Outdoor Wood Boiler

[S.W.A.T.]

So over the holidays we sold our house and bought a small farm out of town. The house is 6 years old and has all in floor and base board water heat. The heat comes from a electric boiler in the crawl space. The set up is amazing and would be easy to convert to wood fire boiler, not furnace. Just wondering if anyone has had one installed in the last couple years and what makes and models are people using. Have heard lots of positive things about the empire stoves.

Wood is not my concern as its easily available in my area and on the property.

House is 3500sq/feet and will be building a shop in couple years, would like to heat both.

 

[Transporter]

I have a coal outdoor furnace that holds two to five days of coal depending on temperature. If you have wood your probably feeding it twice a day that wouldnt make the wife very happy.

 

[sirkdev]

Have a few buddies who used to have a outdoor furnace they all switched away from it. They said they were a slave to the stove.......

 

[S.W.A.T.]

Coal isn't so easy to come by in my neck of the woods. From my research on the larger med/large models should get a 18-24hr burn. Plus wood is free. My dad had one that he was heating a 4500sqf house with that only needed stocking once a day at -20 but that company is no longer around. More or less looking to know if there are some models/brands to steer clear of or some that I should pay more attention to.

 

[Joholio]

My buddy has one (he calls it the dragon) to heat his 40x80 shop/house. It works good but a major pain to keep up with... The dragon is hungry. I saw round bale ones that may be a good option for a big operation...

 

[sumx54]

I plan on installing one this spring on a new build. I'm looking at a dual fuel stove so I'm not a slave to it. Some neat stuff out there.
Advanced Wood Heat Econoburn Wood Gasification Boilers indoor wood boilers outdoor wood boilers b.c.

 

[kellyandhislimo]

My buddy has one that burns used oil. He gets the oil from a couple local construction companies from when they change oil in their trucks, hoes, equipment. Says a cube of oil will last a month easy.

 

[sumx54]

My buddy has one that burns used oil. He gets the oil from a couple local construction companies from when they change oil in their trucks, hoes, equipment. Says a cube of oil will last a month easy.

a 1000 litres? That's a fawk pile of used oil bro. Burning that much oil in a month must stink real good.

 

[kellyandhislimo]

It's not that bad.

 

[SledMamma]

We have one... It heats our 3400 square foot house and garage. We have a gas furnace for backup as well. I am the one who mostly feeds the boiler since hubby works away. I work twelve hour shifts, so I feed boiler before I leave (2 pieces of wood) and again when I get home (2-4 pieces for the night) and I don't mind it at all. I love the heated floors and evenness of the heat and the hot water on demand!! I think it kicks ass over a drafts ol' furnace. I don't mind feeding the boiler- it's only twice a day and I have puppies that need morning and evening exercise anyway, so I just integrate the two chores. I did lose some hair once when I opened the door and caught a backdraft/fireball. Trust me, you only make that mistake once. I think ours is a Firemaster 4000 but I will go check it out
The wood is cut in 3 foot lengths and generally doesn't need split so stocking up is no big deal.

 

[papajake]

now there is a real woman

 

[ferniesnow]

I have a wood/electric combination force air furnace in the basement that very easily heats 2 floors with 2000 sqft each. We burn 4-5 cords through the winter. It is a Valley Comfort and takes 2' logs. No splitting required and burns from 12 to 8 hours depending on temps (-30 it burns for 8 hours and -20 and above quite a bit longer). I don't know if Valley Comfort makes an outside boiler but if they doo, it would be well made.

 

[Snowdin]

We have one... It heats our 3400 square foot house and garage. We have a gas furnace for backup as well. I am the one who mostly feeds the boiler since hubby works away. I work twelve hour shifts, so I feed boiler before I leave (2 pieces of wood) and again when I get home (2-4 pieces for the night) and I don't mind it at all. I love the heated floors and evenness of the heat and the hot water on demand!! I think it kicks ass over a drafts ol' furnace. I don't mind feeding the boiler- it's only twice a day and I have puppies that need morning and evening exercise anyway, so I just integrate the two chores. I did lose some hair once when I opened the door and caught a backdraft/fireball. Trust me, you only make that mistake once. I think ours is a Firemaster 4000 but I will go check it out
The wood is cut in 3 foot lengths and generally doesn't need split so stocking up is no big deal.

2-4 pieces of wood per loading? Holy snappin turtles that must be some good furnace. You better share the brand with the OP. When I run my outdoor wood burning furnace we burn 13 cords per winter to heat 3000 sq. ft. house. My wife was the slave and hated it. I was gone to work all winter and spent all spring/summer/fall gathering, cutting, splitting, stacking. OMG to old for this crap now.

 

[sumx54]

2-4 pieces of wood per loading? Holy snappin turtles that must be some good furnace. You better share the brand with the OP. When I run my outdoor wood burning furnace we burn 13 cords per winter to heat 3000 sq. ft. house. My wife was the slave and hated it. I was gone to work all winter and spent all spring/summer/fall gathering, cutting, splitting, stacking. OMG to old for this crap now.

13 cords seems like a lot of wood to heat 3000sq. Ft. I don't have that much ambition nor does my wife.

 

[TylerG]

13 cords seems like a lot of wood to heat 3000sq. Ft. I don't have that much ambition nor does my wife.

that's what you have kids for Darcy.

 

[sumx54]

that's what you have kids for Darcy.

For now maybe but not forever TG.

 

[ferniesnow]

that's what you have kids for Darcy.

Do kids even go outside anymore? Let alone doo any worthwhile work........:d

 

[S.W.A.T.]

I grew up with having a wood stove. After my dad sold the farm and moved to a smaller acerage he went with the out door boiler and from what I have seen its by far the way to go especially with the rising energy costs. pretty sure I will be going with the central boiler. Wood is easy to come by and far cheaper then anything else.

 

[Bnorth]

Wow all this talk about 2'+ long logs and no splitting has me pretty jealous. I burn about 5 cords a winter but it all gets hand split, my least favourite fall chore. If a guy could use 3' lengths and not split, wood heat would be a pleasure.

 

[tex78]

Wow all this talk about 2'+ long logs and no splitting has me pretty jealous. I burn about 5 cords a winter but it all gets hand split, my least favourite fall chore. If a guy could use 3' lengths and not split, wood heat would be a pleasure.

Dude get a 4 ton electronic log splitter


Best thing ever , used to take it camping and plug into trailer geny

Only ever had one, wet, knotted log it would not split

Like water coming out wet, at the bottom big end butt

sent while I should be drinking tea's