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[NCredneck]

Well I haven't took the plunge yet for an owb and there is a cb 5036 near me for sale. They want 4600 for it with stainless chimney and two pumps included, no other extras. Its 2.5 years old. They have used it 2 seasons. I think I could get it relocated for about 500.00 then add 1000.00 for underground piple and HX, maybe more. Not sure its a great deal but it aint too old. So 6k for a 2.5 year old system....sounds too high to me..but what yal think?

[Ridgekid]

I'm sure you have been to the CB website. A new CB5036 (with rebate) is $6250. So you would save $1650 there. I assume it includes the circulating pump? Is the warranty transferable? Why are they selling?

Depending on how much underground pex, indoor pex, # of heat exchangers, fittings (ect) you'll need, you would save some. Doing the install yourself will save more. And of course the support from other CB owners=PRICELESS!

My install was $9500 for 85', one pump, one heat exchanger, thermo valve, aquastat, Pex end caps, ect. (Add $400 for the hot water exchanger I added later). So you would be saving over 1/3 of what I paid.

Let us know how we can support your efforts!

[NCredneck]

Two pumps are included, I don't know bout the warranty transfer. No heat exchanger in deal so I would have to buy that and the pex. Biggest question is the warranty....they are selling because they are moving. I just don't like to pay close to a new cost for used stuff since I don't know how it was treated, but if they come down a little more I might. Speaking of support....Benjamins work fine...LOL

[Ridgekid]

Benjamins? What are those? My wallet hasn't seen one in YEARS.........  lol

If you shop around for the accessories you could come out even more ahead.

Also, CB's website has some good schematics for the arrangment of parts depending on what type of system your building.

Going to do the job yourself?

[merrellroofing]

CB warranties are for the original owner only.  I bought a 1.5 year old 6048 with 2 pumps, a sidearm, a 50 plate w/w exchanger and we also dug up about 100 ft. of logstor pipe which was damaged a bit but I can still use some of it to get to my barn.  Also got the indoor pex and all other odds and ends I could unhook.  I paid $6500 but still have to buy 150 ft. of thermopex and hx for forced air.  Getting ready to install soon.

[NCredneck]

Yes, I would be installing it myself. I like to do most all that type stuff that I can. I still change my own oil too..lol. Never have liked the thought of a jiffy lube tenager running the oil pan bolt back on .....zip zip zip ...Just like to know if anything goes wrong, I am to blame. Sounds like it might not be such a bad deal then...just gotta way whether or not I want to take that plunge.

[Ridgekid]

I'm mostly a DIY'er also. Other than changing out the compressor on my heatpump I consider myself a "Jack of all trades, Master to none". I once had the GM garage change the oil on a company vehicle I once owned. They left the plug loose and I dripped oil all the way across the sate of PA. Got a phone call from the wife about the stop I made at her sisters house. Left a stain in thier new driveway. Had a quart left in the oil pan.

On my install I poured the cement pads and buried the pipe and electric. They installed the HTX. When I saw how easy it was I added the 20 plate DHWX myself. What kind of heating sytem are you adding this to? Forced air or hot water?

[NCredneck]

I would add it to a forced air system so I would have to add the coil in the duct, also would add an exchanger for hot water, and maybe add a second coil for an upstairs bonus room but might would just leave it alone..not sure. I also keep looking at doing a water storage system in basement...but all of them so expensive including owb. Biggest thing for me is I am not sure I really want to be a slave to the wood thing. I have been looking at these for over a year and still not made a decision and winter is coming. I think I go through about 1800 to 2000 a year in lp fuel so it would take at least 3 to 4 years to break even if I don't buy any wood which is the plan.

[Ridgekid]

Ah yes-The payback. For some it takes longer than others. If using a fossil fuel it's definetely faster payback than electric. I'm electric.

We have been heating our house with wood since the first winter in 1992. My photo album shows the last stove we had installed. It did a really good job. Unfortunately, we became empty nesters and the thought of hauling in our own wood all winter made it less desirable. So when my son (who uses heating oil), complained about rising costs to heat his house, WE went shopping. The rest is history.

Other issues that pushed us to a OWB was leaving the wood outside, getting rid of the indoor dirt (Ash dust and fumes). And last but not least-The cleaning of the chimney. Cleaning it before every season and then cleaning the flue pipe in the basement 2x a winter due to creosote pellets falling back down to the cleanout and blocking the pipe. On a two story house creosote rising from the basement to the roof would cool before escaping the chimney cap. About 8 years ago we had a 6" SS pipe inserted in the chimney and that helped.

Bottom line it's your decision. If you have access to free wood, it should be a no brainer.

[mikenc]

I would add it to a forced air system so I would have to add the coil in the duct, also would add an exchanger for hot water, and maybe add a second coil for an upstairs bonus room but might would just leave it alone..not sure. I also keep looking at doing a water storage system in basement...but all of them so expensive including owb. Biggest thing for me is I am not sure I really want to be a slave to the wood thing. I have been looking at these for over a year and still not made a decision and winter is coming. I think I go through about 1800 to 2000 a year in lp fuel so it would take at least 3 to 4 years to break even if I don't buy any wood which is the plan.

If you consider getting  wood as being a slave then you have your answer. It does take a lot of work to keep OWB fed all winter. On the other hand If you already have saws, access to plenty of wood, way to transport, split, and enjoy working in wood GO FOR IT!!!

[NCredneck]

Ridgekid, how did heating your house from a basement do for you? I also have a basement that is mostly in ground and is unfinished and have considered putting a stove in because my Father in law no longer wants to use his and he said come get it if I want it. Researching it has led me to believe the ground would absorb to much heat  and it would not transfer upstairs that well. But I have read from a couple people say it worked fine but I think they may have had a finished basement. I had thought about putting the stove in a basement fireplace and running stainless double wall flue up the chimney. My father in law has some of the flue as well...I would have to add maybe 12 more feet because of the height difference.

[Ridgekid]

It worked very well. All my main trunk lines for my furnace run in the basement. The stove had 2-8" lines that I hooked up into the return lines.

The unit sat on bricks: http://outdoorwoodfurnaceinfo.com/forum/index.php?action=media;sa=media;in=34;thumb

Another nice feature was that it had a thermostat that I wired into the house furnace fan relay. If the fire was hot enough the house fan came on. We just had to learn how to properly stock the fire or the house would get too hot.

Our basement is in ground too. Never had a moisture problem as we had tiles drains put inside and outside the foundation. All the gutters have thier own drain line. We ran two 4" lines 200' from the house (downgrade) to move the water away.

EDIT: Sorry for small picture link. You can go to my photo album to see a larger picture.

[NCredneck]

Ridgekid, ok now I get it...thats a different type of stove you had. My FIL has a craft wood stove insert that I had thought about using to heat the basement. Its more of a large space heater according to everything I read. Heats one room hot and other rooms get some heat from transfer but thats not as nice as the one you had.  I was gonna open the door to the basement and maybe put a fan in the door to blow air up...I just can't see it would heat the house like the unit you had (being ducted and all). My bet is you like your new owb better especially since its outside and no mess inside?

[Ridgekid]

Yes, for all the reasons I stated above.

BTW- That nice little unit was 150,000 BTU. We wore shorts and tee shirts all winter. Mostly because it was not that easy to control the temps, Even when we controlled the restock times. Now everything will be controlled by the house thermostat. "Heat on demand".