I am actually more interested in the indoor wood-fired boilers as they seem to be more efficient (i.e. use less wood) and are cleaner-burning . . . but again that would be something down the road possibly.Originally Posted by Hiram357
I am actually more interested in the indoor wood-fired boilers as they seem to be more efficient (i.e. use less wood) and are cleaner-burning . . . but again that would be something down the road possibly.
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the realization that there is something more important than fear."
"Death is only one of many ways to die."
don't forget about all the hard work it takes to find someone to cut and stack your wood for you...
Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.
Speak to a heating contractor and they will probably tell you NOT to go with a "combo unit". What they usually recommend is having 2 separate units - oil/wood - with 2 separate chimney flues (now required by insurance companies, I believe).
One thing about wood heat, though: it heats you twice! LOL!
We have a "New Yorker" wood boiler that has been running for 16 years with no problems. Compact, simple, efficient...
http://www.newyorkerboiler.com/wc.cfm
Three times if a spark catches your house on fire and FFJ is out caching!
DNFTT! DNFTT! DNFTT!
"The funniest thing about this particular signature is that by the time you realize it doesn't say anything it's to late to stop reading it..."
Beware System 2000 - it has a very spendy control board that you don't want to have to replace as most technicians won't have one on the truck (which means a chilly wait while they order one for you).
Bruce is right about the red tape with a combo unit - about the seperate flues - and you also may need a technician with a dual license to tune it up (Solid Fuel license and #2 Heating Oil license). Unless you can do that job yourself or use a contractor that doesn't give a hoot about code compliance.
Ok - someone kick that soapbox out from under my feet....
If you want to try cross country skiing, start with a small country
Just what do you have for a boiler now? How old? Firing rate? Number of zones? Type of Burner? What type of domestic hot water? What's wrong with it?
DNFTT! DNFTT! DNFTT!
"The funniest thing about this particular signature is that by the time you realize it doesn't say anything it's to late to stop reading it..."
Oh, but I really enjoy working with wood . . . if I get mad there's nothing like taking it out on the woodpile by slinging wood around!don't forget about all the hard work it takes to find someone to cut and stack your wood for you...
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the realization that there is something more important than fear."
"Death is only one of many ways to die."
That's what I would most likely do . . . my own belief is that by keeping things separate it makes thing simpler and less likely to break.
I also believe that the more "tasks" you ask of an appliance the greater chance it will be less efficient at doing any one task . . . in other words a Swiss Army knife may come with a spoon, screwdriver and a knife . . . but the spoon is small, the screwdriver doesn't allow you to get as good a grip as you would with a traditional screwdriver and the knife may not be as good or sharp as a stand-alone knife . . . that's not to say the SAK is no good, since if you need a spoon, screwdriver or knife in one compact package or in a pinch it works well enough . . . it's just not the best tool for every job.
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the realization that there is something more important than fear."
"Death is only one of many ways to die."
This is the type of thing I wanted to know about . . . and to be honest I have been a little leery of the S-2000 electronics since previous experience has shown me that very often more complex = more likely to not work well . . . one of the reasons I went back to a traditional thermostat versus the electronic programmable thermostat in my upstairs bedrooms.Beware System 2000 - it has a very spendy control board that you don't want to have to replace as most technicians won't have one on the truck (which means a chilly wait while they order one for you).
Bruce is right about the red tape with a combo unit - about the seperate flues - and you also may need a technician with a dual license to tune it up (Solid Fuel license and #2 Heating Oil license). Unless you can do that job yourself or use a contractor that doesn't give a hoot about code compliance.
Ok - someone kick that soapbox out from under my feet....
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the realization that there is something more important than fear."
"Death is only one of many ways to die."
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