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Post by smokelessk on Sept 16, 2022 19:14:19 GMT -5
Just got the unit hooked up today. All good to go. Now for the cold weather...  
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Post by joelmoney on Sept 16, 2022 23:07:39 GMT -5
Congratulations! Helped install a few. Best advice I can give make sure your running glycol.
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Post by buckeye68 on Sept 17, 2022 18:22:31 GMT -5
Looks like work to me……
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Post by smokelessk on Sept 18, 2022 14:48:16 GMT -5
Right... Yeah, I'm still young and dumb. Haha
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Post by smokelessk on Sept 18, 2022 14:49:00 GMT -5
Congratulations! Helped install a few. Best advice I can give make sure your running glycol. By glycol you mean the antifreeze for the lines?
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Post by joelmoney on Sept 18, 2022 16:00:29 GMT -5
Congratulations! Helped install a few. Best advice I can give make sure your running glycol. By glycol you mean the antifreeze for the lines? Correct I have seen two systems that did not use it freeze zones and have to shut those zones off for further use. One the owner went on vacation and thought they would be good till they got back. The other was not balanced correctly then pump died an took a day to notice then another couple days to get new pump. I believe neither would have lost zones had they systems been properly mixed with anti-freeze.
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Post by deadeer on Sept 19, 2022 9:35:22 GMT -5
Wood boilers are awesome. I built my own homemade one years ago. We plumbed it into the water heater, and thru the garage.
Unfortunately, I didnt have a tractor for handling all the firewood. I got all the wood by hand, loading/unloading my trailer for 8 years by myself. After hurting my back so many times and just overall fatigue, I sold it.
We live in an old farmhouse downwind of Lake Michigan. So when the wind blows cold, it's cold! I used up to 20 cords of wood some years. You can offset that by using bigger chunks, greener wood, etc. But it's a balance to make right. Now that we have a tractor and a grapple, I wish we still had the unit! Now it's back to a conventional wood stove and 3-4 cords of seasons wood. Good luck with the new unit.
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Post by smokelessk on Sept 19, 2022 19:06:07 GMT -5
Wood boilers are awesome. I built my own homemade one years ago. We plumbed it into the water heater, and thru the garage. Unfortunately, I didnt have a tractor for handling all the firewood. I got all the wood by hand, loading/unloading my trailer for 8 years by myself. After hurting my back so many times and just overall fatigue, I sold it. We live in an old farmhouse downwind of Lake Michigan. So when the wind blows cold, it's cold! I used up to 20 cords of wood some years. You can offset that by using bigger chunks, greener wood, etc. But it's a balance to make right. Now that we have a tractor and a grapple, I wish we still had the unit! Now it's back to a conventional wood stove and 3-4 cords of seasons wood. Good luck with the new unit. 20 cords is a crap load of wood! Wow! This is one of the "new fangled" units. Supposed to use 1/4 less than the other new models Heatmaster offers. We shall see! And yeah, equipment definitely makes wood handling much easier. We're loading the split wood into IBC totes and using the loader tractor to set them right next to the unit. Hence the large pad we poured. I will be able to have two cords on that pad with the stove and stacked in totes. Empty the totes use the tractor to swap for full ones. I've got 20 totes now, enough for nearly 7 cords. Picked up this load today. 
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Post by smokelessk on Sept 19, 2022 19:10:09 GMT -5
Made rain caps for them and tuck them under my pine trees. Always hate mowing next to pines. Now I mow next to the totes. Helps with keeping the weather off the wood too.  100K BTU heater in the workshop.  Also have a 50K in the basement and one in the car garage. It's plumbed into the hot water tank and the existing furnace.
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Post by deadeer on Sept 19, 2022 22:29:46 GMT -5
Looks like your well on your way! A lot of factors contribute to the efficiency. Insulation of the unit, the underground pex, your home, outside temp, wood type, etc.
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Post by smokelessk on Sept 20, 2022 4:14:31 GMT -5
Looks like your well on your way! A lot of factors contribute to the efficiency. Insulation of the unit, the underground pex, your home, outside temp, wood type, etc. Thanks! I told her when we committed to this project. We're going to make it an operation that is easy and efficient, whatever it costs. I don't have any spare time as it is. It's going to cost some extra dough, but a driveway to get to the unit will be put in. Along with a building over top it with room for storing wood, the dump trailer and room for a skid steer. I ain't got time to be messing around.... Not that I mind doing work, I just got to do it efficiently.
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Post by smokelessk on Sept 21, 2022 13:54:31 GMT -5
Getting the rain caps cut for the totes.  A dozen caps and totes ready to be filled with wood. 
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Post by joelmoney on Sept 23, 2022 13:17:28 GMT -5
I like that tote idea.
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Post by smokelessk on Sept 23, 2022 16:22:41 GMT -5
Thanks Joel. I am all about efficiency. Cutting firewood I do enjoy. However, my least favorite thing about it is stacking. Got to be nice and neat or it falls over. Gotta stack, move and restack when it's time to burn. Never had a great way to determine how many chords I'm burning. The totes solve nearly all of that. The pad the wood burner sits on will hold 6 totes, which is 2 chord. When that is burned up all it should take is 30 minutes with the loader tractor. I'll have another 2 chord is right where I need it. And the caps keep it plenty dry. Checked some of the outer pieces with the moisture meter. Between 8% and about 16-18%. The suggested moisture level for this unit is between 15-20% It takes, by myself, between 20-30 minutes to stack one tote. 3 totes per chord, so a hour to hour and a half to stack one chord without any help.
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Post by fatfred on Sept 23, 2022 18:34:08 GMT -5
That's a nice program you got there and I like it! We burn in the house with a 4000 series Quadrafire wood stove. Burn 3 -4 cords a years and no other heat source. I get log truck loads for $800 that make 8 cords. (24 face cords). Have a large deck and a wood shed that holds 6 cords. Keep this years burnables under the deck. Like staying 2-3 years ahead, Love cutting my wood the exact length I want, splitting and stacking. take pride in good stacking and being self sufficient in heating the home. So many rely on electric, gas or oil and their bills are extremely variable and consequential. We heat the house for $400+/- a year in the northeast. Not bad. The work of cutting, spitting, stacking and moving wood help keep me in shape while also keeping us off the energy grid when the costs get high based on national issues.
We are in some tough times and knowing we can keep warm at stable costs is comforting. And, if the power goes out, we are warm. Add the generator and a full pantry? Short term catastrophe averted.
Yes, ready for winter and looking forward to it in the lake effect snow belt. Almost wishing for the opportunity to test our readiness but hope we don't have to cause that means many will suffer.
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Post by smokelessk on Sept 24, 2022 14:35:08 GMT -5
Congratulations! Helped install a few. Best advice I can give make sure your running glycol. How often do you drain and flush your system with the glycol to replace the antifreeze?
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Post by smokelessk on Sept 25, 2022 3:42:38 GMT -5
That's a nice program you got there and I like it! We burn in the house with a 4000 series Quadrafire wood stove. Burn 3 -4 cords a years and no other heat source. I get log truck loads for $800 that make 8 cords. (24 face cords). Have a large deck and a wood shed that holds 6 cords. Keep this years burnables under the deck. Like staying 2-3 years ahead, Love cutting my wood the exact length I want, splitting and stacking. take pride in good stacking and being self sufficient in heating the home. So many rely on electric, gas or oil and their bills are extremely variable and consequential. We heat the house for $400+/- a year in the northeast. Not bad. The work of cutting, spitting, stacking and moving wood help keep me in shape while also keeping us off the energy grid when the costs get high based on national issues. We are in some tough times and knowing we can keep warm at stable costs is comforting. And, if the power goes out, we are warm. Add the generator and a full pantry? Short term catastrophe averted. Yes, ready for winter and looking forward to it in the lake effect snow belt. Almost wishing for the opportunity to test our readiness but hope we don't have to cause that means many will suffer. Very true. We're behind on the generator aspect and I do need to get ahead on the wood stockpile. Prior to this unit we burned inside with a wood burner. This outdoor furnace is definitely going to be a different animal. It is a gasification model. Supposed to be super efficient for wood consumption. However, it requires dry and seasoned wood. I will admit, I am nervous for the first burning season that our wood will be dry enough and that we'll have enough.
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Post by fatfred on Sept 28, 2022 20:49:46 GMT -5
Just thinking that I would rather be ready for winter then "ready" for a hurricane. That is devastation and loss beyond comprehension. No getting ready for that. I am glad we live in the inland of the northeast.
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Post by joelmoney on Sept 28, 2022 21:49:57 GMT -5
Congratulations! Helped install a few. Best advice I can give make sure your running glycol. How often do you drain and flush your system with the glycol to replace the antifreeze? I honestly don’t know what maintenance they do but I’ll update as I ask.
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Post by smokelessk on Oct 5, 2022 18:45:43 GMT -5
 Two chords, stacked in place and ready to go. Took all of 20 minutes to "stack" them next to the furnace. And that's probably because I am slow with the tractor.
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