Outdoor Wood Furnace Info
All-Purpose OWF Discussions => General Outdoor Furnace Discussion => Topic started by: jtepn87 on January 11, 2014, 08:34:40 PM
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I'm new to the OWB world, and don't yet have one. I have grown tired of spending 1200-1500 a winter on propane, and have begun to research the boiler market. I have found a few boilers that would most likely fit my need in the <$5000 range. I'm currently considering either an Earth Rancher or a Wood Boiler standard. I'm sure there are more out there but these are the ones that have stuck in my mind. I was hoping to get some pros and cons on both set ups, or if there is something else that may better suit me. I live in an aprox 50x25 double wide and may eventually heat a 16x32 shed. I will also probably heat my dhw with this system.
Thank you.
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I'm pretty certain I paid a little over $4k for my Heatmor 200CSS a few years back. Stainless steel water jacket, ash auger tube below the grates, fire brick and sand bottom so there's nothing to rust out, forced draft. I'm very happy with mine and it's more than big enough to heat your doublewide and shed. There weren't nearly as many manufacturers back then so there might be better out there but I know what I have works quite well for me and I'd recommend it.
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I thought the Heatmors were a little more than that, but I will look into them again as I have a couple neighbors very happy with their Heatmores.
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Heatmor are wayyy more than that and make for some what of a difficult install. For a boiler under the 5k mark the riegewood would be hard to beat
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Heatmor are wayyy more than that and make for some what of a difficult install. For a boiler under the 5k mark the riegewood would be hard to beat
I would 2nd that along with what my buddy Scott stated. Ridgewood Bro and don't look back.
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It's been a few years..
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Ridgewood. Good unit with very good backing from the builder.
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Ridgewoodstove.com
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I am satisfied with my HeatSource1, it is a Heatmor twin, the company went bankrupt, was sold and I am not sure what design they make now but in 04 I paid $3800 for it, not sure why Scott says the install is more complicated? Hooked up supply and return lines and power, must be similar to most, other installs? Not sure on other brands and not trying to promote, just telling you my experience, for the record I am very happy for the last 10 years of no propane. Good luck on your choice, there are many more now, don't forget how important a good local dealer can be.
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I carry a Heat Master furnace that sells for $4,900. If you are going to buy a furnace for anything close to $5000 you will most likely have to do it in 2014.
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That stinks. I don't know if I will have the funds yet this year, that's why I was trying to stay in the <5k territory. Did I not look close enough on here or are the Ridgewoods just not mentioned much on here yet?
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Yea 2014 is your last chance....
Heatmor are more complicated with all the sand, pad requirements, etc
But there def not 5k
Yoder is right as well!
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That stinks. I don't know if I will have the funds yet this year, that's why I was trying to stay in the <5k territory. Did I not look close enough on here or are the Ridgewoods just not mentioned much on here yet?
There are a few Ridgewood threads in the General Discussion area. Many members have petitioned the webmaster to add a Ridgewood area in the Brands section, but to no avail. Do some more searches and you'll find the Ridgewood threads. Lots of good things said about them on here.
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...For a boiler under the 5k mark the riegewood would be hard to beat
Scott, are you not recommending Earth for a sub-$5K unit?
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I am the proud owner of a Earth Rancher 365. I am very pleased with its performance and the help from the manufacture. The total package was well over $5000.
Matt
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I know that for most 5k wont touch the full install, but if a person could stay south of that, they could do the whole setup for less than or at least close to the price that something like a Central Boiler costs for just the furnace.
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I have an Earth Woodsman model and have right at 8 grand in it. This includes stove, pump, heat and DHW exchanger (built in stove), all fitings and misc parts and tools needed to install. I'm very happy with this OWB and with the price of propane, it will pay for itself in two to three years. As others have said on this forum, make sure you are willing to do the work and spend the time it takes to get wood and keep the box filled.
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Ive had a lot of folks this year get a ridgewood and installation parts under 5k, but not everyone can
Those were picked up here of course, but shipping isnt to bad
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I guess when I installed my OWB the cost was not a issue at all because I had money going out to pay for propane so I just took the money out of the gas mans hand and made a payment on my boiler instead. The only difference I seen was that eventually the boiler got paid for and the gas man never did.
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What's everyone's opinion on the Timberwolves? How long do they last, and how many ports are on the smaller models?
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Well, you could take your chances on a used boiler.
My FIL picked up a used Hardy H2 last year for $2500 and it came with pex and Heat Exchanger.
The HX was wrong size so I took it and built a garage heater out of it.
So, he had to buy HX for furnace and Hot water and some fittings. Probably has less than $3500 in the whole thing. He placed it right next to the house where there was an outdoor warm air wood stove removed. So no cost in underground trench or slab. Just 3 sections of insulated chimney to get above roofline of ranch home.
Buying used is scary though. The Hardy was cheap and its stainless so less risk of buying something rotted out. A crack in stainless can be fixed whereas mild steel rotted out could be scrap.
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Well Im still a ways off from being able to buy one. I'm really just trying to get everything lined up so that when I'm ready, it's go time. But I will consider anything that will save me money. I can do some basic welding and know some professional welders/ metal workers so used doesn't totally scare me, as long as it's in decent shape.
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I know that for most 5k wont touch the full install, but if a person could stay south of that, they could do the whole setup for less than or at least close to the price that something like a Central Boiler costs for just the furnace.
My Ridgewood + install totaled out at $5550. This was pipe, all fittings, hx for house, hx for garage, dhw exchanger, three pumps(one spare), electric to stove, two yards of concrete, and a mini excavator rental.
The Woodmaster I was looking at was $6200+tax at local dealer. Add the $1850 for the rest of the install and I would have been over $8000.
On a post the other day someone asked what made us decide to buy a boiler. I replied that at roughly $4000 for propane it was an easy decision. Now, I got to thinking about that. That would have been with t-stat set at 68°, maybe 70° using $2/gal. for a not real cold winter. And I think this will get gears turning in other people's heads and make them feel even better. With the boiler, my t-stat is at 75°, AND I am heating a second building now. Dhw would still fall under original number with a propane water heater. Propane is currently at $2.89 locally from what I was told today. Looking at it this way, how much am I saving? $6000 yearly? $7000 maybe for this winter due to the colder than normal temps we have been having? I'm figuring I'd be on my third fill right now with the house alone @ 68°. Let's just assume a 350gal fill on a 500 gal tank. 350×3 @ $2.89= $3034.50. And it's only the middle of January. If the cold continues, I'd be looking at 3 more fills minimum maybe even 4. On top of that, let's remember the house is set at 75° and a second building is now being heated with the boiler, making those numbers saved even higher than the numbers we just came up with.
Anyone here that has a boiler, will tell you that it is hard shelling out that initial chunk of cash. But, it will pay for itself in a relatively short amount of time. While it will never MAKE you money, it will certainly allow you to keep that money in your pocket to help with the other household bills and maybe even take the family out for dinner here and there.
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Mr. Speed, I have the same theory programmed into my savings spreadsheet. I have one column that shows hard dollar savings. But, I have a second column that calculates what my bills WOULD'VE been if I had been at 74 degrees and not 65. That column shows savings MUCH faster!! Scott7m told me that you increase your bill about 3% per degree of thermostat degree increase.
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Scott/Yoder,
Are the northern states going towards phase 2 standards or are you both thinking 2014 will be the year EPA
cracks down on all OWB manufacturers?
I hate to see it happening, we all know the goobernment is reaching to far into eachothers lives??
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CountryBoyJohn, I knew there was probably a formula out there but I guess I never thought to ask anyone. As I was writing that post last night it was making me kind of sick thinking how much I'd be spending on propane. Yet, it was making me quite relieved at having that boiler out there. Never thought to mention this last night, but the man who I got the $2.89/gal from, told me that the supplier's cost was $1.70. While that markup may seem ridiculous, I don't hold that against a supplier. There is a lot of money involved in transports, storage, delivery, fuel, employees, etc., etc., and you can't expect them to do it for free. It sure does make me feel good that those dollars aren't coming out of my pocket though. One more thing, last Saturday, I talked to one of the local company's transport drivers. He told me that they had already moved more propane as of last week than the total sold the previous winter. I told him I was going to hug my boiler when I got home, lol.
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Fryedaddy,
I think it will most likely be early 2015 and it will be nationwide.
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yes I have a rancher 365 as well. Really low the stove, don't care for the no ash pan but also like my big door. I would buy another one like it because having the extra big door is awesome when your out there in sub zero weather trying to jam every stick in there you can to last for 12+ hours until you get home. I don't like the pre-made owb piping I bought. But again all said and done I'm at around 9k. 4300 stove. 1200 underground piping, 500 concrete pad and sidewalk. 1000 for water softener, and heat exchangers pump and other misc pex fittings, another 1500. I am on a well pump with lots of lime so a water softener was a must to keep my heat exchangers cleaner. All said and done you will be out there in the cold splitting wood one day and asking yourself is this worth it? And it is if you like being outside and cutting wood. If your thinking of buying wood. Forget it all. You can't come out if you consider the time.