OWB setting

[Woodmarc]

Hello all,

I have been lurking for a while on this site and trying to gather all the info I can. I am wondering to all those who have installed an OWB, do you give any consideration to the prevailing wind when setting the unit? My question is not really concerning the smoke, but in regards to the OWB door placement. My current plan is to buy a CB 5036. Thanks in advance for all replies.

 

[jrider]

Position it so when you open the door to load, the prevailing wind (north- northwest) blows into the firebox. This will keep a lot of the smoke out of your face.

 

[greendohn]

Position it so when you open the door to load, the prevailing wind (north- northwest) blows into the firebox. This will keep a lot of the smoke out of your face.

Yep, what he said. The wind hits the back of my OWB and when I open the door, the smoke can be brutal.
An upcoming project is to turn my stove 180 degrees so the door is facing the wind.

 

[Guswhit]

While I do concur on the issue of the door, I have some other thoughts. Are you burning year round? Do you have a yard/deck you spend alot of time in/on that the smoke could billow toward during the summer? One of my friends ran his in the summer with a plate heat exchanger for his pool, but the smoke went right at it and made it miserable when ever the draft opened up. Access to get the wood to it or stack next to? Distance from home? Wind at my house actually runs a differant direction in the summer and swirls the smoke to my back yard so I wont be running in the summer anymore(little girls dont like the odor when on the swingset). These are just some of what I have been through.

 

[H-Ranch]

Another consideration is which side do you want to look at from the house. I'm OK with the door being on the downwind side - I tend to it twice a day and it's almost never an issue anyway. Fortunately the whole unit is on the downwind side of the house which happens to be the best place for my wood stacks, access to the basement wall and the furnace, and just plain out of the way of everything else. Weigh all of the options for the best compromise for your situation. :msp_thumbup:

 

[Woodmarc]

This will keep a lot of the smoke out of your face.

Good point.

 

[2rod511]

Place where it will be easiest to load from your wood pile. I'll be repositioning mine this summer because I didn't do that when I installed it.

 

[Poston5]

If your door is downwind from the prevailing wind like mine......your eyes will burn during the loading process. But other than smoke in my face all the time, it's great. Place it where it is easy to get to with vehicles and easy to get pex to your furnace with the shortest runs possible. When I say shortest I mean inside and outside. The shorter inside runs allow for less heat being pumped into the house during summer, if you plan to burn in the summer. Shorter runs outside are cheaper. I went about 120 ft from my house

 

[Woodmarc]

I doubt I'll burn all summer. That is unless I see an enormous savings on not running the water heater on electric. My initial plans have been to set the boiler with the door towards the man door exiting my garage. This arrangement gives me a short run to the house furnace (35ft) and what I hope will be an easy place to load. However, it will put the door away from the prevailing wind.... so I guess I'll just try it and see just how much smoke I'll eat.

 

[leon]

wood boiler

Hello all,

I have been lurking for a while on this site and trying to gather all the info I can. I am wondering to all those who have installed an OWB, do you give any consideration to the prevailing wind when setting the unit? My question is not really concerning the smoke, but in regards to the OWB door placement. My current plan is to buy a CB 5036. Thanks in advance for all replies.

Spend some time on ********** - Information on Fireplaces, Wood Stoves, Pellet Stoves, etc. before you waste your time and money on an outdoor wood boiler.

The other thing is this-you see how tall your brick chimney is?????????????????? what does that tell you??????????????????, you need to be clear of the roof line for proper draft to eliminate all the issues.

You need a chimney that tall to manage this and avoid a roof fire.

Its your money, dont waste it.

Having a small wood and coal boiler and water storage will save you much more wood fuel and work.

Spend some time at the ********** web page and become a member there as well to make an informed decision as many of the members there had them and got rid of them.

 

[jh35]

Position it so when you open the door to load, the prevailing wind (north- northwest) blows into the firebox. This will keep a lot of the smoke out of your face.

+1. This is what I did.

 

[jrider]

Spend some time on ********** - Information on Fireplaces, Wood Stoves, Pellet Stoves, etc. before you waste your time and money on an outdoor wood boiler.

The other thing is this-you see how tall your brick chimney is?????????????????? what does that tell you??????????????????, you need to be clear of the roof line for proper draft to eliminate all the issues.

You need a chimney that tall to manage this and avoid a roof fire.

Its your money, dont waste it.

Having a small wood and coal boiler and water storage will save you much more wood fuel and work.

Spend some time at the ********** web page and become a member there as well to make an informed decision as many of the members there had them and got rid of them.

Where do you get these ideas about chimney height, waste of money and more work?
My owb is 22 feet from my two story house. It has a chimney height of about 12 feet and there has never been an issue with smoke. In fact, my neighbors don't even realize when I start it up each season- this they have told me. My owb is less work than any indoor unit I have operated- people around here give pine away like its diseased sometimes even dropping it off for me, most of which require little to no splitting. It costs me about $20 a month to run the 3 amp pump and my house is an even 74 degrees with no worries of making a mess inside or having a chimney fire.

 

[leon]

Where do you get these ideas about chimney height, waste of money and more work?
My owb is 22 feet from my two story house. It has a chimney height of about 12 feet and there has never been an issue with smoke. In fact, my neighbors don't even realize when I start it up each season- this they have told me. My owb is less work than any indoor unit I have operated- people around here give pine away like its diseased sometimes even dropping it off for me, most of which require little to no splitting. It costs me about $20 a month to run the 3 amp pump and my house is an even 74 degrees with no worries of making a mess inside or having a chimney fire.

Well; its called thermal mass, and you are dealing with pressure gradients at ground level.

I have burned soft and hard wood and anthracite coal in my boiler
natural draft boiler for 31 years and I have been stuck with a short block chimney
that does not clear my roof line sufficiently, and I live on a mountain.


Having a very large mass of water or fire brick sheds heat slowly
and it also takes very little energy to reheat the same amount of
water one degree AS the water is almost up to temperature.


I also filled half my firebox with firebrick which aids in storing heat and
shedding heat slowly since i have very small amount of water to heat
with SO I think I know what I am talking about.


Having a heated mass of water and or firebrick is a heat sink which
sheds heat slowly and effectively.

 

[jrider]

Well; its called thermal mass, and you are dealing with pressure gradients at ground level.

I have burned soft and hard wood and anthracite coal in my boiler
natural draft boiler for 31 years and I have been stuck with a short block chimney
that does not clear my roof line sufficiently, and I live on a mountain.


Having a very large mass of water or fire brick sheds heat slowly
and it also takes very little energy to reheat the same amount of
water one degree AS the water is almost up to temperature.


I also filled half my firebox with firebrick which aids in storing heat and
shedding heat slowly since i have very small amount of water to heat
with SO I think I know what I am talking about.


Having a heated mass of water and or firebrick is a heat sink which
sheds heat slowly and effectively.

I am confused now you are talking about chimney issues with an indoor boiler? But were trashing owb's and saying how their chimney needs to be above the roofline??

 

[Poston5]

If you want to add a huge water tank inside your house go for it, Or buy an outdoor unit and fill it with wood once per day and be done with it. The stove pipe on my hardy is 3 ft tall and shoots a flame out of the top of it. It really lights up the night. Yeah they burn more wood but they don't burn your house down and you never haver to sweep the floor.

Once you have an owb you will laugh at indoor units.

 

[leon]

wood etc.

I am confused now you are talking about chimney issues with an indoor boiler? But were trashing owb's and saying how their chimney needs to be above the roofline??

What are you confused about?

I thought was clear about it when I stated Thermal Mass is energy that is stored and slowly released and energy can be added back at a low rate to bring it back up to temperature simply because of the energy/heat already stored in the thermal mass of water.


IF you have obstructions it will affect the ability to maintain natural draft and a short stack with forced draft will have problems overcoming the issues with the surrounding buildings blocking the wind to carry away the smoke.

THIS is why many chimneys are 100 to to 500 feet tall to take advantage of the winds at these heights to disperse the smoke and particulates

 

[Woodmarc]

You need a chimney that tall to manage this and avoid a roof fire.

Thanks for your reply. I have an all metal roof so I don't think roof fires will be much of a concern. I have been tending a wood stove in the house for years and am ready for the mess to be outside. So an indoor unit is out.

 

[AIM]

I have been tending a wood stove in the house for years and am ready for the mess to be outside. So an indoor unit is out.

And you will be SOOO GLAD you did go to an OWB!

 

[Cheesecutter]

OP...in your pic it does appear you would need a little more chimney height. I hear chimney fires in owbs are common if you burn green wood that's how their chimney gets cleaned. Just let the flame shoot out the top. CBs are mainly the ones I hear about doing it but they are the most widely owned Owb around here and these guys like burning the biggest chunks that will fit. If draft is a problem there's an optional draft fan available. Not trying to scare you , just pointing out something you should know could happen.

 

[jrider]

What are you confused about?

I thought was clear about it when I stated Thermal Mass is energy that is stored and slowly released and energy can be added back at a low rate to bring it back up to temperature simply because of the energy/heat already stored in the thermal mass of water.


IF you have obstructions it will affect the ability to maintain natural draft and a short stack with forced draft will have problems overcoming the issues with the surrounding buildings blocking the wind to carry away the smoke.

THIS is why many chimneys are 100 to to 500 feet tall to take advantage of the winds at these heights to disperse the smoke and particulates

100-500 foot chimneys??? We are talking about burning wood to heat our homes not factory emissions.