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[stimpy]

Hello all, brand new member to the forum, spent several hours reading here and there, I must say, I have not seen such a well organized and diverse web site on OWB anywhere !!
I am getting ready to plunge into the OWB ownership game, I am planning on DHW, forced air heat from heat exhanger, and using the return to floor heat a 30x40 insulated garage ( just keeping it above freezing, not heating to 70 degrees !!) I live about 25 miles northwest of Duluth, MN, so winters can be cold and start early, so I am looking for input on OWB and installation. I started to set up at my last house, but job change forced a move, I did hold onto a plate w/w heat exchanger, should be good for my DHW.By strange coincidence, I do have a Heatmor dealer just a few miles down the road, but I am looking at all brands for a comparison. I want a simple set up, dont want to be constantly fiddling with it, I have been looking into several brands, and doing google searches for reviews, but some of them can get pretty slanted. I started reading here, saw a lot of real world experience, and joined up to hopefully tap your combined knowledge.
So here goes......for my area, what are the most popular brands, any tricks/secrets to hooking up the loops, what is the most common/easy way to plumb up heat loops to minimize breaks in the insulated liines running from the OWB and back?
This will be my set up: from the back yard, run main heat to home which is a 2003 double wide on a slab with a brick foundation, not skirting....best way to run heat through block/slab to hot water and furnace?, then, on the return I would be breaking the line to loop through the floor heat of the garage, best way to regulate flow through there to maintain/control heat? With the house, approx 1400 sq ft, hot water ( just me,, not a lot of use) and keeping a 30x40 garage floor heat set for about 50 degrees or so, do you have arecommendation on the size of t he OWB? thank you all in advance, and sorry for all the questions at once.

[Bull]

Welcome to the site stimpy

[martyinmi]

Welcome to this site!
You will probably want one that will heat up to around 5000 advertized sq. ft.- maybe a little more if you ever want to work out of your garage.
You'll want to run your garage from it's own lines. Most OWB's have two sets of ports. You'll not want your return temperatures much under 150*.
Check and see if you are able to install a conventional OWB, or if you'll have to go with a gasifier.
Lots of intelligent minds on this site. Not as much activity here lately though with the warmer temperatures.

Good luck.

[MattyNH]

Welcome to the sight stimpy...A lot of great info and people on this web forum..Buying an OWB is a big expense up front but well worth it..No more oil or gas man.. As long your willing to do the wood part...There are a lot of different brands of OWB's out there..Some stand out due to advertisement /word of mouth..some don't..Its like buying a car with the bells and whistles or just a pain jane one lol..Not sure if your state requires epa phase 2..Might wanna check into that..

[RSI]

Is the garage attached or detached? You will need a mixing valve, manifolds and a pump just for the floor heat. If you have it on it's own loop from the boiler it will require 2 pumps.

If it is an attached garage you will probably want to run it off the same lines as the house but might want to go with larger pipe size so you have more flow.

I would find out what brands have dealers close enough to you and start there.

[rick w]

check out the portage&main webbsite i own an ml36 and heat a 28x40 polebarn and a 28x40 house with basement and have heat to spare the dealer near you would be strawbalefarms this will give you a link to dave jacoby who sells the stoves in trego good guy to deal with

[stimpy]

Thank you all for all the good advice and all the messages I have gotten, and yes, it is a big decision !! We have a home show coming up next week here in Duluth, so I will be able to look over a lot of OWB systems. I do have to admit, I have looked at the Portage and Main, and was impressed with their products.
As far as my heating, the garage is detached, with floor tubing installed before the slab was poured,with Slabshield insulation underneath.  I have read that you don't want to put much over 110 degree water into a slab due to expansion problems,especially in cold weather.What is the best way to regulate a seperate line to maintain a lower inlet temp? I was thinking the garage could be on the return loop, after heating the hot water and the furnace plenum adaptor for my forced air heat, having lost a bit of heat in the house, it would be easier to regulate the temp in the garage slab. I just dont like the idea of breaking up the insulated Pex line to and from the boiler/house, so a seperate loop would be nice, just need to keep the temp down to prevent any slab damage in the garage. I have just built a 45x40 pole shed, I was thinking of a hanging blower heater for the shop area in there, or possibly heating just part of the floor, but with 14' sidewalls, it would be a big heat load for the boiler. I have yet to pour the floor, as the frost just came out, but have been tossing the idea of full or partial floor heat in there as well.