Try to talk me into a Gasifier!

I've been kicking around the same issue with a gasifier outside in a building vs. a Central Boiler 5036 as another thread but wanted to fine tune for my purpose. Unfortunately, indoors is not an option for me due to clearance issues so let's not even go there!(I do agree its most efficient though!). This is where I'm at so far:

INDOOR GASIFIER IN SHED
Pros:
Less Smoke
Less Wood Consumption

Cons:
Cost?(Can have the CB 5036 installed and up and running for just under 10 grand)
Water Storage(2000 gallons takes up alot of indoor space!)
If no storage, then Length of burns( I want/am only interested in tending fire once or at most twice a day. THIS IS A BIGGEE!)
Wood Seasoning (Not as major of a concern as I have under roof storage for at least 6 cords and a 13 acre woods as well as other sources)
Maintenance(I'm sorry guys but it seems like these gasifiers need alot more TLC than an OWB. I do like to tinker though!)

After much research here and elsewhere I think I'm probably going to wait until the Outdoor gasifier technologies and companies fine tune their setups a little more before I make a move. They are making strides from what I've read. I currently am actually fairly happy with my current set up which is very inexpensive and low tech. I have a US Stove 1557M heating aprox. 2700 square ft WHILE IM HERE. My biggest complaint is that I cannot keep the house heated with it for the 10 hrs or so a day I'm gone through the week. This is where I'd like to improve. Can it be done without storage?

My biggest concern with a gasifier is my own problem. I don't like to mess with the fire before leaving for work in the morning. I'd like to only tend it in the afternoon and before bed in the evening I think this is where an Outdoor woodburner trumps them the most. Can it be done?

One quick addition I did want to note is that the smoke output is important to me too. The reason I do not get as long of burn times as others with what I have now is because I do have close neighbors to the north of me and I WILL NOT choke a fire down for a lengthy burn or burn green woood because of the smoke. With any new install I'm running 200 ft of thermopex to further my chimney farther away from my nextdoor neighbor who has never once complained yet about my existing set-up. To be honest, If it weren't for smoke concerns I probably wouldn't be asking about a gasiifier because I love to cut wood but I do think its right to think about the environment and your fellow man. Thanks for any replies!

bpirger said:

What is your heat load? I can burn my Garn 1500 once a day (two loads of wood over about 3 hours) and heat my place for 24 hours plus. I also get DHW from this, though that can get a little tough after 16 hours or so. I have radiant, so with even 100 degree water I can stay at 72 inside the house. There are times I'm starting a fire at midnight or later to make sure there will be hot water for the morning showers....

I'd say it is likely that this is very doable....

Know your heat load, that will determine your storage. If you are comfortable modifying and installing your own propane tanks, you can keep things cheaper. I'd say 10K is the minimum by the time you are done with your own tanks, and likely higher...depending on your setup.

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Forgive my ignorance and lack of research, but for the sake of a quick reply what kind of storage do you have with you're Garn 1500? I will have to find my heat load. It does get a little tricky because I heat my house with a wood furnace, fuel oil furnace, and a heat pump for the shoulder seasons. Last year I only used 80 gallons of fuel oil but the heat pump is hard to separate from the rest of my electric bill.

Como said:

http://www.altheating.com/outdooreconoburn.htm

The only true Gasser I know of that comes in an OWB package.

My guess is that eventually OWB’s as known now will be no more, there will be minimum regulations for emissions and they are inherently unable to comply.

As you have a wood storage area could a boiler be added?

The Garn is large but comes with storage included.

Low emissions = gasser

Long times between burns = storage.

The best combination, well that depends. You could always go pellet and have continuous feed and limited storage.

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I've looked at those a little bit! I need to find a local dealer and some first hand experience from their users of that unit. I wonder what they cost?

As far as OWB being outlawed here in Ohio it may happen but we are in a bit of a different situation than most states. They dropped the banning movement a bit a while back. We are not as progressive as some other states. They can barely enforce open burning in trash barrels around here let alone OWBs! I think there is a struggle between politically correctness/environmentalism and getting reelected/saving people tax dollars. Ohio is not in the best financial state and honestly I think that if they do impose a ban the current users would be grandfathered in...BUT that does play into my consideration as well.

And pellet stoves/burners. Thank goodness I didn't go that route. I almost did years back. They're great for the right person but I almost didn't find out how much I like to get outdoors and cut wood. And run chainsaws. I think I own at least 6 now!

Thanks for the input!

ihookem said:

My neighbor has a cb5036 and he likes it. I have an Eko 25, no storage and I like it. He burns 8 cord of oak on avr. I burn 4 cords of mixed wood, lots of boxelder, soft maple, popple, elm, ash, and some oak and locust. His house is 2200 sq.ft 2 story half log. Mine is a 2200 sq. ranch loaded with foam in the walls and r 60 in the attic. It's up to you. I don't see a whole lot of smoke in the CB to complain about, it's the old smokers that are a problem. Another has a CB 6048 and very little smoke. You love to cut wood, so did I when I was young. someday folks like us might not always have access to 8 cords of oak per year. This is why I went with high efficiency. I depend on free wood from others, might not always be there. Up north where I hunt I could always get wood from logging cuts. So could everyone else. When the price of fuel went up to 4 bucks a gallon for oil there were people there almost as soon as it was cut down and my wood supply was hard to find. I almost bought the CB 5036 but 6500 dollars was high compared to my eko 25 (3500 after the feds rebate) And yes, a gassifier is a little fussier, have to clean out ash evey other day in the lower and weekly in the fire box. I believe the gassers will outlast the owb. too. As a side question that should be considered too is how long will each one last?

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Thanks for the real world input! It's refreshing to hear someone on here say that not all OWB smoke like Keith Richards too. I agree that they are definately not as efficient as a gasifier, but if you burn seasoned dry wood in them they aren't the smoke dragons some on here would lead you to believe. I know 3 people that use OWBs and rarely see smoke coming from their stacks. I also drive by some on my daily commute that you would think were fogging for mosquitos. It varies with what you throw in them too. My basic Hotblast is probably just as inefficient as the Central Boiler and I'm not letting it belch out smoke all day either.
(but to be fair its not sitting there idling all day too.)

With that being said I will likely go with an Indoor Boiler in a shed. Just wondering how long an oversized boiler without storage could go without firing for my needs. It would be nice to get my "feet wet" with a gasifier without having to invest in the storage initially. I've got lots of research to do yet. (I love research!)