Outdoor Wood Furnace Info
All-Purpose OWF Discussions => General Outdoor Furnace Discussion => Topic started by: drex on June 03, 2014, 06:35:03 AM
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Hey I was wondering if anyone can help me out with getting a boiler in NE PA. I'm looking to burn coal for a good part of the winter and some wood in the spring and fall. I kind of have it nailed down to the Heatmaster 5000e or the Natures Comfort NCB-250 COAL unit. Dealers around my area kind of lackluster in their attempt to sell a boiler (more like I'll put a sign by the road and hope someone buys one.) I'm not sure if having one shipped up could be the option or if driving a couple hours to pick one up is going to be the route I end up going. If anyone can help me out please send me a PM or let me know. Thanks
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Have you seen the Portage and Main Ultimizer shaker grate for wood or coal, we do have a dealer in western Jersey
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Portage and Main have a fantstic coal burning shaker grate boiler. Here is what it looks like inside and out.
LINK: PICTURES: Tour de P&M Ultimizer BL 34-44 (Click Here) (http://outdoorwoodfurnaceinfo.com/forum/index.php?topic=5197.msg46905#msg46905)
Worth a look. ;)
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How does the P&M do with burning coal? Most of the posts I could find on burning coal have been from the NCB or Heatmaster. The only thing that scares me about the NCB is the other to seem to have quite a bit better reputation. For Customer Service/warranty if needed.
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It's a true shaker grate and the base is dry with ceramic lining.
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How does the P&M do with burning coal?
Give me a a few more months for my installation and I'll tell you. :thumbup:
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Naughty boy, you're gonna make Bama cry with the talk of coal.
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Naughty boy, you're gonna make Bama cry with the talk of coal.
Not sure what this "coal" is that you speak of,,, I only bun dark black compressed wood nuggets. :P
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I don't mean to hi jack this post lol, but my neighbor an I are going to burn coal this next winter in our OWBs. He has an ACME and I have a Hardy. I hope all this negative coal talk goes away as my family and I also depend in coal for a living, working at a coal fired power plant,we ear all the negative talks on how dirty coal is and how it's harmful for our environment....
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What are we going to power all our Hybrid electric cars with if the administration succeeds in shutting down the coal fired power plants, simply another B/S way to transfer/steal wealth from one and give it to another in exchange for votes= POWER TO REIGN Hello KNEEL
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Indiana is screwed on this new EPA crap, 84% of our electric comes from coal.
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Wow, you P&M guys really jumped on this one! Mr. Drex, your HM 5,000E is a good stove to look at. I have the 10,000E and burned about a half ton of coal last winter. I have another ton in the shed ready for next. It did really well. The shaker grates did their job. I had one come off it's track near the end of the winter, but I got it fixed.
I think you'll find that the HM line is a little more budget friendly. Don't get me wrong, the P&M stoves look great, but I wanted Stainless and I didn't have the $$$ for the P&M. There are several NCB-250 Coal burners on here as well. Another budget friendly stove.
Keep looking. Keep reading. Find one of these stoves and put your hands on it. Find the stove that works for you.
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Be careful if the up front cost is all that concerns you right now. A stove is an investment over a long period of time hopefully. Calculating long term cost, 5yr,10yr,15yr down the road is where you see the budget friendly models end up costing more. IF they live that long.
Don't get caught up in the super duper warranty to cover you either, cuz with a good stove you won't need it. Or the " I can weld, patch, fix that up if it happens idea" doesn't always go so well at 2am or when parts aren't easily available.
Don't take this as a specific stab at the brands you mentioned cuz its not. Both have a decent rep here and else where.
I firmly believe the P&m stoves higher efficiency will surely save you money in fuel also. I shot a couple with the FLIR and that doesn't lie about where the heat goes, and how much.
Good luck and most important of all is the design and install.
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Thanks Sprinter, where you been, haven't heard from you lately, everything OK?
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P&M stoves arn't stainless are they?
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No they are not! I will not get into the issues with stainless anymore than to say that some manufacturers have had good results with stainless, we have not and made the choice to build a high quality unit that is sectional and easy to repair either by welding or replacing parts in the feild, the one thing I personally do not like about stainless is that it is not at all easy for the layman to repair.
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Thanks Sprinter, where you been, haven't heard from you lately, everything OK?
Oh yeah, just busy with the new baby and work is crazy.....
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New Baby? CONGRATULATIONS! very busy here as well, the Economy must be improving, I saw only 1 panhandler in Biddeford Me. on my way out of town day before yesterday, he was standing in front of Wal- Mart about 200 feet from a crew of guys digging a ditch by hand for a new light in front of the Sushi bar, I wonder if he approached them for a job.
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Thanks Sprinter, where you been, haven't heard from you lately, everything OK?
Oh yeah, just busy with the new baby and work is crazy.....
Grats on the newest deduction.
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P&M stoves aren't stainless, are they?
No. The firebox is 1/4" cold rolled mild carbon steel and the outer water jacket is 3/8" cold-rolled mild steel. Cold rolled "mild steel" is basically a low carbon steel with 0.05% to 0.30% carbon in its composition. Strong and relatively inexpensive (for a steel).
The Portage & Main BL series Ultimizer fireboxes are lined with 2 1/2 inches of refractory cement in firebox or increased thermal mass and elimination of issues with ash line corrosion.
The chimney extensions are indeed stainless steel (304).
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So I have been reading everyone's comments and still researching other threads as well and have really been pulled towards the P&M Ultimizers. I have a dealer about 3 hours or so away in Somerset, PA (if anyone has dealt with him before and has some feedback. He also lists them on ebay as well) and figured it wouldn't be that bad of a drive out there to look and/or pick on up. If I were to get one for what I have now I could easily run a 28-40 for my demand now and probably for the next 2 or 3 years. I'm figuring through my calculations I would need about 150k btu for the house and that would leave quite a bit available for DHW. I am planning on a 30x40 fully insulated garage going up in those next 2 or 3 years that I would also like to heat. Could I get away with the 28-40 or should I oversize now and go with the 34-44? This was a pretty cold winter for us this past winter but I would think for most of the year I would be ok with either relying on a secondary heat on just those real cold nights.
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Drex, please do not oversize to that extent, let Brian know that you will be interested in trading up when you get the garage built.
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Not only am I impressed with the boiler I am impressed with all of the people behind the unit that sell and support it.
I have a BL 34/44 on order.
Bob
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We are very happy to help, Thanks Bob.
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Scott, where have you been? I miss your insight and heated discussions with slim.
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Scott will be back soon, he is very busy, I spoke with him a few days ago!
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OK, can you explain your reasoning with that, it might help others understand better the differences
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Adding storage / buffer tank will fix any oversize ing issues. It will keep the stove in the Burne or sweet spot much longer and lengthen time between burn cycles.
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Koehndk could you please explain your preference to stainless, when I bought my new Leatherman last week, it came with an insert that said I should oil it to keep it from rusting, I thought stainless didn't rust, and for $85 dollars you would think it wouldn't, is there a brand of stove that you are aware of that is built with better stainless than my new Leatherman?
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what did you end up buying? I have a NCB 250 coal for 3-4 seasons now.
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Where in NE PA are you from? Im from the Williamsport area and could give you a few numbers of dealers in my area and surrounding. My dealer is a Hardy dealer which I have and love. There is 2 other dealers in my area that deal with Crown Royal and Heatmour.