First post - on the lookout for Atlantic Canada help.

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maple1

Minister of Fire
Sep 15, 2011
11,082
Nova Scotia
This is quite the place I found here - lurking for a week was long enough, I had to get in. What a gold mine.

I've been living with a cc500 wood/oil unit for 15 years now. It has been a challenge (to put it nicely) in this 2700 sq.ft. 2 story + basement we're in. I want badly to replace it - or should I say supplement it - not sure when but want to be ready and have the major decisions made when the time is right. I have spent long hours just trying to figure out with what. The one thing I do like about my current setup is that it will heat the house no problem when the power goes out (with some close tending), which it does often. Considered geothermal for a while, for simple ease of use & cleanliness, but think I've ruled that out. After a week on here, I am now leaning to a new garage with a gasser/wood storage in one end, plumbed into existing system with storage in between. Maybe add a solar panel or 2 for summer time. Really would like to get the mess out of the basement and not climb that roof anymore to clean the chimney more often than I should have to - getting too old for that foolishness. Have an abundant fuel supply on the property, so wood it is - hard work and all. Brand & size of unit is another story - I don't know what is available yet around here, or what would be best. After poking around on here, I really like the looks of the Varmabaronen stuff, although think there is an EKO dealer here.

Anyone in this corner of the continent with some pointers/hints/suggestions? Putting a new roof on right now & have other things to take care of first, but would like to get this done within 2 years or so - if the cc500 lasts that long.

And I'll add that it's very frustrating to be living here, within an hour of 3 furnace builders (Benjamin, Newmac & Kerr), with all of the wood burning going on all around this area - and they're still building ancient technology. Wish they would wake up and step into the 21st. century already.

All for now - great site!
 
Welcome to the forum maple 1. Ditto on the manufacturer's and the 21st century as it would be nice to see some real competition in the market place to make john q public and the legislature more aware and prices reflect a high degree of avaiability. What ever unit you choose it looks like you have to integrate it with some source of energy back up system so it sounds like a major project that should start with the energy system first. As you stated there is a "gold mine" in the pages of this forum. Wish you the best with your project.
 
Hey, I am near Fredericton NB, I plan on installing a Froling this winter/spring with my warmboard subfloor in our new off grid home. Excited! There is a Froling dealer in NS, although I found him a lot more expensive than just hopping across the border and buzzing down to Portland....
 
Yup, this site is a gold mine, and even do it's good, it's a lot of diffrent opinion and option, you need to read a lot and ask around, then make your own opinion. Been reading here for 3 years and still feel like a rookie !!

fowlerrudi, have you ask your insurance company ? I am planning on going with an indoor gasser in a few year (I am not hiome full time yet, neither my wife, so no point to invest the big buck yet) , but most of the unit I saw are not CSA approuved, wonder if this can be a biugger with candian insurance.
 
i have my unit next door in an unattached garage. My storage is in basement of house.

I pile my wood on pallets right off the splitter and move the wood into garage with FEL on a tractor when i need it. Absolutely love this type of set up. No mess in the house. Get your wood cut/split/stacked soon. Should be at least 1yr, or better yet 2yrs of seasoning.

Also if you go thru Woodstock and into Houlton there is a Tarm dealer in town. Don't think they keep much in stock, but they're a dealer and could get what you want. There must be a dealer in the Calais region also. As i type this, is the Cat still running into Portland?
 
Hey Maple just cross the northumberland st and see an econoburn 150 What area are you in ? There are a couple of econoburns in NS now I'd be happy to help you get connected with some people
 
I'm in Northern N.S. And as far as I know the Cat is out of commission. Maine is not that far of a drive for me, maybe 5 hours to Houlton.

I also do the pallet thing, have a basement level entrance that I can roll almost 1/2 cord in at a time on dollies, right to where the wood goes.

I have been back & forth on this almost weekly since I started seriously thinking about it - now I'm back & forth again. Primary reasons for going to an outbuilding is getting rid of the mess, freeing up the basement, not having to climb my roof to clean the chimey (this cc500 is a creosote generator), and easier wood handling. I would keep my existing system intact and add on the new unit & storage. Now I'm thinking to pull the cc500 out altogether and replace with a gasser and new compact oil unit and some storage. It would be an easier install overall, hopefully there would be way less chimney cleaning, I like being able to just stumble down stairs and throw wood in in the morning and night rather than having to throw on winter clothes & go outside (not to mention what the other half thinks of it), hopefully would gain space anyway by burning way less wood, and the biggest reason is power outages would be easily handled just by re-arranging my current dump zones just a little bit (they should be re-done anyway, not done quite right originally) if I can find a unit that works on natural draft & no fan (like a couple of the Varmabaronen models) - no electricity required. I have close to 30ft of chimney, so draft is no problem, and the zones circulate by convection very well with the two story zones opened up.

Either way there will be some tradeoffs - but now I'm back to leaning to keeping everything in my basement. Maybe if I get around to calling my insurance agent, she will end up deciding for me anyway. Thanks for the tips - I will be reading all I can about all of them.
 
Ever thought of the Caddy wood burning furnace? EPA certified, CSA certified, made in Quebec and lots of dealers around you. Since its EPA you will burn 1/3 less cordwood at least per season. You can have it as a wood/oil or wood/electric combo if you want. Efficiencies run at 82% for the Max Caddy. You can also put as an option a water pre-heater for your main water tank.

http://www.psg-distribution.com/product.aspx?CategoId=26&Id=563&Page=description
 
Welcome to the forum. Glad to see a fellow Maritimer on board.
I'm up in Fredericton, and joined this forum to research what system I would buy. Ended up with an Econoburn 150.
Very happy with a gassification boiler. Wow, these things can make some heat and shove it into water.
I'll follow your thread(s) and add comments, but my only advice would come from my own experience.
There are so many on this site that will give you better advice based on their experience and the many others they've helped.
Ask questions and read threads about boiler brands, valve and pump options, storage pros and cons, etc.
Enjoy your journey. And post pictures. We love pictures. :)
Happy burning!
 
FyreBug said:
Ever thought of the Caddy wood burning furnace? EPA certified, CSA certified, made in Quebec and lots of dealers around you. Since its EPA you will burn 1/3 less cordwood at least per season. You can have it as a wood/oil or wood/electric combo if you want. Efficiencies run at 82% for the Max Caddy. You can also put as an option a water pre-heater for your main water tank.

http://www.psg-distribution.com/product.aspx?CategoId=26&Id=563&Page=description

Had never heard of those, and you had me intrigued - but looks like those are hot air units, correct? Unless I missed something. I'm considering many options, but hot air isn't one of them - thanks anyway.
 
Hi and welcome. Another Nova Scotian here. I am on the South Shore and am running an Econoburn 150 with no storage at present. This forum has been a great resource. Wantstoburnwood, in PEI has been very helpful. There was a dealer for Econoburns in New Brunswick, you may want to check into that. I purchased my unit on E-Bay from a mid-western US company which was no longer carrying them. Even with the shipping it was a great deal. The Econoburn, being manufactured in the US, is not subject to import duties like the offshore built units. It is also WH certified so complies with our Building Code requirements and should keep your insurance company happy. Ours is installed in an out building about 50 feet from the house with the water piped underground to the house. I didn't have the installation complete until last December so this coming winter will be our first full heating season. We also have seasoned wood this year so should be in good shape. Even with the poor wood last season the EB heated the house better than the old oil and wood boilers we had used ever did. I am still learning the ropes of running a gasification boiler but will happily answer any questions I can so feel free to ask. I do plan the eventually install some water storage but haven't bit that bullet yet. If you are down this way, near Mahone Bay, and want to have a gander at the setup let me know.

Earl
 
Great to see you're still around Earl looking forward to first fire of the season.
 
wantstoburnwood said:
Great to see you're still around Earl looking forward to first fire of the season.

I am hoping it is less eventful than this time last year when I dug up the old Kitec piping to replace it with Heat Pex. I have eight cords of two year old hardwood and eight of last springs put by and have a 14'x24' wood shed well underway. How's it going on the Island?

Earl
 
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