So I am on my 9th season with my owb. It works perfect. It's simple. The house is always 72 and the hot water never ends. However, I use a lot of wood....... North of 12 cord. So I find this 3 year old eko40. I have a perfect sized garage/woodshed right next to my current owb. I'm thinking 1000 gallons storage and eko in the outbuilding, tie into my current underground lines and process half the wood. What am I not thinking of here? I must be missing something. What do I look for that could be bad on a used eko? It has a new controller(supposably the screen was craked on the old one) and new door seals. The pictures he sent me were before they were replaced and the front looks really really dirty. Talk me out of this because right now all I have to do is cut a lot of wood and I really don't want to buy someone else's headache. However, the temptation of less wood is really strong.
Talk me out of this idea
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NateB
Feeling the Heat
Sound like it could work. If you can get a good deal on the eko. I'd the warranty honored if it changes hands?
Fill your firebox half full of standard fire brick ("from a stone products dealer" )
up to the flue breech and you will create a huge amount of thermal mass and
your fire will burn hotter and the firebrick will shed the heat back into the
water jacket.
OH and the firebox will thank you for the firebrick as it will protect it too.
I used a piece of 12 by 12 channel iron and place it on the top of my coal grate frame
and then I loaded the fire brick in the firebox and it kept the boiler hotter and I had much
less smoke and the coal fire burned better as the fire box was reduced in size.
If you do this you will find that the fire will burn much better(hotter) and you can split your
wood thinner and use less wood like I did.
DO not buy the half brick crap you can get at a place like TSC.
I did that five plus years ago in my wood and coal boiler and I wish I had done it 36 years ago.
I have a coal stoker boiler now as I no longer wanted to burn wood-falling and breaking your nose on
ice is not a pleasant experience when you are bringing wood in from you wood pile.
up to the flue breech and you will create a huge amount of thermal mass and
your fire will burn hotter and the firebrick will shed the heat back into the
water jacket.
OH and the firebox will thank you for the firebrick as it will protect it too.
I used a piece of 12 by 12 channel iron and place it on the top of my coal grate frame
and then I loaded the fire brick in the firebox and it kept the boiler hotter and I had much
less smoke and the coal fire burned better as the fire box was reduced in size.
If you do this you will find that the fire will burn much better(hotter) and you can split your
wood thinner and use less wood like I did.
DO not buy the half brick crap you can get at a place like TSC.
I did that five plus years ago in my wood and coal boiler and I wish I had done it 36 years ago.
I have a coal stoker boiler now as I no longer wanted to burn wood-falling and breaking your nose on
ice is not a pleasant experience when you are bringing wood in from you wood pile.
maple1
Minister of Fire
The quality of your underground piping could also play (and be playing) a large factor.
FWIW. My OWB served me faithfully for 12 years. 3200sf house 1300sf garage, domestic hot water. Never cold, could keep me as warm as i wanted it to. However, 10-12 cord of wood every year. Trips outside every morning and night to load no matter wind, rain, snow, sleet, utter darkness, etc.
Bought a 3 year old Biomass 40 this past fall. Installed in garage with 1000 gallons storage. I load the boiler in my underwear if I want, at my convienence. Garage is 64 degrees, house as warm as I want.
Burned 2.5-3 cord from Christmas to now. (supposed to be 15 degrees tonight) Figuring 5 cords a full season, I am two years ahead on my wood right now, c/s/s. By the end of June or so I will be 4 years ahead.
Do it.......
Bought a 3 year old Biomass 40 this past fall. Installed in garage with 1000 gallons storage. I load the boiler in my underwear if I want, at my convienence. Garage is 64 degrees, house as warm as I want.
Burned 2.5-3 cord from Christmas to now. (supposed to be 15 degrees tonight) Figuring 5 cords a full season, I am two years ahead on my wood right now, c/s/s. By the end of June or so I will be 4 years ahead.
Do it.......
StihlKicking
Feeling the Heat
It just depends on how much you like/dislike cutting fire wood. If the OWB you have serves you well i would keep cutting wood and save the money and headache of a new unit.
How is your insulation? We had a real critical look at this house (1970's) and reduced our heating load by about half. Then went geothermal. Next summer I plan to tie the OWB that heats our tenants house next door into it.
Our tenant keeps the house at 24C and the firebox on the P&M FULL.
Our tenant keeps the house at 24C and the firebox on the P&M FULL.
woodsmaster
Minister of Fire
sounds like a good idea to me. Check the refractory in the bottom and the nozzle for wear and cracks. They can be replaced fairly easily but might give you a bargaining chip.
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