I need some input on Indoor wood/oil boilers

[bulldogbones]

For a little back ground. My wife and I just got married and bought our first house last year in june, in UP UP State NY. The house came with an ancient outdoor boiler and a forced air #2 fuel basement furnace. I hate forced air so I only have used it when we have need to leave the house over night. So not knowing how much wood I would need to heat the house this winter I cut and split X amount of wood and we started heating our house with the 1970's era boiler. Needless to say more heat went out the chimney then was transfered to the water and around Dec I was going to need more wood. Which is no problem living where we are. But I had been talking to a friend who burns corn and long story short I bought a corn boiler which I am currently am using and am about to sell because for personal reasons I dont like it.

So I have been looking at oil/wood indoor boilers. Which would be perfect for us because I work out of town some times up to 3 weeks and my wife is originally from MD and likes to visit her family when ever she can. Which leaves our house unattended for 3-4 days at a time.

I currently run my corn boiler at about 90-100k btu's. What are some good units that I should look at other then Tarm? Unfortunatly since we are just married and I am putting her through Dental Hygene school we dont have tons of money just laying around, about $2500 give or take a couple hundred is our budget.


Thanks

 

[Singed Eyebrows]

The one you will find the most of is the older used Tarm non gassers. $2500 doesn't buy a lot in a boiler. Ebay has had some nice used Tarms in your price range including the shipping. Good luck, Randy

 

[SolarAndWood]

http://elmira.craigslist.org/for/1549913817.html

 

[WoodNotOil]

Even if you buy a new boiler for under $2500, you will still be using 1970s technology and sending a good chunk of the heat up the chimney. You are probably not far from where Econoburn is located. If you can find a way to double your budget, you could get one. You could likely just hook it up the same way your corn unit is hooked up and not have too much install expense. You can always repipe and add some sort of heat storage in the future.

Another option would be to put in a woodstove in the main living area of the house. They tend to use less wood than the non-gasser boilers do, but don't heat as evenly as a boiler.

As far as wood/oil boilers go, I would suggest simply putting in an on demand unit as the backup. Combo units don't tend to work as well as independent units do.

 

[WoodNotOil]

http://elmira.craigslist.org/for/1549913817.html

Tarms are very well made and this one looks like it is in good condition. You could add heat storage to it and maybe get better than 60% efficiency by burning full tilt and storing the heat. Then when your wife is out of school in a couple of years you can put in a real gasser...

 

[stee6043]

Sadly....I think I spent your budget just on plumbing components for my boiler rig. If I were you I would continue to save up my money until I could invest in a system that will last until you and your new wife are happily old and gray. Buying a $2500 boiler now will likely leave you needing/wanting to upgrade in a few years. Stash your cash and do it right the first time...just my two cents.