Outdoor Wood Furnace Info

All-Purpose OWF Discussions => General Outdoor Furnace Discussion => Topic started by: rsv101 on May 04, 2018, 09:18:05 AM

Title: Purchasing New Wood Boiler
Post by: rsv101 on May 04, 2018, 09:18:05 AM
Hello everyone I am ready to update my old Johnson wood boiler with something more efficient, I want to burn less wood. My current boiler is 17 years old and is coming to the end of its life cycle. I am sold on gasser models. I have been looking at central boiler, heatmaster, and polar. Polar dealer is closet to me if that matters. my house is modern built in 2000 has 6 inch walls. house is 4200 sq ft (2100 main floor with baseboard hot water, 2100 finished basement with radiant in floor) 576 sq ft attached garage with radiant in floor, and 1200 sq ft detached garage with radiant in floor which has never been hooked up. I have a forced air blower that I use in that garage instead. any suggestions on the brands I mentioned or others I didn't mention that are worth a look? I am going to put in new pex from the boiler to both buildings I want the good stuff like thermopex or logstor, any recommendations? I am running approx. 150 ft from stove to house and 15 ft from stove to second garage.

Thank you for all suggestions!
Title: Re: Purchasing New Wood Boiler
Post by: E Yoder on May 04, 2018, 09:47:08 AM
I think I replied to your thread on hearth but anyway- I've burned a HeatMaster G series for 3 winters, GS last winter. Very reliable easy to use units. I would think you're in G200 territory depending on climate.
I would advise looking at furnacecompare.com reviews also.
Dealer support is important too. Even if the dealer is at a distance someone who keep parts on hand and answers the phone is a big plus.
Title: Re: Purchasing New Wood Boiler
Post by: mlappin on May 04, 2018, 10:59:08 AM
Good choices on the underground, both are good choices, however the Logstor will flow a little more than the Thermopex.  A location would help, although if the house is tight enough Thermopex should work anyways.

Like Yoder, third season with a G series myself, actually less maintenace than my old conventional.
Title: Re: Purchasing New Wood Boiler
Post by: RSI on May 04, 2018, 10:59:41 AM
Where are you located? If you are replacing the insulated pex, I would not go with anything under a full 1" ID. What Logstor sells as 1" is 32mm. Rehau makes the same size but is usually cheaper. It will mostly just depend on what the local dealers carry for pricing.
Title: Re: Purchasing New Wood Boiler
Post by: rsv101 on May 04, 2018, 11:26:58 AM
Thank you for replies! I am located in Northern Michigan, Kalkaska Area. I originally installed the wrapped insulated pex in the black tubing, live and learn!
Title: Re: Purchasing New Wood Boiler
Post by: tinfoilhat2020 on May 04, 2018, 12:23:22 PM
I'm in southeast Michigan, I heated 4500 sqft with a G200 with. no problem. Very easy to use maintenance-free unit. I'm upgrading to a larger stove because I just added on another 2,000 square feet and I don't want to be walking the line to thin.
Title: Re: Purchasing New Wood Boiler
Post by: the trailmaster on May 11, 2018, 04:24:13 AM
Hi All   Thinking about replacing my e-classic 2400 with the Heat Master g200.  Any thoughts how they match up on the cement pad?  Will the G200 be big enough to heat the same area as the 2400?  Not sure what to do, but want to update before the life of the 2400 is gone.  Live in Plymouth NH., pretty cold place.  Thank you  Trailmaster
Title: Re: Purchasing New Wood Boiler
Post by: E Yoder on May 11, 2018, 06:08:14 AM
Does the piping come up to the rear or the side of the 2400, the G200 is in rear. The G200 is on legs so you could reroute a bit easier. ?
I'm not sure about sizing. I haven't run into the E classics much here in VA.
Title: Re: Purchasing New Wood Boiler
Post by: the trailmaster on May 11, 2018, 02:03:11 PM
Sir   I heat a 2400 sq. ft. house 1600 ft. barn, all well insulated hot water.  Would a g200 be able to handle that at 15 or 20 below or do I need to get to the next size up?  And yes the piping is in the back on a 2400 and is 1" pex into the house and barn in the 6' foam, only 40' away.  Thanks for the help and advice.
Title: Re: Purchasing New Wood Boiler
Post by: mlappin on May 11, 2018, 02:16:30 PM
Sir   I heat a 2400 sq. ft. house 1600 ft. barn, all well insulated hot water.  Would a g200 be able to handle that at 15 or 20 below or do I need to get to the next size up?  And yes the piping is in the back on a 2400 and is 1" pex into the house and barn in the 6' foam, only 40' away.  Thanks for the help and advice.

I’m heating 2800 plus sq ft of old farmhouse that the last addition was 1908. It does have all new double pane windows but barely any attic insulation. I also heat 1800 sq ft of poorly insulated shop and almost 120 foot of heated sidewalk, my G200 hasn’t had any issues yet keeping up.
Title: Re: Purchasing New Wood Boiler
Post by: the trailmaster on May 11, 2018, 02:37:05 PM
Question, how cold does it get in Indiana, at 20 below that's the coldest, but not unusual to be 0 or below for a number of days.  Just dry to be safe.  Thanks
Title: Re: Purchasing New Wood Boiler
Post by: E Yoder on May 11, 2018, 06:52:26 PM
Sir   I heat a 2400 sq. ft. house 1600 ft. barn, all well insulated hot water.  Would a g200 be able to handle that at 15 or 20 below or do I need to get to the next size up?  And yes the piping is in the back on a 2400 and is 1" pex into the house and barn in the 6' foam, only 40' away.  Thanks for the help and advice.
A G200 sounds fine with that load.
Piping might need to be extended higher but that's easy.
Title: Re: Purchasing New Wood Boiler
Post by: schoppy on May 11, 2018, 10:29:24 PM
I heat somewhere between 6000 and 7000 sq. ft. and domestic hot water. I started with a G400 and it was way over sized even in the coldest weather. I switched to a G200 and this year we had some very very cold weather early with no problems keeping up loading it 2 times per day.

Easy to maintain during the season but like any stove a pain to clean up at the end of the season. I didn't try doing a hot burn like cardboard just before shutting it down for the season, I wonder if that would have eaten up some of the creosote? 

d5knapp I wouldn't upgrade to a bigger unit until you try your existing one to see if it can handle it. I think it would keep up ok and a G400 could be over-sized like mine was.

Just my 2 cents worth.
Title: Re: Purchasing New Wood Boiler
Post by: the trailmaster on May 12, 2018, 02:09:07 AM
Thanks for the info and now to find a dealer that covers the Central NH area.
Title: Re: Purchasing New Wood Boiler
Post by: E Yoder on May 12, 2018, 06:16:29 AM
PC Wood Boiler Systems is in New York. Great to work with. I'll pm you his #.
If he doesn't cover NH he would know who does. A search on HeatMaster's dealer locator might pull up more too.
Title: Re: Purchasing New Wood Boiler
Post by: mlappin on May 12, 2018, 07:45:32 AM
Question, how cold does it get in Indiana, at 20 below that's the coldest, but not unusual to be 0 or below for a number of days.  Just dry to be safe.  Thanks

We got hit with those polar vortexes a few winters back.

This last winter we had almost a week of highs only in the single digits with below 5 or colder for the lows.

Even the coldest days this last winter, never had to fill it much over half full for over night.