I have had 3 boilers in the last 30 some years. First was an Aqua Therm, great boiler , used a lot of wood but would burn anything you put in it, lasted 15 years so. I then thought I would get smart and get a gasser. I went with a greenwood knockoff . not a bad stove except you couldn't clean or keep it clean, not too bad on wood. I then went with a Empyre Elite real nice stove, easy on wood, except for the fact that it started to leak poor metal and of course they were bankrupt so no rebuild or recourse. I haven't burned in the last two years, pretty nice not cutting wood, feeding the fire, and all the rest. But I'm thinking of going at it again. I have an indoor boiler room in my shed 100 feet from the house. I don,t want too mess with storage if I can help it. It seems like as lot of manufacturers have come and gone. Doesn't seem like much in the MN area. I'm looking for any help or endorsements of reliable boilers. I would really like one that might last. Help Thanks Jim
Returning to a wood boiler
- Thread starter muleman51
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil. -
Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
wooduser
Minister of Fire
How do you pipe that hot water to your house? Are those lines still good?
What kind of heat loss did your experience with that piping?
I presume the piping was underground ----what kind of pipes, and are they insulated? direct buried or inside some kind of protection?
Sorry about all the ???
What kind of heat loss did your experience with that piping?
I presume the piping was underground ----what kind of pipes, and are they insulated? direct buried or inside some kind of protection?
Sorry about all the ???
maple1
Minister of Fire
FYI, if you dont use storage, you are going to be processing and storing 30to 50% more wood. Unlike the older models if you buy new its going to have to be EPA rated and that means its just not going to burn well with green/poorly seasoned wood. Many wood boiler companies will not warranty an installation without storage.
I have new insulated buried pipe I used it 10 days before the Empyre Elite sprung a leak. I was very satisfied with with output and wood consumption ofthe elite was was a good little gasser and had no storage.
maple1
Minister of Fire
I know this is a wood burning forum but if you do not want to handle wood anymore a coal stoker boiler would do this for you.
Hot water storage is not required for a coal stoker boiler.
An Axeman Anderson 130S coal stoker puts out 130,000 plus BTU without storage and anthracite coal has no smoke to deal with or pester the neighbors with and it has a feed auger that will deliver the pea coal to the traveling sled where the coal burns in the firebox.
The AHS S130 and S260 are a knock off of the Axeman Anderson 130S and 260S traveling sled coal stokers that have been built since 1947-48. These units do not come with an auger to feed the firebox.
Avoid keystoker coal stoker boilers like the plague
!!, they use digital controls and the hydrolevel controls they use have failed numerous times 60 plus units were bad when I bough my keystoker and I wish I had purchased an AHS S130 coal stoker as the Axeman Anderson 130S unit was too big for the space I had my old boilers in.
The AHS S130 and AHS S260 can burn the sub bituminous coal from Wyoming and Montana but I do not how easy it would be to get it to your home by the trailer load as it is very inexpensive to buy per ton but it has half the BTU Value of Anthracite coal from Colorado or Pennsylvania.
Hot water storage is not required for a coal stoker boiler.
An Axeman Anderson 130S coal stoker puts out 130,000 plus BTU without storage and anthracite coal has no smoke to deal with or pester the neighbors with and it has a feed auger that will deliver the pea coal to the traveling sled where the coal burns in the firebox.
The AHS S130 and S260 are a knock off of the Axeman Anderson 130S and 260S traveling sled coal stokers that have been built since 1947-48. These units do not come with an auger to feed the firebox.
Avoid keystoker coal stoker boilers like the plague
!!, they use digital controls and the hydrolevel controls they use have failed numerous times 60 plus units were bad when I bough my keystoker and I wish I had purchased an AHS S130 coal stoker as the Axeman Anderson 130S unit was too big for the space I had my old boilers in.The AHS S130 and AHS S260 can burn the sub bituminous coal from Wyoming and Montana but I do not how easy it would be to get it to your home by the trailer load as it is very inexpensive to buy per ton but it has half the BTU Value of Anthracite coal from Colorado or Pennsylvania.
Heatmaster doesn't require or recommend storage.
Also if you're going in a shed the G has a smoke bypass, GS does not.
I agree coal would be good but I'd probably have to buy it buy the semi load delivered. I haven't seen coal around here in more than 20 years.
Tractor Supply and Menards would have it normally and you can purchase it in bulk from the mines directly if you so wish.
The western coals from Wyoming and Montana burn down to a nice white ash in the AHS S130 coal stoker.
There are coal brokers in Wyoming and Montana as well.
If you go to youtube and look for the AHS S130 in Montana a home owner is using coal mined in Montana in his AHS 130.
You can find the video on the coalpail forum in the coal stoker boiler section.
The western coals from Wyoming and Montana burn down to a nice white ash in the AHS S130 coal stoker.
There are coal brokers in Wyoming and Montana as well.
If you go to youtube and look for the AHS S130 in Montana a home owner is using coal mined in Montana in his AHS 130.
You can find the video on the coalpail forum in the coal stoker boiler section.
Gasifier
Minister of Fire
How big is your boiler room?
Many good boilers out there.
A Garn has built in storage. From what I’ve read here they are very reliable units.
Econoburn has an outdoor gasser now.
HS Tarm (Froling))has been making good boilers for a long time.
An AHS Wood Gun (gasser) operates without storage, they make theirs out of Stainless Steel. (Easy to clean.)
But. I would HIGHLY recommend insulated storage with any boiler, or at least an insulated buffer tank of at least 400 gallons like I have with my E100 Wood Gun. Season 8 under way here.
Many good boilers out there.
A Garn has built in storage. From what I’ve read here they are very reliable units.
Econoburn has an outdoor gasser now.
HS Tarm (Froling))has been making good boilers for a long time.
An AHS Wood Gun (gasser) operates without storage, they make theirs out of Stainless Steel. (Easy to clean.)
But. I would HIGHLY recommend insulated storage with any boiler, or at least an insulated buffer tank of at least 400 gallons like I have with my E100 Wood Gun. Season 8 under way here.
Last edited:
Similar threads
