# Outdoor Wood Furnaces Questions



## survival (Sep 26, 2011)

I have seen these in IN before and heard good things about them from the families that had them. For those that don't know, they are outdoor "Furnaces" that run on cut wood. My first thoughts were that the entire house would be "smokey", but from researching, I found this to be a false statement since there is a water jacket that surrounds the furnace that moves in and out of the house to heat the home. Also, learned that you can split the line where you can heat your home as well as a outside garage or detachable building. It works with your existing furnace and also heats the water.

Drawbacks are you have to keep the fire burning so to speak, but the newer models have a longer burn time. Cost for the "original" model is around 9 grand. 3-4 years ago they were at 5 grand for the same model. Gotta love supply and demand!

Just wondering what others thoughts are or if anyone has one, or knows someone that does?

Central Boiler - E-Classic® Models


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## Mic (Jul 19, 2012)

Interesting. Being from Texas, I don't see a huge need for this, but once I've got a cabin on my land, it could be beneficial. But dang, $9k when they came out. I think $3k would be more of a price that would entice me.


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## Leon (Jan 30, 2012)

I saw a vid where a guy built one in canada off youtube


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## sbasacco (Sep 10, 2012)

we had one up here at the farm up here in Canada....loved the heat...kept us all warm in -30 degrees Celsius..only problem is going outside in the cold to make sure that the furnace had wood to heat!!!....


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## Watercanlady (Jul 23, 2012)

We have a Central Boiler. We have had it for 8 years now and we love it. Our cost then was around $10,000. Hubby installed and hooked it up himself. He can probably answer any questions you may have. I know a bit about it. He fills it once a day, when below zero and high wind he checks it twice a day. Very well regulated heat. Exceptional over the old wood burning furnace add on the we had in the basement. You can also burn rotting punky wood along with some good wood. Yes we heat our garage but not all the time. We have it on a separate thermostat. Ask any questions you have...

Also heats our hot water....


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## Meangreen (Dec 6, 2012)

Had one installed on the house where I worked up in Minnesota. I was spending $6,000 a year in propane to heat a 3 story house. Spent 5,000 to install outside wood boiler(Already had in floor heating) and spent only $400 on wood to heat the home for the year. I would get a delivery of 8 foot lengths from the local log mill and cut it down with the chain saw. I also harvested wood from my property. You only have to add wood twice in a 24 hour period and it keeps the house toasty.

One more thing is check in your city and county and make sure it's legal to have one because many places are banning them because of the smoke.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Some areas outlawing them here also. EPA is working on banning wood burning . They have already started EPA ratings on wood burners as the first step. You have time yet but it is coming.


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## gemoose23 (Nov 9, 2012)

thanks for this. A couple of my neighbors have a system like this and I have been wondering what these "fancy" doghouses did.. :shock:

Just told the wife we are headed to a homeshow in Janurary to check out this system.


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

Check into rocket heaters and stoves. Yeah, I know, they are pretty hippiefied, but I sure do want to make a couple of them!

Besides, maybe it'd attract s few hippie chicks. They are HOT! :-D


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## easyshack (Dec 25, 2012)

Why spend 9k, make your own out of a used 20.00 gas hot water heater.
Just add fire box to bottom, then build shed around it. Gas water heaters already have center pipe for smoke stack.
DrillCat.com has pictures and plans.


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## Desert Marine (Nov 20, 2012)

survival said:


> I have seen these in IN before and heard good things about them from the families that had them. For those that don't know, they are outdoor "Furnaces" that run on cut wood. My first thoughts were that the entire house would be "smokey", but from researching, I found this to be a false statement since there is a water jacket that surrounds the furnace that moves in and out of the house to heat the home. Also, learned that you can split the line where you can heat your home as well as a outside garage or detachable building. It works with your existing furnace and also heats the water.
> 
> Drawbacks are you have to keep the fire burning so to speak, but the newer models have a longer burn time. Cost for the "original" model is around 9 grand. 3-4 years ago they were at 5 grand for the same model. Gotta love supply and demand!
> 
> ...


I believe that I have found my next project that will take us from clutches of heating with propane, to obtain further Energy Independence using Waste Oil (all types hopefully).

Here is a link of a well done Waste Oil Heater that I found on YouTube: 




Here are his step by step instruction on making one of these Waste Oil Heaters.

Waste Oil is virtually FREE and can be obtained in so many places as many shop will be happy for you to take it off of their hands. I know of a family in Colorado that used almost 3 cords of wood to heat their home this winter using a wood stove I am passing this link and video on to them.

If you know of a better step-up please feel free to chime in and POST the sources so that others will benefit.

Desert Marine


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## jimb1972 (Nov 12, 2012)

Denton said:


> Check into rocket heaters and stoves. Yeah, I know, they are pretty hippiefied, but I sure do want to make a couple of them!
> 
> Besides, maybe it'd attract s few hippie chicks. They are HOT! :-D


The only problem is the ones that dont shave their armpits or wear deodorant.


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## GTGallop (Nov 11, 2012)

I think I'd prefer a Rocket Mass Heater...
rocket stove mass heater

But then I don't live where it is cold - hell, I don't even have a fire place and rarely use the heater except for cold nights.


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## Prepadoodle (May 28, 2013)

I second the rocket stove idea.

If you see smoke it's an incomplete combustion, so you're wasting fuel. Rocket stoves use far less fuel because they use an insulated stack where secondary combustion takes place. A well designed rocket stove system burns the fuel completely, and recovers almost all the heat energy. For example, it's not uncommon for a system to have the exhaust gas temperatures at 80 to 100 degrees F. All of the heat is typically banked in thermal mass, to be released over time.

I've seen people on YouTube set their stoves up to burn wood pellets. One guy has a gravity-feed hopper for his, and it doesn't require a lot of tending. I was fascinated by his whole build, matter of fact. He built a geodesic dome greenhouse with an aquaponics system and rocket mass heater, and shows the whole build from start to finish. It's a great series and well worth a look.

User: web4deb

Hippies seem to build these in the house and cover them with a ton of cob, but I don't want a 55 gallon drum in my house, especially not when the top of it can get to 500 degrees. Building one outside, and using a gravity feed system makes a lot of sense to me.


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