Outdoor Wood Furnace Info
All-Purpose OWF Discussions => General Outdoor Furnace Discussion => Topic started by: timothy4140 on February 25, 2015, 04:23:05 PM
-
I am so confused, I have talked to many dealers on many different brands; and 3 different dealers on one brand - All different info...
I am in North Western VIRGINIA (not West Virginia)-
I would like to heat the following -
3400 sqft Residence w/ water to air in furnace; well insulated and good windows (many though);
400 sqft Bonus Room over Garage - not determined on what to use
750 sqft Attached Garage, with hung type unit (water lines for above listed bonus room)
Domestic Hot Water
I would like to do the above on one line set, then add second line set to a Shop 1800 sqft well insulated also.
Both the Garage and shop would not need the ability to reach high temps.
I have looked at CB6048, Woodmaster5500, Heat MasterMF10000, Heatmor400, Acme340 and Crown Royal7400...
I have had 3 different dealers for the same brand tell me different - 2 says big enough and 1 says noway...
ANY HELP...
-
6500 sq. ft. Not counting your DHW. If you have that many lines running through the house you probably should insulate them or else figure more in your sq. footage. I think you will need a large unit that's for sure. Probably something that's advertised to handle at least 10,000 sq. ft. If one dealer is saying no way, and by saying that he is refusing to sell you something and make a profit, then he might be reliable (unless he is trying to push you to a more expensive model I guess).
-
ridgewood 7500
-
The CB 6048 and the MF 10,000E should be the size you are after. I'm not as familiar with the other brands, so I can't comment on them.
-
The 10,000e wood be undersized for your application in Wisconsin. I'm not overly familiar with Virginias climate. I'm going to guess its quite a bit warmer so you might be alright. Maybe talk with some locals and see what they think.
-
The big central should handle it. Those things are beasts
-
thanks for all the input...
yea virginia is not as bad as you all get up north... most winter days 20-35f; we have had a fair amount of colder this year but i think everyone has... i currently have a clayton wood furnace in the basement and it does a fair job, just dont get the burn time... i work 10-12 hour shifts and come home to a cold house, not good... and want to be able to put some heat in my shop; I service all of our farm equipment through out the winter, to have ready for the spring season. get tired of listening to that kerosene heater. Kinda thinking may be able to write off a portion on my taxes for farm use...
I guess i should have told you all that house and shop apprx 90-100 feet apart; planning on OWB in between the two. 200+ acres of good hardwood, i will never be able to burn all the dead red oak in my lifetime; access to equipment to move large amounts of wood.
I am currently using 6-8 cord per year now...
thanks again for the info; love the site...
-
"" i work 10-12 hour shifts and come home to a cold house,"" > see > http://outdoorwoodfurnaceinfo.com/forum/index.php?topic=7238.msg60311#msg60311 (http://outdoorwoodfurnaceinfo.com/forum/index.php?topic=7238.msg60311#msg60311) lol........
-
What is it costing you to heat what you already have? What type of heat? Any estimates on how much it would cost to heat everything you listed with your current heat source? Several years worth of heating costs is a much better gauge that square footage.
-
No not exactly,
House is heat/pump and propane forced air; using about 600-800 gal propane a year. ($1200-2000 per year)
Electric goes up bout $100 per in 4-5 winter months(using electric heat in attached garage and bonus room, due to water lines and bathroom)
Still burning 6+ cords of wood.
Not counting kerosene/diesel in shop for torped. heater - I guess 50+ gals at $3.00gal
-
I cant get the german shepard to put wood in the stove...
Just me and my ole dog...
-
Regardless of the boiler make may I make a suggestion on the placement of your boiler? I would be thinking to put the unit close to the shop, think of it this way, you will be in your shop more than the house so feeding it will be easier, if you do get interested in somebody other than your old dog, that person will probably appreciate the stove being placed at the shop so they don't get blasted with smoke when they visit or spend the night! Feeding the boiler will be easiest at the shop rather than walking and hauling wood to the halfway point. Emissions, here is a simple trick I use when placing a boiler, cut a sapling about 10 feet long, tie a piece of flagging tape to one end and stick the other end into the ground, the flagging tape will tell you exactly what the smoke will do at that particular spot. You mentioned all models for conventional units, have you given any thought to gassers, I will be installing a HeatMaster G-400 in a couple of weeks to replace my old Wood Doctor, I burn a lot of wood (35 full cord ) per year and want to reduce that usage.
-
whatever unit you buy I think you may want to revisit your design on running all that , house , 3400 sqft , garage , 750., and bonus room , 400, and DHW from one set of lines, I think you need to look at 2 here and put a third for your shop,
-
All I can say is it's a good thing ya got free wood.
And with your place being left alone for 12 hours ,,,,,,,BURN TIME.
Got a guy down the road with a gasser, he's using less wood than me per square ft.,,, but has a small box and can't get more than 8 hours out of it
Keeps small wood stove going in the house. He's pi$$$ed
-
Get a big conventional. Ultimizer, 400css heatmor, heatmaster MF E, woodmaster. Unless you have to get a gasifier.
-
Woodmaster 5500 for your sq footage and application in Virginia. I run a Woodmaster 4400 in CT and I'm very happy with it. One suggestion don't skimp on the lines, make sure you install with quality insulated lines. If you can't, I would wait until you can before installing it.
http://www.woodmaster.com/woodfurnaces_5500.php (http://www.woodmaster.com/woodfurnaces_5500.php)
-
I think you would be happy with the central 6048, it will burn very large pieces of wood and I have had no trouble keeping the fire from going out. It is a very simple design that works good .
-
I am running a empyre pro 400 in NH heating 8000 sq ft.. I am currently in my second season and very happy with the performance. I use about 15 cords a year.
-
Slimjim, just wanted to let you know, i found a P&M dealer bout an hour south of me, great guys... Looked at a 3440 this afternoon. he feels very confident it will do well in my application. got to say it - P&M at the top of the list...hope to decide in the next week...
-
Glad I could help!
-
Welcome to the site, Timothy. We're always glad to see new people here.
In my opinion, if going with the P&M get the 3848. I have a 2840 and really like it but wish I would have gotten the 3044. The 2840 struggles when it gets really cold. In this case, bigger is better. But, that's just my opinion.
-
Welcome.
-
Welcome Timothy.
Nature's Comfort hasn't been mentioned yet. A member named brownitsdown has a new Nature's Comfort 400G and he is heating quite a bit of square footage in Iowa with it. I talked to him on the phone today and he is very pleased with it.
I own P&M gasser right now and happy with it. Moving to country this summer and replacing with a conventional boiler. I'm not sold yet on the BL series due to less water = less btu storage. They try to sell you on the fire brick replacing water for quick recovery and Im sure there is some truth to that but that's not going to help you at 4 am when wood runs low and not enough water btu storage to get to 8 am.
This is not meant to start the whole big water vs. less water (quick recovery) debate. That's been beat enough.
-
My Bl has never once struggled or dropped below 175 at any point this winter! If its sized correctly you won't have a problem.
-
Jwood is right, if sized correctly, whatever brand, you shouldn't have problems. I knew I was going to be at the upper limits of my boiler but thought it was better to work it hard than to let a larger one idle. Hindsite is telling me I should have went bigger. I am not blaming my 2840, I'm blaming myself.
-
that's what/why I got mine , go smaller burn/run it hot = works longer ,all things being =