Hello forum, name is George and I am planning a new house build for which I have considered wood fuel since I have a lifetime supply on the property.
I got stuck in shopping stage, sticker shock I guess, granted it has been a decade or so since I last purchased a natural gas furnace but it cost $350, an average department store inefficient woodstove is twice that and a well worn one goes for about the same used.
Regardless a boiler system was more my interest, I hate the dry forced air heat, thought radiant of some sort may be better, also I hear those boilers also provide domestic hot water, but models I looked at are repulsively starting at $7k, indoor or out, furthermore like a cheap bastard I look on CL and what do you know I come across a 9 yr old model that leaks, now that's about $800 a year, I don't spend much more on my gas bill at the moment that is for cooking too, granted small house and the new one should be better insulated.
Now as I mentioned I have plenty of firewood but I still have to cut it, split it clean up the twigs, so what is wrong with this picture, am I looking at the wrong model? were only speaking boiler so far, storage tank and other knickknacks adds up to what my gas bill would otherwise be over the next 10 years.
now granted a wood boiler construction is not the same as a forced air natural gas furnace but in the end it is just steel and brick , not even talking stainless gold or platinum.
so there's my dilemma, I want to be environmentally responsible, but it seems the manufacturers and or distributors are a bit too greedy, now I saw some OWB for $3500 but they are old school barrel smokehouse, again I don't see that much steel into them I could easily fab something for a fraction but they defy the point , the idea was to have something that is clean and efficient.
so maybe you all can point me in the right direction, I was looking into a gasser system with a storage tank appears to be the way to go, indoor ( basement ), a system that can do both heat and hot water, but so far that already puts me over $10k, I'm not even getting into plumbing and radiators over air ducts and whatever other devices involved not entirely familiar with these systems,
I'd love some input from people that know more than I, as it sits at this point looks like the only feasible way to go about it is fab something either from scratch or start with something to mod, I am looking for specific makes and models recommendations and costs
I got stuck in shopping stage, sticker shock I guess, granted it has been a decade or so since I last purchased a natural gas furnace but it cost $350, an average department store inefficient woodstove is twice that and a well worn one goes for about the same used.
Regardless a boiler system was more my interest, I hate the dry forced air heat, thought radiant of some sort may be better, also I hear those boilers also provide domestic hot water, but models I looked at are repulsively starting at $7k, indoor or out, furthermore like a cheap bastard I look on CL and what do you know I come across a 9 yr old model that leaks, now that's about $800 a year, I don't spend much more on my gas bill at the moment that is for cooking too, granted small house and the new one should be better insulated.
Now as I mentioned I have plenty of firewood but I still have to cut it, split it clean up the twigs, so what is wrong with this picture, am I looking at the wrong model? were only speaking boiler so far, storage tank and other knickknacks adds up to what my gas bill would otherwise be over the next 10 years.
now granted a wood boiler construction is not the same as a forced air natural gas furnace but in the end it is just steel and brick , not even talking stainless gold or platinum.
so there's my dilemma, I want to be environmentally responsible, but it seems the manufacturers and or distributors are a bit too greedy, now I saw some OWB for $3500 but they are old school barrel smokehouse, again I don't see that much steel into them I could easily fab something for a fraction but they defy the point , the idea was to have something that is clean and efficient.
so maybe you all can point me in the right direction, I was looking into a gasser system with a storage tank appears to be the way to go, indoor ( basement ), a system that can do both heat and hot water, but so far that already puts me over $10k, I'm not even getting into plumbing and radiators over air ducts and whatever other devices involved not entirely familiar with these systems,
I'd love some input from people that know more than I, as it sits at this point looks like the only feasible way to go about it is fab something either from scratch or start with something to mod, I am looking for specific makes and models recommendations and costs
and can do all the labor yourself.
!!
