Outdoor Wood Furnace Info

All-Purpose OWF Discussions => General Outdoor Furnace Discussion => Topic started by: Smakman on January 10, 2012, 07:37:16 PM

Title: Hard water or soft water?
Post by: Smakman on January 10, 2012, 07:37:16 PM

While it's not in my budget for a year or more to get an OWB, I have been doing my research for a while.  One question I have is about the water.  We have very hard water where I live and I suspect scale would become a problem after a while if I put well water in it so what have some of you done to combat this?  Even if I had a way to get softened water in it, I reckon I will have to add some from time to time.  In order to have a OWB am I going to have to figure a water softener in the equation as well?

Title: Re: Hard water or soft water?
Post by: BIGDIESEL20S on January 11, 2012, 07:06:52 AM

I would recommend a water softner. It will help everything around your house that you use water for. As far as the stove goes, everybody told me that it would be better than hard water. But the best would be distilled water.

Title: Re: Hard water or soft water?
Post by: swede on January 11, 2012, 08:15:58 AM

We used this small rv inline softener to fill our owb.

http://www.woodboilersolutions.com/pro/cart/product.cfm?producttitle=&categoryid=&subid=&memberid=28&detailid=1851&startrow=11&maxrows=10&productid=119 (http://www.woodboilersolutions.com/pro/cart/product.cfm?producttitle=&categoryid=&subid=&memberid=28&detailid=1851&startrow=11&maxrows=10&productid=119)

Title: Re: Hard water or soft water?
Post by: BoilerHouse on January 11, 2012, 12:27:13 PM

Swedes suggestion of an inline filter looks like a good inexpensive fix.  Rainwater could be an option but  could also be a hassle.  Distilled water sounds like overkill to me, but regardless what you use, the water should still be  treated with a boiler treatment chemical.

Title: Re: Hard water or soft water?
Post by: Smakman on January 11, 2012, 06:21:27 PM

That is interesting.  I have never seen one of those before.