Outdoor Wood Furnace Info
All-Purpose OWF Discussions => General Outdoor Furnace Discussion => Topic started by: Malachi73 on June 15, 2017, 06:44:56 PM
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I found a used Johnson Little John OWB on Craigslist for $500.
The man selling it says that there were no leaks when he drained it 2 years ago. So, it has sat for 2 years. He says that he is selling it for a friend who just is gettting too old and wants to get out of wood burning. He said it's about 11 years old.
I know the old saying, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. But, not always, so it's worth taking a look at I think.
Anyways, I understand the basic operation of an OWB (I was planning to try building my own this weekend, but decided it was gonna costs way more than $500) and as far as I can figure, as long as the thing is structurley sound, there ain't that much more can go wrong with it.
So, am I right? What should I be looking at and for when I go see it?
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Fill it with water. If it leaks then it's not worth buying. If it doesn't leak and you do buy it then get water treatment and water in it asap
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I haven't seen that particular model. Heard of it...
If it's mild steel check for thin spots wherever moisture might collect. Scrape and tap with a hammer. Chimney, door jambs, etc. Was the chimney capped when setting idle? Wet ash could be a killer.
Run water through and see how much sludge comes out the drain. Fill with water and let set for a couple days to check for leaks.
For $500 if you can get 1 year out of it it would pay off.
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OK, I fired it up today.
I got the water temperature up to 190°. And there are no leaks anywhere that I can see. Everything works just as it should.
I call Johnson today and they said that, based upon the serial number, this thing is about 17 years old. They must make these things really solid.
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:thumbup:
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Pretty awesome to hear they are still in business