OWB

[coxy]

well I checked the water level this AM and it was down to the add great now whats leaking looked in side the stove did not see any thing looked at all the pipe that is put together nothing so I filled it back up and bam there was water running down the in side  looked and it cracked about 3in just above where I welded the new sides in no big deal got the mig welded it was looking at it and saw water in the back of the stove  >:( there is a big almost V that's comes down in the fire box by the chimney (I never put new steal on there ) and on the bottom it had another crack about 4in long great I CANT WELD UP SIDE DOWN  well 4hours later I got it gobbed up it seeped a little just made it damp so I figured it would seal up with the heat  hope it lasts the rest of the winter next year ill have to get another one this one is starting to go south

[Farmerjw]

Coxy, how old of a stove is this?  And what is the make of the stove?

[coxy]

its a CB got it in 94-95 it burns 24-7 365 since new

[Farmerjw]

We got our first one about that same time give or take one year (I am not at home to check the old paperwork).  We bought a new one a year ago (this is the second winter for it).  Anyway, the old one we took out did not leak when we took it off of the pad.  It sat that winter (ashes cleaned out and oiled inside) but when the guy bought it and took it home it leaked.  Now, going down the road and however he got it off of the trailer I can't tell.  I know yours hasn't moved so what I can tell you from welding and teaching welding in a high school setting for 29 years, the metal moves as you heat and cool it.  So, your welds can create new cracks in the original metal.  The new metal being thicker and less stressed as your welds cooled could enhance an existing crack or create a new one.  I hope our new one gives us the same trouble free 20 years then we'll be in our '70's and time to quit cutting all that wood.  So when welding, be attentive to the heat and warpage.  Do a lot of short evenly spaced out beads and then go back and stitch those beads together.  This helps eliminate the metal moving. 

[coxy]

  thanks for the info  I want to get a new one but I don't want a gasser  that's all NY will let us have I don't have the room or time to have 80-100 cords of wood piled for the next 2 years that's why I keep welding this one together 8) 

[Farmerjw]

I know what you mean.  We bought ours right before Indiana rules about the gassers went into effect.  Glad I had the money available then.  Sorry I am no more help.

[Ivan49]

 I don't know if you can still get it but they use to make some thing you added to the water to seal up damp spots or leaky welds

[petefrom bearswamp]

Paul its a shame that yours is leaking I know you had it relined a few years ago.
I had mine patched by a stay pin in 2014 but I dont burn the bugger very much anymore as I am in FL for the winter.
I wonder if you can sneak to another state to buy an old style boiler.

[thecfarm]

Don't be sneaking into Maine. None here to be bought.
Really not much to one,the old style. Someone could build one. Yes,it would cost,but if it saves money in 5 years,let the build begin!!!
The Heatmor I run looks real simple. The bladder, I have no idea how that works,but the rest is stuff of the shelf.

[Locust post]

I bought a Heatmor in 2001 and its not given me any trouble.....it's burning about 6 to 7 months out of the year depending on weather and I live in Ohio

[boilerman101]

Don't be so quick to write off a gasser. My 2010 model Eclassic 2400 cut my wood usage used by my previous CL5648 Classic by an easy 40%. That has saved me a lot of wood cutting and loading over the past 5 1/2 years. I've seen Central Boilers new Edge models in action and really like how they've made even more improvements and sell for $2,500 less than their Eclassic models. They look like a great value for the money.

[coxy]

trouble is   I don't have the room to store 80-100 cords of wood to keep it dry enough for it to burn my wood is brought home this time of year in 24ft length and in aug- sept it will be cut and split to be burnt the winter of 2016-2017 the guy I have talked to around here say that the wood this time of year will have to be used in 2018-2019  :-\and I don't have time to rip it apart to clean it every few weeks or every month  jmop a owb should not have to be torn apart 5-6 times a year to be cleaned for it to burn

[Roger2561]

This is my 5th season heating my 4500 sq foot home with a CB E-Classic 1400.  Absolutely no trouble with it.  Once a week I take 5 minutes to clear the reaction chamber of the ash buildup.  Every 2 to 3 weeks I spend approx. 30 to 40 minutes making sure the primary air holes are clear of any creosote buildup - I've never torn mine apart.  Last year was very cold and I used 8 cord of 1 year seasoned firewood.  It's a mix of hardwood.  I keep the house at 70/72 degrees.  I have 10 cord sitting in the field on pallets waiting to be burned.  This fall 8 cord of it will be brought under cover in the barn.  All of it is on 1/2 cord pallets.  Weather permitting in couple of weeks I'll be bucking up my log pile of firewood.  It's cut 20 to 24 inches in length.  Split 4 to 10 inches in diameter.  To me the trade off is worth it.  Plus, the work of cutting, splitting and stacking the firewood on pallets I consider part of my wellness program.  

Unfortunately, with the EPA ruling, unless you're buying a conventional for a business, you can only buy a gasser for residential heating.  Now if you're out in the boonies without neighbors breathing down your neck, who's going to know if you build yourself a conventional OWB?  Whatever you decide to do, good luck and keep us posted.  Roger     

[thecfarm]

I talked to my dealer,Heatmor,and he said I could burn green wood in a new Heatmor. I asked him about cleaning and he said no problems. He's a nice guy,never once ran down the other OWB. I went and looked at CB. He had one,but I could not go look at it.  ???
The Heatmor dealer had one and I went to his house to look at it. I also stopped at any one that I saw filling thier OWB too. Got alot of real answers that way.  ;)

[overclocking]

Gassers really aren't that bad. They still heat good, you just cant cut a tree down and toss it straight in the boiler, or if you did expect some smoke, but it would still burn.

Seems they have gotten a bad name for minor reasons. If given the choice, dry woods the way to go anyway.

[coxy]

Gassers really aren't that bad. They still heat good, you just cant cut a tree down and toss it straight in the boiler, or if you did expect some smoke, but it would still burn.

Seems they have gotten a bad name for minor reasons. If given the choice, dry woods the way to go anyway.

I agree but I don't have the room to put 80-100 full cords of wood I have trouble finding room with 25-30 :D 8) I am not very good at maintaining things like cleaning the stove every few weeks or month     again jmop you should not have to do all that work to a wood stove all the time

[go green]

I have a 2007 model 2300.  9 years and working very well.  Before that I had a 5648 by Central.  It was 11 years old and in very good condition when I decided to put in the new EPA model 2300. With the 2300 I used about 25% less wood to heat a two story house, garage and shop.  7200 feet if you count both levels in the house or 5000 sq feet if you count only one floor.  I have burned many different kinds of wood, split, unsplit, green and seasoned.  When I burned green unsplit wood I had to reload the firebox when there was still quite a bit left so there was enough of the previous load to get the green wood dried down and burning well before all the coals were burned up.  Big waste of wood to burn the unseasoned wood.  I have a splitter now so I split most of the wood and it dries down much faster.  If you can get some of the dead standing tamarack, pine or ash that has really dried down from disease or insects, some of that wood is actually less than 20% moisture when cut down.  That works well in any stove.  I don't think I would consider replacing this 2300 for a long time, firebox was very good condition when I did my last 6 month inspection.  That being said I would have to consider a Central again.  I have looked on line at some of the new ones.  There are good reports coming from the folks that bought the new Edge models.  I believe it is very important to follow the manual instructions on maintenance.  My 5648 was in near perfect condition when I let it go.  A local guy is still running it, that's now a 20 year old stove, still going.  I know of people with many different brands that have had issues and have actually seen a couple that failed.  Those were not manufacturing problems, they were just not taken care of well.  Inhibitor maintenance and firebox inspection is the key I have been told and I have kept that in mind since I bought my first OWB.     

[coxy]

I found a new old style CB with the draft in the door and was wondering if you have to run the circulator pumps at the stove or if I can keep them where I have them

[gspren]

  I would think if your pumps are lower than the water level you should be fine, higher can work but I'd really try to keep the pumps lower to avoid priming problems.

[Gearbox]

Coxy can you buy a Crown Royal and tell state you are burning coal . They are exemt till 2020 because they can burn coal .

[coxy]

we don't have a dealer around here  we have a CB dealer 4 miles from my house  that was my idea if CB built a coal stove

[userdk]

Coxy can you buy a Crown Royal and tell state you are burning coal . They are exemt till 2020 because they can burn coal .

Actually, the only models that can be sold for coal use are ones labeled exclusively for coal. Any dealer caught selling one for wood burning is fined $20,000 and any owner misusing one will, at the least, have their furnace taken away. Any company that cares the slightest bit about their customers will not stoop to disobeying the law to benefit their immediate bank account.