Hi everyone-
First off I want to say that this forum has more information about wood burning than I ever could dream about!
I have been reading the post for a week, and still reading.
Here is some background information. I live in a large house on a farm with out any close neighbors. The house has large vaulted ceilings and the entire back of the house is windows. It is nice in the summer, but cold in the winter. When it was just my wife and I, it did not matter if we were cold. Now thing are changing and the family is now bigger. So it is time to warm the house up in the winter. That is where you all come in.
At first I had planned to build a simple outdoor wood burner. Then I found this site, and then decided on an outdoor wood gassifier. Now I am looking at the gassifier wood boiler. So now I am more confused than ever. I doubt that I can get everything finished this year but I will be ahead of the curve for next year.
In my house, the heat pump does an excellent job when the temperature is above 45 degrees, from 35 to 45 it can hold its own, but runs constantly. Below 32 the house starts getting cold.
This is what I am trying to accomplish.
1—have an outdoor furnace of some sort that I can use when the temperature drops outside.
2. Install a radiator / heat exchanger in my heat pump
3. Install the pex below floor radiant heat on the first floor. I have access to most of the underside of the first floor.
I have a complete fabrication shop where anything we can dream up, I can build. I am a state certified welder, AWS certified welder, I have a cnc plasma/ flame cutter where I can cut either mild steel or stainless sheets 6 x 12 feet and from 20 gauge to 4 inches thick. If you can draw a shape on a piece of paper, I can cut it out of steel.
At my day job, I work on industrial equipment including industrial natural gas ovens. So I am planning on building a controller that can control everything on the furnace.
I want to make sure I am not directly duplicating any furnace that is currently being made, but I want to use the best parts from each style.
I can make it any size, any thickness, add any style grate, put the blowers anyplace.
What do you think? Anyone having any must have ideas or absolutely stay away from ideas?
Steve
First off I want to say that this forum has more information about wood burning than I ever could dream about!
I have been reading the post for a week, and still reading.
Here is some background information. I live in a large house on a farm with out any close neighbors. The house has large vaulted ceilings and the entire back of the house is windows. It is nice in the summer, but cold in the winter. When it was just my wife and I, it did not matter if we were cold. Now thing are changing and the family is now bigger. So it is time to warm the house up in the winter. That is where you all come in.
At first I had planned to build a simple outdoor wood burner. Then I found this site, and then decided on an outdoor wood gassifier. Now I am looking at the gassifier wood boiler. So now I am more confused than ever. I doubt that I can get everything finished this year but I will be ahead of the curve for next year.
In my house, the heat pump does an excellent job when the temperature is above 45 degrees, from 35 to 45 it can hold its own, but runs constantly. Below 32 the house starts getting cold.
This is what I am trying to accomplish.
1—have an outdoor furnace of some sort that I can use when the temperature drops outside.
2. Install a radiator / heat exchanger in my heat pump
3. Install the pex below floor radiant heat on the first floor. I have access to most of the underside of the first floor.
I have a complete fabrication shop where anything we can dream up, I can build. I am a state certified welder, AWS certified welder, I have a cnc plasma/ flame cutter where I can cut either mild steel or stainless sheets 6 x 12 feet and from 20 gauge to 4 inches thick. If you can draw a shape on a piece of paper, I can cut it out of steel.
At my day job, I work on industrial equipment including industrial natural gas ovens. So I am planning on building a controller that can control everything on the furnace.
I want to make sure I am not directly duplicating any furnace that is currently being made, but I want to use the best parts from each style.
I can make it any size, any thickness, add any style grate, put the blowers anyplace.
What do you think? Anyone having any must have ideas or absolutely stay away from ideas?
Steve