Outdoor wood stoves
 

I'd like to hear from others about their experiences with these. I've been heating with wood for about 17 years. I have an old drafty farmhouse in northern Michigan. Always cut my own wood. Can't see paying thousands every year for propane.

Four years ago I bought and installed an outdoor wood fired boiler from Central Boiler. It smokes like a bitch but it is great! I no longer have to split wood or bring it in the house. I can fill it once every 24 hours even in the coldest weather and I wake up to a warm house now. When the power is out I have to fire up the propane space heater though. I still have my old wood stove in case things go to hell but it isn't hooked up any more.

I was just curious how many folks have gone to these and what you think of them.

Re: Outdoor wood stoves
 

Have a link or a picture of it?

Re: Outdoor wood stoves
 

Woodman,
How many cords of wood do you have to burn per heating season, and how big is the space you are heating?
I'm curious about the outdoor wood boilers too, but find most users have to stoke it with rediculous amounts of wood, and many BTU's are wasted in the form of "smoke" like you described.
I have a small house and use wood for suplemental heat. I use a Colonial Dutchwest air tite wood burner, with catylitic reburner. It simply burns in my open (unfinished) basement, and the heat just migrates wherever it wants. I use about 3 full cords per year, and there is no significant increase in natural gas use through the winter months. It takes over of course when we leave or on very cold nights, when the wood stove cannot keep up with the heat loss.

Thanks Ryedale

Re: Outdoor wood stoves
 

I use about 10 cord per heating season. Slightly more than I did with an indoor wood stove. The positive side is that I don't wake up to a cold house any more. I can leave home for a three days even in mid winter if I turn the heat low. No more splitting. The negative side is that I really miss the wood heat from a radiating wood stove. Nothing like sitting in front of that warmth. Hard to regulate them properly though unless you have a fancy one. My house hasn't got any insulation in the walls, needs to be remedies.

I use my burner to heat all my domestic water too. Used to spend alot of money on propane for hot water.

http://www.centralboiler.com/models.php

I was incorrect on the name of the stove I have. It is actually made by Central Boiler, they are located in Minnesota.

Re: Outdoor wood stoves
 

I don't know about heating water, or "outdoor stoves", but in my experience even a pretty small cast iron stove and a small amount of wood can put out alot of heat. I have a fireplace now, and it doesn't compare at all to a cast iron stove.

Re: Outdoor wood stoves
 

Man, I remember when me and my girl at the time, had two sleeping bags zipped together into one big bag we'd sleep in instead of just blankets. And waking in the morning, and just laying there a long time not wanting to get up or let any cold air into the nice comfortable sleeping bag.

I don't remember who it was, but I once saw on tv people who live in a pretty rough cold enviorment (Siberia? Can't remember...).

Thier homes were a smaller tent inside a larger tent. At night they'd get in the smaller tent which didn't have too much room. But becuase it was small, there wasn't much space to heat, and thier body heat would keep it warm and comfortable.

Re: Outdoor wood stoves
 

Re: Outdoor wood stoves
 

It is baffled to use the heat more efficiently but I believe the baffling causes an inefficient burn; a design flaw in my opinion, but I'm not sure. The smoke that comes out of the chimney is surprisingly cool so maybe they knew what they were doing. Still, the presence of a large amount of smoke points to a large particulate emmision so something is askew I believe. I think a faster burn would cause a higher temp rendering a more complete and faster combustion. It sure would be nice to be able to condense the smoke and derive alchohol from it. This idea runs through my head sometimes and I've thought of many ways to condense it. I wonder.....

Overall I am quite pleased with it. Sometimes I get nostalgic about the good ole days of fire and smoke indoors though. Not as much worry about waking up dead now however. I can remember filling the old stove to the max at night and hoping for embers in the morning. That sucker would glow dull red on the sides and melted the side of the tv when I had it too close. I don't feel as 'in tune' with the environment anymore though. I used to wake up and by how cold it was in the house I knew how cold it was outdoors.

My name of 'woodman' was chosen not only because I am a woodburner but I have always felt an affinity for the woods and trees. I am a carpenter and appreciate the utility and beauty of wood. I install wood floors, mostly commercial, gyms and stages and such, for a living.

Re: Outdoor wood stoves
 

Re: Outdoor wood stoves
 

I burn mostly oak, maple and cherry. I get it free from the woods surrounding me. Well, almost free, a permit for cutting on state land costs $20. I also pick up cut-offs from the local saw mills. They are going up in price though. A pickup load of cutoffs is $25 bucks. Last year I was paying $15 for a load. Now most scrap from the mills is being sold to co-gen plants for electric generation.

Side note. A local company offered to cut off my pine. They were paying a buck a ton and shipping it up chipped to the co-gen plant. I said "No thanks".

I'll burn the stuff myself.

Re: Outdoor wood stoves
 

Well, Woodman, that is cheap for your heat and trees!! That is not even one cent per pound. Are they nuts !?!?

Hear is a link of some stoves.

http://www.freeheatmachine.com/?gcli...FQcRQQodpF250w


:questionm..how often do they need to be cleaned out..:questionm