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[BIGDIESEL20S]

ANOTHER NEW GUY HERE WITH MORE QUESTIONS. I AM BUYING MY FIRST HOME AND IT HAS ELECTRIC FORCED AIR FURNACE. WELL I'VE ALWAYS HAD WOOD FROM A KID UP TO DATE. BUT LAST FALL I HAD MY FIRST FLU FIRE, SO IN MY NEW HOME I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IT ALL OUTDOORS. I STARTED LOOKING AT TH FIRE CHIEF OUTDOOR FORCED AIR. BUT I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO HAVE A OWB BUT SINCE I'VE STARTED READING ON HEAR IT SEAMS THAT THERE IS SOME BAD POSTS WITH ALL OWB'S ON HERE. I FOUND THIS SITE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SHAVER. BUT NOW I'M NOT SHURE AND LOCALY I HAVE HEARD GOOD AND BAD ABOUT HARDY. SO AT THIS POINT ANY HELP WOULD BE VARY VARY GREAT!!!!

[Ridgekid]

I would be happy to share why I purchased the Central boiler. This is just my .02 and is not meant to start a attack on anyones choices.

1. Becoming empty nesters- We have always had someone around to restock the firewood into our basement when we had the woodstove. So we have now eliminated one step in heating our home. The wood is stacked near the OWB. Of course this brings up a new issue. In the wintertime- Who draws the short straw to go out and restock it?
2. Cleanliness- After 18 years of burning wood in the house there are signs of soot in the insulation and the wife has always complained about a fine ash dust "on everything".
3. CL 5032-Why I chose it
a. Rear Exhaust Outlet: Increases efficiency. Eliminates leaks and corrosion that competitors experience from chimneys that exit through the roof. Designed for easy inspection. Reduces heat loss by over 50%.
b. Urethane Foam Insulation: Insulation is sprayed on and forms a 100% airtight seal around the water jacket. (others use fiberglass batt)
c. Carbon steel vs Stainless steel : Read here: http://www.centralboiler.com/stainless.html
d.Cleanout- No it doesnt have a ashpan or a auger. That suits me just time. Less moving parts. And from what I have been reading, doesn't require daily cleanout like my woodstove did.
4. Wood consumption- Yet to be determined. The woodstove was 3 cords a year, but we only started it when it was really cold outside. Normally Dec-Mar. I'm estimating 6-8 cords a season, but I guess that depends on when I start it (Nov?) and when I shut it down (May?). I'm going to start with 12 cords and determine what I actually used next spring. The more I have for this season, the less I'll have to restock the following season.

In short, I hope I made the right choice. Guess I'll find out soon enough.

PS: Sorry to hear about your flue fire. I was always concerned of having one. One way I lowered my chance of a fire was installing a 6" SS liner in my 6x9 chimney. Less cresote build up.

[jackel440]

I think you can't beat an OWB for heating your home!I hope you decide on one and it works out for you.
I wpuld say take your time and study all the different brands out there.Each have thier own special designs and reasons for the way they are made.
You might find that while reading between the lines that there are better units out there than just the big name stuff you see evry where.
I would also say to look at the new Gasifiers on the market.That in my opinion is the way to go.Less smoke and more efficient.Now I can not coment on any one brand as I built mine,but there are some nice pieces out there to be bought.
Remember that there is also more to it than just the OWB.You also have to consider the buried line,and all the other materials needed to hook it up.Buy quality pieces so you won't have to worry about future failures at 3am when it's 10* outside.
Good luck and start studying

[NCredneck]

Bigdiesel20s, I am in the same boat as you! I have been researching quite a while (don't own one yet) and here is my take on the matter.
Stainless vs. Steel- I am not sure it makes a whole lotta difference. I know people with Hardy's that have had them 25 years plus. Same can be said of steel boilers too. I think it comes down to maintenance ie. removing ash and keeping stack covered during non-use. Although steel transfers heat better and expands/contracts less it is more likely to rust out especially in the fire box if ashes sit a while.
Size- If you got 2500 square feet then get a boiler that does at least 5000 (at least double). If you get one closer to the size of the house....think it would work still ...just have to feed it more than twice a day when its very cold. More water storage is better.
Gassification- Probably 25 to 30 percent better if you are religious about burning only dry wood. Its all about the prep work. If you stay a year or more ahead of the game, gassification may be for you. The research I have done is that most gassifiers are on average 2000.00 more than standard boilers. I personally would stay away from those that use catalytic discs.
Insulation- I feel the CB's with the foam insulation probably insulate better, however, spray foam can trap moisture from condensation, pinhole leaks and in general does not allow for a unit to air dry. When you do have a problem...harder to work on..the insulation will need to be peeled of then replaced when unit is fixed.
Cleanout- A plus in my book but like I say I don't own one yet. I like the pan design over the auger design. It seems like augers would be more likely to jam from a piece of metal or such and possibly just bore a hole in the ash but it would be preferred over no ash removal at all. The pan seems like the winner here to me.
Doors- This seems to be an achilles heel to some. I don't think water in the door would be good. I believe thick steel with air gap/ refractory brick or double wall would be good.
Stack exit- Hardy's exit right out the top on the ones I have seen. Great for Creosote removal via burn off but more heat would go up the stack to me, which means more wood use. I think Ridgekid is right, rear stack (or front) is the way to go especially if the smoke travels back and forth thru passages in the water column....tranfers heat better.

Ok this is getting lenghty let me end with a final thought. I am leaning toward HeatmasterSS for the following reasons.
1. 409 stainless- less resistant to rust than 300 series stainless but doesn't expand/contract nearly as much and is 10 gauge instead of the Hardy 16gauge construction.
2. On the 5000e the smoke goes back and forth as mentioned  thru passages before exiting the stack.
3. Ash pan to make maintenance easier and more frequent.
4. Round firebox design with forced air above/ below the fire. ( I think forced air is a must but CB have draft down really good)
5. Easy to ready water gauge.
6. Controls are mounted out of smoke path on newer models..they used to be above the door.
7. Easy cleanout of the smoke path compartments as well..just scrap them with a hoe or other tool and creosote falls back into chamber to be burned or easily removed.

I like the gassifiers but for the difference in price and wood consumption difference if you only burn seasoned wood...I don't think I will do it. OH, and I do believe Shavers have a good design, just scared of them with all the site posting I have read...bad quality welds, forever to deliver, water jacket much thinner than firebox too. Just too many negative posts for me. Well, this is my .02 cents but like I said..I don't own one, just a research freak..lol. Good luck with whichever boiler you get.

[NCredneck]

Wow, I typed all that and clicked off it...thought it was gone...glad to see it made it. Was trying to add the following

Don't scrimp on the underground stuff, its important to have good insulated pipes and as far as size of the unit ask yourself will you ever add a shop or garage to it. I will probably do the install myself so dealer importance ain't as big to me but is definately a plus to have in case of major issues with furnace. I looked at the Portage and Main...wow..built very solid...I must see if you have support near ya..I could have one shipped here but do worry about the fact that there are so few this far south ( they are Canadian). Look like some of the best units out there too.

[donahuej]

Big,

I think most of us here are with you.  If I hadn't caught my Royal from a guy going out of business I would still be on the hunt for the "perfect" OWB.  Bottom line I'm tired of dragging wood into the house and babysitting my cute little Vermont castings POS stoves....anything is better than loading those damn baby fireboxes every few hours and paying a kings ransom every time something breaks....A few tips:

They have been heating this way for 40 or so years we are just catching up.
If you know what it means to heat with wood your are 2/3rds the way there - these are better.
The different brands - I've looked at most of them CB, Hardy, Shafer...and I bought a Royal. 
I love stainless for my boat not so much when you consider an OWB lifecycle hot/cold/hot/cold/hot/cold.....
This will be expensive.  Whatever you are planning to spend add 30%.  No matter how I tried to save money - doesn't happen.
Buy the best supply lines you can afford (thermopex for me - going rate 14 bucks a foot)
I'm putting my boiler in a wood shed here it is on the pad...(see picture) better to load out of the weather and a place to keep a cord or so real dry and warm...
Go bigger everything boiler, lines, pumps, exchangers.....you can always slow the water down not always speed it up easily.

Good luck,

Jamie

[MattyNH]

Big fan of all outside OWB brands..Its like buying a car...Here's why I purchased a Aqua-Therm OWB:
-Closed system..No oxygen, no mineral build up, no chemical levels to check in water..Can use antifreeze
-No heat exchangers (exp hot air heat)...Hooked up directly to your existing furnace
-Less water fast recovery....
-ashes are augered..so no need to let the fire die down so u can shovel the ashes out
-Forced air daft
-staninless steel firebox
-Lifetime limited warranty
To me hydronic wise makes sense..Your furance in your basement or whatever is a closed loop system..So far burned 6 1/2 cord since dec..Unlimited hot water and house at 75F all winter..Happy shopping

[BIGDIESEL20S]

Thanks for the input so far, I guess it is kinda like car shopping what pleases one might not please another. I guess the best thing to do is just keep staring at these things on the internet and reading all the info I can find about every brand and just try to make the choice that fits me the best. But the good thing is here in southeast MO winter is over so I have a few months to keep reading..

[yoderheating]

 Just don't believe everything you read on the internet. There are slick salesmen out there from many different brands. When you find a brand you like ask the dealer to give you several references near you. You will find that most outdoor furnace owners are happy to walk you through their system.  Ask them about both the furnace and about the service provided by the dealer. Having a good dealer is just as important as a good furnace. Good luck and I hope you find a a brand you really like.

[oldchenowth]

Gotta agree with yoder.  I bought mine factory direct, no dealers in my area for the brand I chose.  A little tougher to get quick response with q's and concerns.  I went boiler plate, IF repair is needed it can be welded easier than stainless.  I was told by numerous people, with and w/o OWB's, it's not IF stainless will crack --it's WHEN.  No matter what brand you pick spend what you must  to get the best insulated pex. One dude even foamed his trench, wish I was smart enough to do that.  Listen to these guys, a lot of knowledge and ingenuity among these fellas.  I bought mine off the net info, then found this place.  Sure wish I had been here first then bought.  Find the right fit for YOU and your price range, we don't know your situation.  You are gonna have this thing for many years, make it worth it.

[BIGDIESEL20S]

  Good news, the wife finally gave me the ok to buy my OWB!! So I have been doing my homework on all the differant brands of OWB's. I have decided to get a Hardy, alot of the reason I chose that brand is because I live in a vary tight community and there is about 20 Hardy's in service within a stones throw from me. Most of them were owner installed and all of them exept one have been in use 10+ years. None of them have had real trouble to speak of, but if they had trouble, questions, or needed parts they all gave vary high complaments to one of the close dealers. Thats the other thing I have three dealers within an hours drive to the furthest one. So if I ever need anything to fix a 3am 10f morning breakdown I should have a better chance of getting parts A.S.A.P with 3 different dealers close with parts on the shelf. I even went as far as visiting the dealers to see what they had in stock, what they keep, and how long it takes to get stuff if they are out and have to order it. They all told me about the same exact things and with the reviews Ive been told about 1 dealer I feel that I will get vary good service. In fact that dealer even offerd to come to my house and look things over and give me suggestions to help me on my install and give me a color coaded wire diagram to help me install the thermastat. So in my opinion I feel thats going to be whats best for me in my location. thanks for all the great info so far and I'm shure I'll have more questions to get me through my install.

[Bull]

Good luck Big, I am sure you will love the Hardy

[Ridgekid]

Congrats on your purchase. I'm sure you won't regret it!