permaculture

[Mark <mpludwig@facstaff.wisc.edu>]

Nice look at outdoor wood furnaces.
M
> Date: Thu, 05 Dec 2002 21:35:08 -0500
> From: jackie a treat <silvermaplejat1@juno.com>
> Subject: [grazersedge] OT: Newbie Outdoor Wood Furnace owner
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> I just installed an " Empyre, deluxe II 450" outdoor woodburning furnace
> on 11/26.
> Built by Profab( Cozeburn )Inc.
> Box 443
> Arborg, Manitoba Canada ROC 0A0
> 1-888-933-4440
>
> The dealer was Swantak ,Oneonta NY
>
> www.swantak.com
>
> My interest was to keep the wood mess and fire out of the house, we had a
> woodburning furnace,that also heated hot water, in the basement right
> under my daughters bedroom. Always a worry. Plus in subzero windy
> conditions the oil furnace would kick on to keep up.
> I spent a lot of time with the literature, advertisments etc. and pretty
> much decided on the central boiler.brand.
> I then spent an entire day a t the NY farm progress show this summer
> looking at all the different stoves and talking to the dealers.
> What a suprise : they were all THE BEST, and had no problem telling me
> why .
> So I'll just boil down my procees of elimination.
> Stainless steel, and the water filled baffle design.
> I looked a the Taylor years ago but found it a very complex high
> maintanence design.
> Then come to find out there are two types of stainless and they are both
> the best!
> Swantak was the closest local dealer and has several stoves in my area.
> He handled central Boiler and Empyre, They are VERY similar in
> construction, with the Empyre being 304 type stainless.
> When I had Bob Swantak come to the farm for an estimate he told me he
> would only be handling the Empyre as he felt it was a better built stove
> and that he had some customers with warranty complaints that central
> boiler did not make right.
> We went with the larger 450 model to tie into both the house and milk
> room hot water.
> So far the thing has exceeded my expectations.
> The house is a nice steady 70, no wide swings of temp.
> We have not been able to make it run out of hot water, and I have tried,
> running dishwasher clothes washer and showers back to back. The old stove
> was very slow to recover hot water.
> I have been loading it once a day, and am still figuring out how much
> wood to put in it .  I have cut back from stuffing it full.
> Yes it smokes when the new wood is put in and the fan kicks on but it
> fires up quick. Smokes less when hot.
> The dealer told me that the EPA will soon require all these furnace to be
> force fan draft to cut emmisions.
> The natural ones tend to smoke more so I am told.
>
> The stove cost $6,500
> It sits 150 from the house so pipe and insulation was costly.
> Plus the hot water heatexchanger and the hot air furnace heat exc.
> Plus $600 labor (3 men ) for 6 hrs,
> Total stove cost intalled $8,658
> Plus $150 for backhoe work
> Plus misc cost of wiring, filter fabric, gravel and (free) old silo
> staves that it sits on and my labor.
> Made a heck of a mess of the lawn as we hit the Nov rains.
> Cost to tie into the barn ,250 ft.,   is estimated at $1,650, plus
> digging the trench.
> Based on past fuel oil costs this still gives me a 4 year payback time.
> And I do not have to split the wood and cut 30-32 inches instead of 20.
>
> Things they do not tell you but you learn quick.
> Yes it is warrantied for 20 yrs. But it is prorated with age, and you
> must submitt a water sample every 6 months.
> Yes the wavy baffle design does smoke out the door when you are loading
> wood, its best to let it really burn down before reloading.
>
> Bottem line. TOASTY. And SAFE
>
> Charlie
> Central NY
>
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Mark P. Ludwig
Poultry Research Lab
University of Wisconsin -Madison
608-262-1730 WK
608-846-7125 HM