Indoor\Outdoor unique situation

[jessem]

Hey,

I am entertaining the idea of an indoor or outdoor boiler. I currently heat @ 1700 sq ft with a heat pump and gas logs for heat, house is well insulated, but this setup as you all know is not very cost effective. What I do have is a block building adjacent to the house (25'), this building used to house an oil fired boiler, so chimney is intact and good shape and the old woodshed is very close as well. So my question is: Would I benefit from an indoor unit (I have been looking at the aquatherm unsheltered) in place of the old oil boiler or be better off with an outdoor unit. Firewood will not be an issue and smoke will not either, no immediate neighbors.

thanks

 

[Gooserider]

My feeling is that the current indoor gasification units are wonderful machines that function reliably and well when installed properly, and burn very cleanly. The outdoor units tend to be more polluting at best, though the manufacturers seem to be trying to make them better - with the result being that customers are being used as involuntary "beta testers"...

Especially given that you have a suitable outbuilding already, I would definitely go the indoor unit approach.

Gooserider

 

[sgschwend]

I guess you mean to say purchase an indoor unit and install it in the block building or purchase an outdoor unit and set it up outdoors?

I would rather service a boiler while standing inside a building, with lights, walls to keep the wind down, room for tools, a place to stack a days worth of wood.

Would the building have plenty of room for a storage tank (that would be just about perfect)?

 

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

All I know about storage is theory and what people here have said. But I would think that the closer you get to the equator, the more you would want storage. And of course I would be looking at integrating solar . . .

 

[jessem]

I probably do not have much room for indoor tank storage in the building, however their is a 500 gallon LP tank that is not used next to the building, I am new to the boiler/hydronic systems, thanks for the info!

 

[Hunderliggur]

Great! Convert the LP tank to HW storage, build a lean-to to attach it to the block building, and insulate it heavily. It should work great. BTW - You can purge a LP tank by filling it full with water. If you add bleach to the water you can mitigate the latent propane odor.

 

[jessem]

Good deal! Now the question is which indoor boiler unit to select?
Thanks

 

[sgschwend]

Lots of information here to look at in that regard (purchasing a boiler).

I would think you need to decided what is important to you, such as local support, installed cost, a usable owner's manual, simple parts, ease of use, and color.

 

[Como]

First determine your size, how many btu's/kw

Then your fuel source, cord wood or pellets

And of course your budget

Sounds like you are thinking of something like this:

 

[Eric Johnson]

An indoor gasifier in an outbuilding is definitely the way to go.

 

[WoodNotOil]

Check out my buyer's guide at my site for brand ideas and reviews. They aren't cheap and range greatly in price. Check out the map there as well to find out if there is anyone with an install close enough to you for you to check one out in action.

 

[WoodNotOil]

Piping layout, who will do the install and domestic hotwater are all things you will have to consider, but the folks here can help a lot with that.

 

[flyingcow]

My indoor boiler is next door in an unattached garage, whoops, I meant wood storage facility. My boiler is in a insulated boiler room, and wood is just outside the door. Works very well. i have storage in my basement. Way nice. With what you explained...indoor boiler only way to go.

 

[Stlshrk]

My indoor boiler is set up in a pole shed. The storage tank is out there too.

No matter what you go with, if you are looking at an install for next winter, start cutting, splitting, stacking wood now!

 

[jessem]

Thanks for all the good ideas: Looking to heat around 1700 sq ft, 1920s farmhouse, well insulated, new vinyl windows and siding. I really like the looks of the aqua therm (eco one 145), and I just talked with a dealer who said the units are on sale. Just getting thoughts together for next winter.

 

[Gooserider]

Keep in mind that any of the OWB's may look nice on the outside, but will tend to burn a LOT more wood than a gasifier - regardless of their claims... Even if smoke isn't an issue, many of our OWB owning and former OWB owning members have said it is a big issue just having to cut the extra wood - even if it's coming off your own land for "free", it still takes time and energy to cut and process it...

Speaking of wood, no matter what kind of boiler you will be using, it is a dead safe bet that you will need plenty of well seasoned wood for it - start getting your supply cut and split now, so that you will be ready to go when the time comes... (Given that you don't know what you might get for a unit, I'd go for a cut length of 18" as that will fit just about any boiler)

Gooserider