OWB inside a shed?
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Why not just install an inside boiler in the insulated enclosure? Burn less wood I would think. For the same price I can get an OWB , i can buy a gasification boiler with storage. Keep in mind I live in Maine, and we've got some new prices that have driven up the price of OWB>
I understand the bias...and most of the reasons seem logical to me. But I have recently seen some OWB's at significantly less cost than the gasifiers. Of course there are OWB's claiming to be as efficient as the gasifiers and maybe they are but they are so new I think they are relatively untested at this point. But, if I can find a decent OWB for a lot less upfront $$ I may go with it in a possible small addition to the side of my house and not be involved in the cost of under ground piping from the only other location I have for an OWB which would be 130' away from the house. The cost of the addition would be in the ballpark of the piping from 130' away and I get the advantage of being out of the weather at loading time and have some inside wood storage too.
check your insurance.... If the OWB isn't certified for indoor use and your house burns for any reason........ Your insurance may not pay up.......
I guess we're biased in that people who have gasifiers seem to think they're a better way to burn wood than an OWB, but as I've said many times before, everyone is welcome in the Boiler Room, and we try to do our best to help everyone.
My personal view is that OWBs are fine if you have an unlimited supply of free wood and smoke is not a concern. And I also believe that most of the smoke problems--even today--are caused by older indoor boilers, furnaces and wood stoves. OWBs just take the rap for everyone else's smoke, mainly because they're visible.
But what frustrates me and a few others around here who have looked into efficiency claims is that OWB manufacturers always lie about it--with almost no exceptions. People actually believe that those things are 80+ percent efficient and that it's OK to burn green wood and that their wood consumption will be much lower than it actually turns out to be. So they think they're saving money--until they run out of wood halfway through their first heating season.
My personal view is that OWBs are fine if you have an unlimited supply of free wood and smoke is not a concern. And I also believe that most of the smoke problems--even today--are caused by older indoor boilers, furnaces and wood stoves. OWBs just take the rap for everyone else's smoke, mainly because they're visible.
But what frustrates me and a few others around here who have looked into efficiency claims is that OWB manufacturers always lie about it--with almost no exceptions. People actually believe that those things are 80+ percent efficient and that it's OK to burn green wood and that their wood consumption will be much lower than it actually turns out to be. So they think they're saving money--until they run out of wood halfway through their first heating season.
Husky455 said:
Eric Johnson said:
That's gotta' suck
Husky455 said:
I can't speak for the site but personally I don't give a damn which one you use to heat your space with. I know we're not going to magically all become better guests on this planet and save it now after doing our best to ruin it.
I have never operated an OWB, but I observe many of them daily in upstate-NY. I can point out many that have figured out how to run them in the summer and still remain fairly smoke free. Total conjecture on my part, but I bet if you could seperate the on-board storage of these OWB, then run it flat out for the entire burn, you could burn nearly as smokefree as gassifiers and reduce your fuel requirements. Couple that with burning seasoned hardwood, and I think OWB could be a good choice. Of course, they are all sensing increased demand now so have raised their prices, which means they offer no economic advantage anymore.
BTW that was MY bias, and my views should not be construed as the views of this site or, for that matter, any sane rational person.
Jimbo
Part of the problem with an OWB is the "water around the fire" design, where the water jacket somewhat quenches the burning process. No amount of hot burning will overcome this inefficiency. My understanding of the secret of gasification boilers is that you must evaporate the combustible products out of the wood and get it somewhere else to burn it. If you burn the gasses in an environment such as a ceramic refractory, away from the cooling effects of a water jacket, you can burn hotter than holy hell, i.e., more completely. More complete combustion means less fuel for you to gather and less smoke to piss off the neighbors.
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