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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Ground/Concrete shifting under heater pics added
« on: July 02, 2012, 10:02:17 AM »
how much settlement are we talking here?? depending on ground conditions below the slab, the shifting may take place for a few years...you might look at cutting pressure treated plywood squares of different thicknesses and place under the legs...pressure treated cedar shingles are also available for final adjustment depending on how particular you are about things being dead level...vs
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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Shut down OWF for the Season
« on: June 07, 2012, 08:43:29 PM »
::)not to be contradictory...i had shut my boiler down a month ago...night before last 3 deg C....last night -1 deg C...this is in the summer vacation capital of canada...fired her back up...will likely be running her for another couple weeks as cold and rain predicted...lmao...now gotta go cut some more WOOD...vs
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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: quandry
« on: June 07, 2012, 05:04:28 PM »
:)lol...dont get me going on electricians...they squeal if anybody touches wire...but will butcher a truss pretending to be a carpenter and all is well!!! black to back white to white...how complicated is THAT :bash:lol...
so back to the boilers...i am in even MORE of a quandary since i started the post!! have not made a decision re pressure/non pressure as there are valid points on both...the next thing i have noted is there is a significant move towards "round" fire chambers...whaddaya guys think about the validity of less welds in the fire chamber...if it is seamless schedule pipe like they use in the oil patch...do you think there is less chance of leaks??? i know that the question can be answered to a certain extent based on the ability of the welder...the owb that i use now...i have re-welded several times...it almost looks like the original welder was running too hot...made the metal brittle...i also think the steel itself might be suspect...vs
so back to the boilers...i am in even MORE of a quandary since i started the post!! have not made a decision re pressure/non pressure as there are valid points on both...the next thing i have noted is there is a significant move towards "round" fire chambers...whaddaya guys think about the validity of less welds in the fire chamber...if it is seamless schedule pipe like they use in the oil patch...do you think there is less chance of leaks??? i know that the question can be answered to a certain extent based on the ability of the welder...the owb that i use now...i have re-welded several times...it almost looks like the original welder was running too hot...made the metal brittle...i also think the steel itself might be suspect...vs
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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: quandry
« on: June 03, 2012, 01:28:59 AM »
ok MattyNH...did some reading on Aqua Therm....I get the principle of the closed system...i guess my first question is are there any drawbacks?? I have always laboured under the assumption that if you make something better or best...people will beat a path to your door...and there will be competitors lined up waiting to make patent infringements...I am not speaking "specifically" about Aqua Therm here...I know there are other closed systems (Seton being one I think)...but WHY are not all manufacturers going the direction of closed systems??
I appreciate that you are trying to remain neutral...and I am trying to open my mind and broaden my horizons...I dont mind going off the tried and true if I think there is good reason...also...I am not trying to make you write an advertisement for Aqua Therm..but you seem to know your stuff...can you impart some knowledge?? thx...vs
I appreciate that you are trying to remain neutral...and I am trying to open my mind and broaden my horizons...I dont mind going off the tried and true if I think there is good reason...also...I am not trying to make you write an advertisement for Aqua Therm..but you seem to know your stuff...can you impart some knowledge?? thx...vs
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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: quandry
« on: June 01, 2012, 08:44:03 AM »
Bet I know WAY less about WAY more than YOU Bull!!!! 
lol...the funny thing is...I have been using one of these for 10 years...I really never started to research the entire process until now...the time when I have to replace the unit...dont get me wrong...I have looked up specific elements like what additives (if any) should go into the water...even THAT subject is exhaustively debated...it is the "system" as a whole that I need to figger out...
I realize it is a niche market and that really most knowledge gained is empirical in nature and done through trial and error...but MattyNH had a good point about closed systems...I often wonder if there might be a way to "change" the molecular properties of the water by the use of additives and thereby creating a "pseudo" closed system...I know all kinds of wonderful things happen in hydrology when you pressurize a system...the same as a car or truck engine...vs
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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: quandry
« on: May 31, 2012, 08:18:49 AM »
::)MattyNH....the list is LONG and diverse as to things I have no clue about...I will just chalk hydronics up as ANOTHER...I will read about the aqua-therm...one thing about having not much in my head...there is plenty 'o' room to put stuff in...lol...vs
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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: quandry
« on: May 31, 2012, 12:41:42 AM »
MattyNH throws ANOTHER spanner into the works...closed system...
so it operates under pressure?? have you posted any specific info on your system MattyHN?? my burner has a vent...on the back...that whistles occasionally...lol...should i just put a cork in it??? (i know i know...i am really leaving myself open on this one)
and woodman adds "properly grounding" the burner....something i never considered...are you inferring the use of "grounding" as in the same thing as grounding your electrical panel?? is this to prevent electrolysis??
sigh...more and more complicated...so much info...and all very GOOD info...file it away in the archives for future use...
boilerman...you prolly are not even close to 100 years old...i just had a laugh in your previous post where you correlated your age to the use of less wood...lol...
so it operates under pressure?? have you posted any specific info on your system MattyHN?? my burner has a vent...on the back...that whistles occasionally...lol...should i just put a cork in it??? (i know i know...i am really leaving myself open on this one)
and woodman adds "properly grounding" the burner....something i never considered...are you inferring the use of "grounding" as in the same thing as grounding your electrical panel?? is this to prevent electrolysis??
sigh...more and more complicated...so much info...and all very GOOD info...file it away in the archives for future use...
boilerman...you prolly are not even close to 100 years old...i just had a laugh in your previous post where you correlated your age to the use of less wood...lol...
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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Portage and main
« on: May 29, 2012, 09:43:12 PM »
hello Rick W....if you could change anything on the P and M what would it be?? thx..vs
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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: quandry
« on: May 29, 2012, 09:40:39 PM »
soooooo....woodman....i dunno...30 years is ANCIENT!!!! in MY books...lol...30 years...wasnt that before electricity??? boilerman was only 70 yrs old 30 years ago
so given that open atmosphere is relatively new technology...what do you think of stainless for the open boiler systems....is it the oxygen introduced that is the problem?? or the temperature swings??? or does it all come back to the "chief boiler engineer" and maintenance?? thx...vs
so given that open atmosphere is relatively new technology...what do you think of stainless for the open boiler systems....is it the oxygen introduced that is the problem?? or the temperature swings??? or does it all come back to the "chief boiler engineer" and maintenance?? thx...vs
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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: quandry
« on: May 29, 2012, 08:00:27 AM »
boilerman...on the gassers, would the volume of rise through the chimney not reflect the cfm of the supply fan during the burn?? my current owb uses natural draft and when the unit is not in a burn cycle and the draft door is closed very little natural flow escapes....but during a burn...wow...that is the issue with passive draft i suppose and why gassers might be more efficient...
so much info to digest...and so much CONFLICTING viewpoint to sort through in this industry!!!! in my mind...i have been trying to reconcile stainless steel for use in these burners...do you guys know of any definitive studies done??
the boiler industry is ancient...but i dont think i have ever heard of a commercial boiler made from stainless?? thx...vs
so much info to digest...and so much CONFLICTING viewpoint to sort through in this industry!!!! in my mind...i have been trying to reconcile stainless steel for use in these burners...do you guys know of any definitive studies done??
the boiler industry is ancient...but i dont think i have ever heard of a commercial boiler made from stainless?? thx...vs
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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: quandry
« on: May 27, 2012, 08:46:44 PM »
thx for the suggestion willywood...I am going to research the Pro-Fab..
ya Boilerman...I do not make a habit of burning "garbage" garbage...usually just leftovers and stuff from food prep...my "neighbour" about 2 miles away uses his to burn EVERYTHING...he even throws in the occasional chunk of creosote railroad tie when he wants a "long" burn...lol....he has had his burner for almost 15 years he is not even certain about what make it is...lol
I wonder if anybody here has any idea about the flue temps between the gassers and traditionals...given equal height chimney what would the difference in gas temp at the top of the flue?? the reason i ask is that i kinda like to play with things...and i am trying to figger out a way of making use of the massive amount of heat that goes out the top of the chimney in the middle of winter when the burner seems to run almost all day...i cant even imagine how many btu's get pumped into the area surrounding the burner...thx...vs
ya Boilerman...I do not make a habit of burning "garbage" garbage...usually just leftovers and stuff from food prep...my "neighbour" about 2 miles away uses his to burn EVERYTHING...he even throws in the occasional chunk of creosote railroad tie when he wants a "long" burn...lol....he has had his burner for almost 15 years he is not even certain about what make it is...lol
I wonder if anybody here has any idea about the flue temps between the gassers and traditionals...given equal height chimney what would the difference in gas temp at the top of the flue?? the reason i ask is that i kinda like to play with things...and i am trying to figger out a way of making use of the massive amount of heat that goes out the top of the chimney in the middle of winter when the burner seems to run almost all day...i cant even imagine how many btu's get pumped into the area surrounding the burner...thx...vs
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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: quandry
« on: May 22, 2012, 08:57:51 AM »
Thanks to both of you for the input...one of the things I like about the original burners is the ability to incinerate some household waste and offal. We do not have garbage service and I try and avoid burying stuff as it just attracts predators. We run a cow/calf operation and I have occasionally used the burner as an enclave. The gassers however are attractive in that I like the idea of burning less wood...even though it seems i have an endless supply...lol..
Do either of you use additional water storage?? thx...vs
Do either of you use additional water storage?? thx...vs
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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / quandry
« on: May 20, 2012, 02:35:05 PM »
Hello to the site...
I have been burning a Friesen burner for the last 10 years or so. It is a small company in Manitoba started by an ex-employee of Portage and Main. He had a better idea...lol. Anyway...you all know the saying about "if you dont have something good to say...."...i will say no more.
The idea of these burners is great for my particular situation. I am isolated surrounded by forest and cattle. I have been researching both the traditional OWB and the new gassifiers. I have read quite a bit of info on the "Hearth" site with their obvious penchant for the gassifiers. The question that I have not been able to find a definitive answer for...is the burn times.
The closest thing to "hardwood" we have in southwest interior of BC is Douglas Fir. Most people...me included...burn lodgepole pine which is in great supply in the mountains...especially in light of the beetle kill. I order in a truckload of "post and rail" every year. This is long thin lodgepole pin used in making treated fence posts and rails. It is normally between 3" near the top and about 6-8" near the stump. I cut it into 4' lengths and i can fill my burner and it will go for almost 24 hrs if need be. Normally I add wood twice a day but it is nice to have the option.
i also wonder at some of the info on both these sites about wood..."dry" wood and "seasoned" wood are different things...i correctly "season" my wood and i have virtually no smoke...even on startup...anyway...
questions given the info above and correctly "seasoned" wood:
would i still have to split the wood that i use (3"-8" rounds)
are the gassifiers really MORE maintenance
do any gassifiers approach the capability for an all day burn
i think the traditional OWB are still available from Portage and Main and Central Boiler any others??
thx for your site... lots of good info here...i have been enjoying reading about the home made boilers...that is something i may look into for the future...vs
I have been burning a Friesen burner for the last 10 years or so. It is a small company in Manitoba started by an ex-employee of Portage and Main. He had a better idea...lol. Anyway...you all know the saying about "if you dont have something good to say...."...i will say no more.
The idea of these burners is great for my particular situation. I am isolated surrounded by forest and cattle. I have been researching both the traditional OWB and the new gassifiers. I have read quite a bit of info on the "Hearth" site with their obvious penchant for the gassifiers. The question that I have not been able to find a definitive answer for...is the burn times.
The closest thing to "hardwood" we have in southwest interior of BC is Douglas Fir. Most people...me included...burn lodgepole pine which is in great supply in the mountains...especially in light of the beetle kill. I order in a truckload of "post and rail" every year. This is long thin lodgepole pin used in making treated fence posts and rails. It is normally between 3" near the top and about 6-8" near the stump. I cut it into 4' lengths and i can fill my burner and it will go for almost 24 hrs if need be. Normally I add wood twice a day but it is nice to have the option.
i also wonder at some of the info on both these sites about wood..."dry" wood and "seasoned" wood are different things...i correctly "season" my wood and i have virtually no smoke...even on startup...anyway...
questions given the info above and correctly "seasoned" wood:
would i still have to split the wood that i use (3"-8" rounds)
are the gassifiers really MORE maintenance
do any gassifiers approach the capability for an all day burn
i think the traditional OWB are still available from Portage and Main and Central Boiler any others??
thx for your site... lots of good info here...i have been enjoying reading about the home made boilers...that is something i may look into for the future...vs
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