Help a new guy. Wood furnace or gasification

[Spook1]

Long time looker but first time poster. We live in a 2200 sf house in southern Ohio and have a full unfinished basement with concrete poured walls and floors. We currently have geothermal and I like it especially the cooling. We have about 40 acres and after this last ice storm I realized just how much wood I have cut and stacked up. Have a bunch more that needs cut as well. I am wanting opinions on options for Wood. I was originally thinking a wood furnace in the basement connected to my ductwork. Bad thing is drilling in the basement walls for the stovepipe to come out. Also not crazy about the idea of the furnace being inside. Not a deal breaker but I like the idea of something outside better.

I have been reading on the gasification boilers on here and admit I still don’t know much. I looked at the units from new horizon as they aren’t too far from me and I could pick them up. I have a garage/building currently about 200 feet from the house. Don’t know if that is too far to put one of the indoor units and piping to the house. I am not exactly sure how it would tie into my geothermal anyways.

Also not sure if one of the outdoor boilers wouldn’t be better. I guess I am just asking for advise on what would be best with my setup. I am just looking for the best option to tie into my geothermal and like the idea of burning wood. I am sure I am looking at a huge price difference from an outdoor gasifier or an indoor gasifier placed in my detached shed building 200 feet away. But what would you guys do or recommend.

 

[TheCastle]

If you can let the wood season for a year gasification is a good option. Will burn more cleanly, less wood, less smell, and less cleaning.

200ft is well within the distance to run the underground insulated pex. Getting it into the basement should not be too bad with a core drill. Sounds like your geothermal is run into a forced air system. If so a water to air exchanger will do you good than a relay to control the furnace vs fan.

Look at Polar Furnace as you will need less or no storage as compared to an indoor boiler. Gives a lot of features you may like such as a true smokeless reload, indoor approved, easy sweep clean out makes boiler clean out easy, looks good, very well engineered and built. In my opinion will not get a better boiler for efficiency and longevity. The G2 or G2 plus should work for your current home and future building. Get 26% rebate from the government through 2022.

Wondering what size geothermal you have and what your power bills cost you for my interest.

Connecting to a geothermal should not be a problem.

 

[all night moe]

An OWB, outside wood/water boiler, would be the easiest to maintain your heat. Most expensive to install. The underground pipe is one of the most expensive components, next to the boiler, and definitely not the place to skimp. The closer to your house the better. A boiler in a garage keeps you dry while operating and servicing, and added bonus of residual heat into structure. A boiler shed, with attatched wood shed would be even better, especially if you could get it closer to the house. You can also heat your garage with it via hydronics.

The wood furnace is the cheapest route and easy to connect to existing ducting. Harder to get wood to it, and can't heat the garage.

Both units require a hole through foundation. Either for exhaust stack or entry of water lines.

Either case gasificaiton is better. Better wood efficiency, and required by code in some states/communities.

 

[all night moe]

OWBs can consume more wood than other methods of wood heat.
Gasifiers require your wood to be well seasoned and with a low moisture content. General rule is 19-20% or less.

 

[ewdudley]

The expense of 200 ft underground PEX would likely pay a supplemental propane bill free-and-clear for twenty years or more.

After a dozen years of gasification, coal, and oil boiler heating my advice would be to attach a small well-architected shed housing a gasification or anthracite coal boiler to the side of your residence, with an outside entrance, and no possibility of dust infiltrating into your garage/basement/living space. Ideally you could figure out some way of capturing waste heat from the boiler; it might be feasible to incorporate a supplemental evaporator unit into your geothermal system, or maybe some sort of air-to-air heat exchanger, a well-filtered air exchange, or just a thin metal wall. Coping with dust and tracked-in bark and dirt is a major problem for me since my computer/gun cleaning/bookwork/electronics bench is in the same room as the boilers.

For a gasification boiler, 500 gallon storage should be sufficient for an energy efficient residence. For a wood boiler need to get your storage tank elevated, with 2" interconnecting piping to insure boiler cooling in the event of power failure (Fukushima would have been fine if their emergency cooling water tanks had been elevated.)

Or just do the math and go with a supplemental propane system.

I haul my wood to the boiler daily on a cart or snow sled, so there's only a day's worth of wood storage near the boiler. It's less than ten strenuous minutes, saves some time from otherwise working out, and saves one unload/restack. If you've got a good crop of kids who would enjoy the opportunity to put their phones down briefly, so much the better.

Keep in mind that harvesting wood is a very dangerous activity and should not be attempted without recognizing the risks and militating against them.

 

[Spook1]

We always had wood burners when I was a kid. I have cut wood most of my life. Just looking to add a wood based heat source here now.

So if I go with a boiler is storage mandatory pretty much?

 

[brenndatomu]

I am sure I am looking at a huge price difference from an outdoor gasifier or an indoor gasifier placed in my detached shed building 200 feet away

Yes, huge. 3-4X.

I was originally thinking a wood furnace in the basement connected to my ductwork. Bad thing is drilling in the basement walls for the stovepipe to come out. Also not crazy about the idea of the furnace being inside.

If you already have the ductwork then the indoor wood furnace is the way to go IMO...keep the radiant heat in your homes envelope.
Drilling through the wall is no big deal...there are companies that specialize in this...probably $3-400?
As far as a safe indoor appliance, go with a Kuuma VF100, you'd really have to screw something up bad to have a fire with a Kuuma...just about as safe as having a fossil fuel furnace IMO...unless you tend to be absent minded and might leave the door open or something.
(broken link removed)

 

[sloeffle]

I have a wood furnace and geothermal and concidentally a bunch of wooded ground too. I agree, the cooling is awesome, the heat is so so. By the end of winter I'm done with the dust and mess in the house due to the wood furnace.

I'd get a Heatmaster G4000 or a Polar G Series and wouldn't look back, especially if you want to heat multiple buildings. If I was to get another wood furance it would be a Kuuma. The HC and Advanced Caddy are nice also.

 

[salecker]

My storage and boiler are the same level and connected with overhead piping.
When the power goes out my storage still gets charged by the laws of thermodynamics.
Had an extended power outage a year into using my boiler,had just filled the firebox about 1/2 hour before the lights went out. 8 hrs or so later all was good,wood was gone no over heat.

 

[hedge wood]

Spook1 Welcome to the forum. One thing I would add before you consider a wood furnace in the house make sure your homeowner insurance is on board with in door wood burning. In my area it getting tough to get house insurance with indoor stoves. I use a Garn and its 450 ft from my house. No problem pumping the heat to the house. Just remember burning wood is a life style. Side note I wouldn't buy a Garn again.

 

[Spook1]

I did check with my homeowners and it is fine to have one inside. Just can’t be in my garage.

I looked again today and don’t have a great spot for one in my basement with my geothermal unit and hot water heater on one end taking up most of the wall there. The front and back walls have porches on the outside so it really only leaves me with the far end wall to put one. I could still connect into the ductwork it would just be on the end of the run.

I am wondering now about an outdoor unit. I could place one next to the wood line and only be about 80 feet from the one end of my house. I don’t know if the units aren’t as effective if they are outside. I could still keep my wood dry under the lean to off my current building. It just wouldn’t be right beside my unit.

I keep thinking too that I hate to spend $10-$15k for something I don’t have to rely on 100% for my heating. I can heat with my geothermal unit. I just now the wood would be better.

 

[all night moe]

I wouldn't buy a Garn again.

How come? I Haven't heard of any unhappy Garn owners untill now. It is to my understanding they have their own thermal storage via water volume, and burn efficiently. From what I have gathered in reading up on them their design was used well before EPA standards and the same design is in use today. What is it you don't like about yours?

 

[brenndatomu]

I keep thinking too that I hate to spend $10-$15k

$15k would probably be about the very least you'd spend to get a new OWB installed...unless you went used and DIY install.

 

[maple1]

I would be tempted to go furnace with its own separate duct work. Completely separate system. Space depending. Your existing duct work might not be adequate for a wood unit. You might not need that much duct work to get the wood heat where its needed. Said without knowing anything about existing duct work and overall layout. Would be way cheaper by far than an OWB and likely more efficient.

 

[hedge wood]

How come? I Haven't heard of any unhappy Garn owners untill now. It is to my understanding they have their own thermal storage via water volume, and burn efficiently. From what I have gathered in reading up on them their design was used well before EPA standards and the same design is in use today. What is it you don't like about yours?

I won't derail the thread to talk about the issues I have had but if you use the search box you will find the issues I have had and others have had also.

 

[Spook1]

I am wondering if my current ductwork would work with a wood furnace. It is the 1” insulated solid material for the supply and return but with flexible branches going to the registers. I am hoping to not have to run all new ductwork but it may be inevitable. If I had to, could I tie into the flexible just as it goes to the registers.

 

[mcdougy]

Following this with genuine interest.....what would be approximate costs of the 3 systems installed by company .....1. - owb 2. - indoor gassifier 3. Wood furnace.??

 

[brenndatomu]

I am wondering if my current ductwork would work with a wood furnace. It is the 1” insulated solid material for the supply and return but with flexible branches going to the registers. I am hoping to not have to run all new ductwork but it may be inevitable. If I had to, could I tie into the flexible just as it goes to the registers.

No, metal is required for supply ducts on solid fuel furnaces...and no flex...melting point is too low, and the flow characteristics are terrible!

 

[Spook1]

Ok. So my ductwork currently won’t work. I am now trying to decide on a wood furnace with its own ductwork as mentioned above or an outside unit. I would have to install a chimney and also the new ductwork for the furnace. I will have to get quotes to see what that total price would be. I am assuming it is going to be a little closer to an outside unit now. I had my mind set on a Kuuma after researching them. I liked the idea of separate duct so my geothermal would only kick in if I didn’t have the furnace going and no fear of them working against each other.

With the updated fact what are your opinions now on what to go with? I am thinking if I go outside unit I need something with storage built in already. Then hopefully add storage later if needed and money allows

 

[maple1]

I would still lean to furnace. Even with the ducting and chimney you will still likely be cheaper and be using less wood each year.

 

[all night moe]

No, metal is required for supply ducts on solid fuel furnaces...and no flex...melting point is too low, and the flow characteristics are terrible!

Curious for some time on this question. I haven't researched it so I am asking now. OWBs are plumbed with underground flex. Is it because of the water storage they hold that they can get away with this?

 

[brenndatomu]

Curious for some time on this question. I haven't researched it so I am asking now. OWBs are plumbed with underground flex. Is it because of the water storage they hold that they can get away with this?

The OWB will overheat and boil over before melting anything down inside the house...I suppose its possible that the lines could melt where they hook to the OWB though...not good, but still not a fire hazard to the home like using non metallic ductwork is on an indoor forced air wood or coal furnace.

 

[hedge wood]

Spook1 I will throw out a couple more things to think about. So what's your time line for living in the house five years or thirty years? To me that makes a big difference on how much I am going to spend. Are you ok with the mess and fire hazard in the house ? I heated with wood stoves in another house for twenty years no more mess, smoke or hazard in the house for me. Will you ever build a shop you want to heat? I heat my shop with my Garn also. Which ever way you go neither is cheap and yes boilers and installs are a lot of money . I spent thirty thousand back in 2009 on my Garn set up and I did all the work except the spray foam work. I do run it year around to heat my domestic.

 

[maple1]

Curious for some time on this question. I haven't researched it so I am asking now. OWBs are plumbed with underground flex. Is it because of the water storage they hold that they can get away with this?

Not sure what you are asking. They use underground Pex.

 

[mynx]

Spook1 Welcome to the forum. One thing I would add before you consider a wood furnace in the house make sure your homeowner insurance is on board with in door wood burning. In my area it getting tough to get house insurance with indoor stoves. I use a Garn and its 450 ft from my house. No problem pumping the heat to the house. Just remember burning wood is a life style. Side note I wouldn't buy a Garn again.

I know Hedgewood has had a lot of problems with his Garn. I had a problem too but it was due to exceptionally poor maintenance from the previous owner. Now that that that is all behind me I am super happy with my Garn. I don’t know that I’d buy one if I was doing a new install because they are ghastly expensive and that doesn’t even include separate building that is required. However, since it’s here, I love it and the service has been phenomenal