Winterizing/Shutting Down Outdoor Wood Boiler

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SunHeart

New Member
Dec 15, 2021
21
Central NY
Hey all,

I have a Central Boiler Classic, Installed in '98. Recognizing it is getting old, we're moving onto a new heating system. The OWB currently heats a 2000 sq foot house and a 1200 sq foot shop with a 1200 sq foot apartment above it.

The new heating system is electric baseboard backup with Pellet stoves as main heat source. Have one of the pellet stoves installed and the other will be installed in a couple weeks. The shop will not be heated the rest of the winter but I have some thoughts for next year.

I plan to get rid of the OWB, send it to be recycled somewhere. (side note: any thoughts on where to find someone to take it? I'm in Central NY). I'd like to shut it down in the simplest way right now as we're having a child very soon and my list is already piling up! and then deal with the removal in the summer.

I've read here that I can just keep the pumps circulating and it won't freeze. I'm wondering if that applies to my situation for sure. There is one pump that goes to the main house which will be heated to 68 or so, but the lines are in the basement and it won't be so warm down there, probably 45-50 is my guess. The water goes to a heat exchanger forced hot air system.

The second pump goes the other direction to the shop and apartment. The shop could get pretty cold (20-30 degrees). Most of the lines are in an enclosed utility room space that I'll keep warm, and then they go up to the apartment to a forced hot air heat exchanger, which will be 60-65 degrees. There is probably 5-10 ft of line that go out into the shop to another hot air heat exchanger, and the loop back into the heated utility room and another 5-10 ft up to the apartment heat exchanger.

What do you think? Will it work? It has been quite a cold winter in central NY with 10-15 nights so far below zero and weeks where we haven't been above 20 degrees as a high. Will it not freeze? What happens if it does freeze?

Also to consider is that in both spaces the OWB also helps heat the Domestic Hot Water. Should I do anything to this portion?

I guess the other option is to have someone come drain the lines and blow it out? Any thoughts on that? Will probably need to be done sometime, but as I said there is already a long list! and it would be great to just do this in the summer.

Also, any thoughts on how much it costs to run 2 pumps per day/week/month?

Thanks!