Recommendations for a Small Efficient Boiler

[maple1]

Depending on the boiler you end up finding or deciding on, you might not 'need' the storage. Many can operate OK without it. But they all would work a lot better with it, and maintenance goes up without it. Leave provisions to add it in later if you think of going that route. Also keep in mind in the planning other uses you could make of the boiler building - a warm workshop might be nice to have for other things, or if nothing else you can keep your winters wood warm & dry all winter. i.e., make sure its lots big. I suspect the ROE on this one will come down to your scrounging ability & just plain luck in finding things. Good luck!

(Also, check in at the classified section on this site once in a while, some good things do pop up from time to time).

 

[rubbersmith]

Something like this? http://claz.org/classifieds/for-sale?q=outside+wood+boiler

 

[huffdawg]

I think I paid around $300 for 175' of 1-1/4 he-pex and another $250 to have 100' of it sprayed with closed cell foam.
A lot cheaper then the logstor type insulated tubing.

 

[jdogg]

Does it have to be a boiler?
My son-in-law built a 10x20 mostly underground cement wall building attached to his house just outside of where his furnace is for about 2.5k. (materials only)
Then he bought a Daka 621 forced air wood add on at Menards for about $800. He uses triple wall for the chimney and ran a 8" through wall to bonnet for heat.
All smoke stays out of house and warm air goes into furnace bonnet.
About 5yrs in only thing he say would be better is a better wood add on. (you get what you pay for) im sure when the Daka burns out he will upgrade.

 

[NE WOOD BURNER]

Lots of good suggestions here!

IMHO:when you plan your shed build it to house a GARN(largest space requirement) That way you can always update boiler later to any model, if your heating demand requires it.


FWIW:

Units like this non gasser are all over the place and still better than the OWB economics.
http://nh.craigslist.org/hsh/4243629624.html

It could get you started and spend the right money on shed, insulation, UG lines, etc.

Swap it out later and still sell it for what you paid for it.

 

[Boil&Toil]

I'm planning to go the outside insulated building and "indoor" boiler approach myself, for a number of reasons - fire paranoia being one of them - by the time the FD shows up, you might as well get out the marshmallows (not knocking them, it's one of the "costs" of being rural) so I prefer to keep most of the flambe far enough away from the main buildings that they (probably) won't catch if something bad happens.

I am also planning to make the boiler building as fire-resistant as reasonably possible - cinderblock or metal studs with cement-board, not a wood shack.