Relocating an OWB

[redgator]

It's going to be about 3 years before we're ready to build our house on a farm we own, and it's pretty much a given that we'll put in an OWB such as the CB e-classic.  Question is this:  if I'm going to get one anyway, should I go ahead and get it early and hook it into my current house, thereby getting a few extra years in toward the pay-off?  Are there any particular difficulties that I might run into when relocating the unit?  There are no particular zoning/planning issues with installing one at my current house, but it would not make sense to leave it with my current house as OWBs are a real rarity where I'm currently at.  Thanks.

[terra8186]

I paid my 6048 off in 3 years.  The answer might be sure it would be a good time to get one now.  The hose, fittings, heat exchangers, water heaters were $4,000 of the $10,000 I spent on the unit.  I would think about the best way to use this stuff in your new house.  As far as moving goes, I think you could find somebody with a backhoe to move it to where you need it to go.  (Drain the water first). 

Locate it really close to your current house because the underground pipe is somewhere between $5-$10 per foot.

[redgator]

Thanks for the reply.  If I locate it fairly close to the house, which actually would work out the best given the best way to deliver and store the wood, what's the best thing to use as a guideline for stack height relative to the lower edge of the roofline?

[terra8186]

I have mine 20' from my barn.  I just have an 8' stack for a total height of 12' ish.  I am assuming you might refer to your local building code.  I don't know where you are from but around here most winds are from the SW.  I would locate the "smoker" on the northeast side of your house.

[rowerwet]

If you buy thermopex it is 12.50 a foot for 1", I bought 85'. buy enough thermopex for your next install and use it coiled up if you need to you don't want to buy it twice. The same goes for buying any other type of underground pipe, don't!. You don't want to have to buy it twice.

[redgator]

The building codes here (Missouri) are pretty relaxed when it comes to these.  I've asked a couple of times and was told "The wood furnace must be U.L. listed and installed per manufacturer's instruction. You must submit a copy of the manufacturer's instructions when you apply for a permit."  Kinda surprising, actually. 

[thecfarm]

I have mine about 40 feet from the house.I put on 3 sections of pipe,just to get the smoke up in the air more.That probaly put me about 14 feet above the ground.I'm lucky,any smoke goes away from the house.