First Post - Boiler Advice

[Nice Ash]

First Post: I thank the posters of this forum for offering a wealth of info and practical advice. I need some advice. I am building a home office, open concept approximately 900 sqft. floor space, cathedral ceiling, garage under, garage unheated. I was planning on putting in an oil furnace w/baseboard and using a traditional wood stove in the office space for additional heat. After reviewing this forum, I would like to “kick it up a notch”.
I looked at Tarn wood/oil multi boilers, but they appear too big for the space. I would like to have some kind of oil heat as I travel occasionally and would not always be available to stoke the fire. I cut plenty of wood, it’s free, but I’m no plumber. With that mind, any opinions on the most practical/economical system I might install in this size space along with the oil furnace. Multiboiler in place of oil furnace? EKO 25? Additional water storage? I googled Orlan EKO but couldn’t find any dealers in NH. Budget – I don’t mind spending money on quality. Would it be just as practical to stoke a good wood stove in the office? Specific manufacturers and models would be helpful, we start building shortly. I apologize for mentioning oil, and thanks.

 

[Tree farmer]

I too have been researching the best option for a wood boiler system add on. I already have an oil furnace so tying into it with wood I still have the option of using oil for back up when not around. I,m in Central NH and burning wood has been a mandated pastime since I was old enough to pick up a stick of wood. I have researched this for about a month now and decided the Eko 25 is the ticket. I will hook up without heat storage initially then hopefully upgrade in the next two years when cash flow allows. I currently have a wood stove that sits next to my oil boiler and when the woodstove is cranking away I still have to listen to the oil burner kick on to heat the tank and domestic hotwater - it really burns me! So the logical step is to capture more heat and get domestic hot water as well, plus more efficient. There is a dealer in Greenfield NH tied to New Horizons but Cozy Heat seems to have the best current deal. Now I just need to decide wether I can do it myself or hire a good plumber. I would say plan on having both either gas and wood or oil and wood - you could always look for a used oil furnace.

 

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

900[] is small . . . figure you may use the basement for something else one day. Put pex in the basement slab. You'll be glad you did!
How much solar is available? Seems at 1800[] heated - assuming you build energy efficiently, you could probably get by on solar for part of the winter. But I guess it would be a little crazy to put in three heat systems. I am not ready to recommend anyone in the North put in new construction without some form of automated b/u heat.

But again, if you did a heat loss X max hours anticipated away X 8 X (max tank temp - min useable tenk temp) this would tell you about how big of a storage tank you would need to heat the structure with no fire. The tank may cost more than the house, but hey . . in theory, its possible.