Print

[AirForcePOL]

I recently have decided that I am going to buy a OWB. I have been looking online for a while and have found many different OWB's that i believe would work for me. I will probably go with the Woodmaster 4400 and plan on heating my 1500 square foot house, hot water and eventually my 30x40 garage. Will this unit do all of that? One thing I was wondering about is if this model has some of the features that other brands do. I am new to these so I dont know all of the OWB lingo but do the Woodmasters have the fan in the unit that gets the fire going untill the water reaches the desired temp.? I was also wondering if anyone would recomend this furnace and what kind of expierience's others have had with this brand. If anyone can help me out it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Alex.

[Penguinfan]

I installed a Woodmaster 3300 this past December and love it. The 4400 was a bigger furnace than I needed since I only heat 1250 sq.ft. + domestic hot water, but I think it would do what you need. I know a guy in my neighborhood that has a 4400 and "Loves It". I should have bought mine along time ago. My house has been 74* along winter and I have all the hot water that we can use.. Even when it was -10*. They are a force draft OWB ( fan induced fire). I load mine every twelve hours, but not always full ( depends on outside temp). I've been burning hickory, cherry, beech, soft & hard maple, ash and some poplar (4.5 cords so far). I split my wood since it's been seasoned only three months before burning. I've found that blown down and standing dead hardwood burns great. I've been building up my supply for next year now so it has time to season. As you know there are many makes and models to choose from. I believe  the Woodmaster is not complicated to operate but has enough "bells and whistles" to compete with the others. I've had to do nothing or adjust anything since the install. Good luck! Any other questions just ask. 

[AirForcePOL]

Thanks for all the info sounds like woodmaster has a pretty good product. Do you know how big of diamater wood will burn in these units?

[PhinPhan]

I am not sure of the door size of the 3300, but if you get a 4400 if you can lift it off the ground it will fit.  I had a couple of rounds this winter that I could barely lift up to the door and they fit in easily.  The 4400 has a huge door opening.

[AirForcePOL]

awesome.... do the bigger logs have any big effect on how well the furnace works?

[PhinPhan]

when I put the bigger rounds in, I can usually get 24 hours out of them, I still have to put smaller peices in around them every 12-16 hours.

[AirForcePOL]

Ok, thanks for all the help!

[Dirtslinger]

I also have a 4400 and put some big rounds in there if you can lift it it will burn it up
I am heating almost 3000 sq feet and get 14 to 16 hr burn time when its below zero
I am very happy with woodmaster.

[pdboilermaker]

I have a woodmaster 4400 for 4 years now and love it.  I heat about 4000 sq ft and domestic water.  In the 4 years the only issue that I have had is I had to replace the fan and the door gasket.  The door opening is 24 x 24 so anything that size or smaller can go in.

If you use the bigger logs, you do have to fill in with smaller ones around it.

The electronic control panel is the best, you can easily adjust your water temps to the outside conditions and save wood. It is much easier and user friendly than the aquastats.   I have used about 12 cords this season but Indiana has been very cold (darn global warming) and windy.  

My house is a 2 story with R-19 in the walls and r-38 in the roof, BUT I have only corn fields around me so there are no wind breaks.

[AirForcePOL]

Thats good to hear. I live in Illinois and like you I am in the middle of a corn field with very little wind breaks besides a few pine trees that dont really do much. I must do something because am not going to put up with the $500 a month propane bills anymore. I have an unlimited supply of wood from a friend of mine that owns a tree trimming business so there is no reason to not buy a OWB I just wasn't sure which one to get. Im glad that I found this site before buying. All of you have been very helpfull thanks everyone! If anyone has anymore info or tips please help me out. Thanks, Alex

[Penguinfan]

My next advice to you after purchase is don't skimp on the install. I mean use a good brand of underground pex, such as Thermapex, Rehau ( I used), Logstor, and Etc. This pex pipe transports  the heated water from the furnace to your home underground. It's more expensive (12.00 to 14.00 per. ft..), but worth it in the long run. It is four or five inches in diameter with a outer plastic shell and has either 2- 1" or 2- 1 1/4" pex lines in cased in foam insulation in side. I have mine down two feet below ground level and I still have snow on top of ground. You don't want to heat the ground and your home.
Wood burning size. I'm with the rest what will fit through the stove door and I can lift goes in then fill in around them alittle. Keep us posted on how you make out. I was burning 772 gallons of oil a year avg. and heating my hot water with electric. Since installing the OWB I haven't bought any oil and my light bill is down $15.00 a month. 

[AirForcePOL]

wow thats pretty expensive... my woodmaster dealer told me it would be about $3.00 a foot. I will check it out though sounds like it really makes a difference. Thanks.

[Penguinfan]

Yeah it is expensive. It sounds like your Woodmaster dealer sells the same as mine. I bought my Rehau pipe from a plumbing supplier. I've read that it's important not to have the pex lines in the pipe touch or run along side each other. Because say your OWB is sending 170* water to your home and the water returning after heating your home & hot water is 160* and the lines are touching, heat will be transfering or equally out somewhat. My boiler water loses less than one degree from OWB to basement (100') where it enters my home. It all depends how much you have to spend and how much wood to burn.

[Jason]

I sort of made my own pipe.  I ran (as usual) 2 lenghths of pex from house to stove.  We wrapped them in foam pipe insulation ( the kind that comes in approx. 8' lengths and is slit to put around the pipe).  That whole shebang is encased in 4" PVC pipe.  I've never measured my heat loss but I'll tell you it's negligable.  I run about 75 ' from furnace to house.  Plus my 110V power and thermostat wires run in the PVC.  Perhaps a lower cost option for you.

[AirForcePOL]

That sounds like a pretty nice settup. I might look into that it might be a better option for be because I only need to run about 50 ft. Thanks for the idea!