What should I look for

[bulldogbones]

Hey guys I finally sold my Corn Boiler so now I have my heating fund back. For argument sake lets pretend like gasification doesn't exist. I have been looking at traditional indoor wood boilers and I have come across these and was wondering if there are any know issues with them, like a certain weld always goes but if you add reinforcement to that are you wont have a problem, that kind of stuff. Or this particular unit chews wood or creates lots of creosote that kind of stuff. I know the stuff I am looking at is old I know. But thats all I can seem to find. Also from what I have asked and figured out I need about 100k btu's give or take.


Here are the two im looking at. Is one better then the other???


(broken link removed to http://cgi.ebay.com/TARM-Model-MB30-Wood-Boiler-/250685136946?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0#ht_1806wt_1137)

(broken link removed to http://cgi.ebay.com/Franks-Piping-Wood-Coal-Boiler-Model-W2-120-/250685140724?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0#ht_892wt_1137)

 

[Singed Eyebrows]

It appears BDB that the FP boiler is the right size for you & the Tarm is a bit small. The brand specific questions I can't answer. Be carefull of the creosote! Randy

 

[pybyr]

For arguments sake... the only way I'd even consider running a non-gasifier boiler would be with lots of heat storage.

I have never seen a pre-gasification-technology boiler that did not create creosote in vast quantities, especially when run in less than the coldest outdoor temperatures. I've run one of the early series Tarms in a place I rented years ago. Beautifully made and decent design for the time, but it was a creosote monster.

Building a wood fire, surrounding it in a water jacket that'll never get above boiling, and then trying to slow the fire down so that it can gradually meet a building's heat load is a recipe for creating a lot of gunk in the boiler.

Storage would give the ability to burn hot, clean, fast fires, even with a non-gasifier.

If choices were narrowed to no storage and no gasification, I'd go with a wood/ hot air furnace or a wood stove, not a wood boiler.

 

[Piker]

For arguments sake... the only way I'd even consider running a non-gasifier boiler would be with lots of heat storage.

I have never seen a pre-gasification-technology boiler that did not create creosote in vast quantities, especially when run in less than the coldest outdoor temperatures. I've run one of the early series Tarms in a place I rented years ago. Beautifully made and decent design for the time, but it was a creosote monster.

Building a wood fire, surrounding it in a water jacket that'll never get above boiling, and then trying to slow the fire down so that it can gradually meet a building's heat load is a recipe for creating a lot of gunk in the boiler.

Storage would give the ability to burn hot, clean, fast fires, even with a non-gasifier.

If choices were narrowed to no storage and no gasification, I'd go with a wood/ hot air furnace or a wood stove, not a wood boiler.

There are some inexpensive wood boilers that are not downdraft gasification, yet still incorporate a secondary burn before the smoke exits to the chimney. These boilers are not completely creosote free like a gasser with storage... but neither is a gasser without storage, to which these boilers are comparable with respect to creosote production.

Owning a gasification boiler does not immediately mean that you are out of the woods with creosote. Over the course of my travels throughout the northeast, I have seen many downdraft gasifiers without storage abused and misused to the point where the creosote levels in the heat exchanger and chimney are frightening. I get calls quite often from folks all over the states either in this predicament or worried about it... generally the issue is either wood moisture content or over sizing. It's tough for people to swallow the fact that if they want their boiler to burn clean and efficiently that they have to limit fuel loads to keep the burn times less than 8 hours... but it's one of the first things I tell people when they show interest in a gasifier without storage... or any other boiler for that matter. Granted there are occasions where a longer than 8 hour burn is necessary... but it's not the preferred method of operation.

cheers

cheers

 

[Singed Eyebrows]

For arguments sake... the only way I'd even consider running a non-gasifier boiler would be with lots of heat storage.

I have never seen a pre-gasification-technology boiler that did not create creosote in vast quantities, especially when run in less than the coldest outdoor temperatures. I've run one of the early series Tarms in a place I rented years ago. Beautifully made and decent design for the time, but it was a creosote monster.

Building a wood fire, surrounding it in a water jacket that'll never get above boiling, and then trying to slow the fire down so that it can gradually meet a building's heat load is a recipe for creating a lot of gunk in the boiler.

Storage would give the ability to burn hot, clean, fast fires, even with a non-gasifier.

If choices were narrowed to no storage and no gasification, I'd go with a wood/ hot air furnace or a wood stove, not a wood boiler.

There are some inexpensive wood boilers that are not downdraft gasification, yet still incorporate a secondary burn before the smoke exits to the chimney. These boilers are not completely creosote free like a gasser with storage... but neither is a gasser without storage, to which these boilers are comparable with respect to creosote production.

Owning a gasification boiler does not immediately mean that you are out of the woods with creosote. Over the course of my travels throughout the northeast, I have seen many downdraft gasifiers without storage abused and misused to the point where the creosote levels in the heat exchanger and chimney are frightening. I get calls quite often from folks all over the states either in this predicament or worried about it... generally the issue is either wood moisture content or over sizing. It's tough for people to swallow the fact that if they want their boiler to burn clean and efficiently that they have to limit fuel loads to keep the burn times less than 8 hours... but it's one of the first things I tell people when they show interest in a gasifier without storage... or any other boiler for that matter. Granted there are occasions where a longer than 8 hour burn is necessary... but it's not the preferred method of operation.

cheers

cheers

I agree Piker & certainly found this to be true with my Energy Mate wood boiler. Personally I think the temptation is too great to "stretch" out the burn with no storage & I wonder if the thread starter is willing to burn as you suggest. PYBYR's suggestion is good too. With a hot air circulator you can put in a floor register & duct the hot air up from the basement etc. I've done that too. Or you can sell him a Froling Turbo & tank for the price of a pot belly stove, then he's got it! Look forward to hearing how your Froling does this winter, Randy

 

[bulldogbones]

Sorry guys for not responding sooner... I live of my Iphone and for some reason I didnt have the ALL E-mail options selected, I just had my work one selected. So thats why I never saw you guys posted.


I have storage, on one of my work sites I came across a 72"x38" propane tank that no one wanted soooooo I grabbed it. From my calculations its over 350 gallons... Its looks like a standard horizontal LP tank 38" diam and about 72" long. So I should be able to do a hot burn in the morning and before I go to bed......... I think.

ps. I have $2,500 to spend on a boiler.