Advice on new wood boiler

[buck0123]

Looking for some advice on a new wood boiler.

House is around 3300sf and I live in northern NY.

Half of the house is new construction and the other half is what insulation they had in the mid 1970's.

Will be hooking into my existing oil fired boiler.

I can not decide to go with outdoor unpressurized unit or a pressurized unit installed in a out building about 20 feet from the house.

 

[Clarkbug]

or a pressurized unit installed in a out building about 20 feet from the house.

I say this one.

NY has pretty strict rules on what you can do with an outdoor setup. Pressurized unit in an outbuilding gives you lots of options.

 

[The Weimar]

What manufacturers have you looked into Buck? There are lots of guys around here that really seem to know there stuff, about many of the types. I know about only one type.

 

[Clarkbug]

If you want to look at an outdoor unit, they have to be on this list.

(broken link removed to http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/73694.html)

 

[buck0123]

Been looking at some used central outdoor boilers. Do not really want to buy used. Seems like alot of the outdoor wood boilers have/had leaks. Wood like a pressurized unit I can put in a out building.

 

[buck0123]

I have not looked into any specific manufactures yet. Looking for suggestions and what others are using.

 

[The Weimar]

I would not advise you to buy a used Central Boiler, and I have one. It seems to me that alot of these guys have Orlan/EKO's and like em a whole lot. I think that is what I would go after if I was in the market. I would put it in a shed or some type of small building and have it feed one of those big storage tanks in the basement. Instead, I have a CB that is one year old and has been repaired already. Do your due diligence and research this until you get the answers that you need.

The Weimar

 

[buck0123]

Right now I am using a "the furnace works" wood boiler and the only issue is have to go out and put wood in it about every 2 hours. Would like something with a longer burn time.

 

[Eric Johnson]

I have an EKO 60 in my barn/garage in an insulated, cinderblock enclosure. My house is about 2,800 square feet--1865 vintage with '70s and '80s era additions. So, pretty marginal insulation overall. I get an 8 to 10 hour burn on a typical winter night. I'm just south of Utica. I burn about 10 full cords of very dry wood per season. No smoke to speak of. I don't have hot water storage. Just pipe the hot water into my existing natural gas boiler and use the existing zones, etc. to distribute the heat. Works really well.

 

[maple1]

Right now I am using a "the furnace works" wood boiler and the only issue is have to go out and put wood in it about every 2 hours. Would like something with a longer burn time.

Buying based on touted burn time is playing into the OWB marketing. There are much better ways. Burn times are usually better left for stoves & furnaces, the water cooled firebox of a boiler is a different animal.

Check out EJ's post above. That's an indoor gassifier in an outbuilding, with no storage. He's way ahead of using an OWB.

If you can add storage to the system, and put it in the house, you could gain even more. I have everything in my basement. So far this winter, on the coldest days, I only actually have a fire going 8 hours a day max. It will burn a full load out in 4 hours - run that by an OWB salesman and they will likely jump all over it. But those few hours a day burning supplies enough heat for 24 hours. Cleanly & efficiently. Not saying what you should do, that will be a decision based on your personal situation - but it's nice if people can make decisions knowing the choices & options available that they might not otherwise consider.

 

[buck0123]

Eric, how old is your EKO 60? Have you had any problems with it?

 

[buck0123]

I would like to keep the boiler in a outbuilding and I would have room in my garage next to my oil boiler for storage.

 

[buck0123]

Maple 1 how much storage do you have? I am going to look into the EKO boilers are they pressurized? I have already decided to stay away from a OWB seems like they have lots of problems with leaks even when they are only a couple years of.

 

[Eric Johnson]

I've had my EKO for 8 seasons. No problems at all. I had some cracking of the ash door refractory early in the first season, but it stopped cracking and I never did anything to repair or address it, other than keep an eye on it, and it's been fine. I'm planning to buy one this summer for my mom in Wisconsin. She has an old farm house on a tree farm (unlimited supply of dry oak and black locust), and plan to set it up the same way. Yes, the EKO is pressurized, like all other indoor gasifiers except the Garn, which is not. I really prefer a pressurized system for a variety of reasons. Very simple and easier on the maintenance and budget over time, because you don't need a big flat plate heat exchanger, and you don't have to treat the water. I did replace the nozzles a month ago. Other than a couple hours of work, the parts were only $200. Worked fine before; works a lot better now.

The EKO is far from the fanciest, highest tech downdraft gasifier you can buy, but it's a nice, simple machine, well built with very few moving parts. In fact, other than the blowers, the only moving parts are the hand-operated bypass and a hx tube cleaner that uses the turbulators to keep the fire tubes clean. Oh yeah, and the doors.

 

[buck0123]

Eric I have my wood boiler hooked up the same way the only thing I do not like is when u put your hand in the flue of my oil boiler I can feel heat escaping.

 

[Eric Johnson]

I have the same issue that I've never really addressed, other than to stuff some insulation up into the pipe one year--but than I forgot to take it out before firing up the gas, and it didn't go well. So, I live with it. However, I have given it some thought, and I'm pretty sure you could get a motorized or fail-sale auto-mag damper that would close when the wood side is working and open back up when the gas/oil is on. I like to cut wood, so I don't have a lot of pressure to actually do it. But I think that's the solution, and probably not all that expensive or complicated to accomplish. You could also manually block the chimney and then put a tag/lock on the oil burner switch and hope that whoever decides to flip the switch reads the tag.

This assumes, of course, that you don't switch back and forth on a regular basis. I shut down the gas side in the fall and turn it back on in the spring, and only enable it during the winter when I'm out of town for a few days and can't stoke the stove. Happily, the EKO provides enough heat to make the gas side unnecessary.

 

[maple1]

Maple 1 how much storage do you have? I am going to look into the EKO boilers are they pressurized? I have already decided to stay away from a OWB seems like they have lots of problems with leaks even when they are only a couple years of.

660 gallons.

I think about the best advice I can think to give, is read the bejeebers out of this place. I think you will find out about all the boilers pretty well, and their pluses & minuses. If you read enough you will likely pick up on trends such as what maintenance to expect with what boilers etc. - and keep in mind that a certain aspect people might be dealing with in certain boilers is not necessarily a deal breaker, but more just a heads up on what to expect. They will all require some maintenance & looking after to some extent. Then there's budget & how much certain things & features etc. are worth paying for - that's mainly on you to balance that part out.

 

[velvetfoot]

I have a motorized flue damper on my oil boiler:

http://www.supplyhouse.com/Field-Controls-OVD-6-6-Oil-Vent-Damper-11822000-p

 

[Eric Johnson]

Thanks for that link, VF. I'm thinking that would be a good investment (none of us getting any younger!).

 

[alianapaul]

If you want to look at an outdoor unit, they have to be on this list.

(broken link removed to http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/73694.html)

This is the nice suggestion and right list for choosing the outdoor unit. read more

 

[Clarkbug]

I have not looked into any specific manufactures yet. Looking for suggestions and what others are using.

Buck, depending on where you are in NY, you might be close to AHONA. I think they are a sponsor here on the forums, but not sure. Mark is the go-to guy there, and there has been lots of praise for him and his customer service. Do some searching for them, and if you are close, go check them out. They carry Vigas boilers, but also some parts for the EKOs, so they would be a good source of information if you go that route.

 

[buck0123]

I think I am going to buy a new Aqua-therm 275 unsheltered boiler. Simple unit and can burn some unseasoned wood if I need to.

Gasification boilers need dry wood and I don't have much room to store wood.

Am I making a mistake?

 

[maple1]

Well, I wouldn't do it - but it's your money & decision.

 

[Hydronics]

I think I am going to buy a new Aqua-therm 275 unsheltered boiler. Simple unit and can burn some unseasoned wood if I need to.

Gasification boilers need dry wood and I don't have much room to store wood.

Am I making a mistake?

I believe you are making a mistake. You're decision but I'd get a gasser even if you have to buy seasoned wood. Do you really want to cut 12 plus cords a year? I bet if you do it for 3 seasons you'll seriously regret your decision. You can about cut wood use in half with a gasser. I'm so relieved I didn't get an outdoor wood boiler.

 

[flyingcow]

Buck, depending on where you are in NY, you might be close to AHONA. I think they are a sponsor here on the forums, but not sure. Mark is the go-to guy there, and there has been lots of praise for him and his customer service. Do some searching for them, and if you are close, go check them out. They carry Vigas boilers, but also some parts for the EKOs, so they would be a good source of information if you go that route.

Be worth the trip to go see him . Esdy to talk to.