Outdoor Wood Furnace Info

All-Purpose OWF Discussions => General Outdoor Furnace Discussion => Topic started by: eddie123 on March 31, 2014, 05:29:33 PM

Title: Distance of stove from your house
Post by: eddie123 on March 31, 2014, 05:29:33 PM
Hello everyone, Posting some questions for my Hubby. We just recently ordered a Natures Comfort 250, waiting for it to be delivered. Hubby is trying to decide where to place it and how far from the house. He also is undecided on a full slap or just concrete at the legs. Does anyone have an opinion to share? Pictures of how you have done your stove would also be nice. Thanks
Title: Re: Distance of stove from your house
Post by: ITO on March 31, 2014, 06:09:42 PM
 Welcome, a few things come to mind, you can find a preformed slab, that has worked for me, if your going to pour a slab it's nice to have a poured piece in front of the door so you can clear snow easily. Some insurance companies want a distance from the house, mine says 25' min. The further you put it the more $ you will have in underground pipe and it can get spendy. Good luck with the install.
Title: Re: Distance of stove from your house
Post by: slimjim on March 31, 2014, 07:43:26 PM
READ READ READ, there is so much info on this site it will make your head spin,  WELCOME ABOARD!!!!!
Title: Re: Distance of stove from your house
Post by: victor6deep on March 31, 2014, 07:59:19 PM
I would give him a full slap. Hahaha anyway pour the concrete you won't regret it especially spring thaw.
Title: Re: Distance of stove from your house
Post by: CountryBoyJohn on March 31, 2014, 08:11:32 PM
If you can afford it, pour the concrete! And leave lots of room in front of the stove. More than you think you would need!
Title: Re: Distance of stove from your house
Post by: BoilerHouse on April 01, 2014, 04:53:45 AM
My boiler is 165 feet from the house and 90 feet from the garage in a corner of the property with lots of room for receiving a load of logs and cutting, splitting and piling that load.  However, you do want to keep in mind that you will be going out to fill your boiler in the dark when it could be raining or snowing.  Also, consider prevailing winds so any incidental smoke is carried away from you and your neighbors.
Title: Re: Distance of stove from your house
Post by: oldchenowth on April 01, 2014, 04:56:10 AM
I poured two short slabs under the persches and a 4' slab in front of the door.   Pour the whole slab under the stove and 6' to 8' in front of the door.  You will not regret the extra space.

Distance - insurance company and local ordinance is king.  Other than that, close to your wood pile.
Title: Re: Distance of stove from your house
Post by: MO_Hunter on April 01, 2014, 12:30:57 PM
Mine is installed 20' from my house on a full slab.  Pour the slab can not count how many time hot coal have drop on the ground when opening the door.  Easier to stomp out or scoop up off concrete.  Mine sits under our yard light so nighttime fills are not a blind event

Have a friend that install his over 100 ft away but he heats his barn also so he split the distance. It still make a walk to load in the dark.
Title: Re: Distance of stove from your house
Post by: MattyNH on April 01, 2014, 07:01:11 PM
Im 90ft from my house then another 30ft in my basement to my oil boiler.. Yeah def pour the extra slab where you will be loading the stove..Wish I did it...
Title: Re: Distance of stove from your house
Post by: fireboss on April 01, 2014, 07:47:46 PM
Iam  14' away from the house, the town said 12', its nice when its bad weather out and lots of snow on the ground
Title: Re: Distance of stove from your house
Post by: LittleJohn on April 02, 2014, 08:05:23 AM
I am about 20' from garage (50' OWB to Mechanical room) & maybe 50' from house (75' OWB to Mechanical room), about as evenly split as I coudl go with out major headache (water/sewer/electrical)

No agree, that shoudl check with insurance, might get a break if over a set distance from structure.  Also must meet local code ordinace.
Title: Re: Distance of stove from your house
Post by: Lamont on April 16, 2014, 10:36:01 AM
I'm building this summer and putting in OWB, so I just called my insurance guy (and local fire chief) that carries a number of different companies, along with his dad carrying another company.  He said they range from 30-50' with their policies so he told me to stay at least 50' away from any structure so I can shop around different companies when I want to. 
Title: Re: Distance of stove from your house
Post by: ffbare on April 16, 2014, 03:53:52 PM
If your about 20 feet from your house how tall would your chimney need to be?
Title: Re: Distance of stove from your house
Post by: slimjim on April 16, 2014, 04:12:48 PM
With the unit that close, if it smokes you will want extend over the peak and that will suck the heat out of your unit unless you install a barometric damper on the stack.
Title: Re: Distance of stove from your house
Post by: ffbare on April 16, 2014, 04:48:19 PM
Are chimney fires an issue or sparks shooting out of the top?
Title: Re: Distance of stove from your house
Post by: slimjim on April 16, 2014, 05:19:20 PM
All depends on the stove, conventionals could be an issue, gassers not so much
Title: Re: Distance of stove from your house
Post by: browncty on April 19, 2014, 11:20:38 PM
Mine is 54' from my home. I have 8" rienforced slabs under mine.
Title: Re: Distance of stove from your house
Post by: the trailmaster on April 20, 2014, 03:25:35 AM
I would also consider ground freezing and lifting.  Make sure slab is raised to deal with frost heaves if this is local to your area.  If not, you could find your unit sitting in a pool of water mid winter as the ground heaves around it.  Just a thought!!!!
Title: Re: Distance of stove from your house
Post by: Roger2561 on April 20, 2014, 04:20:45 AM
When I was deciding on placement of mine, I called my zone enforcement officer and inquired about distance from the house.  In our town he said go by manufacturers recommendation; that was 20 to 30 feet.  So, mine is at 25 feet from the house.

the trailmaster has a good point.  I live in NH where ground freezing is a way of life.  I did not pour a slab, I use those solid cement blocks measuring 4in thick by 8in wide by 16in long that outlines of OWB.  My problem is I didn't properly prepare the area.  I thought I did but the clue I hadn't is that I'm experiencing some heaving in one corner.  So far it hasn't effected my OWB, but I've been lucky.  My idea to combat that is to put in a flex joint that will allow the OWB to move without compromising water flow to and from the house.  If that doesn't work, I fear I'll have to it jack up and redo the ground under it.  Roger
Title: Re: Distance of stove from your house
Post by: Hammersquash on April 20, 2014, 06:08:14 AM
  I am installing as we speak. 
 
  My boiler is 165' from my home and I will be using logstor insulated PEX.  The supplier not far from me gives you a roll on a trailer and you cut off what you need at the job site.
  I am pouring a 4" concrete slab with 2 inches of compacted A gravel as a base.  I am hoping I don't get any heaving but I guess next winter will be the test.  We sure had a long cold one this year.
  The boiler is 15' from my shop but the shop is completely clad in metal so there is no worries there.  I would put as much thought as possible as to where the smoke is going 360' around the stack of your boiler.
Title: Re: Distance of stove from your house
Post by: Sprinter on April 20, 2014, 08:37:12 PM
Floating slabs are not effected much by freeze thaw heaving at these small sizes. Just a 1" thick foam board underneath and this small size is cheap to have some wire , rebar or even scrap that is under 1" diameter. We have a lot of greenhouses , heated floors or not, 40x100 with reagular 3000psi mix and Michigan has some bad freeze thaw cycles to heave. Our roads are famous for it.
Title: Re: Distance of stove from your house
Post by: Jwood on April 20, 2014, 09:29:59 PM
I would go more than 2" of gravel but that's just me.