New wood boiler recomendations

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Caleb90

New Member
Oct 2, 2021
11
Ky
I currently have a woodmaster 4400, i bought it used a number of years ago. I went to replace the lower chimney today and the chimney stub and top of stove is in rough shape. I weld for a living so fixing isnt the problem, but time and the fear of constantly fixing from here on out is making me think of buying new. What models out there are close to what i have now? I dont want a catalyst dry fire box stove as i burn alot of green wood. The woodmasters are good stoves the chimney issue is a big design flaw on them. Let me know guys.
 
If you burn a lot of green wood you should just stop burning for a couple years to get ahead or buy some dry wood.
You will not find a legal replacement boiler that you can burn green wood in without destroying the boiler.
You are seeing the effects of wet wood in your old water heater
 
I've seen older Woodmaster units around here rotted out around the chimney, it's getting rainwater through the silicone seal around the chimney and soaking the insulation, rusting out the top of the tank.
A stainless model won't do that.
Any gasification model will need drier wood than the old Woodmaster, the older style are commercial only since the EPA got involved in 2015. Woodmaster got bought out by Central Boiler a while back so the main OWB manufacturers are Crown Royal, HeatMaster and Central Boiler. You could browse their options, all have gasification models and older updraft style (like your Woodmaster, albeit commercial or coal only).
When I started burning a gasification model in 2014 it took me a bit to get used to planning ahead on my wood, but it's not bad. I just finished filling my woodshed last week. If I use the stuff I cut in the spring first I'll be fine, the stuff I put in in Sept I'll use in Jan.
 
If you burn a lot of green wood you should just stop burning for a couple years to get ahead or buy some dry wood.
You will not find a legal replacement boiler that you can burn green wood in without destroying the boiler.
You are seeing the effects of wet wood in your old water heater
Its rotting around the chimney because the previous owner never kept up on the silicone seal around it. Not because of green wood
 
I've seen older Woodmaster units around here rotted out around the chimney, it's getting rainwater through the silicone seal around the chimney and soaking the insulation, rusting out the top of the tank.
A stainless model won't do that.
Any gasification model will need drier wood than the old Woodmaster, the older style are commercial only since the EPA got involved in 2015. Woodmaster got bought out by Central Boiler a while back so the main OWB manufacturers are Crown Royal, HeatMaster and Central Boiler. You could browse their options, all have gasification models and older updraft style (like your Woodmaster, albeit commercial or coal only).
When I started burning a gasification model in 2014 it took me a bit to get used to planning ahead on my wood, but it's not bad. I just finished filling my woodshed last week. If I use the stuff I cut in the spring first I'll be fine, the stuff I put in in Sept I'll use in Jan.
Yes previous owner didnt keep up on the seal. When i got it i cleaned it up with a wire wheel and painted it with chassie saver paint. That was six years ago , but the rust has shown back up again. I have crown royal heatmaster and heatmor sold locally. The closest thing i could find to mine was the multi pass (coal) units. They remind me of the old taylor units from years past
 
Yes, similar except with air up through grates and a hotter burn.
 
All three you mentioned are 409 Stainless. So rust should be history. Water treatment is important though to prevent electrolysis.
 
All three you mentioned are 409 Stainless. So rust should be history. Water treatment is important though to prevent electrolysis.
If water treatment is so important on open systems why is there not more of a push to move to closed?
I was thinking of this walking out of my local store with a 10 foot length of 3/4 Type L on Saturday.
 
If water treatment is so important on open systems why is there not more of a push to move to closed?
I was thinking of this walking out of my local store with a 10 foot length of 3/4 Type L on Saturday.
Price...
open system cheap
pressurized systems need to meet an additional set of regulations,more expense
Smoke Dragon cheap
Boilers expensive.
You get what you pay for
 
I agree, cost & regulation. Water treatment is not that expensive in comparison.
 
I agree, cost & regulation. Water treatment is not that expensive in comparison.
So again the proper installation is more important.
I’m not a project cost cutting sort of guy. Go all in or don’t start.
 
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I wonder if we're talking in such general terms it isn't useful. I've seen open systems that work great and pressurized boilers that roll smoke. But opposite is true too. Each model and manufacturer sorta has to be judged by it's own performance. My thoughts anyway.
 
I looked really hard at the Woodmaster and ended up getting a Crown Royal MP. I can burn coal in it when needed which is why I went that route. It’s no where near as clean as the gasification units but not and inefficient as the woodmaster. I could cut a live tree down, turn up the fan, and burn it once the
Fire has been established if I wanted to.