I need some input on choosing a wood boiler. Should I get a dual wood-gas boiler or strictly go with a wood burner? My wife and I are building a 2400 sf ranch with a walkout basement plus we a 40x60 barn located about 150ft from the house. We plan to use the barn for work, storage and entertaining. We have 20 acres of hardwood and have plenty of wood from clearing the building site. I love the Central Boiler line and because we sometimes travel in the cold winter months, I am thinking a dual w00d-gas system would be best. Right now, we are just planning to heat the barn and the attached 2-1/2 car garage on the house. Should I consider the entire house? How much wood would be needed for heating the barn/garage v barn/garage/house? What model should I consider for both options? I really appreciate any input that you can offer.
Dual wood-gas boiler help ???
- Thread starter tedrx1979
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Fatherwheels
Addicted to ArboristSite
Most people I know heat the house, and if they have any
leftover resources they heat their place of work whether it
be their barn or car garage.
But yes, dual makes sense, how else are you going to heat anything
when your not at home to do it, a gas can use a timer, a timer no good on
a stove unless it’s a wood pellet burner, and that would have to be fully
automated to feed its hopper from a bulk tank, and blow out its
own ashes, that type of system is very expensive and ties you into wood pellets.
Wood pellets were 2.50 a bag here, now three bags is 18.00, which means
the system that was affordable is now unused, I have three types of heat,
Stove that burns coal or wood or whatever, an oil burner that uses kerosene,
and that useless wood pellet boiler, I also have an open fire, all plumbed
Into heat a single water storage tank, that in turn feeds water filled radiators,
there is also a coil in that central tank that heats water for taps / facets.
leftover resources they heat their place of work whether it
be their barn or car garage.
But yes, dual makes sense, how else are you going to heat anything
when your not at home to do it, a gas can use a timer, a timer no good on
a stove unless it’s a wood pellet burner, and that would have to be fully
automated to feed its hopper from a bulk tank, and blow out its
own ashes, that type of system is very expensive and ties you into wood pellets.
Wood pellets were 2.50 a bag here, now three bags is 18.00, which means
the system that was affordable is now unused, I have three types of heat,
Stove that burns coal or wood or whatever, an oil burner that uses kerosene,
and that useless wood pellet boiler, I also have an open fire, all plumbed
Into heat a single water storage tank, that in turn feeds water filled radiators,
there is also a coil in that central tank that heats water for taps / facets.
panolo
Seldom right...Always opinionated!
I have a CB edge 550 and forced air furnace as backup. If my fires goes out or I go away the furnace kicks in and keeps the house warm and also keeps the water in the boiler from freezing.
As for the central boiler.... It's been a good unit. I am on my 4th season with it and it took some time to learn it. Plus I got some help from people on here. I've replaced 2 door gaskets and the thermo probe. I really like that I can monitor it from anywhere. I keep my house on a average of 72 and burn between 5-8 cords a winter. If you are going with the edge versus a non gasser remember it is very important to burn dry wood. Critical for less wood consumption and to run the boiler at optimal. You can run a couple loops off either the 550 or 750. I learned through this site that go as big as you can at first because it is easier to do from the start. I will be adding a garage into my heating loop so I will be upgrading to a 750 from the 550. Please take that advice into consideration. If you have any specific questions on the CB feel free to pm me.
EDIT: I did replace the fire brick this year and did the deflector update. Forgot about those.
As for the central boiler.... It's been a good unit. I am on my 4th season with it and it took some time to learn it. Plus I got some help from people on here. I've replaced 2 door gaskets and the thermo probe. I really like that I can monitor it from anywhere. I keep my house on a average of 72 and burn between 5-8 cords a winter. If you are going with the edge versus a non gasser remember it is very important to burn dry wood. Critical for less wood consumption and to run the boiler at optimal. You can run a couple loops off either the 550 or 750. I learned through this site that go as big as you can at first because it is easier to do from the start. I will be adding a garage into my heating loop so I will be upgrading to a 750 from the 550. Please take that advice into consideration. If you have any specific questions on the CB feel free to pm me.
EDIT: I did replace the fire brick this year and did the deflector update. Forgot about those.
homemade
Certified Chainsaw Tester
Get a boiler. And get one that has good local service. When you need parts or water conditioner stuff, it’s nice to have them close bye. I was looking at heat master or crown royal when I was building my house but it ended up not really in the budget and got a wood fired furnace instead.
NSMaple1
Addicted to ArboristSite
If you mean one boiler for both fuels, I would do two separate boilers instead. Usually dual fuel boilers do each only adequately, in some cases neither very good.
I don't think I would go to all that trouble and not heat my house with it - how are you going to heat your house?
If you decide to go with a wood boiler, I also think I would plan for an indoor boiler in the barn. Make a room for it. Big enough to hold the entire winters wood too - or else wood in a lean-to just outside a close door. And add storage tanks - those could go in the house or barn.
Also, 150' is a fair good distance. Good underground pipe the proper size would be pushing $20/foot. And you only want to use the good stuff.
All that said, I think if I had access to natural gas and was doing a new build, I wouldn't likely do much more than a nice wood stove.
I don't think I would go to all that trouble and not heat my house with it - how are you going to heat your house?
If you decide to go with a wood boiler, I also think I would plan for an indoor boiler in the barn. Make a room for it. Big enough to hold the entire winters wood too - or else wood in a lean-to just outside a close door. And add storage tanks - those could go in the house or barn.
Also, 150' is a fair good distance. Good underground pipe the proper size would be pushing $20/foot. And you only want to use the good stuff.
All that said, I think if I had access to natural gas and was doing a new build, I wouldn't likely do much more than a nice wood stove.
If I am understanding this correctly: You are heating the home separately and want this system to heat the barn and garage?
My friend heats a 30X50 shop, and two small homes with an OWB and he uses 20-25 cords of wood per year. Certainly you are in a warmer climate than here but you will still burn substantial wood each year to heat that much space. Secondly, if you end up with an OWB system you need to keep the system from freezing when you are out of town. Or I suppose you could buy (a lot) of antifreeze to keep the system from freezing. But if you planning to be gone a lot, the OWB system will be costly and may not be the best choice.
My friend heats a 30X50 shop, and two small homes with an OWB and he uses 20-25 cords of wood per year. Certainly you are in a warmer climate than here but you will still burn substantial wood each year to heat that much space. Secondly, if you end up with an OWB system you need to keep the system from freezing when you are out of town. Or I suppose you could buy (a lot) of antifreeze to keep the system from freezing. But if you planning to be gone a lot, the OWB system will be costly and may not be the best choice.
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