Seton to gasifier question

[Quincy]

Has anyone switched boilers from a seton,greenwood style one burn chamber boiler to a newer gasifier boiler.Did your wood usage go down .Was the extra work of splitting the firewood into small splits worth it? I am simply asking if a newer gasifier is more efficient then the seton style boiler.Thanks for all replies.

 

[Pat53]

I've owned a Seton for about 4 years now and altho the unit works good for me, I don't think there is any question that some of the newer true gasification boilers would be more efficient. If I had to do it over again I would check out the Effecta. The EKO and Garn are also popular brands. The Seton is not gasification boiler, in spite of the claims that it is.

 

[2.beans]

Why is it not a gasifier? I've had a seton for six years and like it for the ease of wood that you can burn in it but I do believe there are better boilers. That's why I purchased a used Garn. I Have no experience running the Garn yet tho.

 

[muleman51]

I'm on my first full year with my Empyre Elite after having an Adobe (Seaton knockoff) . Not sure that it burns less wood but at least you can clean it easier. It does a nice job of heating and it does keep my water closer to 180* and I don't need storage. I have a 1000 gallon setup for sale if anyone is looking. If I could start from scratchway back when I would go with a Garn. I have certainly paid for one with all my trying to save a buck.. Jim

 

[Jesse-M]

Mine gasifies.......and there is nothing better than throwing in large rounds and just quartering the really big stuff.
No way id ever switch...

 

[BoilerMan]

Mine gasifies.......and there is nothing better than throwing in large rounds and just quartering the really big stuff.
No way id ever switch...

What is your desinition of gasification? I do think they run quite clean if they are connected to a significant heating load and run hot all the time, ie storage or large building with big heatloss and ample radiation.

TS

 

[Quincy]

Thanks for your input everyone.I presently have a 1000 gal storage to load up and system seems to fair pretty well.I have a hard time bringing storage to 180 as this might enable me to burn once a day ,verses twice dependent on weather of course.I heat storage to 160 and this works and has for the last 4 years.The large blocks are great to throw in,less wood handling.The primary and secondary firebox seems like a really efficient use of wood is this true or would I regret the extra work?My system is in a detached shed with 100 feet of buried 3/4 k-tec in 4 inch PVC duct insulated on the outside of the 4 inch duct with spray foam not ideal I know.Pat53 would you consider switching to dual firebox boiler and how much wood do you burn at what square footage are you heating?

 

[BoilerMan]

To get a real comparison we'd need someone who had a Seaton and now has a downdraft gasser, with no other changes in building insulation/size. Don't know if it would justify the purchase of a new gassifier or not. Is your 1000 gallons pressureized? It seems if it were you should have no problem heating it to 180, and if it's an open tanks then HX may be undersized for the smaller delta t's expierenced at hotter tank temps. Are storage and boiler both in the shed?

TS

 

[James Hall]

I am looking at purchasing a seton, I heat about 8000 sq ft. I currently have a homemade fire tube type system. It is terribly inefficeint and I burn up to 12 cords a year. Can anyone suggest why I should or should not go the Seton route?

 

[muleman51]

I have a used Adobe that could be had cheap if you are close to Minnesota. Jim

 

[James Hall]

No thank you I am looking at new, do you like your empire?

 

[maple1]

8000 sq.ft.? Is that right? 12 cords is no doubt a lot of wood, but if you're heating 8000 sq.ft. with that much wood - well, that ain't all that bad.

There are better boilers to chose from than the Seton - from what I've read.

 

[henfruit]

I still own a greenwood at another property I own. It was a bear to clean. It was a smoke dragon at start up. I burned just round wood, but no way was it down to 20% mc in the round form so right there they are less efficient. Did it work yes. Did I burn too much wood? 8 cords fro 2200 sq feet I think so.Also I can see how they call it a gasifier? When it get going it will burn clean but the air is entering through the back into the firebox then the smoke path is up and over and out the back. It will burn hot but not as hot as a gasification specific boiler.