lurker need help from the pro's

[Johnny Ringo]

Hello folks, First off I did search topics and couldn't find my exact answer but I did find that there is a lot of folks here that know a lot more than I do about good heating with wood. Here my situation, 3600 foot ranch home, half of it underground, I had to take the basement for living space as I have 5 kids. 100 acres of land, 80 of it with nice wood. I used to burn wood when it was burn wood or don't eat. Well a few years ago (10 or so) I didn't have to burn wood anymore so I quit, but now I just feel it's the right thing to do. But I want to do it right. However I don't want to be married to it either. I have dreams of taking vacations to exotic lands, (in winter of course) but in reality I like it at home just fine, so that big vacation never seems to be worth it. I have a 500 gallon propane tank and my best guess is I would go thru about 15% on a bad week in the middle of winter. I can't be sure cuz I can't help but run my pellet stove insert when it gets cold. I live where Northern Wisconsin meets Upper Michigan and Lake Superior. (Snow Belt). Any how I will not put another stove in the house, been there done that. It's outdoor, outdoor in a shed or bust for me. I could use it as an excuse to build the shop I've dreamed of. I don't know. I thought I did. I am leaning in the directon of a central boiler 5036 or 6048. But I read some of your folks posts on gassification boilers and of course they look like the way to go but I don't want to fire more than twice a day. I've learned enought to be totally confused. I am pig headed enough to lean in the direction of a garage package with gassification and solar heat for domestic water in summer months but I don't know what the options are so I'm asking for help form the pro's. I guess I want to STICK IT TO THE MAN LOL
sorry for the long post but I tried to cover everything,

 

[Tarmsolo60]

You will burn much less wood with a gasifier than an owb. All the smoke that comes out of owb's is fuel for a gasifier. Storage will make it so your not married (too much) to it. and you can have your gas heat automatically come on when when boiler and tank fall below a preset temp while your away on your exotic vacation.

First thing you need is a heat loss calculation for your house so you can size things properly. (broken link removed to http://www.slantfin.com/heat-loss-software.html) Its free, big file

when you know your heat loss your equipment can be sized. The gasifier can be put outside in some type of outbuilding if you wish(codes permitting).

If you can come back with a heat loss number there are several people that can help you with equipment.

 

[smangold]

Look into the Garn . There in central Wisconsin.Probably not great if you go on vacation a lot. Unless you have a friend fire it while your gone. Ther unpressurized like a outdoor boiler. I would think being local you could find one to check out.