whatsthis

Hi. Heres the deal....
I have a Wood burner (Classic CL 17 - 1994, as I have just discovered!) The P/O had it installed a for both a water to air heat exchanger (in the Plenum) and to heat the water. Anyway, I was considering getting rid of it as he had told me the piping needed repaired due to a leak between the unit and the house, plus I didn't want the bother of running out to stoke the thing during the winter! Now I have discovered that on a website for some make of burner, amongst the usual "OMG it 's wonderful, I should have had one years ago, etc., etc.," there was a claim that a "Happy customer" only had to fill their burner about once every two days.Is this a realistic timeframe, as I had envisioned running down the back yard every couple of hours during the winter. Anyways, now the etherial lightbulb has lit up, above my head, I'm wondering would it be worth the cost to have the piping dug up a new heat exchanger put into the plenum and get it going again for next winter?The Plenum would need modified as it's a new part, but the piping is right there to connect the exchanger up. The unit itself is dry as a bone and it's obvious that the P/O was fastidious about maintennance, so it should be good to go. I know the "how long will a load last" question is akin to asking how long a piece of string is, but to give you an idea, the water jacket is 170 galls. Looking inside, I would say that I could comfortably (!) fit inside and I'm not small! My initial thought was to get rid of the entire unit, and replace with either a wood or pellet stove. Sorry about the long winded question, you thoughts would be greatly appreciated up here in Northeren Ontarioland!

Bondo

Ayuh,... A properly sized,+ set up system should need stoking Daily....
I'm still in the process of building mine...F%*k OPEC....I'm surrounded by Woods...

Gary_602z

The size of the house and the sizing of the woodburner will determine along with the weather on how long it will go. I fill mine once in the morning and once at night just varying the amount of wood I put in depending on the weather.

Now to the real questions? Do you have access to wood as they do burn a lot of wood! I burn about 30-35 face cord a year easy, but my furnace hasn't been turned on for 4 years! Are you healthy enough to cut that much wood or would(no pun intended) you be buying it?
Are you in town as a lot of towns will not let you have a outdoor burner.
Also if you put a water to water excanger on your hot water heater it will cut your energy usage down there also.

Gary

whatsthis

Thanks for the replies guys. Yep, F%#k OPEC indeed! Anyways, with regard to the rest. House is about 2000 Sq Ft. Surrounded by wood, but would be buying it in cords, cutting etc.. As I understand it, the unit takes the wood without splitting as long as it's the right length. It is also piped thru the water heater (don't ask me how, I have no idea!) as well as the water/air heat exchanger.. It's been in situ since about 94, so it is grandfathered. The wife says, "No No!" she doesn't want it hooked up, but would rather get a pellet stove to heat the house. However, I'm looking at the costs involved in putting that in as to getting the outside burner going. The only probs are that since no one knows exactly where the water leak is (only that its outside between house and unit - about a 50' stretch see pic) it would require ripping up part of the grass, and it goes under my deck, which is quite a substantial structure, and not something to be taken down and put up again in a couple of days! Then there is the stoking of the unit in mid winter, when it's down to close on -50 with windchill, and the burner is at the bottom of the garden with not much else around for miles, it's a long walk in a blizzard! So there you have my dilemma!!

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