Considering a Newmac wood/oil boiler - advice?

[frattman]

Hi all - I'm new here and am just beginning my exploration for knowledge on this subject . . .

I recently bought a 1953 cape here in CT that's about 1600 sq/ft. It has the original oil boiler which is probably running at about 60% efficiency based on how much oil I'm burning. My plumber put a Newmac furnace in his house and recommended a Newmac BC 160-0115 boiler to me. I need to replace this old clunker before heating season one way or another. I have recessed cast iron radiators that are hot water, not steam. It makes sense to me that water + cast iron would work well with wood as a fuel (better than hot air, or even modern water radiators). So is this situation ideal for a wood boiler?

I know that there are optional storage tanks to use as an additional heat sink and therefore be able to burn hot and and capture more of the heat - Might it be worth looking into in my situation?

I can't find a price on this specific unit - does anyone know at least a ballpark figure?

I will always have access to free wood, have a truck and a nice chain saw, and would just need a splitter if I were to make the leap to wood . . . I guess I just need a push.

 

[maple1]

Dang - typed out a reply then hit the wrong button.

I was looking at a BC160-095 early in my boiler search. I was quoted very close to $7000 CDN (before tax), with a Riello burner, but I live only an hour away from where they're made so not sure what you'd be looking at down there. I was thinking that short of a gassifier, that would be about as good a unit as I could get. It looks quite easy to clean too which is something that often gets overlooked on a new purchase but that you'll have to live with for the rest of its life.

Hard to beat the heating system you've got now with those rads. Definitely incorporate storage if at all possible - it's a bigger game changer than going to a gassifier is, IMO, as long as the boiler has good heat transfer, which this one should with the fire tubes.

You're in the right place - just do lots of reading.

 

[muncybob]

I also considered a Newmac early in my search. Could not find much info from actual users of their products so I went elsewhere. I do recall the local dealer stating that they could only sell it to me if it was pofessionaly installed???

 

[hobbyheater]

Welcome to "Hearth ".
If you are going over to wood heat, DRY WOOD is the key to successful wood burning. So start collecting your wood NOW.
I have heated successfully with gassification and storage for 30+years and prior to that with conventional boilers without and later with storage.
Below is a link to a new Garn boiler, storage and boiler all together, very simple and very efficient.
GARN 1000 pricing July 2013 FINAL.pdf