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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: GAS PRICES

« on: February 14, 2012, 10:09:11 AM »

The reason why I think that diesel cost more is because of demand.. Yes gasoline is refined more than diesel..But all your 18 wheelers, ships, const. equipment, trains etc. use diesel and hold hundreds if not thousands of gallons like ships on one fill up..

The main reason that Diesel costs more then gas is the demand for diesel in Europe.  It is refined here then shipped over there because the oil companies can make a lot more per Gal. example in the UK it it currently selling for $11.50 per gal.  gas is about $8.50  Diesel cars are big over there.     $ 11.00 Diesel would shut this county down for sure.

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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Uses for ash

« on: February 08, 2012, 05:01:52 PM »

I may have been told wrong but I was told that it would make your ground more acidic.  idk.  Anybody else heard this.  I'm  a social studies teacher not a science techer. 

Actually wood ash is about 50% as effective as calclum carbonate in neutralizing acidic soil.  It would take a lot of wood ash to harm the garden. You would have to burn a lot of wood it takes one cord of wood to make about 50 or 60 # of ash.   Most veggies like wood ash especially tomatoes, but potatoes do not.   

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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Uses for ash

« on: February 08, 2012, 11:53:39 AM »

Wood ashes can be used for top dressing a lawn not more then 1/4 -1/2 " per year . The ash will really help a garden it contains Potossium some phosphorous and magnesium. Hard wood ash has more of the good stuff then soft wood .  Don't use it in an area where you are going to plant potatoes but other veggies like it.  My Amish neighbors use a lot of ash in thier gardens.  When I was a kid ( a long time ago )  we burned coal and dad used the coal ash ( cinders) on the drive way and side walk for anti slip on Ice.   It worked great   However I don't think wood ash would work for this .

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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Glad to have the "site" back!!!

« on: February 07, 2012, 02:43:07 PM »

I don't have a OWB yet but have been burning wood most of my life. We have decided to purchase a out side unit for various reasons - dirt - safety - etc. just started reading this site a few days ago and bam it was gone . My first thought was now what do i do .  I'm very glad it's back. 

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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Question on OWB

« on: February 05, 2012, 07:38:07 PM »

There is a Portage and Main dealer real close to you. Trail lane plumbing in Millersburg. I bought mine there.

Firechaser
Do they have different units on display at trail lane plumbing ?

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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Question on OWB

« on: February 05, 2012, 07:14:46 PM »

Trint
Is the dealer in mansfield one that has units on display ?  The dealers that I have checked out around here are in name only . 

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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Question on OWB

« on: February 05, 2012, 06:54:02 PM »

Trint

The power show is over, it was last week or the week before last.  I see it on the channel 10 news out of Columbus.  The Farm Science review is in Sept.  I hope to have a used one installed by then.   I live in eastern Knox county  about 50 miles north east of Columbus.

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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Question on OWB

« on: February 05, 2012, 02:28:03 PM »

 
My home state is OHIO there are no EPA phase II regs here YET.  I would be very careful buying a used unit.   I'll more then likely wind up buying a new one because of the possibility of buying someones problem.

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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Question on OWB

« on: February 05, 2012, 07:13:27 AM »

Thanks guys now I have a better understanding of how the boilers work.  Now all I have too do is decide which one I should buy.  I really think on an average OWB's that are currently on the market are a bit over priced.  Maybe I'll get luckey and find a good used one. 

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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Question on OWB

« on: February 04, 2012, 08:44:32 PM »

I'll be the first to admit that I know very little about OWB's  so I would like to ask a couple questions. I currently heat my home with an older model wood burning stove ( no blower ). I can fill the stove at say 11:00 pm dampen it down and in the am at 7:30 or 8:00 the house will be 70 deg. and the stove will be full of hot ash.  This is possible because I choke the air supply down to almost nothing . Now my questions

1.   How can you fill a OWB then blow air on the fire all day or night and still get 12 + hours burn time ?  Im assuming that the blower is necessary to keep the fire hot in order to maintain the desired water temp.

2.   If this is  accomplished by useing unsplit green wood why do some Mfg. recommend using split seasoned wood ? I understand the problem with creosote and green wood.

3.   Why is it necesary to run the recirt pump / pumps 24 / 7  is this to prevent the water tank from over heating ?  If not why can't the pump be started when the furnace blower starts.  I would think the water temp would stay higher longer with out the blower on the fire if the recirt pump didn't run.   

4.   I have seen some stoves that blow air on the fire from the front and some from the back which is better ??

5.   Is mild steel or stainless better for the fire box ?

6.   Which is better a round or rectangle  fire box  or are they the same.

7.   Is a ash pan and a shaker grate  necessary ? or just convenient. ? 

Thanks 

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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Need Advice on purchase of a OWB

« on: February 01, 2012, 12:20:25 PM »

First thing is how big and what is the heat loss of the house and shop. Also how many people living in the house for the dhw?

 

My home is a large well insulated farm house 2 story ( we don't heat the upstairs )  New vinyl siding - Tivec house wrap - new thermo pane replacement windows - walls are insulated with blown in fiberglass and there is 20" of fiberglass in the attic.  Just the wife and I use the DHW. right now we are heating the down stairs with a wood stove in the kitchen, we are heating about 1200 sq ft with no problem.  The shop is 24x36  864 sq ft. It has an insulated 8' ceiling and I will have too insulate the walls.  We don't heat the upstairs because we both like a cold bed room for sleeping and there is enough heat  loss thru the ceiling and up the stair well to prevent freezing . most of the time it's about 55 upstairs when it's really cold out.

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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Need Advice on purchase of a OWB

« on: February 01, 2012, 10:48:23 AM »

This is my first post on this Forum.  I'm no stranger to burning wood ( 40 years experience ) but 0 experience with an OWB .  I'm impressed with the amount of information thats available on this forum .  As my name suggest I'm retired  and of course money is tight,  I would like to install a OWB so that I can heat my House - water - and shop. I have been doing research on different brands, I found one that "looks" good It's made in Manitoba Canada by HEAT INNOVATIONS they call it The Homesteader .  They offer 3 different models starting at $ 5500.00 picked up at the dealer in northern Michagan. ( I'm in Ohio )   250.000 btu  240 us gals.  7 ga. steel fire box  door size 18 X 36 with a ash pan 3'x3'x5' fire box  will heat 5000 sq ft.  8" chimney.   Heat Innovations has been in business 20 + years and the dealer in Mich. has been in business 5 years . They gave me the names of 3 different buyers to contact ( I havent yet )  Just hoping that one of you guys knows something about this stove OR can recommend a different stove in this price range.   Thanks for the help.