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[blakeusa]

I have had my Central Boiler for 5 years.   Regardless of what anyone say's it's a lot of work to keep going.  I have resorted to buying wood even though I live on 26 wooded acres.    Don't get me wrong I like the system and feel good that I don't have to burn oil.  Have oil back up and sometimes I use it.   Can easily burn 15+ cords in the winter for a 3200 sf house and garage.   

Once you have the wood and it's close to the boiler then it's fairly easy- but not FREE by any means.  If I took my time and labor I could easily buy oil, but thats not my goal.  I don't like oil and all the problems it causes.

In Eastern CT.

[Bill G]

Went to pick up Thermopex and found it to be only 3/4" ID.  Probably would have been adequate for my short 47ft run, but declined the smaller dia stuff.  I specifically asked if was 1"id and was told it was until I drove all the way to pick it up!  A ploy to get me there to look at there brand furnace? 
Will be off to New Jersey next week for urecon pipe which is full 1" id.
Looked at the eclassic 2400 and still would rather the P & M opt 250.  Seems simpler yet stronger built.  Also maybe P & M design will probably be more efficient. 

[Ridgekid]

Bill-

Funny about PEX huh? I go out to find fittings for 1" and the ID for 1 inch PEX is 3/4"? If your only running 47' I can tell you if would of worked. I ran 85' underground, 14' to the FHX and 16' to the DHWX For a total of 230' (total run) and have more than enough heat. Recovery (when the damper opens) is less than 20 minutes.

Maybe the guru's could answer this-Would larger PEX recover as quickly?

[RSI]

Pex is never measured in ID. The urecon just happens to be close to 1" ID. It is really metric. 1" pex is actually closer to 7/8" than 3/4" ID
Pex is the same outside diameter as copper. 1" ID copper is 1-1/8" OD 1" pex is 1-1/8" OD. Pex wall thickness is 1/9th the diameter of the pipe so the larger you go the thicker it gets. 1-1/4" pex will be as little bigger inside that the metric (1" ID) and will be a lot easier to find fittings for.
Pex-al-pex does use the true ID measurement.

[NCredneck]

blakeusa, I believe you. I don't have a boiler yet..still researching..but I can see that I would have a love/hate relationship with one. Hate to do whats required for the seasons worth of fuel..but love it once I did. I can see that 15 cords would really get to me and I would probably buy some too. I was hoping to get by with burning maybe 7 or 8 here in NC but who knows...lol
The other thing is the initial investment...man I really don't want to spend 8 to 11k and realize I can't wait for it to be paid for so I can buy wood or sale it..

[oldchenowth]

NC,

In your research, may I suggest you consider a gasifier?  I am in Michigan and have only used 6 or 7 cords since October 2010.  Does it get that cold for long stretches in NC?  I have an old farm house with no insulation and we keep it uncomfortably warm all winter.  I mean no disrespect in any form.  Yes, it does cause some inconvenience, but I think in the long run you will be happy with your selection of burner.  I understand your worry of the up front cost, I still can't believe I coughed up that much money. It may well take longer to pay for itself in the South than in colder climates.  I do know I like the heat from wood more.  We ran out of dry wood and went back to propane, 73 on wood sure feels warmer than 73 on propane.  I can't explain it.  Should be the same, like a ton of cotton and 2000 pounds of gold. I'm outta shape so the extra work is good for me, the wood warms me 5 or six times where paying the gas company just boils my blood until the check clears.  A friend of mine was paying $1600 per MONTH for gas 2 years ago.  My wood cost about $150 for all season, but we cut it ourselves. 

Again,  not picking a fight or disrespecting anyone.  My version of no regrets whatsoever.  I plan on heating water and drying clothes with mine next season, making it pay for itself even quicker.

[NCredneck]

Yeah Oldchenowth,
I have considered a gassifier....course that drives up the price around 2k or 3k more..uggg. I like the P&M from the web views of it but I have seen a HeatmasterSS thats not a gassifier and for 3 k less....I am leaning that way if I even take the plunge... biggest reason is it has back and forth airflow which helps make it more efficient, saves some money and I can burn some green stuff too. I think I spend about 450.00 a month on gas..for around 4 months total so thats a little slower on the payback. I gotta decide whether to take the plunge or not within the next couple months I guess. What boiler do you use?
Just another note...If money was no consideration....I like the garn unit.....but pricey as heck!

[teburman]

I regret not planning better! I will be redoing my setup this summer. I installed it three winters ago in a rush with the help of my son and friend, they did most of the work and we didn't install any smarts. It is either on or off controlled by factory installed control that only reacts to high/low limits. I plan to re-configure the controls to react properly to various conditions such as fire out, over heat, low temp return water etc.

But at $3.94 a gallon I am very happy that we installed the unit. Even though I buy my wood the saving is substantial - I am paying $210 per cord (128 cu ft) cut split and delivered and I used 7 cords last season instead of ~ 2,000 gallons of oil

[oldchenowth]

NCredneck,

I have a Wood Doctor HE 5000.  You will see different things on the WD, so judge for yourself.  I happen to really like my WD.  I do see a few flaws that I may or may not revise to fit my situation.  I burned about 6.5 full cords this last year.  1800 sq ft farm house with little to no insulation.....yet!  Initial investment IS steep, but my bet is the long run.  I do not see oil, gas or propane going down in price and grandma has 60 acres of woods.  I got very lucky, Obama paid me $6500 to buy my house and I promptly gave it to Arthur Turple + about another $1500. Menards got the other $1000 for pex and fittings.  I truly believe mine is already paid for itself in the first year.  My wife keeps it at around 75 non stop.  Propane would kill me to try and do that.  All I know is I won't go back to propane except as a backup.  Besides my gut would be much larger than it is if I didn't cut wood.

[willieG]

i have had my home made stove now for 11 winters..cutting wood is just a chore and an enjoyable one IF you go for wood when you want too not because you have too. i stay at least one year ahead and that way i can choose the days i go to the bush. we try and make a family day of it...my youngest son is away at university now and he actually looks forward to coming home and spending a weekend in the bush. My oldest son lives very close by and he also likes the job. My wife goes along as well and sometimes makes a campfire lunch. We have been soing this  since day one. I have one of them winches that goes on the back of a tractor and i cut the trees down and haul them out to a flat spot for the boys to cut up, my wife piles the brush and burns it and then we all fill the dump wagon together. like i said, for our family it seems to be an enjoyable job...if you choose the nice days to go and go because you want to...not because you are out of wood and have too.

[kjw58]

WillieG's got it right,  you have to get enough wood stockpiled so you don't have to cut when you don't feel like it. I am at least 2 years ahead all the time, then if its to warm out or you just don't feel like doing the work you don't have to.  Really the only time I ever mess with wood when it is to warm out or I don't feel like it is when I get a good wood score from someone usually already cut up. 

[gspren]

   I had been looking and thinking for several years but just couldn't quite push myself into getting a OWB until last year something happened that was so good to get me into this that you won't hardly believe it all. A gas pipe line is coming across my farm and the right of way money more than paid the stove and installation. Now the next part is neat, the pipe line cuts across a steep wooded section in the pasture so they need to cut down about 25 trees, mostly wild cherry and locust, so they get an estimate on the value of the trees and have to pay me for the trees but since they don't want them they will stack the logs for me down on the level grassy part where it is easy to get to. I get to sell the trees and then keep them plus they cut on a steep slope and drag down to where I can get a trailer right to them. No regrets on the stove, so far its fun.

  Well the pipe line crew finally got here and it looks like about 7-8 cord of wood still in logs. I wish it would be cooler but I am still getting some cutting done. Tuesday morning there were 6 Cat dozers in my front field, 4 D8s and 2 D7s plus 2 big Cat excavators working the pipeline area, probably over a million dollars worth of equipment making the farm look like a major highway was coming through instead of a 30 inch gas pipe. It will be an interesting summer.