'nother matter.
96 hour burn time Where? Florida?
By the way, I LOVE mine.
There's more, but I gotta go,
.
