Outdoor Wood Furnace Info

All-Purpose OWF Discussions => General Outdoor Furnace Discussion => Topic started by: easyrider470 on April 09, 2012, 08:12:50 AM

Title: First OWB purchase
Post by: easyrider470 on April 09, 2012, 08:12:50 AM

So we have a homemade wood boiler that is just not cutting the mustard any more so we are going to upgrade.  I am looking at the following boilers and would like to get some opinions as well as possible owner reviews on the stoves I am interested in.  We are heating 3700 sq ft 2 story home with a full basement.  We also heat the DHW and would liek to look into running the dryer off the boiler also.  In the future I will heat my pole barn with it which is a 3 car garage with a small 10x20 shop area on one end in addition to the house.

I am currently looking into the Natures Comfort 325G or NCB 250 and the Earth Woodsman 400 and the Mountain man 500

Please let me know if you own one of these stoves, or have owned these stoves.  I would also really like to know if you are in my area and have one so I can come and see it and talk to you about it in person.  I am in Southern, Indiana.

Thanks ahead of time!

Title: Re: First OWB purchase
Post by: Bull on April 09, 2012, 05:57:08 PM

Welcome to the site easyrider, I am in Southern Indiana also but I have a Hardy H2

Title: Re: First OWB purchase
Post by: RSI on April 09, 2012, 09:41:21 PM

If it were me I would go with the NC 325G. (I sell NC so I am biased  Lol)
The 250 is most likely not going to handle pole building.

Also you may already know, Nature's Comfort boilers made in Indiana. (if that makes any difference to you)

Title: Re: First OWB purchase
Post by: easyrider470 on April 10, 2012, 06:09:13 AM

Thanks RSI....It is important to me that it's made in my state.  Not a lot of folks can have that luxury.

I am currently kicking myself because I COULD have had the 325G for an unbeatable price but I was dragging my feet making the decision to replace the homemade boiler and missed on that deal.  However, I still have the opportunity to purchase the NCB 250 at an unbeatable price as well.  Even after my chat with Bob at the factory i don't think I will be able to beat the price I am going to get the 250 for. 

Looks like I will go with the 250 and just do the house and the DHW and not worry about the pole barn.  I have an old wood stove in the barn that will take the edge off on the cold days without a problem.

Does everyone think the 250 will be enough for 3700 sq ft with 2 furnaces and DHW?  I would like to be able to heat a hot tub in the future as well. 

Title: Re: First OWB purchase
Post by: allis48 on April 11, 2012, 12:17:15 PM

I am heating my house and a 30x64 building with my nc250 works pretty well the building is set at about 50 all day thgen when I am working or planning on working I turn it up. when I try to run it at 70 at night it really goes thru the wood

Title: Re: First OWB purchase
Post by: easyrider470 on April 11, 2012, 03:23:47 PM

How many square feet is your house?  Are you also doing your hot water?

Title: Re: First OWB purchase
Post by: allis48 on April 12, 2012, 04:24:23 AM

Around a 1000 no hot water

Title: Re: First OWB purchase
Post by: easyrider470 on April 12, 2012, 06:52:29 AM

Yeah that stove is barely working to heat 1,000 sq feet.  Our house is 3700 sq feet including the basement and we heat DHW so I want to make sure I am buying enough stove.  We want to be able to heat a hot tub in the future so I don't want to have just enough stove for our current situation and not be able to do anything else with it.

Title: Re: First OWB purchase
Post by: Hydronix on April 12, 2012, 11:28:02 AM

You can always add storage to cover more square feet. A buffer tank can be sized to cover any size need you want to heat. IF a 150 kbtu unit can heat 5000sqft, then with proper design that unit can handle what you have.