Looking for Comments on Outdoor Wood/Water Furnaces

HeavenHelpMe · #1 08/11/06, 09:30 PM

We are going to invest in one of those wood furnaces. Already have the old diesel furnace in the basement with the ductwork and registers through the house. Would like to ask those that have/had them:

What brand did you go with and why?

What did you pay for one?

Did you install yourself or hire out?

Did you feel the investment was worth it in the long run?

Any advice or warnings from those who have used them a while?

Impart your wisdom on us, oh wise ones of Homesteading Today!

And thanks in advance!

tallpaul · #2 08/11/06, 10:33 PM

I have a taylor... several years old. I bought it because my friends all loved thiers anf the dealer is a good one. I have several friends with units over ten years old. My first 400 dollar bill in my new house several years back-before the increases prompted the purchase. I love it but it is STILL WORK! The only really bad part other than the wood procurement and processing is having to be here or have someone feed it if ya want to leave in the winter months. Newer units are available with back up and I would have to consider that in a new one. I installed and it was easy (for me) nly warning I will give is that the better the wood the less the smoke. Mine can really throw the smoke if I burn crap or wet wood.

tamatik · #3 08/12/06, 08:48 AM

I,m looking at one for the farm.My house there is heated only with woodstove but I want to build a greenhouse and an outdoor furnace would service both AND reduce insurance costs.In fact..I think if someone is using it for only one building..theyre wasting half its potential..They are designed to be able to heat 2 applications..IMHO

Gord in BC

Alex · #4 08/12/06, 10:20 AM

Gord,
Just thought I'd say.
HI.

HeavenHelpMe,

Back to the question. You could keep you existing oild furnace, and install a heating coil in the existing duct system (which is what you were probably planning to do) then you would have a back up if you ever went away for a longer time and needed to heat your building.

The system should be OK. But I like the local radiant, in our small cabin.

Alex (in BC)

Mutti · #5 08/12/06, 10:56 AM

We have a Central Boiler system and we love it. Is has the ability to hook up several bldgs...have our house on it but want to add the greenhouse we are building and perhaps DH's honey house. Yes, you do have to go feed it twice a day but you can cut wood as large as you can heave in the door. No spliting needed. It doesn't have to be super dry either. Nice...just dial the thermostat for the house temp you want. And super clean heat unlike stoves in the house...and no noise of furnace kicking on and off all nite. We had ours professionally installed as this old farmhouse had no exisiting heat system but a wood stove in kitchen. Alot of plumbing involved but if you already have the lines in shouldn't be hard. Ours is tied into the water heater so as long as we even keep a small fire in the summer we have unlimited hot water...takes about $30 off our electric bill. Central Boiler is probably the most expensive system but the payback is quick if you figure how much propane or oil will cost as the prices rise and rise...and assuming you have a good supply of wood. I understand you can now get a solar add on to run the electric pump which is something we will look into....even with the power off the temp will hold a long time so we've never had to turn the generator on. Dee

agmantoo · #6 08/12/06, 10:56 AM

I have an outdoor furnance and I have installed 4 in the neighborhood. They do work and they do save money provided you have access to an ample supply of wood. I am going to concentrate on the negatives that I have observed. Not everyone can burn one of these devices because it is totally different than burning an inside wood heater. The units are not efficient in themselves as a lot of wasted heat goes up the stack. These heaters smoke up the neighborhood and use a lot of wood. I am referring to the common design that does not have the catalytic design. Some of the units are prone to creosote buildup. The circulation pumps are problematic. Thermal shock is detrimental to the pumps and the replacement pumps are expensive. The life of the units (10 to 12 years) is too short for what they cost. Failure consists of cracking in the metal and rusting out of the enclosure. None of the ones I have installed were stainless steel so I cannot comment on those. If I were going to have another outdoor furnace I would hire a local welder to build one and I would employ the best features from the various manufacturers in the one for myself. Mine would be a two component design where the firebox is separate from the rest of the furnace. In so doing I could service the wear parts and retain the long life portions.

HeavenHelpMe · #7 08/12/06, 11:01 AM

Alex-

Thanks for the tip. We are hoping to get an estimate on an installation soon. Yes, it is very late in the game, but we were just going to do a wood stove until we thought of the furnace thing last week!

We will be getting one that will do both the house (which is small), and a building and pool that we will hopefully be coming up with later on in life. I definitely want it to be large enough to keep some options open. I don't like single-purpose tools.

Anyone like any of the brands over others? We are probably going with a Central, because we can get an upgrade so it can burn corn as well as wood, if the need arises. Will cost more, but like I said-I like options! There is a source for fuel corn here, so I like having the option in case something happens where we can't get wood easily for awhile.

Thanks for the replies so far. Keep them coming if you have educated opinions. I need to learn, and fast!