So I have been on here for some time now and have been reading a lot about the gasser types. I am curious as what you all think it would cost me if I got rid of the Aquatherm and replace with a gasser? I have no storage and about 100 gallons in the pipes and boiler now. It is going to forced air in the house and forced air in the kennel, I have in floor but it is not working that great so I just leave it off. So all in all I am heating 3,000 square feet now. With a gasser with no initial storage am I going to see a huge difference in wood consumption? I know there is so many variables that a true answer is hard to get to so in general what would I have to buy in order to switch from OWB to a gasser. I see some can be had for around $4000 but I should be able to use my current plumbing and pumps right?
OWB (inside of building already) to a gasser
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Singed Eyebrows
Minister of Fire
What is the BTU output of the Aquatherm & does it keep up with the heat load well? Randyrombi said:
It keeps up fine with just the air HX's. I had 10 hour burn with 5 degree outside temps for the whole burn and the water temp was still 170 and it looked like there was another hour of so of burn left in it. It is just the amount of wood that goes into that is a large wheel barrow full of beech and white ash. Maybe that is not bad, not sure anymore.
If you are currently heating 3K sf using a forced air hx exclusively with your OWB, and getting 10+ hours from 1 wheelbarrow load at 5*, then I don't think you can save a "lot" of wood by switching to a gasser. Now, that's very much JMO, and a non-expert one at that. Maybe the hydronics pros and gurus will have other opinions. Are you having problems with the OWB? Are you smoking out the neighborhood? Or are you just trying to burn cleaner and more efficiently?
woodsmaster
Minister of Fire
woodsmaster
Minister of Fire
I used to get around 24 hrs from a wheel barrow (but I loaded it well & the boiler would have good coals over the nozzle and idled a lot) heating 1700 sq "old" farm house with single pane windows with walnut and elm then hickory and red/white oak, (blue beech is as good as red oak) down to zero degrees (Would have done better if in a building that was heated). I too have an air exchanger in my furnace. The key to gassers is dry wood and preferably "warm". Since your current unit is inside I am thinking so is some of your wood and warm should not be a problem. (At near and below zero cold wood will collect moisture inside the gasification chamber (from warm air) and give the gasser fits. Been my experience too many times to deny results. i.e. dew point at 60 would leave puddles of water in wood surface depressions just seconds after closing the loading door and opening to put in more. Even kiln dried lumber would get wet. It's called condensation but when you are loading the boiler because of a late night at work you end up having to baby sit it after bedtime. There are other names that try to describe it). If you are not going to run with storage you need to size your gasser by wood capacity too. An empty boiler won't put out heat OWB, gasser or no. Sized right a gasser will burn less wood. I'm using an OWB buddy (ceramic they said) and have already used much more wood than my gasser did. If you have the wood an OWB is less picky than a gasser and that kind of makes part of the extra wood tossing seem simpler. I'd rather throw an arm load and 1/2 than four though. 2cents.
One thing to consider is your underground lines. Does the pex have an oxygen barrier? Without it a pressurized system can have corrosion issues if you don't use a hx or water treatment.
Even without storage a gasser will burn less, how much I don't know. It's a matter of economics -how much can you get for your OWB?
It is true gassers don't like green wood.
Even without storage a gasser will burn less, how much I don't know. It's a matter of economics -how much can you get for your OWB?
It is true gassers don't like green wood.
I did exactly that. Sold my aqua therm and replaced with econoburn. See last week post "REFORMED OWB USER" GOOD LUCK
I am looking for a better burn I guess. I don't like the smoke and seeing the heat that comes out of the chimney makes me think there are better systems. I don't have any houses near mine for 1/4 mile so nobody else complains. I do like not thinking about loading though. Just through in some big chunks of wood and turn it back on and go out 10 hours later and do it again. It is messy though, and rolls the smoke in the kennel if you have to load it at the wrong time. I have plenty of room for storage out there as well if I need to go that way. I like the idea of getting a clean burn and using less wood.
I have a buddy that is trying to sell his Aquatherm so I will see what he gets out of his.
It's like a wood mid-life crisis, I am driving an old rusted out Buick and would like to be driving a Vette.
I have a buddy that is trying to sell his Aquatherm so I will see what he gets out of his.
It's like a wood mid-life crisis, I am driving an old rusted out Buick and would like to be driving a Vette.
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