Outdoor Wood Furnace Info
All-Purpose OWF Discussions => General Outdoor Furnace Discussion => Topic started by: Lancealott on April 08, 2014, 05:42:21 PM
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Hi I am new here but not new to OWBs, nor to wood heat. I had a Adobe that lasted just long enough for the company to disappear and then a Sequoia E-3400. I will attempt to post a pic of the now gone woodshed and boiler. The fire inspector could not find the reason for the fire. He could not eliminate the boiler but could not find a problem with it either. Best guess was electrical, he could not find anything wrong there either. He (actually there were 2 and they were there for hours searching) said they have had a lot of rodent caused electrical fires this year. Also that he has seen some from use of the push in wire holes on the back of outlets and switches. They did not give me a hard time but you can be sure that the new P&M 250 (I have been told it's the first of the new designee ordered in the north east) will not be under the shed. They highly recommended a metal car port for over the boiler. Oh well could figure out how to post a picture. It took about 15 minutes for a 28' by 30' shed and 5 cord of wood to disappear. The fire department put 1600 gallons of foam on what was left of the wood pile, it was a foot thick. They were hear for a couple of hours getting everything out. Aluminum roofing burns real well.
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I think I know you, welcome aboard, glad you saw the light, sorry I could not have been there to convince you sooner on the shed thing
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My system is in its own building, I am on well water so my water system is in there as well, sort of my tool shop. Perhaps I need to add sprinkler heads?
I have it set up so I can easily keep a cord in there during the winter, with a garage door to allow easy refill.
One day... I have this vision of trailers, like they have for taking baggage to aircraft, have enough of them to hold a months worth of wood, wheel them in as needed. I remember reading of one guy who made 4'x4'x4' racks, now he had a back hoe with forks, I do not.
This year as I re stock I will keep my stacks separate, say no more than 4 cords without a fire break.
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Just came home from bangor today and saw the remains of a wood boiler that was under a wooden roof off the back of a barn in Corinth. Let's just say I think his opinion will probably be the same as yours.. Sad site for sure...
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Kind of defeats the purpose doesn't it Randy, Theboiler is your unit pressurized and if so do you have non powered dump zones in case of a power outage?
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So whats the theory on the start of the fires? Errant coal that fell out of the door and wasn't seen or the random spark out of the stack?
I was really hoping to place a structure of some sort over the next boiler I built, nothing more than a roof really with some overhang over the back of the unit and a lot over the front. Wouldn't be centered over the unit either, more off to the right as you stand there looking at the door so you'd have lots of room to place a couple of racks to the right of it that would hold half a cord a piece. I'm thinking steel roof and covering any exposed wood on either end with barn tin or just flash any exposed wood.
After studying mine I'm pretty sure the trouble spots I have with corrosion is from external water penetration and not internal from condensation or creosote. Of course took 14 heating seasons to get to the point where it's a concern. Current placement doesn't really allow something as wide as a carport over it.
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... The fire department put 1600 gallons of foam on what was left of the wood pile, it was a foot thick. They were hear for a couple of hours getting everything out. Aluminum roofing burns real well.
Its amazing how fast fire moves, they once did a controlled burn near town about a decade ago with a delapitated old house (part training, part rednecks having fun). From first ignition to total engulf, was on the order of like 10 minutes, and 20 minutes after full engulf -> total collapse.
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Who really knows, I have seen many times that the homeowner builds a wooden structure with no consideration of fire hazard from sparks, gasoline or fuel oil stored in the area or we had one guy locally in Maine where the homeowner used gasoline to start his wood boiler a year ago, not sure he is even out of his tent at the hospital in Boston yet, also if the homeowner builds a shelter he should keep in mind that sooner or later he will want to replace the unit so easy removal needs to be considered.
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Picture of enclosure near my dads OWB, able to hold about 1/2 to 1 cord of wood, LP Generator and Main electrical panel. PIcture is several years old, cause now it has metal siding and a roof, but u get the idea
**OWB is not in final location, it is actually turned 90 degrees so it opens toward the structure.
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This would have nothing around it but the OWB and at most a cord of wood.
In the summer we'd place a bench under it to relax.
Just not really feasible in my case to move it to make room for any of the metal carports I've seen. Can't go east as the hill drops off behind it. Can't go north as have a lilac bush and a telephone pole in the way. West is out of the question as already have a sidewalk there and both our pickups are parked on the west side of the walk. Can't really go south either as then you start getting pretty close to the main drive and no place to put wood then.
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Kind of defeats the purpose doesn't it Randy, Theboiler is your unit pressurized and if so do you have non powered dump zones in case of a power outage?
Not pressurised, I do have the latter.
I did allow for a generator, then they spent an inordinate amount of money upgrading the power system locally. Keep on thinking there must be a secret facility nearby.
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I'm still planning on building a structure around mine.
I will have plenty of clearance around the chimney stack and the rest of the structure. The front will have a sliding door that will be large enough to R&R the OWB in the future if needed.
This will be built as a post frame structure and for me I guess the benefits outweigh the risks.
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However the wood burning setup, I always plan on having a fire in the design. You just never know what fire plans on doing one day. It has a mind of its own it seems.
You can buy sprinkler heads cheap, $3 an up each. Just pay attention to the temp rating and where you plan on placing them. Several of our communities require them in any mechanical room residential and commercial.
Sorry to hear about your fire, good electrical components are important as well.
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I'm still planning on building a structure around mine.
I will have plenty of clearance around the chimney stack and the rest of the structure. The front will have a sliding door that will be large enough to R&R the OWB in the future if needed.
This will be built as a post frame structure and for me I guess the benefits outweigh the risks.
mine was an old unused shed on the farm...i uprooted it and pulled it to where i wanted my OWB, poured a floor in it to store wood on and installed a sliding door on it and i have been able to have my wood dry and snowless and my arse out of the wind when firing the OWB for the last 13 years...i agree with skorpyd...the risk has been worth it (for me anyway)
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Personally, I love having my OWB in my barn. It's on a concrete slab and is in its shell as well. I keep roughly 3-4 cords inside the barn as well. It's great in the winter when there's a foot of snow on the ground and beer that's being neglected in the fridge. Nonetheless, it's insured.
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I have shown these before but this is where I was planning to place my BL 34/44 when it comes, in the right side where the canoe is. I would remove the rafters near the insulated stack and frame around it to carry the weight. I will pour a concrete pad where the compacted gravel is now.
The wood shed will be extended to the left two more sections so it should hold 14 to 15 cords ( I hope )
The stack will be extended with insulated chimney above the steel roof using a thimble.
I have zero experience with an OWB but 30+ years of heating only with wood stoves and I do not understand where the risk comes from. I am not trying to be difficult, I want to know what I am missing here.
To my way of thinking I am taking away the risk of three wood stoves in the house and one in the shop and replacing it with one stove under a steel roof beside a huge pile of wood. Now I can see that if there is a fire there it will be quite a sight, however it would pale in comparison to a 5000 square foot pine log and pine board and batten house with a cedar shingle roof! They would see that from space.
I am trying to look down the road so that as I can more easily manage by having the wood within carrying or wheel barrow distance of the stove in all weather including possibly the summer.
I just do not see where there is a fire hazard from the BL 34/44 if it is properly used with the respect it deserves.
When I am teaching my son about wood working tools I stress to him that table saws, scroll saws, band saws etc have no remorse, they will cut you up and keep on going like you were never there, the same respect must accompany fire, it is totally indifferent to us.
Bob
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I plan on having a metal roof, and enclosing the underside so birds can't roost under it and crap on everything all summer long.
I can borrow my uncles 8' flashing brake to wrap the poles or any other exposed wood. I plan on extending the stack horizontally and going up the past the edge of the roof instead of cutting a hole in the roof.
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The way it looks to me the 34-44 won't even fit under that after you put your pad in I could be wrong maybe you've already measured but the 34-44 has some height. Again that's just the way it looks from the picture.
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Bob, could you not simply put the boiler just outside on the right and extend the building with metal studs and roofing, this would give you more storage area for your wood and better eliminate fire hazard
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The way it looks to me the 34-44 won't even fit under that after you put your pad in I could be wrong maybe you've already measured but the 34-44 has some height. Again that's just the way it looks from the picture.
Yes it does fit in there, the bottom of the front beam is 96 inches then the rafters start 7.5 inches above that running backwards.
The unit is 82 inches, the pad would be flush with the compacted gravel.
The stack is offset to the side, therefor to the front of this slopped roof. measured from the center of the unit back there is good room.
Never the less I keep looking at alternatives, the end goal being the ability to carry armloads or a wheelbarrow of wood in all weather easily now and into the future. I keep thinking that if I place it separate from the shed I will look back and think I was dumb to do so having to transport the fuel 10 or 20 feet to the stove. I have done that for years so I am looking at making it easier to do.
Bob
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Bob, could you not simply put the boiler just outside on the right and extend the building with metal studs and roofing, this would give you more storage area for your wood and better eliminate fire hazard
Hi Richard,
I will post some pictures I took this afternoon tomorrow if I have time that show that area better. I am off early in the morning to pick up 12 cast iron radiators of various sizes, 500 kilometers round trip, so I have no time to load the pics tonight.
Bob
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Could you do an addition on the end to keep you under cover made of non flammable material, Great score on the Rads, I think I have mentioned before, that is my second favorite way to heat, radiant is my first choice, you might want to check them for leaks before installing them.
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Heres a few pics of my pole shed..pics are a couple yrs old..
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Nice stack, says a lot.
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Hi. I had planned the same idea with a shed around my owb. This is my first year with this one and I planned on building shed this summer, until about 3 weeks ago I was leaving for work in a hurry as usual and on a windy day I filled my stove. As usual I rake the coals around and mound them up with a shovel before filling. Needless to say a Half hour later my wife calls and says the wood pile about 5' away is in a full blaze. I had it stacked in front of stove but off to the side a bit. I guess while raking coals around one fell out and the wind blew it across my concrete and onto some bark and scrap wood lying on the ground. I keep my scraps shoveled up fairly good but not good enough. My stove sits 12' from a 50x70 barn. My idea was to build a lean to from barn and leave stove just outside. A lot of people use this method. The fire darn near burned down my barn and boiler. No damage to either because luckily she was home and I had a garden hose nearby already hooked up. It burned up half a cord of dried wood. If I would of had a shed built it would of burned my entire barn down. Wind was blowing 30mph that day. This changed my mind completely. I think I am going to actually move
My stove 10' further away and just use my wheelbarrow to fill. It takes 20 extra seconds. Just my 2 cents worth.
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Thats a wake up call, sucks that you burned half a cord but at least that's all it was!!!
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Well based on the views of some of the members I have decided not to put my boiler in my wood shed.
When it all comes down to it I see that I can still put my OWB on a new slab, build a steel roof over it and have room on the side for a bucket of wood using the tractor. Both will stay dry, including me!
I am not in a position to erect a steel frame and roof, not being a welder of any sort, but I can erect a simple post and truss affair with a steel roof which will minimize the hazard.
I have the pictures and I will try to show the new location relative to the surroundings tomorrow.
Thanks to those who opinions have been considered,
Bob
Bob
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THANK YOU !!!!
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THANK YOU !!!!
I knew you would be happy!
I also have made arrangements to have to BL 34/44 dropped off at the local rental equipment facility. He has all manner of equipment there and then he will deliver it on a low tilt and load so I can off lift it with my tractor and onto the slab, then I will frame the roof over the boiler. This also circumvents the half load restrictions on the roads.
Happy happy happy !
Bob