Questions New Woodburner Install

[Dogsout]

I am putting up a 30X48 building with 10' side walls in a couple of months and am looking to install a Hitzer 55 Coal/Wood stove in it. I have an OWB now but with the location of it and the new building it won't be an option to use. I have 3 questions I hope I can get some help on. #1 This building is going to be insulated to the hilt and will have 1 20' garage door and 1 9' door and 3 windows. Will I need an outside air supply for this or is it a big enough building to get by without one? #2 Any comments on the Hitzer 55 stove good or bad? #3 Will be burning well seasoned Oak and Ash in it can I expect an 8 hour burn time out of this stove? All comments would be much appreciated.

 

[homemade]

With that big of a structure, especially if there is no interior walls and your trying to heat the whole thing, I would not choose this model. I would be looking for something with a forced air fan to move the hot air off the fire box. This model shows that I won't need any additional air intake.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Dogsout]

With that big of a structure, especially if there is no interior walls and your trying to heat the whole thing, I would not choose this model. I would be looking for something with a forced air fan to move the hot air off the fire box. This model shows that I won't need any additional air intake.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the comment. The dealer selling me the stove is telling me with good insulation in this 1500 Sq Ft building that this burner rated at 2000 Sq Ft will heat it easily. I have my doubts also.

 

[Streblerm]

I doubt you'll need combustion air. You can seal it as tight as you want but there's only so much you can do to seal a garage door.

As far as how much stove you will need, SF ratings are worthless unless you are heating a two dimensional space. I don't know why they rate stoves that way. At least rating by cubic feet would be better. Do a heat loss analysis! Play with the parameters a bit and find a range that looks like it will work. I like this one:

http://www.builditsolar.com/References/Calculators/HeatLoss/HeatLoss.htm

 

[NSMaple1]

Uh yeah - with a stove, the far end of a building that size is going to be pretty darned cool. I would definitely want something with a blower on it - i.e. a furnace. Is there some reason you wouldn't want or couldn't use a blower? With a little bit of ductwork? Would make a huge difference. Also would make me suspicious of this dealer and anything else he is saying. But I suppose you could also add a fan or two to move air around if necessary - maybe? I also don't think you would need an outside air intake - but could also add one of those later if you find it's needed.

Are you going to be burning any coal? If not I would get something that is designed to burn wood only, I think. Most anything said to be designed to burn multiple fuels, doesn't end up doing either one as good as a single fuel one. And I have no experience with a Hitzer - but it doesn't look like a very efficient rig. Hopefully you'll get feedback from someone with experience.

Then also have to throw this in - if the building is going to be insured, it should be run by the agent before anything is planned. Most don't like wood stoves or furnaces in a shop or garage. If not - forget I said that.

 

[homemade]

Good point on the insurance. I know some insurers won't write a policy with a wood or coal fired heating device if cars are stored inside. I know wisconsin building code says that the combustion chamber has to be at least 18" off the floor and the chimney must be triple wall or masonry.

And it goes with out saying, the concrete floor will be your biggest enemy if your heating intermittently. If infloor heat with your owb is anyway possible, I would look into it. You can always add a wood furnace after, but keeping the floor at a constant 50* makes a HUGE difference when it's 5* outside and your trying to bring that big of a building up to useable temp.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bowtechmadman]

I would agree with homemade on the in floor heat. If using current OWB isn't possible maybe a used OWB via Craigslist might be possible option that just services the barn???

 

[NSMaple1]

IMO buying a used OWB is a big crap shoot. Even if it is a good model, they can start rotting quick with improper use & installation. I think I would put an indoor boiler in first - wall it off if I had to. There are always used ones around here, in decent shape.

On the floor - even if infloor heat isn't going to be used, I would still make sure to insulate it very good underneath, just as good as if it were going to be heated. Couple layers of foam board. I would also price out having the pipes put in even if not sure you would be using them - that part is hard to come back & do later, unless you have room to do an overpour. The pricing might not work out for you to justify doing now, but at least you would know & have all facts at hand to decide. Never know what the future will bring - heating the slab with something else might be an option down the road. Oil, NG or LP? Maybe even a heat pump if tech keeps evolving.

 

[Deleted member 117362]

Good point on the insurance. I know some insurers won't write a policy with a wood or coal fired heating device if cars are stored inside. I know wisconsin building code says that the combustion chamber has to be at least 18" off the floor and the chimney must be triple wall or masonry.

And it goes with out saying, the concrete floor will be your biggest enemy if your heating intermittently. If infloor heat with your owb is anyway possible, I would look into it. You can always add a wood furnace after, but keeping the floor at a constant 50* makes a HUGE difference when it's 5* outside and your trying to bring that big of a building up to useable temp.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Great point. Insurance company had me remove wood stove from garage and required an inspector approve my indoor furnace. Went to OWB and they still had it inspected, had to be UL approved. Anywhere you store gas or oil was a problem for them.

 

[Dogsout]

Checked with my Insurance Company today and was told it would not be a problem as long as it was installed by a certified dealer. (Which it will be) I know that my OWB would be the best option with in floor heat but again it is not feasible to do. Now I guess I have to check in to other options if indeed the wood/coal burners don't work very well. It also bothers me a little that no one with one of these Hitzer 55 stoves has commented. Makes me think that there aren't very many of these out there for good reason.

 

[NSMaple1]

Try a google search - should find a few hits with more info.

 

[Deleted member 117362]

Checked with my Insurance Company today and was told it would not be a problem as long as it was installed by a certified dealer. (Which it will be) I know that my OWB would be the best option with in floor heat but again it is not feasible to do. Now I guess I have to check in to other options if indeed the wood/coal burners don't work very well. It also bothers me a little that no one with one of these Hitzer 55 stoves has commented. Makes me think that there aren't very many of these out there for good reason.

Looks well built, expensive, made in USA and people like them for and indoor heat. Let us know what you think and end up installing.