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[XJCraver]

Hi all.  New guy here from IL.  I'm going to be purchasing my first OWB, hopefully within the next ~30 days.   I'll be heating 2,000 sq.ft. of drafty old farm house to start, with a possible future addition of a 24x36 garage down the road.  I've read, and read, and read, and read, and read, until my head hurts, and I still don't have the answers to all my questions.  So, I'm hopeful that if I just post a list of the things I'd like this boiler to do, you fine folks here will be able to lead me in the right direction.  In advance, I'd like to thank you for the help.

I would like for this thing to:

Be self-filling on the water side, and not require any additives / conditioners / etc. in the water
Be able to burn high-creosote, very "hot" wood.  It WILL have hedge (osage orange) burned in it.
Have a large-ish firebox, so I can be not-so-picky in regards to length/girth when cutting wood
Heat my domestic hot water
Have easy add-on capabilities, so I can add my garage to it later
Have a chimney that doesn't go through the roof of the unit - both for efficiency purposes, and for longevity of the unit itself
Have an easily removable ash pan, no augers
Require little, or minimal, maintenance - once a quarter or so is OK, once a week is not gonna' happen (other than emptying ashes)
And, of course, great factory CS would be a huge, huge bonus

Is all that possible, with any of the OWB's out there today?  I realize I may be asking for alot, but I work 2 jobs, and I farm, and I've got 2 kids and a Mrs.  So, I'm going to be lucky to get enough wood cut every year to feed this thing, let alone spend a bunch of time filling/testing water, scraping out heat exchangers, and cleaning chimneys.  I want something that I can set up once and be mostly done.  Load when I leave for work in the morning and when I get home at night, and forget about it the rest of the time kinda' thing.  Is that gonna' happen?

Again, Thanks in advance for the help / wisdom!

-Joe

[victor6deep]

I would tighten the ole drafty farmhouse up first because no matter how good of stove wood usage is destroyed with a heat loosing home. Just my 2 cents cuz that what I did and couldn't be happier. Make the home efficient first and then get the stove and use good underground pex if you get a good stove also.

[willieG]

Hi all.  New guy here from IL.  I'm going to be purchasing my first OWB, hopefully within the next ~30 days.   I'll be heating 2,000 sq.ft. of drafty old farm house to start, with a possible future addition of a 24x36 garage down the road.  I've read, and read, and read, and read, and read, until my head hurts, and I still don't have the answers to all my questions.  So, I'm hopeful that if I just post a list of the things I'd like this boiler to do, you fine folks here will be able to lead me in the right direction.  In advance, I'd like to thank you for the help.

I would like for this thing to:

Be self-filling on the water side, and not require any additives / conditioners / etc. in the water
Having to add water would be very seldom

Be able to burn high-creosote, very "hot" wood.  It WILL have hedge (osage orange) burned in it.
this wood is very high in btushould not be a problem if cut teh winter before burning
Have a large-ish firebox, so I can be not-so-picky in regards to length/girth when cutting wood
you can find large fire boxesHeat my domestic hot water
Have easy add-on capabilities, so I can add my garage to it later
using a manifold system to distribute your heat will allow thisHave a chimney that doesn't go through the roof of the unit - both for efficiency purposes, and for longevity of the unit itself
i dont think the way they build them with the exaust out teh roof will hurt them?Have an easily removable ash pan, no augers
again i think this is normal on a lot of stovesRequire little, or minimal, maintenance - once a quarter or so is OK, once a week is not gonna' happen (other than emptying ashes)
a non gasser (if you can use one in yoru area) it will use more wood than a gasser thoughAnd, of course, great factory CS would be a huge, huge bonus
no comment from me on this oneIs all that possible, with any of the OWB's out there today?  I realize I may be asking for alot, but I work 2 jobs, and I farm, and I've got 2 kids and a Mrs.  So, I'm going to be lucky to get enough wood cut every year to feed this thing, let alone spend a bunch of time filling/testing water, scraping out heat exchangers, and cleaning chimneys.  I want something that I can set up once and be mostly done.  Load when I leave for work in the morning and when I get home at night, and forget about it the rest of the time kinda' thing.  Is that gonna' happen?

Again, Thanks in advance for the help / wisdom!

-Joe

if you get a gasser you may spend more time with it but less cutting wood so i think they may work out about even if you are measuring time?

a non gasser is kind of  "plug" it full and go "play" at something else

you say you have researched and researched? you should have answered all these questions all ready
mostly i think guys that have gassers will tell you how great they are and guys like me with non gassers will tell you  they burn more wood but do not have to spend time withthe stove (well hell, i don't own a gasser so how do i now how much time you have  to spend with one?)

[Scott7m]

I would tighten the ole drafty farmhouse up first because no matter how good of stove wood usage is destroyed with a heat loosing home. Just my 2 cents cuz that what I did and couldn't be happier. Make the home efficient first and then get the stove and use good underground pex if you get a good stove also.

I can only think of one stove that would come close to that, it would be an empyre deluxe.  The deluxe is basically 10 gauge 304 stainless, only other 304 stainless stove I know is hardy and it's 16 gauge. 

The chimney exits at the back, it has the same ripple top design as central boiler, forced draft, water cooled grates for pulling heat out of the coal bed and protecting them.  As far as an auto fill, you never have to add water to these stoves anyway, I've been burning for years now and never had a stove use over 2 gallons per winter,stoves that have had history of belching water out and overheating are the ones I've seen with autofill.. 

When you start pricing a empyre deluxe 450 you pay for the stainless, it's thick and therefore heavy, it's about 4 bucks a pound now to the manufacturer, but it does come with a 20 year warranty.

Some specs on the 450 would be

20by24 door
36x45x60 firebox
300 gallon
Heats up to 8000 square feet
2500 pounds

[Scott7m]

Good responses Marty, lots of validity, the deluxe is the only thing I could even think of close to meeting his needs.

[woodman]

Scott7 knows what he is talking about. If I would have known about this forum 7 years ago, I would have bought my boiler from him. From what I can tell probably one of the best owb dealers in the midwest.

[Scott7m]

Scott7 knows what he is talking about. If I would have known about this forum 7 years ago, I would have bought my boiler from him. From what I can tell probably one of the best owb dealers in the midwest.

I appreciate the kind words but regardless of who he buys from, that stove is the only one that comes close to meeting his needs.  A 450 deluxe isnt something we sell a lot of, but sometimes there is that one guy who wants bulletproof and dont care to pay for it

[XJCraver]

Hey, thanks for the quick responses all, much appreciated.   

Adding additional insulation and replacing doors/windows is on "the list" for the drafty 'ol farmhouse, and will hopefully be next years project.  The trouble is I'm a contractor by trade, so I don't have alot of time (or desire!) to work on my own stuff.  It will be done, though, or I'll be divorced.....

Scott, thanks for the info.  The CPW 250 isn't big enough, you don't think?  It is actually on the "short list" of stoves I was looking at, along with the P&M ML30 and the Heatmor 200 CSS (althought that HM isn't nearly as impressive as the other 2).

Do you have any info on IL dealers?  Close to 62246?

[Scott7m]

I can find out for ya....


But now that you mention upgrading your house next year, that is likely doable, As far as the 250 goes deluxe goes.  Would it do an old drafty 2000 sq ft house and a 24x36 shop?  Burn times wouldn't be good

But would it do an upgraded farm house and a 24x36 shop, that's doable. 

If your wanting to not test chemicals, the heatmor is 409 and requires chemicals, and portage and main is mild steel so it will definitely require attention And chem monitoring

[Trint]

Hey, thanks for the quick responses all, much appreciated.   

Adding additional insulation and replacing doors/windows is on "the list" for the drafty 'ol farmhouse, and will hopefully be next years project.  The trouble is I'm a contractor by trade, so I don't have alot of time (or desire!) to work on my own stuff.  It will be done, though, or I'll be divorced.....

Scott, thanks for the info.  The CPW 250 isn't big enough, you don't think?  It is actually on the "short list" of stoves I was looking at, along with the P&M ML30 and the Heatmor 200 CSS (althought that HM isn't nearly as impressive as the other 2).

Do you have any info on IL dealers?  Close to 62246?

As far as the ml 30 it would meet most of you requirements aside from water the treatment, you do have to scrape the ash out of the exchanger about one a week for best results takes one min., as far as adding water which is rare unless you have a leak when you install connect to a water line with a valve so you only have to turn it on for a few seconds when you need water.  As far as a the drafty old house and adding more you would probably need to seal up the house or get a larger unit to do more.  I live in an 1860's farm house, ~2000sqft and it works the ml30 hard in cold weather, still working on the insulation.

[jborden3]

Dont mean to ask a stupid question but what is the problem with the pipe in the middle of the stove and why wont they last as long.

[Scott7m]

Dont mean to ask a stupid question but what is the problem with the pipe in the middle of the stove and why wont they last as long.

There has been a lot of stuff put out on the net that top chimneys leak all the time....   I've not seen this to be true, the only thing you have to do is inspect the top around the chimney every year.  Probably resilicone it every 3-5 years,

[jborden3]

Thanks scott7m first time i had seen anyone say somthing about them.

[XJCraver]

Dont mean to ask a stupid question but what is the problem with the pipe in the middle of the stove and why wont they last as long.

That's purely ME.     I worked as a commercial roofer for a number of years, and am a Gen. Contractor now - anything going through a roof WILL eventually leak, in my experience.  I know well that a little preventative maintenance can make that a non-issue, I was just being optimistic in my "wish list" that I could find a stove that wouldn't ever have that trouble.


After talking with Scott, and reading the board here, I've narrowed my options tremendously.  Thank You all again for all the information, it's much appreciated!

[victor6deep]

And he is getting a central boiler.