Looking to puchase a new OWB and can't decide

[ronwood]

Chopper888,

I have an Central Boiler 5648 OWB for the last 7 years. I would agree that the ash removal is a pain . The thing that I like it is that it does not have the draft fan. CB claims that it increase your wood usage at least 25%. I not sure if that is a good number or not. Since mine is bigger than yours it has not trouble keeping up with a3000 sq house and 1500 sq. ft. shop with both heated using force air.

I wonder if the unit is is bit to small for your application.

Another thing that I found is if I burn slab wood or pine it does not last near as long.

Ron

[Dean186]

To treeperch, who posted the question.  (You only have the one post, so not sure you have even used any of this information.  If not, others should find it useful anyway.)

This will be my fourth year using Central Boiler's E-Classic 1400.  I run it about 7 months each year.  I would recommend it and from what I have read and heard from others, I would also recommend the newer model Central Boiler E-Classics.

Dean

[chopper888]

Dean186 and ronwood,

The model of my boiler is a Classic 5036.  I agree that a larger unit with a larger volume of water would certainly help.  I don't know how I feel about the blower assertions.  I have never conducted an experiment with and without the blower on mine to check the difference.  However, it seems to me that in the other boilers that have a blower under the fire, they heat up much quicker, thus lowering your burn time.  Now, you would have to asses the weather conditions, heat load, wood type, water jacket volume, etc, etc etc....to get a true answer.  I suppose I am really just speaking from my gut and simple observations.   

I am not saying that I am displeased with the CB.  I bought it when it was 3 years old and I have had no malfunctions or trouble at all.  It has been very reliable. I just feel, after seeing some other types in service, that there are features that would steer me away from another CB.  Again, I have had absolutely no exposure to the newer series of CB, so that could change everything. 

However, the older I get, the more I believe in simplicity.  The fewer steps and parts involved in a process, the less potential failure points you have!  Murphy follows me everywhere, so I have to try and lessen his chances wherever possible! 

[ronwood]

chopper888,

How does any CB boiler have more failure points without the fan than any over unit? The only thing is that CB has a digital controller. With the blower you do get a quicker recover but at the same time you are creating a pressure within the fire box that causes heat to be pushed up the stack. Does that make a significant difference I don't know and at the same time you do have a larger volume of water to keep up to temp with CB.

With any OWB I think the greatest heat lost to the system is the piping underground. If it is not well insulated you can lose water temp pretty fast causing the unit to burn a lot of wood. Most peaple that ask me about OWB whether it is CB, Heatmore or one of the others is to make sure your inground piping is well insulated.

Ron

[thecfarm]

ronwood,I'm not saying anything bad about CB OWB. I think they have way too many switches,digital readouts,some sort of computer controller,solenoids. With my Heatmor I can just about go down to the hardware store and buy my Honeywell controllers when they go bad. I looked hard at a CB before I made mine mind up. just too many things to go wrong. the Heatmor just has a rope over the bladder with a piece of metal that says fill on it. When it hangs down it needs to be filled. Or just reach up and feel the bladder if you want too.

[ronwood]

thecfarm,

I am talking about the Classic which has only one soloniod which opens the damper. No relay to turn on a blower. Yes is does have a controller with a digital display that can be purchased from another company.  Also it has a switch for the lights on the unit has well as the switch inside to turn off the power to the unit. I don't see how it any more complicated than any of the other units out there. Now the Eclassic is totally different stove which is more complicated and I don't have one of those.

Ron

[thecfarm]

That's the one I looked at when I  brought my Heatmor. The E's were only a twinkle in someone eye when I was looking. One switch is too many I feel. The Heatmor has nothing for soloniods,that's why I bought it. As I said nothing a matter with the CB units at all. I just wanted a real simple unit. One that I could figure out on mine own. It's just about a firebox with 2 blowers and a bladder. Than I added Honeywell controllers and 2 pumps to it.

[ga jones]

if You notice there seems to be constant new posts and old ones brought up here about problems with electroinc parts on CBs

[Jack72]

It's comments and unresponsiblie owners burning crap like that, which are causing EPA and numerous states to come down on us owners that are trying to save money with our OWF's. If we don't do it right, they will continue to try to ban them all together. Many states like PA have already implemented requirements and there's talk of requirements coming down on a natiional basis. If you want an incinerator, go buy an incinerator.
Ya, I'm on my soapbox.

.          I second this statement

[ga jones]

As I stated earlier everyone is entitled to there own opinion that's the beauty of living in a somewhat free country. I'll keep burning whatever fits in the door until someone try's to stop me. (God help them)

[WmFritz]

Well ...after all the time I spent on trying to figure out the best way to go, I had it narrowed down to a few brands. I had decided to go with a gassifier because I like my neighbors and didn't want to worry about choking them out.

Before I finally made my purchase, I decided to check with the township. They answered my question as to why I wasn't seeing any stoves in my immediate area. All OWB had been banned in '09 including EPA stoves.  It really caught me off guard because more then half of my township is agriculture. But, there are a few scattered subdivisions with high-end homes and enough people pressured the board to implement the ban.

Now, after rethinking my options, I bought an indoor gassification boiler last week. I won't have it running for a couple weeks. Lots of head scratching figuring out my plumbing lay-out.

[thecfarm]

While driving down the road I will see alot of smoke coming from a chimney,burning wood inside of a home. If that was an OWB people would have a fit. I had a guy stop in from Kittery,ME at the veggie stand. He could not use his mill in that town because someone up the road from him had a circular mill and a Detroit to power it years ago. The town banned all sawmills.

[NWP]

Government knows best!! :

[ga jones]

If you put your owb in a shed they can't stop you! For every problem the government creates there's a creative solution to get around it.

[Kemper]

I had a new CB 6048 installed three weeks ago today. It does our heat and hot water heater. The ole lady likes it warm and it will really put out the heat. So far we are extremely happy. I can load this massive fire box and not load it again for a couple of days. I work in the wood business so there is no cost for fire wood. Were a young couple so I think it will pay for itself in five to six years.

[patvetzal]

I had two salespeople here from two different stove companies, then two buddies, each with OWBs. They all suggested the same location for the OWB, plus a spot to store wood.
My wife then collected the township regulations and we found that we could NOT install in that spot (too close to house)and the wood storage had to be so many feet away from the unit, plus the tree windbreak would have to come down....if we bought a building permit.

[beenthere]

pat
Help if you'd put your location in your profile... ;)