I’m new to the group. I’ve recently purchased a large pole barn…with a little house…lol. I’ve still got to weather proof it, as well as insulate it. In checking out some of the other posts, I have a question. If I was to install a double barrel stove, but were to modify it with fire brick inside the lower barrel, and sand with the flue pipe running from end to end embedded in the sand, would this be a way to increase the thermal mass, and have the upper barrel give off heat long after the fire has gone out?
Heating a pole barn
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Ehhh thats kind of a grey area. On one hand code requires new installs to be ul listed stoves but on the other they give you clearance specs for unlisted stoves. Personally I would never use one. I have seen to many melted distorted barrels to ever feel safe with it.
I heat an insulated pole barn with a large woodstove. Permitted and insured. I would not recommend a barrel stove. Buy a cheap modern noncat from drolet. You’ll love the window and the point source of heat.
Having a bit of experience with this set up in a 24x48 uninsulated barn with a 16' peak... The second barrel is worthless and just a creosote trap that is difficult to clean, it never gets very hot and the theory of a heat sink only works within a couple of inches from the barrel and not what you need for a barn. I lined the bottom barrel with firebricks to keep the coals off the bottom. The barrel puts off a lot of heat, you can't get very close to the sides, and warmed the barn from 20f to 40f in a few hours and could hold it at 50 as long as you could haul wood. It burns a lot of wood quickly if you have it roaring, and dumps out all that heat quickly, I fill it every 2 hours. I have it 3 feet from the walls for clearance of a non listed stove and then I built a 8' tall metal surround that sits in-between as extra protection. I had all of the materials, barrel, and the build kit so it made sense to build myself. Highbeam's idea is a good one for a slower, longer burn.
Personally, I think the large temp swings wouldn’t be good for the wood. If it’s what you’ve got, it’s what you’ve got. I think, since this is a clean slate, I’d look into a cat stove that would be able to cook away slowly for a long time.
A King would be able to keep a nice even heat for a long time.
A King would be able to keep a nice even heat for a long time.
A cat stove has a catalytic converter like your car has. Instead of burning unburnt gas like in your car, it returns the wood smoke.
Cat stoves have the ability to run for long periods of time at low heat levels. Some stoves can stretch a load of wood out for over 24 hours.
Note the total heat put out between cat and non cat stoves will be the same, it’s limited by how much wood you can stuff into the stove, but a non cat might go through that in 8-10 hours and a BK king could stretch out that heat load to as much as 40 hours.
Cat stoves have the ability to run for long periods of time at low heat levels. Some stoves can stretch a load of wood out for over 24 hours.
Note the total heat put out between cat and non cat stoves will be the same, it’s limited by how much wood you can stuff into the stove, but a non cat might go through that in 8-10 hours and a BK king could stretch out that heat load to as much as 40 hours.
I posted recently I have purchased a waste oil furnace of my new shop. Give that some thought if you have a local repair shop that will "donate" used motor oil to you. I found three shops near my home. All were paying to have it hauled off. I now have 3,000 gallons of used motor oil ready to be picked up. You may not need 200k Btu's but there are many sizes as low as 75k Btu. The fuel is free.
There is some annual maintenance and filters to purchase, but very economical. https://www.energylogic.com/
The model I purchased is blue tooth compatible, so I can adjust or set heat out without walking out to the shop.....but like you, I too want to have a reason to not be in the house!
BKVP
There is some annual maintenance and filters to purchase, but very economical. https://www.energylogic.com/
The model I purchased is blue tooth compatible, so I can adjust or set heat out without walking out to the shop.....but like you, I too want to have a reason to not be in the house!
BKVP
That’s funny, I have a repair shop next to my warehouse and I was over chatting with him. He was transferring oil into his waste oil furnace and it was almost full. Maybe he can fit 10 more gallons into his tank. I think he’s planning to start heating in the mornings so he doesn’t have to pay someone to come take it!
If you're paying to dispose of the fuel, and your winter tank is full, seems like you'd just burn it in the furnace all summer with the doors open just to get rid of it. I wonder if you can fill it with diesel fuel if the waste oil source dries up. I wish we had coal in the PNW.
Mine burns waste oil, transmission fluids, diesel oil/fuel and gear oil(up to 80W.).
Fuel is unlimited around here.
Fuel is unlimited around here.
Coal is honestly a big pain in the ass and getting more expensive every year
Why not just invest in insulation? It’s the best money spent!
Do you have a reference for this? Last time I looked it up, there was just a code for minimum intake height IF it was to be installed in a building that contained vehicles. They wanted the air intake 18 or 24" high or something like that, to keep it above hydrocarbon fumes.
That is a Canadian code not a us one. Nfpa 211 13.2.4 is the applicable code.
Btw I really think the Canadian code makes way more sense. But I dont get to pick and choose
My brother uses an oil burner for his pole building and loves it. Its a large pole building and the oil burner heats it up quickly. He gets all of the used oil free too so that's a huge plus.
With waste oil furnaces, are there any precautions with fuel quality?
Was told sometime ago, "I'll take your waste oil as long as, it's free of antifreeze ...."
Just curious.
Was told sometime ago, "I'll take your waste oil as long as, it's free of antifreeze ...."
Just curious.
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