Outdoor Wood Boiler vs Polar Vortex - Staying Warm in Extreme Cold

This video is a day in the life of an outdoor wood boiler during a polar vortex and extreme cold conditions. I also answer a few questions I get asked about the outdoor wood boiler and then take you thru a day from one morning to the next and show how many times I have to load up wood when the temps drop below zero.
Outdoor Wood Boiler vs Polar Vortex - Staying Warm in Extreme Cold
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[@outdoorswithlarryrobin]

Great Heat! I can hear my Central Boiler calling me Master! FEED ME! Every morning and evening! 🪵👍🏼🇱🇷

[@123windyron]

Smart move having your wood boiler inside a building makes 100 percent sense.

[@markshanteau3234]

Something I did that helps keep the water warmer is I run the 2 heat lines together almost to the furnace inside insulation. Not sure if you are interested in this. I'm just trying to help with efficiency

[@danielbickel2943]

Great info, I have a wood burning stove to add heat to our regular furnace but have always wondered what having the own was like. Thanks for the great videos. Stay safe and be cool!

[@toddsoutsideagain]

Nice system you have. I had a good idea how it worked but have never seen the system up close. Thanks for sharing. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@jeremiahhaas567]

Looks like that boiler works great for you! Stay warm!🪵🔥👍

[@markc4614]

I insulated the pipes from and to the wood fired "boiler" inside the basement. This keeps all the heat where you want it and not overheat the basement, saves wood. Used A/C line foam.

[@markw2266]

Thanks for the upload, I can see all the creosote so it makes sense to have a short chimney and having the fire away from the house in warmer conditions is a plus. That's a interesting Appliance. Not sure the concept works for a older guy that's looking at 15 - 20 cords a season but definitely a younger guy that has the drive to feed it. My hope is the government stays out of things.

[@dbsven7017]

This is the first video on these boilers where the boiler was inside an enclosed space and not just "out in the open" it makes a lot of sense to me to have this kind of set up.

[@deadly134]

100% my parents have an old farm house and the boiler was out behind the house in the open field for years. About 3 years back now I asked my step dad wouldn’t be worth it to build even a little scrap lumber building around it to keep the heat in? He said I’m not sure so we went to the local Home Depot got a trailer full of used pallets for free built just a small shed around the thing and threw some scrap insulation. He said the past 2 years they’ve used probably 25-35% less wood just breaking the wind from the unit.

[@hipobir]

@Jason , having lived in few houses with central boiler inside, both wood, coal and gas, I could never understand why the boiler would be out in the elements, and not in at least a garage or workshop.

[@nosheen9004]

safety purposes a lot of people are not comfortable having fire going on near the house, the idea of keeping it out in open gives sense of risk free system I guess

[@gregoryhumphries8956]

I have a Central Boiler. My house is roughly 2100 sq foot. We didn't light up till late November. I go though around 7 cords a year. I do free wood. Every year in the spring plenty of blown down trees. Most are cut up. Just need picked up. For that I use a Kubota loader and a 16 ft dump trailer. Usually make quick work of it. A couple of years ago we had 15 cords. Still burning it. We don't sell wood. What I get we use around here. We cook outside all summer. Lots of fires. We heat otherwise with a gas hot water boiler. Real easy to hook up too. Only gas we use is in the summer months. Boiler makes hot water. I live in NE Ohio

[@bigDH123]

That's chilly alright Dan, thanks for the explanation on your boiler. -34F here today.

[@overmysholder]

monday feb 15...in tint Cochrane WI at 8 am it is 33.333 Celsius. Probably a heat wave in Alberta.

[@timothychase3798]

Wow, nice fire!! Feel that heat!!!

[@teejay6611]

Great information.

[@WolfeRidgeSplitters]

Good video, I am in the boiler club too. Wheel barrow full morning and night on these cold days. I have been burning all my slash and end cuts from procrssing Oak at the shop. Small pieces butn super fast, big end cut cookies take days to burn down.

[@Back40Firewood]

That's the best part about em is they can really help with the clean up of all the undesirable wood...lol....it all burns & makes heat! 😀 👍 🍻

[@reesegary]

I like the video. I have the same boiler, except its the 5500, and my hot water tank exchanger is the side arm instead of the plate exchanger like yours. Also, I'm no longer complaining about our 10 degree cold ( feels like -2) days after seeing your temps. Lol

[@timthompson5885]

Yes they really do çhew through the wood!! Wood heat does really feel good though!! I typically fill mine 3 times a day when it's this cold!! Stay warm and safe my friend!!

[@tomfillmore9710]

That was great good video my son has a out side boiler he has a big work shop it heats the floor works awesome don't know much about it I go fill it up sometimes when they are away use's a lot of wood but works great thanks have a good day

[@stanleykeith6969]

My boiler is a Hot water system run by natural gas. I have a 50/50 mix of anti freeze in my system. It could also heat hot water at one time in stead of having a hot water tank. Gas bills can be high sometimes. I see you have Pex pipe, Red is HOT, and Blue is COLD. I see Dan, it a forced air system that has the water coils where air goes through. Save you on gas.

[@64eski]

Wonderful video. Very interesting. Thank you!

[@randyvoiles6579]

Awesome footage always 💪

[@stevesrt8]

ohh man. Thats so awesome to see you load it up.. i use like 2-3 pieces at a time in the house

[@elischultes6587]

I’ve been thinking about feeding a owb with flax straw bales. Feeding the hot water to a big water tank storage vessel. Then feeding that to infloor heat.

[@IronOakSawmill]

Just a bit chilly up there.

[@NorthForkHollow]

It's days like this that I'm glad I only have to load my boiler once every 3-4 days. And I do it from the comfort of my basement. I'm convinced that gasification boilers with storage are the way to go! Good video, though.

[@ericharris893]

Watch it with those, whene the fire box rots through in 5-7 years, it won’t be under warrantee even if you never burn paper and only burn toothpicks.

[@NorthForkHollow]

@@ericharris893 Why would the firebox rot out? I've had mine for 4 years. My brother has had his for 6 years. Neither is showing any signs of rust. Maybe you are thinking of a different brand or design. But I talked to other owners of Switzer boilers like mine that are 30 years old with no problems.

[@ericharris893]

@@NorthForkHollow yes the old ones are different. They don’t rot out. The gasifier ones always have water and creosote pouring off the inside and somehow they corrode badly. No matter how picky you get with what you burn, it draws moisture to the fire box and they just rot in the back left or right top corners. I don’t know why it’s a problem for them but the old ones never rot out. And you could burn green pine rounds and last nights pizza boxes with the crust still in it. Never rot

[@NorthForkHollow]

@@ericharris893 What brands are you talking about? Because I'm sure that makes a difference. Mine isn't old, but doesn't draw any moisture into the firebox. I don't burn green wood because I don't like cutting more wood than I need. But I don't see a flake of corrosion, moisture, or creosote in mine. Take a look at my videos and you can see the design of mine. Not all are the same.

[@ericharris893]

@@NorthForkHollow dude I checked out your channel! Fricken sweet. We would hang out if we were neighbors. Anyway, the reason you are not haveing the issues is because your not drawing moist outside air into the fire box during the burn cycle with cold water against the bearing surface to condense.

[@VAFarmer318]

I love my Heatmaster gasification boiler. Granted you are burning pine but the amount of wood you put in yours at one time will last mine 24+ hours in that same weather. I was hesitant about a gasser stove but not after running it awhile. Glad I went that way. Great video bud.

[@IronOakSawmill]

Been thinking about an OWB. Need to make sure I can fit the exchanger in the duct work. Already Ave an AC exchanger in that spot.

[@johnp3427]

You can but different sizes of heat exchangers to fit your duct work

[@tonyr6190]

Nice setup on boiler first time I've seen it , dan its so cold here in Michigan like you guys can't cut no wood while I get 3 hours today and its to cold and going to get colder but wife is getting better thats all that matters , have good day brother and stay cool

[@larrykluckoutdoors8227]

Glad to she getting better.

[@tonyr6190]

@@larrykluckoutdoors8227 thank you Larry shes up and around we are waiting for that hundred day mark to see if she goes in remission

[@larrykluckoutdoors8227]

@@tonyr6190 I thinking about her. Take care

[@tonyr6190]

@@larrykluckoutdoors8227 ok thx Larry appreciate it

[@bobhannon1227]

May have helped if you showed everyone a snap shot of your 2 thermostats in side your home. Very informative video. Thank you.

[@traviscover590]

Yes i like your new video the moming you did a really good jop your wood stove going really good and hot just like my wood stove too good jop stay warm good job this morning buddy

[@traviscover590]

Good night too you guys say warm tonight buddy is still could there busdy 🍺🍺

[@Aaronzap15]

Ya your in the cold zone keep feeding that boiler! Wish I had one

[@GrizC]

Subzero for mega heat do small fills it will get more oxygen because it's drawing so hard and will burn hotter. Heatmor 400 with 300 cfm draft fans . Max cold -34f with wind took 2200 lbs dry oak in 24 hours .

[@armandshighlife]

Awesome run down on the unit and how it hooks up to the house! Looks way easier than our wood stove that we run for our main heat aswell. Would be nice to only refill 3 times a day instead of every 2-3 hours🔥

[@Back40Firewood]

That is the one nice thing is less often on the fill up...I was just talking to my dad and he was telling me he's on about a 2-3 hour refill cycle as well...lol 😀 👍 🍻

[@overmysholder]

@Frank Maggard I was about to scold our host on "12 hrs with quality stove," but back 40's dad straightened him out. We gotta keep a check in that Shifty fellow.

[@frankvanalthuis1867]

@Frank Maggard he easily could. He chooses to do a moderate fill and have a easier coal bed to manage.

[@Painfulwhale360]

@Frank Maggard what model of stove do you have?

[@bigbear568]

Great explanation of how the OWB works. Cool video as well. Stay warm and be safe.

[@mikkei3532]

This welded box is maybe , maybe 20-30% efficient compare to gasificarion stoves. I have comparision 3 years ago i change old box llike yours to new gasification stove and it is so nice , i burn 1 packet of wood in 3-4h compare to 1h before........ Massive improvment

[@FirewoodMidwest]

Man, got some OWB haters in the crowd! 😆 I love my OWB! Enjoyed the video Dan! Stay warm up there buddy!👍🏻🍺

[@jouman450]

If you like you OWB, you can keep your OWB. For me, it's like watching som odd 70's technology from Russia compared to what we have here in Finland.

[@FirewoodMidwest]

@@jouman450I highly anticipate the awesome technological wood burning advancements from Finland finally reaching our shores.

[@AATreeService]

Love mine as well. Seems the ones that don’t like an OWB are either the ones that have it installed poorly and bad underground lines or the ones that are lazy

[@FirewoodMidwest]

@@AATreeService 👍🏻

[@overmysholder]

@@FirewoodMidwest I come from Norwegian stock,(two generations removed)so I am proud of advanced European designs. But that Tesla guy is revolutionizing everything.

[@HometownAcres]

Man no wonder those things use a ton of wood. My woodstove in the house probably uses 1 full wood boiler load per day not 3 haha. But you’ve also got your hot water tank hooked up to it as well

[@Back40Firewood]

LOL...yeah they can go thru a LOT of wood with temps that cold....prolly doesn't help that the house is at 74 all day...all night...hahaha 😀 👍 🍻

[@aresacres5652]

Lol we have a section of night wood and morning wood also. We have a indoor dual fuel furnace.

[@ryanthiessen4562]

Hey Dan, not sure where you are, I have an identical set up, I used 3-4 ft logs 10" in diameter. It saves so much time splitting wood. Also my insurance would never allow me to have my boiler inside a building. I have a few other upgrades I have planned for the future.

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

Your insurance company is nuts...if the interface between the chimney and the structure fulfills all normal chimney requirements re insulating air gap etc...then theoretically the WB inside should never be a problem...as can be seeen here. There is more danger in having a vehicle with a fuel tank indoors....

[@rearspeaker6364]

@@JohnSmith-yv6eq and todays electric cars near your house too!!

[@kaurkoop]

Holy shit thats alot of wood

[@larrykluckoutdoors8227]

Good video Dan. I will be sending more of this cold air over your way. We do miss having a wood stove to warm up the house.

[@Back40Firewood]

Larry....trust me, I've had enough of the COLD cold...just send some nice mid 20s....PLUS 20, not -20..hahahahaha 😀 👍 🍻

[@larrykluckoutdoors8227]

@@Back40Firewood Not yet. Back down into the cold this weekend

[@greglammers9905]

It was -21f here in southern Minnesota last Saturday, and hasn’t been above zero since. -3 right now at 12:30 pm. My boiler chews thru the wood at these temps but It heats my house, domestic hot water, garage, and 2200 sq ft shop. My gas bill last month was $ 29.00.

[@Life-bx8kd]

All that pipe ! You would have a impressive saving if you insulated all the pipes ! I think you would be surprised!

[@Back40Firewood]

The tubing from the boiler to the house is heavily insulated, but once inside the house the exposed lines actually probably help keep the basement a bit warm, and technically actually sort of heat the house. So not being insulated doesn't have too big of an impact. 👍😀🍻

[@Life-bx8kd]

@@Back40Firewood Good point ! Was trying to help but I see what you mean pipe radiator 😁👍

[@fricknjeep]

hi there B40 that was a real nice presentation . good ol wood boilers do like to eat wood . i fire mine the same way junk in the day hard wood for all night . sure would be kind of you to keep your cold up there . how about that bid d at -34 . i loved your water thing gots to do that again stay warm john

[@digbyodell2924]

Just the opposite here on when to fill'r up. The small indoor boiler should not blowing or a lot of smoke comes out the door, especially this time of year when there's a little build up inside the chimney and the draft isn't quite as good.

[@alanshealy3061]

Wow I run mine at 145 with radiant heat in the floor that shows you the difference between forced air and radiant heat.

[@mikeznel6048]

Polar vortex, what we used to call winter…

[@gregoryhumphries8956]

It just seems to me your burning a lot of wood. Better than a cord a week I'd say. I just read one of your post Dan. 10-12 cords a year. My God. What kind of Out Door Boiler do you have? Damn hungry one for sure. Dan the new Boilers out there burn a 3rd of what you burn a year. I have a older Central Boiler. We keep thermostats at 68. I burn a cord a month. 2100 sq. Ft. It is also all my domestic hot water. It was -16 Saturday morning.

[@Back40Firewood]

Yeah she's a hungry one for sure...lol....but that 10-12 full cords a year also is over 8 months of burning. I start beginning of Oct and go through end of May sometimes even into June. If it's sub-zero temps I can go through a face cord a week for sure. But then again it also depends on the type of wood I'm burning. So like last week was almost a face cord, but it was all Silver Maple. Not Oak. That makes a big difference. We have around 2800 sq ft and we keep inside temp at 74 plus hot water....so when all said & done, it's not overly inefficient. I do agree the new models are WAY better on wood consumption.

[@philgriswold2133]

Great video explaining the use of a wood boiler. Two questions. How much money do you think you save per year? What is the temperature difference between in supply side and the return side of the heat exchanger?

[@tb4482]

those are loaded questions, the temperature drop across the heat exchange will vary depending on usage, the water heater has first priority, so if water being used will drop it quicker than when not in use. secondly the energy saving of the heat and hot water. my boiler eliminates propane for heat and hot water for the entire season, but the electric goes up about a little for the fan and circulator running. long story shot instead of a propane delivery every month it's once or twice a year, for cooking and hot water in the non heating season, the boiler could run all year for hot water but probably not beneficial.

[@oldmechanic9685]

good video

[@dimmacommunication]

Unfortunately regulators made standard boilers illegal here in IT ( wich were the best boilers )

[@stanleykeith6969]

Hey Dan watch this one. In the Wood Yard. Splitting very large rounds with a home made log splitter. Up at my brothers wood yard doing some work with his John Deer 3025 Tractor. Moving, splitting, and cutting some firewood in Northern Wisconsin, video number 225. I thought you might like to watch it.

[@peterferguson5749]

You need to keep some 8-10" rounds for the night time fill up ! That's what I use for the long haul !!

[@davidheffron4481]

Would longer pieces also help?

[@gringopines3476]

HAY ( D ) NICE SYSTEM... KEEP-ER COOKIN... YOU SHOULD CALL UP OLE SCHEIBORG AN HAVE A COUPLE A BERRSKIES... MAN, IT'S COLD WHEN WATER FREEZES LIKE THAT... WOW... SLEEP TIGHT AN COVER-UP RIGHT!!! STAY WARM ( COOL ) AN KEEP STOKIN ON MY BROTHER... PEACE...

[@Back40Firewood]

LOL...well I can guarantee one thing, the beer would be ICE COLD!! That's the one nice thing with this set up is I put the thermostat at 74 and just leave it...still walking round the house in shorts & t-shirt even tho it's 10 below zero outside...hahaha 😀 👍 🍻

[@gringopines3476]

@@Back40Firewood YOU WILD AND CRAZY GUY!!!

[@mikegraleski4136]

I'm running a Taylor 450 in eastern Ohio. I incinerate about 10 cords per season.

[@goingoutdoorswithmatt7962]

I really like the OWBs. Unfortunately they are not legal here. Will have to wait till I retire amd we move. How often do you have to clean it out? Do you also clean out the stack during the winter? Would think you would have to shut it all down to do that, then start all over again. Thanks for sharing 👍 Be well.

[@chrisE815]

How warm is your enclosed area? Would love to have an heated "shop" with an automotive lift during the winter!!!

[@WOODY11780]

How many Gals of water does the boiler vessel hold ??? ..... Also .... how often do you clean out ashes ???

[@Back40Firewood]

The water jacket around the boiler holds 250 gallons that is continuously circulated. I usually clean the ashes out every week to 10 days.

[@RVBob]

All your temperature comment boxes said Saturday Feb 5th. Saturday was the 6th.

[@Back40Firewood]

Awww man, I thought I felt a day behind...lol...oh well, good catch! 😀 👍 🍻

[@bwillan]

Do you ever take advantage of that monster sized bed of coals to do any bbq cooking in the heating season? I am sure some brisket or ribs would hit the spot during a polar vortex.

[@channing8129]

Im new to the wood boiler scene but i did cook a pizza in there once and it worked great. Why not right.

[@HomesteadJay]

Feed the beast! Stop feeding it split rounds and go whole sale rounds! Ive been telling you this for months hahah. Do you have a inside temp to tell you water temp of boiler? Best thing I did to mine. Saves the trip outside.

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

The answer is in the sideline...selling split firewood...this way all firewood is available for sale or for burning......

[@gs9163]

Curious why you don't run a bigger delta temp? Drop your low to 140 and raise your high to 180? This way you will have longer full burns and less smoldering times. Theoretically this would be more efficient and less burnt wood.

[@Back40Firewood]

Well not really cuz you'd be burning more wood to bring the temp back up from 140 all the way to 180 and the blower fan would run longer. Once the fan shuts off at 170 not much wood burns since there isn't really any air let in for the fire to burn.

[@tinameoak881]

How do you set your damper on the outside wood boiler

[@doubleoddbs4357]

What if you stood all the logs on end ? Would it make a difference in burn time ? Would it burn hotter ?

[@acme0007]

Why don't you just put rounds in there that are say 8-10" by like 24" long? less splitting and longer wood so more BTUs per load? I really wish i had one at my shop.

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

The answer is in the sideline...selling split forewood...this way all firewood is available for sale or for burning......

[@BRadWilson3]

What if you have to go somewhere overnight? have to have someone babysit it?

[@Back40Firewood]

Nope, if you load it up nice and full it'll last overnight. Also if the fire does happen to go out then the natural gas furnace will kick in when temp in the house drops to set point.

[@mattschmitt4038]

I don’t think it really matters a lot but with an up draft you may want to switch your feed and return lines that way the air is hitting the warmest part of you condenser first.

[@tommasroos9134]

Actually not, it would mean that the hot air needs to pass through the colder loop, thus cooling the air again. In this case the “cold” water uses its remaining heat to preheat the air, before the hot water heats it up. This way is more energy efficiënt.

[@mattschmitt4038]

@@tommasroos9134 if you hit the heat first wouldn’t it keep the condenser temp warmer overall? Getting a longer chance to heat the cold air instead of at the end.

[@tommasroos9134]

@@mattschmitt4038 i get the way you are thinking, but when you first heat the air in your way, the return will be hotter, thus u are not using the energy, and are wasting it. The colder the return the better (the colder the return the more energy is used from the water). In this case the amount of energy would be negligible, but in my area of expertise (petrochemical industry) it isn’t

[@mattschmitt4038]

@@tommasroos9134 got ya I may switch mine and do some temp checks out a register to see how much different they are I want the most efficient.

[@ernestglum7688]

What do you do when there's a power cut?

[@geyser3445]

Looks like you wood is 16" long. Wouldn't it be more efficient to cut it longer?

[@TheFamilyFarmOn42]

Definitely! I load my OWB with wood up to 28", only split what won't fit through the door and what needs to be split gets split at 23" (24" stroke on my splitter). All these factors add to length of burn and better efficiency. The fewer times you open the door, the less heat you lose.

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

The answer is in the sideline...selling split firewood...this way all firewood is available for sale or for burning......

[@karx555]

Does the hot water boiler use separet water source, thats why you have a heat exchanger up there? I mean the outdoor boiler isnt closed and pressurised system? Soz for my english 🤣

[@Back40Firewood]

Yep, the hot water heater in the house is on separate water line. The boiler itself is a closed system but not pressurized. 😀👍🍻

[@bullofthewoods9374]

try bigger pieces of wood, bigger the longer burn. at least in my heatmor

[@neverknow69]

TIP , put a relay on the pump that's powered off the air handler. No reason to continuously run it.

[@Back40Firewood]

The pump that circulates the water is what delivers the heat to the house...with the water always circulating whenever the house needs heat it's available. Then when enough heat is pulled off the water that's when the blower on the boiler kicks in.

[@richardjshene3970]

Now I know that Pine and Ash are garbage trees real cheap but they have a lot of career soul with them now when you put the Maple in and the elm that might burn hot enough are you not worried about a crystal fire an explosion in your fancy outdoor indoor furnace I know it may cost a little more but I'm too old fashioned to bring garbage wood for heat to get a fire started yes but that's all

[@PD-yd3fr]

How many bush chord you burn last winter (4x4x8)?

[@jamesg6071]

Ever think about a gasifier unit to save on wood?

[@robertd.renovator7270]

Good morning. Watching this video was like watching "Little Shop of Horrors"...feed me. What a beast. Do you have any sense of how much more wood you burn during these cold snaps?

[@JM-sz4oi]

Enjoyed the video but it's difficult to relate in south Texas. How often do you have to clean out ashes?

[@edsmith4414]

WHY I like my woodstove in the house. I get up in bare feet and feed it. Also, if the power goes, do you have a way to keep the circulating pump going ?

[@markw2266]

I hear you but I think the best of both worlds is a indoor boiler. Being able to make all your domestic hot water while burning is a nice plus. I like my insert because nothing like watching the fire but the idea of all the mess in one area closer to a garage door is appealing as well. Wood anything is going to be fighting a uphill battle soon. LP recently doubled in price in Eastern PA. shit is getting real.

[@michaelfriedrich3850]

I love my outdoor wood boiler, also love my Wood stove in my living room. General I only burn inside during the shoulder seasons ( early fall, later spring). I enjoy the big one outside, load once a day makes me happy 😊.

[@kamujian]

this is likely a dumb as a post question but with your fire being on for months at a time, what do you do with the spent ash buld up from logs when there burned down? is their significant ash build up you have to remove to keep the fire going over time? Or does it burn fairly clean? this is all new to me...i have the opposite problem...temps of 45-50 celsius in summer

[@Back40Firewood]

No dumb questions here my friend. I usually clean out the ash every other week or so. Some wood leaves more ash than others and so depending on what I'm burning and how much I'm burning (how cold it is) I might have to clean the ash out every week to 10 days. I put the ash in a steel trash can and then cover it for a few days to make sure all coals are out....then I just dump it back in the ditch or around the woodyard where I need to fill low spots. Wood ash however has many uses but I mostly just use it as fill. 👍😀🍻

[@kamujian]

@@Back40Firewood well thank you for your response. yes we use what little ash we generate (usually from a fire pit when we have friends around) as a soil improver, just dig it into the garden beds. stay safe and warm mate

[@allanerdman7072]

Shifty,You should set up a stack cam that people can watch.

[@huntfish624]

On a average how often do you have to shut down and clean out the ashes , and how is the lines insulated between the boiler and the house.

[@Back40Firewood]

I clean out ashes maybe every other week or so....the lines are inside an 8" insulated tube buried about 5 feet underground.

[@bb54321abc]

What is the temperature inside the house with the boiler on ?

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

74F

[@stevekulbacki5238]

How many times a day do you fill your 4400 using processed wood?

[@Back40Firewood]

Usually twice a day unless the temps are single digits and lower.

[@woodhoundbug4697]

Just a suggestion I was told if you put the word closer to the front less if he is apes out the chimney and does heat or officiant course I have a century boiler and not a boiler and like yours mine works out the same principle but we don't have a fan we did have a damper and it does heat very well I have approximately A 3100 ft² house and AA50 by 75 barn that I he also with a truck radiator and they work very well just as it yes and James T North Carolina we don't get that cold but I feel for you big fan

[@ericharris893]

Yeah I’ve had to tell many people that we’re new to wood boilers, that the wood should be close to the air inlet. Then the flame washes across the heat bearing surface instead of straight up and out the chimney. To some, it’s common sense but not everyone thinks about splitting hairs.

[@Ken_Myette]

You're using the wrong pipe from the boiler to the house. You should be using Barrier Pex. Made for heat

[@ethankincaid9022]

What heat exchanger do you have on the outlet of the hot water heater? Model number or specs? good idea I like the setup.

[@jamescecil4629]

I thought the “in” to the HE was supposed to be on the lowest tube....obviously it doesn’t matter

[@douglasthompson2740]

Curious as to why you don't really fill the combustion chamber? Lots of room left after you say you have filled it. Especially if you stand a chance of burning it up overnight.

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

He answered that when he said that more wood in a second line in the firebox just meant having to move partly burnt large pieces around...instead of, as here, having a nice bed of coals with minumum raking needed.

[@simpleman4196]

I quit burning wood 2 years ago and switched to burning anthracite coal best thing I have ever done. No cutting splitting stacking seasoning and restacking indoors no handling the same wood 3 or 4 times. Coal is much better heat less work way cleaner. I did enjoy cutting wood also but I will never go back to wood. Iam running around the same temperatures right now and I heat my whole house with only 40 lb of coal a day and I only have to fill up the stove once in 24 hours.

[@rhymereason3449]

Not very climate change friendly. You are releasing CO2 that was sequestered. Did you even consider your role in climate change when you made this switch?

[@simpleman4196]

@@rhymereason3449 anthracite coal is actually cleaner to burn then wood. It's not the same coal they burn for making steel or at power plants

[@dansw0rkshop]

Does the draft blower on the boiler know when the fire is out? Or does it just continue trying to draft the non-existent fire?

[@Back40Firewood]

The blower runs off the water temp inside the water jacket around the firebox. When the water drops to 160 degrees the blower kicks on....when the water hits 170 the blower shuts off.

[@dansw0rkshop]

@@Back40Firewood So that is to say, if the fire goes out, and the water drops below 160, the blower kicks on and blows frigid air through the firebox?

[@Back40Firewood]

@@dansw0rkshop I've only had a few times where the fire was near out. When the water temp drops to 120 the blower shuts off and then needs to be reset. The pump continues to circulate the water and then if the temp inside the house drops to 68 the natural gas furnace thermostat kicks on and when the gas furnace is burning it will actually back heat the water so that the water temp doesn't drop to low. But when the temps are cool the cycle between 160 & 170 on the boiler doesn't take long so very seldom does the fire 'go out' there's always coals or wood slow burning inside the firebox.

[@dansw0rkshop]

@@Back40Firewood Bravo. I've wondered about the blower logic on these units. I built my own outdoor boiler and stuck a thermocouple in the firebox to sense the fire. An arduino manages the logic similar to this, but with the thermocouple providing logic to stop drafting once there is no fire.

[@jtbear70]

Why is the incoming red line bare, not insulated with rubatex pipe insulation ?

[@ericharris893]

Don’t need it inside the house. Not worried about loosing heat to the living space. Just underground.

[@buildlife]

This is was great Dan, I have been splitting my wood really big, like really big, thinking it would last longer in the stove but I'm not sure it does. Got me thinking it's not worth the back ache lifting huge chunks into the stove.

[@NorthForkHollow]

People will leave wood bigger because it does last longer. But the reason it lasts longer is because it doesn't dry out. So when you throw a big chunk of wood on, the fire needs to boil the water out of the wood first before it can burn it. So while the log may last longer, you get less BTUs of heat out of the big chunks.

[@digbyodell2924]

@@NorthForkHollow It also burns slower if it is fully seasoned because there is less surface area exposed to oxygen but that also means the fire won't get as hot. The BTUs are there, it's just a matter of how fast they are consumed and if they are consumed efficiently (i.e. not wasted boiling off the excess water).

[@NorthForkHollow]

@@digbyodell2924 I agree in the theory. But in reality, it is very difficult to get a 6" chunk of wood seasoned like you can a 2-3" chunk. Just doesn't happen without a kiln, in my experience.

[@MrTonyPiscatelle]

Just trying to wrap my mind around the amount of wood you are going through a day. Makes me wonder about efficiency of the system. Have you crunched any numbers etc, if so would you share your findings please sir. Oh and I also enjoyed your video.

[@chrisE815]

The efficiency is very low, no matter what design you have. To each their own though- if you have your own source of firewood, then more power to ya! People are really divided on these units. IMO there is too much cost up front to make outdoor boilers worth it.

[@MrTonyPiscatelle]

@@chrisE815 I have a neighbor that has one and a friend about an hour away that has one. All they seem to be doing every weekend is cutting wood. Anytime you are dealing with heat transfer your efficiency of energy is going to go down. Basically in a boiler system you have at least two coil assemblies. So there arose my question. Thanks for your answer.

[@chrisE815]

@@MrTonyPiscatelle haha, yeah if you want a demanding hobby, put in a wood burning appliance

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

The answer is in the sideline...selling split firewood...this way all firewood is available for sale or for burning......

[@jonleone777]

How many cords do you typically use during winter

[@Back40Firewood]

On average between 12 - 15 full cords a year, but I start the boiler at the beginning of October and burn through the end of May.

[@jonleone777]

Roger that. Thank you

[@dustinwood2496]

What temperature do you run your thermostat day/night and what temperature do you keep your water heater at?

[@Back40Firewood]

Temp inside the house is set at 74 and never changes...we keep it set at that temp all winter long or when the boiler is running.

[@dustinwood2496]

@@Back40Firewood what about the domestic water heater temperature?

[@Back40Firewood]

@@dustinwood2496 ohh yeah, sorry...the temp is set at 140 for water heater, but the boiler line pre-heating the water keeps is more at about 150 it seems...lol. When the boiler is running the hot water is noticeably a tad hotter.

[@dustinwood2496]

@@Back40Firewood thanks for the info. I’m looking at installing one similar. I have fuel oil now and love it. Unfortunately I believe the time has come to rethink my heating options. I live in NC so it is definitely not as cold as where you’re located. Thanks.

[@RVBob]

Question. Does the domestic hot water manifold heat the incoming water to the tank just once or does your domestic hot water tank circulate its water as well?

[@Back40Firewood]

It just pre-heats the water going in but heats it up pretty much to where the water heater doesn't really even need to run when the boiler is burning. 😀 👍 🍻

[@stephensether2681]

What temp range is the aqua stat set on boiler 180 off 170 on for fan?

[@Back40Firewood]

It's set to 160 on, 170 off for the fan/blower. Those were the factory settings and I've just left it at that.

[@stephensether2681]

@@Back40Firewood Thanks for the reply I have my heatmor 155 on 170 off been cold here northern Mn

[@ksw501]

You’re so lucky you can have an outdoor wood fired boiler. Let this be a lesson to all, never, EVER under any circumstance vote for any hard core left politician, they’ll ban the outdoor wood fired boilers!

[@DanielAtkinsFirewood]

I can agree with you on that one along with wood stoves too.. The City of Seattle just passes an ordnance that No Natural gas can be installed on some buildings.. This is to "Help" off set the carbon foot print, most of Pierce County (Washington state where I live) All new construction of homes can not have a wood stove or fireplace..

[@philgriswold2133]

@@DanielAtkinsFirewood This is all knee-jerk politics. Burning wood causes the same release of carbon as leaving the tree to rot in the forest. I recently retired from a power company and we had several bio-mass sites that burn tops and limbs from the pulpwood industry. Those sites are considered zero-emission sites. Natural gas has the smallest footprint of any fossil fuel. Forcing people to heat with electricity causes increased use in coal, hydro or nuclear. Same as with electric cars charged at home. The problems with Oregon and Washington is that they are too close to California.

[@DanielAtkinsFirewood]

@@philgriswold2133 : oh I know I see it all the time.. Sometimes the only thing I can do is laugh about it and move on, just because there is nothing I can do..

[@Dibs1978]

Wow, you Americans can turn anything political. Thank God I live in a free country.

[@rhymereason3449]

So do you burn pine and not clean your chimney at all for 7 months? I was watching a wood boiler chimney fire that another KZbinr had because he burned pine for months. His boiler is completely outside and away from other structures so it wasn't a big deal... but yours is in a shed.

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

If there is a clode compliant intrerface between the chimney and the shed...no problem. The chimney is also ceramic lined...so if it were to catch fire...also no problems. In one vid he says that the chimney exhaust occasionally looks like the afterburner on a jet engine from the burning creosote....

[@barnyardbbq63]

Why don’t you fill it up?

[@rossdaldrup9125]

What is the point of having a wood stove in a building ive been seeing this alot and was just wondering. I'm installing a woof boiler now and didn't know if it would be worth doing. Thanks

[@Back40Firewood]

The benefits for me are if the weather is blowing, snowing, raining, etc. I'm not out in it when I'm loading wood in and neither is the boiler. Even tho they are made to be 'outdoors' I think keeping anything out of the elements is better in the long run. Also provides a place for the wood to be kept out of the elements.