# Hardy H2 burn time and Hardy H4 Burn Time



## Poston5 (Jan 8, 2013)

I am going to purchase a Hardy H2 or Hardy H4, but i have not found much info on the burn times that others are getting from the units. Currently i am heating a small house roughly 1,200 SF (that doesnt include the full basement) and i will be heating the domestic also. I am sure the H2 will suffice but i plan to move it to the next location when a build a house and shop which is making me think an H4. My main concern is getting a long burn time since i work long hours. I do not want to be starting a fire morning and night, but Hardy publishes info the claims the H2 gets a 12 hr burn time. I assume others are getting more than 12 hrs. out of their H2.....can anybody give me some more info. Current furnace is 66K BTU and keeps up fine, i use less than 400 gallons of propane a year and my highest electric bill has been $160.

The main thing i see between the H2 and H4 is the firebox is another 10" wide and a few more gallons of storage.


----------



## all stihl (Jan 8, 2013)

i have a hardy h2 heat 2000 sf and hot water . it will make it more then 12 hours.


----------



## John R (Jan 8, 2013)

When I researched OWB before I bought one, one of the things I found to look for was large water capacity.


----------



## hunter h (Jan 8, 2013)

John R said:


> When I researched OWB before I bought one, one of the things I found to look for was large water capacity.



I have a H2 and heating 3000 sq ft including unfinished basement and dom water. With any kind it depends on what you are burning. With a mix of wood I get 12 hours with out a problem. My brother has h4 but is useing it to heat his shop as well. My parents two of my brothers and my self have them and I have nothing bad to say about them. This will be 8 years for my parents and the only thing I have had to do is replace a rellay. I said I had nothing bad to say but need to add that the older H2 float valve would not last they have gone to a new one that fits in place and is better. The best thing is we never run out of hot water. My wife can wash cloths her and all three kids ages 4 to 10 so you know they wast water can take a bath and there is plenty left at night for a hot shower. Hope this helps.


----------



## Poston5 (Jan 9, 2013)

Thanks for all of the info. Keep your thoughts coming.


----------



## hardy steve (Jan 9, 2013)

I have an old h2. Built in 87' I bought used on 5 th year use. I do get at least 12 hr burn most of time longer. Even burning junk wood , cold , wind. house is close to 1300 sq feet


----------



## applefarmer (Jan 10, 2013)

Have you really got your heart set on a hardy? Look hard at flue design and firebox size when comparing owbs. Just remember the longer the gasses stay in and the more surface area the heat has to contact, the more effecient the unit will be. Also make sure you use a good underground pipe.


----------



## ford tech (Jan 10, 2013)

I have had my h2 since 2003 w/ just a house the stove will do great but, if you add a shop you need a h4. I have floor heat in a 40 x 40 shop and when it kicks on the h2 doesn't keep up if it is very cold outside say 10 deg. or below. I am thicking of buying a h4 my self. The most inportant thing you can do is use very well insulated lines under ground central boiler uses some of the best . I sprayed foam insulation on top of mine.


----------



## Mr Goodwrench (Jan 10, 2013)

I have had my H4 since 2005 and can easily get a 24hr burn 2000 sq ft 1st floor 1500 second floor plus all the hot water 4 kids and two adults can use, I fill it when I get home from work every night usually about 4:30 Now granted if the weather is cold and windy zero temps it will be out of wood, still plenty of coals to get it going again, as the outside temp goes up the more wood I have left at the end of 24hrs.


----------



## walkerdogman85 (Jan 11, 2013)

i started mine in september burning pine and i could easily get 24+ hours now that it is cold like in the teens i put wood in it twice a day i only put about four 8" peices in it to make it last 12 hours. i am heating 1600 square feet with a un finished basement and hot water. i really like it and would recomend them to anyone smoke can be an issue if burning wet wood but i have been burning dry wood and have very little smoke once it cycles once there is no smoke at all


----------



## Poston5 (Jan 12, 2013)

Yeah I am set on a hardy. There are too many good reviews on them too pass one up, lots of owb's that are 20 years old. Reliable is the key for me.


----------



## wkeev (Jan 13, 2013)

I have an H2 .I heat about 1300 sq. ft . I'm filling about once a day . When it got real cold a while back I filled 2 times a day only 5 or 6 pieces in the AM then filled full at night . Where are you at in Ohio ? I'm up near Mansfield . Who is your dealer ? I can tell you one that I don't recommend if you PM me .


----------



## Poston5 (Jan 13, 2013)

I am purchasing it in Newark but i live in lancaster. I tried to send a PM but i dont think it went through because it is not shown in my sent messages.


----------



## walkerdogman85 (Jan 13, 2013)

Are you going with Rick wheeler if so that's who installed mine. He was fast and did a great job I would recommend him to anyone. If you aren't going with him and want to let me know and I'll give you his number


----------



## Poston5 (Jan 13, 2013)

Yes, i am going with Rick Wheeler. He seems to be a straight shooter and was very helpful on the product. I am going to do my own install.


----------



## walkerdogman85 (Jan 13, 2013)

After watching him install mine it was easy and he seems to be a strait shooter you'll like dealing with him keep us posted on it my hardy is coming a year old and we wish we would have put it in sooner saves a lot of money hardy any smoke and doesn't use wood like some people warned me about


----------



## Encore (Jan 14, 2013)

I went with the H4. I very easily go 24-36hrs between fills. Even when it's been in the single digits, filling once a day has been enough. Granted there is mostly coals at that point but that's no problem. 

I did majority of the install myself. It's worth your time to test the water you plan on filling the stove with though to make sure your chloride (salt) levels. If they are too high, it's easier to get some barrells and collect rainwater.


----------



## walkerdogman85 (Jan 14, 2013)

i also went with the h4 and my burn times have been more than 24 hours although i check on it twice a day cause i enjoy it. i am trying to get ahead on my wood so smoke is not an issue


----------



## HardyOWB (Jan 14, 2013)

I have the H5 economy (same as an H4) and heat a relatively new 2800 square foot home with very high ceilings. If I fill it and its below freezing out I will get 12 hours out of it no problem. I use a mostly well seasoned hardwood, but sometimes will throw in some semi seasoned stuff depending on how the fast the woodpile is shrinking. I have had my Hardy 7 years with no problems what so ever. I have to agree that it may not be the most efficient out there, but from what I've heard they last a long time. We also use it for domestic hot water. There are 5 people in my family so there is a lot of hot water used for showers and laundry.


----------



## Poston5 (Jan 14, 2013)

Next question is to use Pex or Kitec? I am leaning toward Kitec for ease of install and that seems to be what hardy recommends. Also do you guys just put all 4 lines together and wrap in pipe sleeve insulation. I am leaning toward burying in 6" SDR 35 sewer pipe. Give me your thoughts.


----------



## Encore (Jan 14, 2013)

I buried all my lines together (hot water and heat lines 4 total) and wrapped them in insulation and slid them into a 4" pipe. It was a snug fit but that's the way I wanted it. Pipe was just your regular pvc. I put mind about 40" down. Used pex lines. 

If you are good at operating machinery, consider getting your hands on a rented excavator. That's what I did and it made the digging a million times easier as well as making it simple to move the unit around. 

I know some guys spend the extra $$ and foam insulate their stuff as well. If you can afford it, do it. It was above my cost ceiling at the time. However I'm only losing about 2 degrees between the heater and the heat exchanger.


----------



## chaseman621 (Jan 16, 2013)

Going about a week now on my used H-5. I could go longer than 12 hours on burn time but I think it works better for me this way. I've had a different brand up until last week, now I have what I should have bought originally. I couldn't pass up this deal, the unit I got is 6 years old but only burned 39 days before the neighbor, a lawsuit, and the EPA shut the previous owner down. (Thats what you get for putting it in a closely packed residential neighborhood). His loss my gain... I love my Hardy!!!


----------

