OWB Purchase and Install Cost

[H-Ranch]

A boiler is going to always go through a ton of wood even if it's a new really efficient EPA unit. Boiling water takes a lot of energy .

I'll agree that boiling water takes a lot of energy. However, most OWB's (Outdoor Wood Burners) are not boilers. They typically only heat the water to 190° or less. Unfortunately too many of them do have to boil the water out of the wood that they burn because some users burn rounds fresh from the stump which I believe is one reason high wood consumption is reported.

 

[Del_]

My friend heats a home a little larger than mine . He has a Tarm gassifier with storage his is a very high tech setup . It doesn't get more efficient than his , radiant slab with heavy pex computer boards and the whole nine . he was a dealer so he got it all at dealer cost , to do s similar setup as his you'd have 20,000+ $ into it . He still goes through probably atleast 30% more wood than my large indoor air furnace does . By design. A boiler is going to always go through a ton of wood even if it's a new really efficient EPA unit. Boiling water takes a lot of energy . It's easier to heat an air molecule. My other buddy has a Taylor boiler he uses 14 cords a year .you better love to cut wood and have some equipment

1. There is no reason a modern boiler would be less efficient than a wood fired hot air furnace.
2. It takes more electricity to move heat around with a fan then it does to mover heat around with a pump moving hot water.
3. If a wood boiler is boiling water, someone is doing it wrong. There should be no boiling going on.

I've been heating with Jotul EPA free standing wood stoves for almost 30 years now. No fans, no pumps, no electrical usage. I like it that way. Quiet, efficient and dependable.

 

[flotek]

It easier to heat air than it is water however water stores that heat better . There are advantages to both .. A little jotul stove isn't going to heat a large 4 bedroom split level home evenly or efficiently in dead of winter in cold northern climate all by itself . Free standing units have their place and can do well in a open floor plan but they can't replace a central heating forced air unit . Water boils at 212 most boilers are running at around just 20 degrees below that , not s huge difference in temperature . Water jackets cool the firebox most dobt reburn or gasify heck some don't even have a heat shelf or baffle and the biggest reason is forced fan driven draft

 

[AIM]

O geez. Lets not see this discussion turn to technicalities about an OWB's nickname. We ALL know that they do not BOIL the water as a standard. They just heat it. BOILER is just a nickname...

 

[AIM]

I would not want to own an owb without owning a loader tractor of some kind. Definitely a back saver when dealing with a larger volume and size of wood. Sometimes the first or second time I pick up a piece of wood is to put it in the owb.

I've been doing it for 6-8 years. Chainsaw, truck, splitter. MAYBE more volume but size doesn't need to be any different than anything else.
I'd love to have a tractor but to be honest more for fun than need.

 

[cantoo]

flotek, do you know anyone with an OWB? Ask their opinion.

 

[czar800]

No two peoples setups are the same. House size, floor plan, brand of OWB, distance from house, type of buried pipe, green wood vs well seasoned......, and on and on..., I have seen installs that you could see the snow melted off the ground where the pipe was buried.
I think some of the extra consumption could come from filling the firebox to full. I know my setup and I had very little to no extra consumption. Like the man asked has anyone switched back to a inside setup?

 

[hupte]

This is a hypothetical question at this point for me. But at some point may be reality.

Just curious about the average costs involved for installing an OWB. Lets assume it is a 2500 SF home that already has an indoor boiler so you only need to plumb the hot water into the house.

1) Average boiler system cost?
2) Average cost of materials (all connectors, thermopex, electrical wire, heat exchanger, etc) to hook up existing system to owb)
3) Estimate of labor cost if you had a professional do the work.

Thanks in advance.

i just installed 2 this year both were 7500 installed. one was a used, cheap boiler and a very elaborate install. domestic water, house. shop. office. partial base board heat...

other one was a relatively cheap boiler 4k. install was short runs. and simple. install, pipe labor was 3500.

 

[NSMaple1]

I disagree.

Me also.

 

[blakey]

I've been doing it for 6-8 years. Chainsaw, truck, splitter. MAYBE more volume but size doesn't need to be any different than anything else.
I'd love to have a tractor but to be honest more for fun than need.

I like to bring home logs with the loader tractor and wagons, many times I have a short window to get the logs because of weather, crops or just getting them out of somebody's way. I would really have to bust my hump to do that with a pickup. some of it is 20" plus. My comment wasn't meant to be a slight against anyone without a loader but it sure is a time and body saver. I just have a 40 yr old farm tractor but it works well.

 

[flotek]

flotek, do you know anyone with an OWB? Ask their opinion.

Yes I already said I know three buddy's that have them a wood master a Tarm and a Taylor they all burn a train load of wood even my friend with Tarm gassifier is going through 8 cords. Everybody loves their owb heat output but hate the log truck after log truck of cutting . They have their place I'm not knocking all of them but my point is they eat wood . Forced draft blowers really chew through a wood pile

 

[Dogsout]

Yes I already said I know three buddy's that have them a wood master a Tarm and a Taylor they all burn a train load of wood even my friend with Tarm gassifier is going through 8 cords. Everybody loves their owb heat output but hate the log truck after log truck of cutting . They have their place I'm not knocking all of them but my point is they eat wood . Forced draft blowers really chew through a wood pile

Hey flotek if you don't even own a OWB why in the hell are you so concerned how much wood we burn in them? Ya I burn more wood then you (On average 8 cord a year) get over it. You have post after post on here on the massive wood consumption of OWB why does it bother you so much? On average we burn more wood in these then you do, do you think it is breaking news to the people that own them? Um...............NO!!! Sure is funny to have post after post on here from owners that love them. Hmmm.......maybe, just maybe there are other benefits that help offset that MASSIVE wood use. Move on and whine about something else.

 

[czar800]

They're not for everyone!

 

[Idahonative]

This is a hypothetical question at this point for me. But at some point may be reality.

Just curious about the average costs involved for installing an OWB. Lets assume it is a 2500 SF home that already has an indoor boiler so you only need to plumb the hot water into the house.

1) Average boiler system cost?
2) Average cost of materials (all connectors, thermopex, electrical wire, heat exchanger, etc) to hook up existing system to owb)
3) Estimate of labor cost if you had a professional do the work.

Thanks in advance.

You want to know something funny? I didn't even know what an OWB was until I joined this site. We just don't have them around here.

 

[nmcqueen469]

I'm on my second season with my Earth Woodsman 405. Installed it all myself, have $8200 wrapped up in everything.

Went through 7.5 cord last year of almost strictly standing dead ash, averaging 25% moisture. Less than I expected to burn after everything I read prior to purchasing it.

It heats a 2800 sq. ft. home, DHW, and an exchanger in the shop that I use only when I'm in there working.

I don't regret it one bit.....except when one of my neighbors reminds me of the ridiculously low price of LP right now.

 

[hupte]

seems like some ppl wanna just bash owb's, on multiple posts too. such a shame. I believed the op asked for prices, and NOT "the annual owb vs wood stove debate" Some ppl should have learned their lesson last year when they started the annual debate.