Year round??

[ELEVOFF]

Ok, I have heard some talk about this recently but I am thinking about buying an OWB for year round use for my hot water heater. My home radiant system uses the propane hot water heater but despite my old indoor wood furnace on part time duty I still used about $800 of propane this winter. I am thinking a high efficant OWB would be more managable for the wife on the days that I am out of town. If I am going to do this I don't want to buy propane for a very long time. So for all you guys out there is it worth burning all year round for domestic hot water and of course home heating. Also, what boiler would be best suited for this type of operation. My house is about 2000 square feet so I guess a smaller capacity boiler with a low temp mode for summer??

 

[Fifelaker]

I have used my CB 4036 yearound for ten years now. I am not sure there is such a thing as a "High efficient" OWB. If I was in your shoes I would talk to a rep in your area and ask them to size a boiler for you as I think you may need a bigger one than you think. The beauty if summer useage is you can burn crap wood to keep your water hot. In the summer I burn pine,poplar,cedar... low btu stuff and load every 2-4 days when it gets colder I load oak,maple,ash... 2 times a day.

 

[savageactor7]

The folks I know that have them are really pleased with them. Around here because of urban sprawl a lot of town ships are are taking a second look at them.

Because they smoke a lot, downwind neighbors are infringed upon.

Years ago my wife thought an OWB would be perfect for us but I didn't ...why I can't remember. Now it's too late but those that have them are grandfathered in.

 

[bowtechmadman]

I run a woodmaster from October till hell who knows usually May. I have a hot water store tank for my DHW and found that the cost to fire up the oil to heat water once heating was done was about the same as it would take to run my circulator pump from the OWB all summer. Long story short I use oil to heat my water in the summer.

 

[ELEVOFF]

Alright, I have talked to a few people who burn year round for house heat and DHW. I am convinced that running a pump and chain saw year round is less expensive than burning propane. I cringe ever time my propane hot water heater turns on. Now I think I have ruled out the gasification boilers because they require fully seasoned wood, have extra fans and controllers that could crap out. I like the idea of throwing any old hunk of POS wood in and no worry.

Anybody use soft woods in there OWB? How bad does this effect the burn time for a full load?

 

[ELEVOFF]

Another question, how much smoke and smolder are you guys dealing with during low heat demand? How long can that fire survive if it closes intake air due to water temps and low demand?

 

[WidowMaker]

Have you considered an On-demand propane water heater??

 

[ELEVOFF]

It's a propane hot water heater (100,000 btu). I wish I had an electric now but I think with an electric water heater would not support my radiant floor heat demand. Not that it matters in the summer but I still hear that thing fire up in the summer and you know I can't stand that.