MyOutdoors said:
I've read that review on epinions before. I believe he has posted on this site as well. Thanks for the input. I just got off the phone with the trucking company and mine will be delivered Saturday or Sunday. They are in indiana and have 8 drops before they get to me.
Yes, I wrote that review.
I have the Sequoyah Paradise E3400. In fact, I have the very first one ever produced! (The one that was sent to the EPA for testing). This model has only been available since Nov. of 2007 - a little over a year ago. So, this is my second season of using it. I got it as a part of a trade in for my old SP Big Albert that developed some problems.
First of all, the people at Sequoyah Paradise are terrific to do business with! They offer the best customer service of any company I ever dealt with. They stand behind their product 100% and hold true to their warranties.
So far, since I've owned the E3400, I have had only very minor problems. First, the solenoid that is used to open the door to allow the draft inducer fan to work failed. I contacted the company and they shipped a couple replacements right away. I installed one of the new ones, but it too failed. After mentioning this to Rick of SP, he mentioned that they were in the process of upgrading the solenoid. He provided a temporary solution (e.g., tie the door open) until he could get me a big solenoid. The new one arrived within days by express shipping. I installed it and haven't had a problem with it since.
That is the ONLY real problem, per se, that I have had with the OWB! Some things that may be considered to be a problem bur really just annoy me are:
1. Those damn sheet metal doors you need to open in order to get to the furnace feed door! I can see why they have them there, but it turns into a pain in the butt when you need to dump a load of firewood up close to them, and can't open because a log is in the way. They also tend to get caught up in the wind a lot. They also become misaligned easily. One of these days I will remove them and weld some mild steel over the insulated areas. I hate the doors!
2. Similarly, the access to the rear of the furnace is a pain. You need to remove a bunch of screws to gain access. I have already put some hinges on the metal to make it into a door. I also bought a handle, but I have yet to install it. Rick explained this is due to electrical code compliance issues.
3. I burn a lot of free cut up pallets. Unfortunately, the pallets contain lots of nails. When the wood burns up, the nails drop to the bottom and clog up the air channels in the fire brick used to vent the smoke. Once every other month I need to allow the fire to completely burn out and do a full firebox cleaning. This is a real messy job! The problem does not exist if you use wood without nails.
4. The furnace door gets stuck shut due to creosote build up in the fire box. To open it, I bang the door with a 2X4 to loosen it up.
5. The furnace door (that you feed the firewood into) often needs re-alignment. This is easy to do with a wrench, but it is a pain just the same.
The positives far out-weigh the negatives!
1. On days when temperatures do not fall far below the low 30's F, I only need to feed the furnace once each day. Otherwise, twice each day - once in the morning, once in the evening.
2. All that talk about efficiency is a bunch of BS since it will vary depending on how you use the OWB. If you want efficiency, follow the manufacturer's instructions to the letter. Use dry, seasoned hard woods. Load the OWB up to the very top all at once (have the wood right next to the furnace door). The longer you keep the door open, the more heat you loose. Keep the airways in the "gasification" chamber clean, periodically (once each month works for me). Keep the water level up to full in the tanks (a one time only task). Keep the draft inducer fan's high and low limits set to the manufacturer's suggestions (High = 180 F for shut off, Low = 176 F for turn on).
3. Setup was relatively easy! Digging a two foot deep trench to bury the electric cable and piping was the toughest part. I used my tractor loader to do this and it too a while. Lay the pipe down in it, punch a hole in the basement wall, the hook everything up. Install took one full weekend by myself. You do need to have some basic plumbing knowledge, but if you have any questions, Rick and crew are only a phone call away to give advice! Tip: Use Sharkbite connectors available at Lowes or Home Depot.
4. I got electrical and plumbing permits from my town. I wanted to have it on the town's record that I have the town's permission to install an OWB. Some town's and states have bans. I also don't want to have a problem with my insurance company, should there be a fire and they start pointing at the OWB. I wanted to make sure I would not have any problems, so I sought information BEFORE making the big purchase. Because the E3400 is EPA approved, everything should be clear sailing!
Please don't ask me how much wood I burn - I have no idea! I have received so much free wood from landscapers, pallet company, and relatives that I should be good to go for a long, long time. So far this year I probably used up two cords to heat a house with 3K sq feet plus it heats our hot water. We keep our house temperature at an average 65 -75 F using electronic thermastats with each room having a separate zone.
I would highly recommend this OWB! However, only to those willing to get up and feed the fire twice each day and get all the wood (it is a lot of work!). Also, only to people who live FAR away from other people. It does create a LOT of smoke when it kicks on to the burn cycle. One of these days I will post some pics, if I get around to it.
I have extended the chimney about 10 feet with a 10 inch pipe. The pre-existing chimney allows the smoke to hang too low to the ground, especially when it is warmer outside. With the extension, the smoke blows way up into the air away from people.
I have also built a huge building over part of the OWB. I put down a patio of huge blocks under and around the OWB. Now I can store my firewood, chainsaws, log splitter, and other tools right next to the OWB. The ceiling is about 12 feet high on one end and 10 feet high on the other side. I just finished putting plywood on the sides to shut it in to keep rain and snow away. It is pretty cozy!
Cheers!
Mercy sakes alive, Rubber Ducky, looks like we got us a Sequoyah convoy. Ah, yeah, that's a big ten-four there Pigpen, and da Jimmy haulin Boilers! Coz we got a mighty convoy stokin' and a burin' thru the night!
