Wood Furnace

[Jonseredbred]

Anybody have any comments or suggestions on what brand of wood fired forced air furnaces are the best quality and value?

I am considering putting one in our new home.

[RIVERRAT]

All of theones I have checked out in these parts seem to be well made.

If you are talking about an outside unit that connects to your central air vents I suggest you get one that will take as big a logs as you can load. It will save you a lot of cutting

[stehansen]

I would be interested in one of those also.

[TC3]

I've only heard about wood furnaces, but what I've heard impressed me :
Build the housing unit well away from your home. Easy access & maint., low odor.
Heat the floors. A comfortable home has warm floors.

[Frans]

I dont know if they make them but I would look for one that takes 4 foot logs and also will burn wood chips from the chipper

[sotc]

ive been around the taylor units alot and theyre great

[Jonseredbred]

No guys I am looking for an indoor furnace. OWB are banned here.

[squisher]

Jonsered just fire up the woodstove and use a fan or two, same difference way cheaper :D . I cut a hole in the floor right above my woodstove (put a grate in of course) and with two fans my whole house is boiling.:thumbup:

[Jonseredbred]

Thought about that, but there is no woodstove here to begin with. Its actually cheaper to put in a furnace next to my existing gas forced air.

But I think the natural heat rising thru the house would be more comfortable than the forced air.

[Thor's Hammer]

This what you want. completely automated woodchip furnace. Why bother with firewood at all?
http://www.dunsterwoodfuels.co.uk/moderator.html

[squisher]

But I think the natural heat rising thru the house would be more comfortable than the forced air.

I will admit though, most of the winter my basement is unbearably hot. But once the tile floors upstairs warm up man is it nice.

[Jonseredbred]

How many SF are you heating??

[squisher]

About 1400-1500 up and the basement's about 1000. One old airtight no frills, or gimmicks just a good solid burner. It works like a hot damn and if you idle 'er right down with some nice fir/larch you can get it to burn through the night.

I could almost kiss the guys who built my house my double wood chimney runs straight up through the exact middle of the house. One chimney for the basement one for the mainfloor. The mainfloor chimney has never ben used as it's never been needed. Unless it's ridiculously cold out I just use the doors and windows to regulate my heat all winter, my friends think I'm nuts when they come over but there's nothing better than fresh air running through your house and a solid 75f throughout.

:thumbup:

I can easily crank my house up into the 80's with my stove but I don't like it to hot!

[squisher]

J-bred here's some pics from a typical day last winter :D This year I'm stocked with all kinds of firewood. Birch, maple, pine, fir, and larch! I'll be able to custom burn depending on the weather conditions.8) Now I just gotta get my crap together and clean my chimney. Good time for a reminder to everone keep that chimney clean, espescially if ya like to idle 'er down overight like I do.

[Frans]

This what you want. completely automated woodchip furnace. Why bother with firewood at all?
http://www.dunsterwoodfuels.co.uk/moderator.html

Thor, that furnace takes a maximum of 30cm wood chips, thus:

30mm=3cm= almost 1.25 inches.

Even with my small Gravely chipper which chips real fine, it is still a very very small chip.
I guess a person would have to screen the chips before dumping into the hopper of that wood furnace.

Sounds like a hassle to me, but then again wood chips are free....

[Thor's Hammer]

I used to set my gravely's up to produce 1/2 inch chip. most modern chippers can be set up to do 1 inch chips. The system does like screened chip, but its free fuel, with the convenience of gas or oil.....

[DTW902]

This is what I use Andrew, We have the model 700. I have used it about 4 years now, no problems so far. We are getting ready to move out to the farm and I am taking the wood furnace out to the farm. Probably rent this place out or let one of the kids move in? At any rate it's the only wood furnace I have ever owned, so I can't compare to other models.

It works great for us just like any other furnace, except it uses wood for the heat. Once you get it set just keep adding wood. It has a shaker grate in the bottom, so you never have to shut the stove down to clean the ash's out. Just open the bottom door shake the grates, slide the ash pan and your done. here is the link.
http://www.victoriansales.com/firechiefhome.html

http://www.victoriansales.com/_images//firechief_drawing_700.jpg

[Al Smith]

Now this brings up an interesting subject.If a person were in the treebiz or logging etc. you are actually getting paid to cut your own heating fuel.Now how can you beat a deal like that.

Of Course V. or Rocky and the folks in the islands don't have much use for the residue but most in a northern climate would indeed.It would seem kind of silly to me not to take advantage of free btu's useing the wood,chips,whatever.

[Jonseredbred]

Thats the type of furnace I have been looking at.

[Frans]

This is what I use Andrew, We have the model 700.]

22, 28 34 inch logs. What diameter?

Will it take wood chips, or only logs?

[Frans]

I used to set my gravely's up to produce 1/2 inch chip.

That works fine on paper, but when the bearings are a bit loose, or you are on a hill, the cutter wheel will slip just a bit. When you have the bed knive and the cutter knive set so close, the two could bang against each other.

[DTW902]

22, 28 34 inch logs. What diameter?

Will it take wood chips, or only logs?


The door opening is 13 x 14 inch's Frans. Never tried chips, they say wood or coal. We very seldom run the chipper. The grab truck takes care of the brush and logs....:D

[Thor's Hammer]

That works fine on paper, but when the bearings are a bit loose, or you are on a hill, the cutter wheel will slip just a bit. When you have the bed knive and the cutter knive set so close, the two could bang against each other.

Wow! Never have I had any movement on a chipper cutter wheel - I always set my knives to within 1mm of the anvil. If you have any movement on yours, I'd get a new set of bearings in there toot sweet!

[Frans]

Wow! Never have I had any movement on a chipper cutter wheel - I always set my knives to within 1mm of the anvil. If you have any movement on yours, I'd get a new set of bearings in there toot sweet!

I did put new bearings in. But now I am scared to set the knives that close.

1mm? Wow thats close. What about the inevitable bit of pea gravel or odd little nail or something? :O

[Thor's Hammer]

thats how close they should always be. If you get a nail, it'll shear it without noticing it, and gravel will dent your knife.
I have run the closer, but 1mm is easy to set and maintain

[Al Smith]

I think one MM,or about 40 thou is standard.

[squisher]

If I were to burn chips what would I do with all of my firewood then? Firewood is easy and (relative to chips) clean to store. Also around here chips dump for free at the landfill but wood you have to pay to dump so here it's a no-brainer. The dump uses the chips to backfill with and once or twice a year they bring a big grinder to grind all of the wood into chips so I'm saving them a step.

Besides that I really enjoy firewooding, I've been doing it my entire life and I find it relaxing and fulfilling. It gives me a good sense of security to have a big pile of firewood stacked up knowing I can provide heat for my family no matter what else is happening in the world. I dunno a big pile of stinky chips in the yard just wouldn't be the same. 8)

[Thor's Hammer]

chips arent stinky! part of my problem is being to busy for firewooding...
and my wife wants heat at the touch of a button. woodchip burners, with there automated feed gives me the best of both worlds.
we still have a woodstove in the sitting room, but more for its cosy effect:)

[squisher]

Depends what you're chipping, I'll agree some chips stink kinda nice:D . I hear ya on the wife thing, but it only takes me 10-15mins a day to split some kindling and stock the woodbox(this is after spending the odd day here and there processing the woodpile). I would consider a chip stove if I could first hand see some in operation, heh I'm to young to be stuck in my ways right!

[Jonseredbred]

Frans, if you are making a big chip or shard, close up the gap and you will get 2 or 3 times as much chipped brush in your box.

[Thor's Hammer]

Youve probably got some mega insulated canuckian house aswell, that takes not much heat. This 300 year old stone farmhouse of mine takes a SERIOUS amount of heat.
The picture is 3 months firewood....

[squisher]

Nice! No my house is actually old and breezy, I have a back-up new high efficiency gas forced air furnace and if I rely on that for heat my bill is through the roof. Wood for me is where it's at. Like I say if I run the gas it costs me a fortune and the house never really feels very warm, but with the wood boy it's t-shirt weather all winter inside.

Ed you have a chip stove? Any pics of that set-up if you've posted them in the past I can't remember where they're at?

[sotc]

If I were to burn chips what would I do with all of my firewood then? Firewood is easy and (relative to chips) clean to store. Also around here chips dump for free at the landfill but wood you have to pay to dump so here it's a no-brainer. The dump uses the chips to backfill with and once or twice a year they bring a big grinder to grind all of the wood into chips so I'm saving them a step.

Besides that I really enjoy firewooding, I've been doing it my entire life and I find it relaxing and fulfilling. It gives me a good sense of security to have a big pile of firewood stacked up knowing I can provide heat for my family no matter what else is happening in the world. I dunno a big pile of stinky chips in the yard just wouldn't be the same. 8)

you could still enjoy splitting the wood to sell;)

[squisher]

Selling wood around here is barely worth it. I've seen guys advertise $120/cord (8x4x4)split and delivered. Forget that. Generally prices are around $150-$200 I'd do a bit like that if I had nothing else to do.

I dunno something about splitting wood like I say it's very therapeutic for me, almost like meditating is for the leaflickers I imagine.8)

[sotc]

i dont sell wood either for the same reason, im just saying if your splitting it anyway and have access to chips for fuel just as well make some cash to rat hole away:) little stuff in cash keeps me in arrows bugles and bullets;)

[squisher]

Yah I hear ya, if I could utilize my own chips it would save me alot of money just in time/operating costs of having to run up to the dump. I dunno though my yard is already chock a block full of trucks and wood as it is. Neighbors may start to really get worried if I started dumping chips:D .

That settles it in order to burn chips I'm gonna need a new stove, new house with more property and a new chipper to produce better chips. This is getting pretty expensive all of a sudden :|:

[Thor's Hammer]

little stuff in cash keeps me in arrows bugles and bullets
I love that expression :)

squishy, No my chip furnace is'nt installed yet - I'm hoping to get it in in the next month.
I have a big log boiler in the kitchen at the moment.

[Al Smith]

I hear ya on the wife thing, but it only takes me 10-15mins a day to split some kindling and stock the woodbox(this is after spending the odd day here and there processing the woodpile). I put a little math to it.Firstly,I have a geothermal,most likely the cheapest way on the planet to heat and cool with but it's not free by any stretch of the imagination.

I only burn 4 or 5 cords per year or 3 to 4 months of the woodstove .I figure it saves me a thousand or more bucks a year.If I had 8 hours per cord ,of which I have less than that,it would come out to 25 bucks per hour of my time.

Now,to take home that 25 bucks,I would have to pay 28 percent in federal taxes,7.5 percent in state taxes and 7.5 percent social security plus the hidden charges of the utilities.If you look at it like that,"sweat equity" is pretty lucrative.Besides that,it keeps me from getting fat.:)

[sotc]

That settles it in order to burn chips I'm gonna need a new stove, new house with more property

haha me to!

[squisher]

Yah but you already got the chipper ;)

[Jonseredbred]

Geez Squish we get $225.00 per cord around here easily. Mid Novemeber it will be around $250.00 or $260.00

[squisher]

Yah but our dollar is worth more than yours :P

:lol:

[Jonseredbred]

Yes, finally it is worth more. It must be like party time over there right now huh???

[squisher]

:occasion1: :surprise: :blob6: :bday: :greenjumpers: :big-dance2: :beerchug: :jam: :big-money: :wav:

Ummm sorry did you say something Andrew, I can't hear you over the music.





J-bred you getting that price for full cords I thought you said something before about selling face cords?

[Jonseredbred]

Yes, a face cord is the popular method of measurement here. I translated the pricing into a full cord for you PNW'ers;)

[log-ologist]

http://www.lowcarbonheating.co.uk/binder.htm

Binder are big in Austria where woodchip boilers are very common

( strangely enough I have just done a 3 day course on all aspects of woodfuel , certificate imminent)

[Jonseredbred]

Just an update, I decided last week to completely hook it into the house instead of just blowing hot air in the basement and letting it rise. I just got done ducting in the hot side and cold air returns for my new wood burning furnace.

I am pleased to say its 17 degree's F outside, and a balmy 76 in the basement and house. I have a nice small fire going, about 8 pieces of wood so far today.

Did I mention its pre heating the water into my hot water tank too??

I LOVE this thing.

[Skwerl]

Sounds like you did a nice job, Andrew. An investment like that will pay dividends for years to come.

(today's temps in Orlando- 62 low, 81 high)

[MasterBlaster]

It outta be some kinda tax write off too, eh?

[Jonseredbred]

The windows we just put in are, I dont know about the furnace.

[FJR]

After reading this thread I have come to the conclusion that I want a wood burning furnace really bad! Our furnace seems like it never shuts off here. It just seems like a no brainer.

Did I tell you I am really jealous?! :)

[squisher]

Wood burning stove with a well placed fan or two works just fine, unless you live in a giant mansion like Jonseredbred.:D

[Jonseredbred]

Yah, big mansion. A whole 1400 SF of "mansionism"

[olyman]

jonsered--what make of furnace you have--i must have missed it--thanks

[lumberjack]

We have a 5 ton geothermal heat pump as well for our 2700sqft.

Currently it is 44* outside and 64 inside. Earlier this morning the house was 62*.

The heat comes on at 61* for mother's sake. The heat pump has a electrical heating grid if it gets too behind, however it is disconnected as it isn't needed. The only time it ever came on is when the unit was low on freon several years ago.

We have a gas log fireplace (no chimney), but no gas hooked to it. We have lit it twice over the 15 years we've lived here to make sure it still works.

[Jonseredbred]

I bought a US Stove Company 1600 "Clayton". It is on the cheaper end of the whole furnace thing but it has the same thickness steel and burn thru warranty as the competitors at twice the price.

[Jonseredbred]

Carl, the guy who did the sheet metal work for my furncae also does geothermal units. He has never sold more than 3 or 4 a year.

This year he has sold 50.

[squisher]

Carl I would freeze in your house, I prefer 75.

[Burnham]

Carl I would freeze in your house, I prefer 75.

Yeah, that is a little on the cool side for my taste, too. Carl has all that personal insulation, though :D .

[lumberjack]

Yeah, when we put our's in, we had the only one around. Dunno how many are around now.

Har har Burn. It does help though, and I am growing my hair back out for the winter and that has made a "large" difference. I've spent 2.5 hours between the last 2 nights after class killing beavers in sub 40* temps.

[squisher]

Hmmm killing beavers? WTH? eh!

[Burnham]

Hmmm killing beavers? WTH? eh!

I guess it's either that or turn the thermostat up...

:?

:P

[lumberjack]

Hahaha killing them for a friend. They have ravaged his (new to him) lake and the surrounding trees.

7 have went to the here after, another 3 or so to go.

[squisher]

Moiderer, atleast make some cool hats up or something out of em.:D

[Paul B]

what you using for bait LJ?
:shifty: :D
http://www.nps.gov/archive/gosp/research/TRAP_SET.GIF

[Burnham]

what you using for bait LJ?
:shifty: :D
http://www.nps.gov/archive/gosp/research/TRAP_SET.GIF

I bet they are succumbing to lead poisoning.

[lumberjack]

Haha Pauly!

Burnham would be correct. The price of their pelts is down really low, like 8 bucks or some such.

I'm using my 308, but firing it off hand to get some credit from Burn. I haven't made any 200 yard off hand kills, although most are in the 50ish yard range with the 15.5lbs pig while holding the flashlight.

[Frans]

We have a 5 ton geothermal heat pump as well for our 2700sqft.



I always wondered how those work. I found a web site with a pretty good description:
http://www.geoexchange.org/about/how.htm

geothermal systems and out door furnaces seem like the best way to get heat and cooling in the home.
Alot better than burning the neighbor's car tires in the fireplace, thats for sure :D