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[GCTerpfan]

Here is my current setup:  I have an OWB (boiler holds about 170 gallons of water) sitting about 150' from my house with the lines buried about 2' and insulated with closed cell spray foam. My OWB is plumbed into my indoor oil boiler with a 50 plate heat exchanger, and also into my DHW with a 30 plate heat exchanger.  I plan on going out of town for about 10 days this winter. 

Here is my question:  If I let the fire in my OWB go out but I keep the circulator pump on, and I allow the indoor oil boiler to heat my house, do you think that my indoor oil boiler will transfer enough heat to the OWB water through the heat exchanger to keep my OWB lines from freezing? Or should I find someone to keep my fire going while I am out of town?  I understand there are a lot of variable here, like how cold is it outside, how often the indoor boiler runs, etc. but does anyone have any guesses?

My father has volunteered to keep the fire going but its about a 25 min drive each way, and something that I don't want to make him do unless its necessary.

[slimjim]

You will be fine as long as the circs are running and you don't mind burning some extra oil, a 30 rack of cold beer or bottle of wild turkey will normally make for an appreciative neighbor that will keep it running for you!

[ffbare]

  that's what my neighbors said to me

[LittleJohn]

You could run a little test some time is do exactly what said; let fire go out and see if oil burner in house can keep everythign from freezing or becoming a mess.

It might be a one time costly experiment, but you would have an idea of an approximate timeline before things go down the crapper.

[GCTerpfan]

That's not a bad idea Little John.

I also considered the neighbor Idea, but knowing my neighbor I am not sure that I can afford to buy enough Pabst to keep him stocked up for the entire 10 days, which is probably what he would require. 

How much extra oil do you think I would burn.  I can't imagine it would be a lot, because I would only be transferring heat to the OWB when one of the zones in the house would be calling for heat.  As soon as that zone reached temp, it would shut down and the oil boiler would no longer be transferring heat to the OWB. 

[LittleJohn]

Keep the cold beer in the house, so the neighbor has to come over to get beer and fire.  Or better yet keep it in the snowbank by the OWB