Positives (+) and Negatives (-) of an Outdoor Wood Boiler
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 พ.ย. 2024
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As with everything in life, an outdoor wood boiler has plusses and minuses - positives and negatives. After running my wood boiler and heating with wood for several years, these are the top three positives and negatives that I have found. Maybe you run an indoor wood stove or also have an outdoor wood stove. Let me know in the comments if you have any additional thoughts to my list or if you think there are any positives or negatives that you would list above my top 3.
Positives
1. It’s outside! All of your mess, smoke, wood, flame, chimney fires, etc. are outside and away from your house.
2. The indoor temperature is easily regulated. I just set the thermostat and walk away. If I get too hot or too cold, I just adjust the thermostat inside.
3. It burns wood! Obvious right? Well, not everyone has redundancy in their plan to heat their home. I can heat my home with wood or with propane. Wood is an excellent alternative fuel source. I’m not reliant upon fossil fuels or energy companies to supply my heat except a small amount of electricity that’s needed to run a pump and furnace fan.
Negatives:
1. It’s outside...!!! You have to go out twice a day and load the firebox no matter what the weather is doing. Rain, snow, sleet, ice, 10 below 0... you’re going out there.
2. It needs electricity. While it does heat with an alternative fuel source, it requires electricity. So, if the power goes out you need a way to keep that pump running so the water can circulate. It won’t heat your home without power. If you’re away from home during the day and you don’t have an automatic backup generator, your water won’t be circulating if the power goes out and your house may get cold if you don’t have a backup heat source. Your water can even boil off because it is just sitting there over the hot coals.
3. It burns wood... a lot of it! I don’t have direct experience with an indoor wood burner but from those I have talked to, they burn far less wood than I do. Here in this part of Ohio, I could easily burn 7-9 cords of wood each winter. The colder your climate the more that will be and of course the efficiency of your home has a big impact on that.
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Negative- unintentional beard trimmming.
Truest comment on this video! Also eyebrows if not careful!!
Thanks for that! Lol
We are looking for energy alternatives and have been exploring different options. This video lays the positives and negatives so clearly. Thank you for this video!
No problem!! Thanks for watching
Exactly the video I needed. Well done!
Thanks for watching Jon T!
I enjoyed your video and the pro's and cons of an outdoor wood boiler and really appreciate you sharing your experience. I'm a little late to the party, but I'm going into my 5th season with an indoor wood stove. I bring my wood inside using plastic totes and don't have any mess since the wood stays in the totes. I usually burn about 3/4 to 1 cord of wood per season and my house is all electric. I live in East Texas and usually the winters here are mild (except for Feb. 2020). My power was out for about 5 days and my wood stove saved me from freezing when the temps dropped down to 10 degrees F/ -12C and inside my house was 75F/24c. My 1000 sq. ft. house was built in 1980 and my electric bills are around $35 per month during the winter months. Before I installed my wood stove, my electric bills were in the $200 - $250 range per month using central electric heat. Its an EPA type stove with secondary burn and the total cost for stove, all the stove pipe/chimeny, slate tile hearth, heat shield and all materials was less than $1300 brand new in Nov. 2016. I have the utmost respect for all the people that have wood burning stoves and wood boilers and I believe that we are all just trying to get through life with what we believe to be the best way and most cost efficient way possible. Everybody's situation is different and what works for some may not work for others. The fact is, we are all just trying to stay warm and many people don't have $10k - $20k for an wood boiler and they do what they can afford. So, whatever you use, outdoor wood boiler, indoor wood stove or an indoor wood furnace or whatever..... you have my respect. Take care
Wow! Tons of good info here Barry!! Thanks for sharing your experience and I appreciate your tone of respect and understanding for others’ situations. My first choice would have been an indoor stove but this boiler was here when I bought the place. Thanks for watching and I hope you’ll consider subscribing if you haven’t already!
@@PoplarRidge You are equally respectful and I thank you for your reply. Yes, I subscribed and admire you for doing what you have to do to heat your home. Thanks again and take care.
I grew up in Texas so part of my heart is down there with you, haha. Thanks for subscribing! Glad to have you along.
@@PoplarRidge Thank you
I live in Michigan, I burn about 4 chords a year heating with indoor stove. I know there are newer more efficient outdoor boilers which you only have to load ever 2 days.
The benefit, although you burn more wood, is you don’t have split the wood, a large one can fit 3 foot logs, unsplit. That can save immense time and costs.
Definitely a trade off because you need much more wood. The unit's efficiency has as much to do with the efficiency of your home as the unit itself.
I’m sold! Something intriguing I have found from my time in the physical therapy business is, the older folks who never adopted modern conveniences ( indoor plumbing) or even something like this- seemed to age much more gracefully- that natural stimulus to get you up moving, and outside is important! Very cool John.
Another positive. With an indoor wood stove it's ideal to only burn hard wood because soft woods build more creosote in the chimney. With an outdoor wood stove you can burn any kind of wood
Thanks Justin. You can certainly burn soft woods indoors but you'll be cleaning your chimney more often, for sure. I don't have to worry about my chimney at all on my outdoor boiler.
u can burn soft pine or fir but it has to be 100% dry. seasoned well. creosote is due to not burning hot enough long enough for the most part. my heatmor does not build up so much since its forced air and not draft. forced air will burn hotter from the beginning to the end of the burn when the thermostat shuts it down
The exercise you get is a great positive. I am in better health and shape now than when I was in junior high, and I am 57 years old. The only negative I can think of is cleaning ashes. I many decades of experience using both indoor and outdoor wood-burning appliances, I burn NO MORE wood outdoors in my conventional boiler than I did to heat indoors with modern efficient wood stoves. 20 years ago we heated 1100 sq ft with 3 cords per annum, now we heat 3200 sq feet with 8-10 cords per annum. Not much difference. Mind you, it takes some amount of discipline to avoid the temptation to stuff it full of wood every time you walk by it, and that will eat a pile of wood.
If hot water ruined your circulation pump I recommend you switch to a typical 1/25th HP Grundfos-type as they are good to a water temp of 230-degrees, which is well outside the temperatures you will acheive in an open system. They use half the power of a 60W bulb.
Great video, thanks for sharing.
Thanks for your thoughts Wingnut! I have upgraded to a new Taco pump that is built for outdoor wood boilers and never had another issue! I also replaced my rope seals to help keep the firebox from flaring up unless the fan is on. I agree about the exercise as well!!
Nice video. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Thanks H Max. Hope you’ll check out some of my others and consider subscribing! Thanks for watching!
I don't know if you have your stove set up to heat your domestic hot water, but that's another huge benefit of outdoor water stoves compared to standard indoor wood stoves.
It is on my list to do!
I have a Mahoning outdoor wood boiler. It looks a bit bigger than yours. I like the non gasification wood burners. The ones that use gasification HAVE to have dry seasoned wood to burn. Mine can burn anything, wether it’s wet or pine or whatever. I mostly burn red oak, because that’s what we have on the property. I built a building around my burner, so I don’t have to stand in the weather to load it. Take a look at those metal carports, you can have it put up with the stove door side under the carport, chimney outside of the carport, and stacks some of your wood under there too.
All good thoughts Denny. I’m hoping to build a firewood shed soon. Considering how to enclose my boiler in it when I do. Oak is a great burning wood! And I agree about non-gasification. Mine will burn anything I put in it - though I do prefer dry wood.
Had one since 1996 after wood stove house fire in 95. Takes a lot of risk of house fire out the equation. Enjoyed using mine. Like anything else they break down.
Thanks for watching Gordon. House fire is a major risk that the boiler helps to remove. Glad you enjoy yours.
I have a comfort air boiler and I heat two house’s. We only put wood in every 16 hrs it’s very well insulated one thing I found is don’t split your wood. Understanding you have to if there big rounds .I split mine big at least 15inches or bigger I can put up to 24ins diameter in and 4 feet long I do about 26 ins long try to keep the bark on the wood burns a lot slower have had mine for nine years couldn’t stand five dollar propane. I’ve added a plug on my electoral box at boiler to plug in my pump into because I have to lost a couple pumps just turn off the breaker off so it doesn’t back feed keeps the water circulation going. I live on west end of Lake Erie.love my boiler.
All good stuff there Carl! Thanks for watching!
Very good video and I agree with all your points. It is funny how 2 of the positives are also negatives. It does not seem right but is true.
I will add that one wood you do not have to worry about burning is the wood your house is made of. You might have to cut a little more wood and yes it sucks when you have to go outside in the cold or rainy weather to fill it sometimes but the peace of mind knowing that the danger is outside makes it well worth it. I will also add cleaning all the bark and dust out of the basement every year after you are done burning is no more fun than filling boiler in the rain.
You say that some people with indoor units burn less which is absolutely true but sometimes they are using another heat source in addition to their wood stove on cold days or warmer days when it is not worth having the indoor unit going. I know when we had an indoor combo furnace we used to burn 100 gallons of oil every year because some cold nights I did not wake up to fill it and oil burner had to kick on. in 14 years we have burned less than 70 gallons of oil and most of that was in one week we were gone and had trouble with boiler so nobody could fill it.
Another positive I would add and not sure if it works for you but I have been able to pick up several cord of softwood from neighbors over the course of the years of owning ours. Some even drop it off at my house all cut and split.
Thanks Glock! I appreciate the response. Glad you enjoyed the video and agree with your comments wholeheartedly! Hope you'll consider subscribing and following along with me. Also, I really like your username choice...
Great points ! 🪵🪓🔥👍👏
Thank you Rick!
We've had a hardy 30 years. Mountains of wood. Also supliment with coal in extreme cold. Replace the fan or blower every 4 years
Thanks for watching David! Sounds like you’ve got a nice long running experience with Hardy. I’m only in year 5 but I don’t know how long this one was run at this house before me.
Love my outdoor boiler. I’ve got the hardy H2
That’s the model I have Aaron. Thanks for the view. My Hardy shows up in quite a few videos. Hope you’ll check them out.
I burn a wood stove... Biggest negative temp hit 80 the other night when temp didn't drop like it was supposed to. Biggest positive is on a cold night watching fire and feeling radiant heat. I burn about 1 1\2 cords of wood and 300 gallons of propane compared to 800 gallons before I had my stove. It's surprising how you learn how to operate your stove a little better each year. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Johndeere! That really gives me some perspective. My house is an older home and not very efficient. I could probably do better if I added some more insulation to the crawl space and to the attic. You've done a really nice job cutting back on propane! That stove will pay for itself!
Yeah it definitely cuts back on the propane. I think both systems have their positives and negatives. The mess staying outside is definitely a real positive.
@@PoplarRidge in NJ I'm heating 3400 sq ft with an indoor jotul stove. About 7-9 cords annually, burning 24/7 from November to May. Maintains 70-72 downstairs and 65-68 upstairs. Oil boiler to supplement on the single digit days and nights. Maybe 30-50 gallons of oil a season compared to my estimate of about 1500 gallons exclusively heating with oil.
Thanks Darren. That’s a longer 24/7 burning season than I have. We could probably burn 24/7 from November to April here. October and May depend on the year and the temps. Keep up the good work!
Just subscribed. I have the same boiler. I live in the lower peninsula of michigan. I actually burn less wood in the outside boiler then I did with a forced air indoor wood stove
Hi Mark! Thanks for the comment and sub. Glad to have you along for the ride!
I have one as well. Northeast Tennessee.
I had a fire place and now have an outdoor wood boiler. I haven't any had facts but it doesn't seam the outdoor wood burner takes any more wood than the fire place.
Judy that probably all depends on the model of the outdoor boiler, efficiency of your home, and type of fire place. Keep that wood burning!
Hey...I've got an H-4 too. If yours is overheating when idle then you have an air leak. The fire should die down a few minutes after the fan/damper shuts down.
That probably was part of my problem. I replaced the rope seals and I also upgraded my pump and I no longer have that issue.
I've had my H2 for 15 years, no issues.
6 years ago I got tired of loading the stove in the elements so I built my woodshed around my stove.
Problem solved!
That’s a good plan! I’ve seen others do that too.
If you get the wood dry.. You definitely will get More Btu.. Out of the wood
I agree Jim & Rose. You’ll also burn more efficiently because you don’t have to burn off the moisture in the wood which requires the fire to work harder to keep up the temp.
Thanks for posting a very honest video. Your boiler seems to be a natural draft type(no fan). I have had a high efficiency wood boiler for many years(gassifier type). My home is approx. 6500 sq. feet. The boiler is a lot of work, I burn maybe 3 cords per season, so much less than you. The problem with taking so much heat from the combustion process is that you wind up with a lot of residue in the boiler tubes. If this is not removed reqularly, they become plugged. So every few days, I must clean my boiler. This takes anywhere from 20 minutes to a half hour. Most people would not want to do this, and it becomes more difficult when you are older. On the positve side, the heat is the best I have ever had, and it heats all of my hot water. It is still a toss up whether it is worth it or not. My unit was very expensive to install and I did the work myself. I don't think it has paid for itself after 10 years. You might consider putting a roof over your unit to help keep yourself out of the rain- anyway, good luck!
Thanks Gregory!
My unit does have a blower motor/fan. It is located on the back side of the unit and blows air up under the fire.
Definitely some of my wood consumption is due to the lack of efficiency of my home. If it were more efficient I would burn far less wood.
I do have some future plans for a woodshed that hopefully will also cover the boiler so that I can stay out of the weather! Hope you’ll subscribe and follow along for more!
Don't forget repairs. I've replaced the door rope on my indoor stove twice in 22 years. I replaced the glass once because I broke it. That's it. More money goes into repairs and upfront cost on an outdoor unit.
This is a good point. I’ve had more than my fair share of repairs already on my unit in 6 years.
Something I have noticed with the Hardy h2 is if you want longer burn time cut the wood about 18 inches. Stack it long ways in the back and put some sideways in the front. I have great luck in the real cold times
Great tip Mark. That would probably cause the forced air to blow across those back logs perpendicular and make the burn time longer. I’m currently cutting my wood at 20” because it is convenient to measure with my chainsaw bar.
@@PoplarRidge if what you are doing is working don't let me change your mind.
Not necessarily changing my mind on my cutting but might use my smaller pieces in the back on very cold days. I appreciate the insight.
@@PoplarRidge I get wood delivered in 8foot logs I use the short end cuts top pack the empty spots. This is how I figured out the trick lol
Thanks for a straight to the point assessment.
Thanks for watching, Ron
Really enjoy your videos. I do want to add that one alternative that people should consider is geothermal. I think people who don’t have natural gas lines tend to focus on wood vs. propane. Geothermal is another great option. True, it’s not “off-grid”, but outdoor boilers really aren’t either, since they need electricity to operate. I’ve found my geothermal system to be very efficient and a good choice for us, although it looks like a wood boiler is a good choice for you. My biggest problem with them is that they have to be fed constantly, and I want the freedom to be away from home for a few days. Anyway, I’m glad wood is working well for you. Greetings from another Buckeye.
Thank you David! I’ve heard good things about geothermal. The boiler is just what was here when I bought the house. The downside I often here about geothermal is the cost to install. Thanks for watching!
And … O-H!
Great video. I have an H-2 and love it. From mid MO.
Thanks Bolte! Appreciate the feedback
I enjoy your channel. Keep on sharing good content like you are. My channel's been going since 2009 but since I got demonitized (1000/4000 rule) it's really hard to get into suggested videos. I think the key is using the right title, tags and keyword phrases. That's how I found you. Keep it up. Keep posting. You will break through 1000 subs soon enough.
Thanks Vuthisa! I appreciate the support and kind words. I try to share what I find interesting and just hope others find it interesting also. If not, I guess my children will have this as a sort of “video journal” of me later on. LOL
@@PoplarRidge 👊👍🏽
If my house were set up I'd burn inside due to consumption. As my house is odd shaped a inside wood stove won't work so hooking up to my furnace is a better option to keep the heat even.
I have a similar issue. I love indoor burners because I love to watch the fire though
The word on the street is that with an outdoor boiler you will have problems coming into agreement with the wife that she go out and add wood at 5am. Just sayin'. I had an indoor oil fired furnace that had the ability to burn wood. It was the perfect setup. When the outdoor temps went down, I'd go downstairs to the garage and put a few logs in.
Had a generator that I could hook up to the essential circuits in the house so the furnace could always run. I once owned a Canadian wood stove (inside) that had a downdraft feature. It had a small viewing port so you could see the white hot flames from the secondary combustion. Had an ash drawer too. It came with a thermostat that measured the room temp. It controlled (via a damper) the external air that was piped in.
LOL - no disagreement in this house because I know better than to ask! Haha thanks for the comment and I hope you enjoyed the video.
I also have a Hardy H4. The efficiency is in the sizing and install. I installed my own. I get 24 to 36 hr burn times in mine. This is also heating my domestic water. If your stove is over heating without power I would look into air leaks around door seals and the fan area. My stove is oversized for my application but it was bought used and I got a good deal on it.
Thanks Marty. I did replace the rope seals and that did help a lot. Good advice!
what is a decent price? i have a used H2 2004 for $2800 near me. I could just get natural gas hooked up to the home for $25 and pay $10/month minimum fee, seems a lot easiser, but there is somethign appealing about burning wood and being self suffcient.
@@khandam7709 On a highly efficient home gas would save a lot of work and money in equipment. There are a lot of unknown variables for your application. For me with only electric available in my area it saves me a lot of money.
@@khandam7709 I paid 3k for a H4 four years ago but the prices have gone up and they are getting harder to find.
It definitely is appealing but I would agree with Marty. Depends upon the efficiency and size of your home. Bigger homes or less efficient homes are much more expensive on natural gas or propane. Wood is best for homes like that. The self sufficiency is a huge perk also. But you must be very committed to the work.
Here's a downside. One of these boilers is by a house next to a hunting property I use. Seems to be a lot of fresh stumps popping up out of the ground on my land, and tree branches scattered all over too.. I think once the firebox guy buys his firewood loads, the delivered stumps are burying themselves on my side of the property line randomly.
That, or there's a beaver leaving chainsaw marks and flat cuts and hauling away only the logs.
LOL - Dave that sounds like a downside to an unethical neighbor and not the boiler itself! haha. I enjoyed your humor, but I think I'd be pretty upset if I were you. My boiler is right next to my property line, but I wouldn't dream of cutting down my neighbor's trees without permission -- even if he'd never know it. Thanks for watching and good luck with your neighbor!
hi there when you heat with fuel oil or propane the exhaust gases go up the chimney . this puts your house in a negative PSI . that means unconditioned out side air has to come back in . fuel oil i think is higher due to induction blower on the furnus . this year my wife got a random moderating meter and we put it in our finished basement . it was running around 8-9 . that was fine till we turned the heat on . went up to 30 . all summer long it was fine or ok . the neg PSI from the fuel oil heater was pulling the raydon up . i dont run the boiler till it really gets cold . well i installed a raydon fan in and fired the boiler now its below 1 most the time . BUT i did notice when she starts doing the laundry it goes up around 2-3 . its the darn dryer putting inside air out . just something to think about john
Thanks for the info.
I use to be a salesman for 2 different outdoor wood boilers and when I first got into them and sat through many days of classes on sales and installation the lies that were told was unreal. Many companies lie about efficiency and amount of wood needed and the amount of heat produced. Outdoor wood boilers are wood hogs and very inefficient. I started out with a Central Boiler heating a 10,000 sq ft shop and a 2500 sq ft house and a hot tub. The house and shop used hot water for both heating and domestic hot water I burned 20 cords of wood the very first year with outside winter temps averaging 10- 15 degrees F. I was not pleased at all and neither was the people I sold the stoves to on the company's lies that they were efficient units I left selling Central boilers and went to selling Hardy units and installed one in place of my central boiler and was a little more pleased but not completely pleased I burned 8-10 cords the first year of having the Hardy heating the same spaces at the same temps so it cut my wood consumption in half but thought it was still to high for the amount of heat. I have since gotten away from outdoor boilers all together I now have an insulated 12x16 shed with 2 indoor Tarm gasification units in it and now burn 3-4 cords of wood a year burning both units from Oct- May 24hrs a day. I have an enclosed building now that houses both stoves and almost a season of wood, no more getting wet or cold when filling stoves and in the off season I have a spot to put my mowers and yard stuff to get them out of shop. Shed, Fireproof sprayfoam insulation, 2 Tarm stoves and the insulated stove pipe I'm still under the cost of a new outdoor boiler. There is no reason to be heating 100s of gallons of water that screams ineficient right there and has turned me off on outdoor boilers. I have done several shed set ups in my area with very pleased customers and have a pile of old used outdoor boilers that I refuse to sell to people, I'd rather have them gone and off market and sent for scrap than to screw people.
Thanks for the comments Mr Brown. I would agree they are not efficient in terms of wood usage. Definitely a negative as I mentioned in my video, but there are many positives to an outdoor wood burner. An indoor wood burner or stove has its positives and negatives also and each person has to decide for themselves what they need/want. Too bad to hear about the units being sold on lies, but hopefully my videos and others who have videos out will help to debunk some of those myths and lies. Thanks for watching! Hope you’ll keep following along with me.
Mr Brown would please send me some information on what you have interesting. truckin1839@yahoo.com thanks carl
Mr Brown, where are you located? I may be interested in some of the parts on these units. I am collecting parts and material to build a gassifier OWB. Mine will be insulated as well as sitting in a decent sized insulated shed. I've been studying gassification on and off since 2014. I have a good design that I am fine tuning on paper. I am striving for efficiency but I do need a decent sized firebox for the gnarly tree service chunks I come across. I'm heating 4500 sq ft of house, and an 850 sq ft rental.
Liked and subscribed!
Awesome! Thanks Dave!
I just cleaned out my out door wood burner I have 750 Taylor hardly any creosote I throw in beer and pop cans cuts down on creosote gives off a gas
Interesting. I hadn’t heard that before.
Biggest con not leaving for a day or two. Pros getting outside and working with you hands, dropping my electric bill can be 250 with electric heat to 90 with the wood stove
Yes, Harold. I like all of those thoughts and agree. If you leave for more than a day you’ve either got to shut down the stove or have some one load it for you which can be a hassle. Thanks for the input regarding your electric bill. My wood stove saves me $1,000+ in propane expense every year.
Growing up we used 20 loads of wood a season
It’s funny how we remember things like that from our childhood!
I've had 19 years experience with my outside furnace. If your power is out and your water temperature continues to rise then your firebox is getting air from somewhere when the draft air should be shut off.
Thanks Mark. That was likely part of my issue. I replaced the rope seal that season.
I been burning my h2 for 8 years the best investment i made burning winter and summer. Very nice i burn 4 cord wood a year.
Glad to hear from some others running the hardy stoves. Where in the U.S. are you?
@@PoplarRidge im in North East Alabama, i have had in side Ashley heaters for years and they do burn at least twice if not three times as much wood and you just have one room heated mainly
Thanks for watching Randy. My grandpa spent the last 45 years of his life in NW Alabama before he passed away in 2019 so I’ve been down your way several times. Hope you’ll keep following along!
I like your poker 😀. I use a broken shovel handle. I think the positives payoff overall. It’s a lot of work but worth it in my opinion. Happy Thanksgiving
Thanks Tony! I use a broken shovel handle when I burn brush, LOL! This poker was left here by the previous owner and I've certainly bent it up pretty good over the years! I've been thinking I need to make me a new one. Happy Thanksgiving!
Mine says it burns 50% less wood, I’d hate to see the one that doesn’t! I’m in WV and it’s Dec 22nd, and I’ve already burned about 3 chords.
I agree Rand. I wouldn't want to burn much more wood than I already do either!
Might I add that there is no way my wonderful wife would allow me to bring into and burn firewood inside our house. Also on the plus side is the fact that a lot of the old style units can burn virtually any firwood. Dirty, green, wet, and everything that is or was growing in the woods is fair game. Pine, scrap construction lumber(unfinished and untreaated), pallets(plan on lots of nails in your ash piles), you get the picture here.
Yep I agree Roger. Newer units with afterburners aren’t as forgiving but the older units will handle anything you put in ‘em.
A friend of mine built a very large wood boiler to heat his 300ft long shop and right off the bat he had the temperature set around 180 or 190 and he was using a TON of wood. He realized that he wasn't using that much heat so he backed the temperature down to around 100 or 110 and cut his wood consumption back ten fold. Might be something to look into, if you haven't already.
Thanks for the info Dalton.
Last Winter, my first in this rental house, the electric bill skyrocketed ($150 --> $600+). It has a heat pump. I could not figure out where the energy was going until I realized the kitchen area is two stories tall and the warm air was rising, but the thermostat is on the main floor. I turned on the ceiling fan in that area to pull the hot air down, and my electricity bill went back to normal. If your shop has a high ceiling, I'd look at pulling some of that high hot air back down and see if wood consumption drops.
Good advice Peter. Most ceiling fans have 2 directions - 1 for the warm months and 1 for the cold months.
Need to build a small building around that outdoor stove could use metal corrugated sheeting for the walls and sides.would cut your wood consumption. rain wind or cold is cooling down that outdoor wood boiler.useing more wood because of the elements.
Thanks 123.
A wood shed that encompasses the wood boiler is on the wish list!
Go that route and you will be one happy person...watch how much less wood you use
..
Do you mean chords 4x4x8' or Rick's of wood at 16" x4 x8? Thanks for your video. 7 to 9 chords is a lot of wood.
I mean chords 4x4x8 or 128 cubic feet of wood. Sure is a lot. 7 full chords cut and stacked this year.
I burned wood indoors with a wood-add on to our oil furnace. I went to an outdoor wood burner (gasifier) high efficiency boiler. Before we talk about wood consumption though lets talk about your circulator pump failing from over heating from pumping too hot of water from the boiler. Change your circulator from pumping heated water from the boiler to the boiler return line. Pump water that has had a chance to cool thermally to prevent the pump from overheating. Now for fuel consumption. I burn less wood with my style of outdoor wood boiler (it uses gasification. It re-burns the smoke) than I did with with my furnace add-on wood stove. Smoke out of the chimney is lost potential energy. The gasifier system cost more up front but has cost less annually which also means has not worked me as hard annually. Wood must be drier than many use for an out door boiler. Maintenance is different. The picture you show of your boiler makes me think it has about 75-100 gallons while mine contains 250 gallons. I had a 50 gallon capacity gasifier unit but found the 250 gallon unit more forgiving and less prone to over boiling though it is still possible if the draft gets stuck in the open position in a power outage. I believe my out door boiler system is 30-40% + better and requires less effort. The out door system keeps a lot of dirt from getting into the house as well.
That is a ton of info Dustin. Thanks for sharing your experience and for watching.
nice vid! do u know how much this will cost me to build + equipments? thanks
I don’t have a good estimate for that. This unit was here when I bought the house but you can buy units just like this today but I’m not sure what the current cost is.
indoor wood stove requires tending about every 2 hours. wood smoke in house. wood debri in house.
All good points Icesawman. Those are pointing out some of my positives of the outdoor boiler. Thanks for watching. I hope you’ll subscribe and follow along for more!
Termites!!!!
Yeah - I like keeping all the bugs outside... termites and wood roaches included!
Mine makes me get off my ass in 0% weather, when all I want to do appreciate the radiant heat. We burn about 3-4 cords in the boiler and 1- 1/2 in our Fireplace insert.
Thanks Oscar! I appreciate you watching! Do you know what brand and model of fireplace insert you have? I’m thinking about adding one myself!
You need a hot water pump/ steam pump to circulate the water in the system !
Hi Sol star! I now have a Taco pump that is made for outdoor wood boilers. It is a Taco 2400-20-WB. Thanks for watching and commenting! I hope you’ll subscribe for more videos!
One negative is our neighbour has one and the smoke from this blows into our yard so, I can't open windows because of this
Thanks Rosa. The drier the wood the less smoke it creates. It could be he is burning wood that is not fully seasoned.
Other on the minute hot water
My pump is on the return side so it has cooled by the time the pump sees it. Thanks
Thanks for the comment Racer. That may depend on the type of boiler you have. Do you have a Hardy? Mine was designed to push water from the hot side.
Poplar Ridge my boiler is a Frankenstein 55 gallon drum with a well tank inside a waste oil burner underneath. Still trying to perfect the burner. I do have a t and p for safety
Sounds like a fun project!
I made my first post if you want to check it out. Cheers
Pump should never be on the return side ever. Ever single water pump says right in the manual that exact statement
Theres a lot I could comment,you can build a shed around the boiler that doesnt matter if burns with chimneyfire.Is it an effective 2 stage type of boiler (more than 90 %)like the HS Tarm type,there s also a Canadian type,forgotten their name with secondary burning chamber burning the gassified emission,or is it wasted through the chimney,do you have a small generator if grid closes down,why dont you have say 2000 litres well insulated watertank connected like a buffer heat source,it makes the boiler more effective in itself,not so much stop and go.How is you house insulated?I have 300 millimeters Rockwool in walls and floor and 200 in roof,water from tank runs in floors through 20 mm oxygen barrier tubes.I have stoker type boiler thats fed from auger that takes chipped wood from store in small shed.Thank you from Danmark,stay healthy.
Thanks Claes! It is fun to see how far my videos are traveling! I appreciate the comment. There is much to do here with making my unit more efficient. I do believe adding more insulation to the house would be the best course of action at the moment!
What about if you leave out of state for a week during winter and have no one to watch over! Then what?
Hey Hudson! Thanks for watching!! I have a video for that - it’s called “early shutdown of the outdoor wood boiler”. I talk about this very issue.
Do you heat your domestic hot water with it. If so you should make a video of it. Not a ton of content of plate exchangers or side arms.
It is not currently set up for that but I have thought about doing that at some point. If/when I do, I’ll be sure to film it! Thanks for the idea.
Why not have just like a bus stop a rain cover where are you have your wood and where you have to put it into the firebox just enough to keep you out of the rain and cover just a tad bit of the door on the fire box so you don’t have to necessarily be in the crap when you’re throwing some wood in. And I would imagine so you could stack some of it under it instead of pulling it out from under a tarp all the time
Not a bad idea. Definitely better than being out in the weather but I’m trying to wait and build a legit firewood shed to hold a whole year’s worth of firewood
Do you happen to have a estimate amount of cords you go through a season ???
Gerald - thanks for watching! this is going to vary widely depending on the size and efficiency of your home. I have a 2400 sq ft house that is very inefficient. I need 8-10 cords to heat from October through March!
if you had access to natural gas and could get a used Hardy h2 2004 wood boilder for a new home, would you get wood boiler or just use natural gas?
Hello khan! My motto is “2 is 1 and 1 is none”. This means that I like to have at least 2 sources of heat. I have both a wood boiler and a propane furnace. If my boiler goes down I can use my wood furnace or the other way around. I plan to add a 3rd heat source (indoor wood stove) sometime in the future!
If I had to pick one due to the money I’d pick the natural gas furnace and then work my tail off to save money to buy the wood heat (either indoor or outdoor stove).
@@PoplarRidge thanks for great video and reply! There is a used H2 HARDY outdoor boiler nearby for $2800 but a gas furnace is $800 plus duct work and I can install myself. I love the self reliance of wood, but having a hard time justifying price economically. I could use minisplit as back up heat potentially.
$2800 seems pretty fair. Wouldn’t take you long to spend the $2000 difference on natural gas. My dad does use a mini split as a heat source and he likes it.
natural then wood boiler. im propane so my boiler paid for it self in three years, but if i had natural no question i would do that and just burn my insert for supplement. i have a boiler and insert and gas heat here in NC but propane is so dang high and wishy washy.
I agree with you bull of the woods!
The house we bought in September came with a Hardy (4 I believe). Still trying to figure it all out. Seems to be burning a lot more wood than I expected. Any suggestions are appreciated. Love your videos
Thomas I think it’s just a lot of learning and experimenting. On the deep cold days I pack it full. On the days that aren’t quite as cold (30-40°) I put much less in but I’m also working from home right now so I can check on it during the day to see if it needs more. Also the more things you heat with it the more wood you’ll burn of course.
@@PoplarRidge I work from home as well. Older home. Not very well insulated. About 2600 sq ft. I'm wondering if I'm just getting the wrong firewood. The last cord I got was sugar maple I think. Blew threw it in no time.
I turned down my water temp to 150deg. Burn less wood and no temp diff in house. Semi green wood lasts longer. Had h2 for 15yrs
@@mikecox7180 Thanks for the tip!
Mike Cox, the only downside I could think of is if your indoor furnace fan ran non-stop or if your indoor temp wouldn’t get up to where you wanted it. Good tip!
Hey Poplar Ridge ! I live in SE Ohio , just outside of Stockport. Is your place close by?? There is a Poplar Ridge close to my house , but I'm sure that there are a few scattered around Ohio. We are considering an outside wood stove for heating water , radiant heat through the floors and of course to tie in to the furnace ( propane ) . Your video is really helpful! Would like to have more details on your set up. Are you heating your floors ? Using radiant heaters or just running through the existing furnace ? Noticed that you don't have a roof over your stove... Thanks for the video ! Appreciate any advice!
Hi John! I’m due west of you in the Hocking Hills. I’m currently only tied into my propane furnace with a heat exchanger. No radiant heat in floors and not currently heating my domestic hot water with it either (though it is on my list to do). I do wish I had a roof over my boiler but mine is set up how my previous owner set it up. Next on my list is to build a wood shed!
Umbrellas or waterproof coats work for going out in the rain, Couple of harbor freight panels , battery, inverter and your in business for outside power.
Umbrellas are not practical for going out in the rain and loading large pieces of wood into the boiler. Waterproof coats are nice but better be one you don’t care about because you’re going to get embers on it causing it to melt and get small holes in it. I just tough it out and run out there with my old carhartt on or try to time it when the rain lets up.
Backup power is always a good idea. Solar Panels can be difficult during our long stretches of gray cloudy days here but could work if you over size the panels. Thanks for the comment! I appreciate you watching
I live in northern mi. Winter is long, I've got a Hawken I have been running for 16 years, it's large enough that I only load once a day love it but I burn 30 cord of wood for the winter. Before this I had a wood burner in the basement, I would never burn wood burner in the house
That is a LOT of wood Pete but probably far better than paying for propane or electric! By the way, we vacationed in Northern Michigan and the UP a few years ago and loved it!
@@PoplarRidge We start burning in oct. - may. I heat my hot tub, large garage, hot water and a large house. We live 50 mile south of the bridge, lots of snow.
This is my first year with my boiler. I noticed you threw full rounds into the boiler. I was under the impression I would be able to do that also. The people I have asked have told me it is best to split the wood first or I'm using energy to dry the wood. Do you feel that the wood needs to be split first?
Thanks for the comment Chris. I think that big rounds do great as long as they are mostly seasoned and dry. I put pretty good size rounds in there and that helps the wood to last longer in the firebox. I always say “if it fits in the door I don’t bother to split it...”. The only time green wood may cause you an issue would be on extremely cold days (maybe temps at or below 0°F). That being said. I do split some of my wood just for convenience of loading, ease of stacking, and to help it dry.
I concur, splitting the wood just helps it dry faster. Still, best to let it dry at least a year in our area.
I agree Ron. Dry wood is definitely better.
On the blowers if you are a pretty good handyman you can take them apart and clean them and grease or oil them up and it's good to again
Good thought Gordon. A little maintenance is a great preventative for future breakdowns.
This guy will definitely not be getting a Hollywood movie contract.
Nor do I want one, Steve!
Seeing some of the actors in Hollywood, his problem would be showing up the arrogant twerps there.
( not that I'm watching much American TV and films anymore. I'd rather watch "Uchuu Senkan Yamato" over the current "Star Wars" movies any day).
Thanks James - I’m not a fan of much coming out of Hollywood these days either.
Just found you and subbed. I have a video coming out on Wednesday that every wood boiler user should probably see. Been burning since 2014 and first time I started my adjacent woodpile on fire. Interested in your comments on why that happened. Nebraska WoodSTR
Thanks for watching WoodSTR!! I’ll try to get over there and check it out.
Positive and negative = exercise 😂
Yes! This is true! LOL
Awesome to hear your thoughts, man. Lots of good info. Is that a DIY boiler or one you bought? I'm still looking for a good one to buy if I take that route
Thanks! This is a purchased unit made by "Hardy". I'm not a big fan, and I would purchase something different if I were buying new, but this one was here when I bought the place. I'm sure if you do your research and pick something of decent quality, you will be very happy.
@@PoplarRidge Excellent. Thanks for the info man.
I thought wood boilers used coolant so it doesn't boil or the boil temp is alot higher and I thought they used a coolant to help lube the pump or pumps is this wrong?
There are some who use coolant but it’s really not necessary. There is an aquastat (thermostat for water) on the back that regulates the temp of the water. Here is a great video on the topic.
th-cam.com/video/N3lZgzOA-_k/w-d-xo.html
@@PoplarRidge thanks
No there isn’t an outdoor company that recommends coolant. They all do require a boiler (water) additive to keep corrosion down. Nitrate stove additive
Have you heard of an indoor wood steam boiler?
No I’m not familiar with those.
indoor stove is better it is fully self sufficient no need for power pu \t a stove in basement and first floor and u will be happy
Thanks for the comment Divine. Indoor stoves definitely have their positives... and negatives... just like outdoor wood boilers. But, I would love to add an indoor stove at some point!
Indoor stoves burn alot more because they are always taking in air regardless of temp.
Hi Brock - I don’t have a ton of experience with indoor stoves but most have a damper to control the burn. An indoor stove will burn less wood over the course of the whole season because I am burning a whole lot more wood at one time.
1 good thing is it durns any wood
Yes that’s true. I don’t worry about species or anything because I know it’ll burn it.
@@PoplarRidge the first year I got mine I burnt old pine lumber
More wood because you heat your home and your backyard.
That is true to an extent. The extra wood is definitely a negative.
This is true but it takes time to bring wood into your house and most inside sources of wood heat wood has to be cut shorter and split smaller which means more time doing that. IMO the time using an outdoor one gives you more time to cut the little bit extra you burn every winter. Also have to figure in a lot of times with wood stoves especially the house might get too hot on warmer days which means wasting wood. Also some times it might not be cold enough to warrant starting an inside stove which means using oil, propane, or electricity. Mine used to run all year for hot water and now runs about 9 months out of the year.
Built out of 16g stainless . The worst stove built.. you wasted your money. I won't even repair these for people.
Appreciate you watching! I tend to agree and also stated in the video I wasn’t impressed with the quality but that it was the stove that was here when I bought my house.
@@PoplarRidge 👍🍻