outdoor wood burner who has built one

[badbowtie]

MD3

Yours sounds really similar to what I want to build can you give me a idea on how much area you heat, burn times? Can you also post some pictures and maybe some more information on items used. Thanks

 

[SpringHollow]

Forced draft (fan) gives you a much cleaner burn.

Ken

 

[beenthere]

Ken
I don't agree that mine would be cleaner with a forced draft.

Reason:
Non-clean burn comes from the draft shutting down and the wood smoldering (IMO).
The forced draft would fan the flames creating more heat quickly, leading to a quicker draft shut-down and smoldering fire sooner.

I try to only supply an amount of wood to burn that is needed to keep the water temp just below the point where the draft will close. That for me is the cleanest burn.

Others' thoughts and feelings and experience may vary. Mine come from 35 years operating a clean fire with little to no chimney maintenance needed (once a year, and sometimes twice).

 

[SpringHollow]

I can not say if yours would be cleaner with a forced draft system. My boiler generates almost no smoke unless i mess up loading it. When the fan is off, there is the tiniest wisp of steam/smoke coming from the chimney and there is zero glow within the stove if i open the door. There is a motorized damper on the air intake that seals completely when the fan is off. When the fan kicks on, the fire is blazing in seconds. I never have to clean the chimney or stove but i do when i am shutting it down in the spring to extend its life. Otherwise, i could easily go 10, 20, or more years without cleaning it. That is not true with other brands that i have experience with (one i owned needed cleaning every week or two).

I do know all of the stoves that i see on the way to work belching black smoke just have a motorized damper to control their burn.

Ken

 

[beenthere]

I have my doubts.

 

[SpringHollow]

I have my doubts.

About what?

 

[Jeepnford]

MD3

Yours sounds really similar to what I want to build can you give me a idea on how much area you heat, burn times? Can you also post some pictures and maybe some more information on items used. Thanks

You can go to DEB Design Do-It-Your-Self Construction Plans for some basic info. They sell their plans so it won't tell you everything. I was going to go that route but changed my mind just to cut down on cost a little bit. I know a guy that built one and it does work well however. I looked at several units before starting mine. There was one I looked at and the company claimed it was able to get an EPA compliant stove by extending the flue about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way down in the firebox. I'm still going to try to post pics if I get a few wxtra minutes.

 

[jake98]

I was thinking about installing a plate steel stove in a cheap tin shed. Then ducting the shed air into the basement and using floor grills to let the heat rise. My lot slopes down favorably on the side where I'd do it so blowers might not be necessary with a big enough duct.

 

[SpringHollow]

Hi Jake,

I think you would need to do a decent job of insulating that shed including maybe the floor. If you can, duct an outside air intake into the stove for combustion. Even getting it close makes a big difference.

Be careful about what materials you use close to the stove.

Ken

 

[jake98]

I probably won't do it.. just an idea I've been kicking around. Right now I'm sweltering in the room with the Vermont Castings stove.

 

[racerboy832]

This is the picture of the wood boiler I was given last year. It looks similar to beenthere's. I currently have one of those US Stove indoor Furnaces. It works ok, eats alot of wood. I was thinking maybe the boiler was a better alternative for my 1000sq ft cottage with very little insulation. I'm really sick of waking up cold and didn't know if radiator heat would keep it a little more even.

 

[MD3]

MD3

Yours sounds really similar to what I want to build can you give me a idea on how much area you heat, burn times? Can you also post some pictures and maybe some more information on items used. Thanks

I agree it sounds like the direction that you are heading. Jeepnford is correct in saying that you can get the basic info from Deb Design. I will try to get some pics tonight. I did and would change a few things from the plans that I can share. Things like the draft/blower assembly ( maybe delete the blower), better thermostat and so on.

 

[vpd66]

I'll give you my 2 cents on the draft blower. I have a Aqua-Therm 145 outdoor wood boiler. It is basically a barrel (firebox) in a barrel (water jacket). It does have a draft blower and I think you will want one. Unless you like alot of smoking and have good seasoned wood I'd put a draft blower in. A couple of people in my area have older Central boiler OWBs without a draft blower and those things smoke alot. I get compliments on how little mine smokes. Think about it, when the aquastat calls for heat it opens the draft door to restart the fire. With a draft blower and flap it opens the draft and starts the fan. Your fire restarts quicker and gets up to temp quicker with less smoke. My OWB smokes the most when the aquastat closes the draft flapper and shuts the draft blower off (smoldering the fire). Like I said, it works better with green or damp wood also. I reseached building my own and I was going to, but ended up finding a deal on my Aqua-Therm used. When my Aqua-Therm dies I'll most likely build my own replacement. Have you ever took a look at the Seton style OWBs? They are a different design and use a heavily insulated firebox with a steel tube heat exchanger in the exhaust path. They look very easy to build and I'll most likely go that route when mine gives up.
Vince

 

[MD3]

MD3

Yours sounds really similar to what I want to build can you give me a idea on how much area you heat, burn times? Can you also post some pictures and maybe some more information on items used. Thanks

A few pictures.

 

[chopped]

MD 3 looks great here is one that might work but isnt as pretty lol
http://www.airstove.com/images/redneck_outdoor_furnace.gif

 

[TWD]

If I`m building a shop, and want to use an OWB to heat it what do I need for "in the shop"

 

[SpringHollow]

Hi TWD,

You have several options, which one is best depends upon how you use your shop. If you use the shop frequently (every day, for example), heat in the floor is VERY nice. Infrequent use, then perhaps a coil with a blower. Radiators are another option but i doubt there are many shop arrangements that these would make sense for.

An OWB is nice for heating a shop if you are also using it to heat your house or if your shop is large and you are using it every day. It would normally be a bad solution if the situation was that OWB was used only for the shop which was occupied one day per week.

Feel free to PM or give more details/questions here if that is not considered thread hijacking.

Ken

 

[badbowtie]

Okay thanks for the picturs and all the info so far I have been out of internet since saturday and they just got the problem fixed yesterday so know I am back on I am going to call today to see prices on 3/8 and 1/4 plate and see what I can come up with.

 

[yomax4]

When building your own OWB, Try to go with as much water capacity that you can. If you live in the north you will be better off with 300+ gallons. I love my OWB, heats 4000sqft home and a 1000sqft shop ( in floor ) I have not used a drop of Propne in 3 years. My stove is very simple and the stove pipe runs down to within 10" of the bottom of the fire box to give the so called "secondary burn", That works great but I have some creosote build up issues in the pipe because of the continuous smolder. They all are designed to smolder so I guess creosote is the nature of the beast. I just snake it out now and then. I run the stove at 180 degrees and set the aquasta on the house furnace at 140. I also heat all my hot water with a coil of copper tube in the water jacket and pump it through my water heater. I never run out of hot water. I too would say to go with a forced draft fan for quick fire restart. I did all of the install myself but it's all been worth it so far.

 

[DRL]

... the stove pipe runs down to within 10" of the bottom of the fire box to give the so called "secondary burn",

Can you explain this? I thought I understood the secondary burn as injecting fresh O2 in the right place in the fire box. I don't under stand the stove pipe part.

DRL