Outdoor Wood Furnace Info
Outdoor Furnaces - Manufacturers WITH EPA-Certified Models => Central Boiler => Topic started by: SperleFarms on February 10, 2012, 04:03:54 PM
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My wife and I are in the process of purchasing and having installed a Central Boiler E-Classic 2400. We live on a farm in south central Wisconsin that’s been in our family since 1847, and have easy access to quality hardwood. We’ve heated with wood in the past, both with wood stoves and indoor forced air wood furnaces. We’ve grown tired of the mess and fire risk associated with those methods. We’ll be tying the E-Classic into two existing forced air furnaces and 50 gallon hot water heater, both fueled by natural gas. I was hoping to get some free advice through the forum, both on the installation process and day to day operation of the unit. Our local township only allows EPA Phase II certified units, thus leading us to the E-Classic. Any advice pertaining to this particular unit would be greatly appreciated. Our install date is slated for sometime in late April.
Thanks!
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I can only give you info on our CL5036. We have had it for 3 yr's and love it. We run it all year long and shut off the water to our exchanger for heat and only circulate thru our plate exchanger for hot water
it put's out a lot of hot water and a lot of heat. Wish you the best :thumbup:
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This is my first winter with it ( e1400) and it has worked well, I would say running it is more of a art then a science the install was not two bad I did it alone digging the trench and laying the pipe was the worst part for me
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Welcome to the site SperleFarms
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I don't know much about Central Boiler but if you need help with anything in general with OWBs let me know. I am north of Madison.
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Welcome to the site! Nice to have you aboard!
I have the E-classic 1400. The operation isn't that different between the 2 units. Like you, I had heated the my house (built somewhere around 1840's) with indoor woodstoves and fuel oil. Last winter I experienced a chimney fire that scared the buggers out of me. I vowed from that day/night on that isn't to going to happen again. With the E-classic 1400 25 feet away from the house (local code requirement) there is no chance for fire getting to the house from the OWB. Having to go outdoors to stoke up the OWB is a small price to pay for being safe from fire. Roger
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Welcome I've had a 2400 since Dec 2011. DRY wood is the most important thing to remember. You will want to a just your controller as time goes on according to the outside temps. A learning process, don't get frustrated, just ask questions and there is someone always to answer. I live in central N.H. with simular weather conditions. Good Luck
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My wife and I are in the process of purchasing and having installed a Central Boiler E-Classic 2400. We live on a farm in south central Wisconsin that’s been in our family since 1847, and have easy access to quality hardwood. We’ve heated with wood in the past, both with wood stoves and indoor forced air wood furnaces. We’ve grown tired of the mess and fire risk associated with those methods. We’ll be tying the E-Classic into two existing forced air furnaces and 50 gallon hot water heater, both fueled by natural gas. I was hoping to get some free advice through the forum, both on the installation process and day to day operation of the unit. Our local township only allows EPA Phase II certified units, thus leading us to the E-Classic. Any advice pertaining to this particular unit would be greatly appreciated. Our install date is slated for sometime in late April.
Thanks!
Well I can't help you with the 2400 but I do have a Central Boiler 6048 and love it. As far as the install, like others said, just ask and you will find tons of knowledge here. As most others, I did my entire install myself. If you do that, you will not only get satisfaction from the finished product, but most importantly, you will know your system like the "back of your hand". Comes in handy if you ever run into a problem.
OK, I don't know if it's the best way, but to get you started thinking..... I heat with 2 forced hot air (propane) heaters,(2 attached residences) all hot water, and heat my hot tub on one loop from the boiler. The flow goes...........from boiler to hot water HX then to hot tub HX then to first hot air unit then to second hot air unit then back to boiler. One loop running 24/7.
The hot tub and hot water HX's have manual bypasses on them and my HX's in my forced air units are controled with a 3-way zone valve which only opens when thermostats call for heat. I did this on the heaters so I could burn all year and use my AC and not have to manually bypass them.
My run from boiler to house is 90ft. and the loop inside the house is about 130ft. I heat my 24X32 pole barn with a seperate loop and pump 115ft away from boiler. In the summer, I heat my pool with a third loop and pump.
Welcome to the site!
You are gonna love your boiler :thumbup:
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Can anyone post video of these things running? I hear they are smoke free...
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Can anyone post video of these things running? I hear they are smoke free...
My E-Classic 1400 runs smoke free when it is high burn mode. However, it is not in high mode every cycle. Something to keep in mind.
Dean
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Sperlefarms,
Installing a high quality water line from the OWB to the house is very important. Create a good drainage channel for the water line and add extra insulation. It will pay off every year you use your furnace.
Dean
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Sperlefarms, what township are you in? I have friends interested now that they have seen my owb, but might have to go with a gasser, too in parts of WI that have neighbors close by.
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Can anyone post video of these things running? I hear they are smoke free...
No boiler is smoke free, even my 97% efficient plastic exhausted gas boiler.
More a question of degree and what is visible.
A friend has a CB2300, I need to go that way today and will take my Camera.
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Sperlefarms, what township are you in? I have friends interested now that they have seen my owb, but might have to go with a gasser, too in parts of WI that have neighbors close by.
We’re located in the Township of Dunn (Dane County). It’s the closest thing to Communism you’ll find between here and China. We affectionately refer to it as “The People’s Republic of Dunn”. :bash:
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Can anyone post video of these things running? I hear they are smoke free...
Great video clips from the Central Boiler website:
http://www.youtube.com/centralboilerinc#p/u/0/rwL01iW36MA (http://www.youtube.com/centralboilerinc#p/u/0/rwL01iW36MA)
http://www.youtube.com/centralboilerinc#p/u/0/Cea9CV4kdHY (http://www.youtube.com/centralboilerinc#p/u/0/Cea9CV4kdHY)
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They aren't smoke free..But they don't spew as much smoke as the old style OWB..I drive by a e -classic all the time..As far as the you tube video...Of course it burns clean its a factory video..perfect situation..
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I had not watched the video, if it is approaching 100% efficiency why does it not have a plastic chimney? My gas boiler does.
And to get that high it must condense?
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They said combustion efficiency. It is not transferring a lot of it into the water. That is also only when it is in the middle of a cycle.
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I had not watched the video, if it is approaching 100% efficiency why does it not have a plastic chimney? My gas boiler does.
And to get that high it must condense?
I am not sure if your question is serious. If it is, then:
1) They are 80-90 percent efficient not 100 percent.
2) One has to open the bypass door when adding wood, which makes them operate like a standard fireplace during that time and flames sometimes can be seen exiting the chimney.
3) The season start-up process requires kindling to be burnt with the bypass door open to create a coal bed. Again, flames coming up through the chimney.
4) Even though they are efficient - during high burn mode the temperature going through the heat exchanger may be 1400 degrees Fahrenheit and not all of that energy, in the form of hot gasses, is scrubbed off by the heat exchanger.
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I had not watched the video, if it is approaching 100% efficiency why does it not have a plastic chimney? My gas boiler does.
And to get that high it must condense?
I am not sure if your question is serious. If it is, then:
1) They are 80-90 percent efficient not 100 percent.
2) One has to open the bypass door when adding wood, which makes them operate like a standard fireplace during that time and flames sometimes can be seen exiting the chimney.
3) The season start-up process requires kindling to be burnt with the bypass door open to create a coal bed. Again, flames coming up through the chimney.
4) Even though they are efficient - during high burn mode the temperature going through the heat exchanger may be 1400 degrees Fahrenheit and not all of that energy, in the form of hot gasses, is scrubbed off by the heat exchanger.
My guess is The Boiler is from another site that is here to just bust b@lls..........but what do I know ::)