Wood Boiler Newbie --- What are the best brands of Boilers?

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Is the cracking issue you mentioned something fixable or is this catastrophic?
It's fixable, it's a piece of ceramic that goes over the nozzle that keeps the nozzle from corroding. Some guys are saying that they are going through a new one every year. Eventually Crown is going to stop picking up the tab and you'll have to spend your hard earned money on replacing it. Heatmaster uses a SS nozzle which is much better design IMHO.
 
We switched from Central to HeatMaster. We like HeatMaster. Our dealer was a dirtbag though, and we no longer have a dealer in state. So don’t let dealer distance put you off.
 
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I think a G7 would do it...you aren't heating the house shop pool all at the same time, are you?
Most of the time when heating saeon for the house and shop are ending, pool heating is starting.
Keep in mind that gassers love to be run hard...or at least not idle all the time
I typically do 2 fires per day in the winter months. Lighting a fire involves turning the blower on, putting a few pieces of kindling on the glowing coals, and filling the fire box once the kindling catches. Less than 5 min. I try to keep my tank temp between 140 and 160 ish. If i went higher and let it drop lower i could probably do once a day, but my hydronic heating system does best without the wide swings in temp. The beauty of a gasifier such as I have is that you gain efficiency with the hot burns by also burning the smoke. I believe my system is rated at 88% efficiency. You don’t get that with a slow smoldering fire.
 
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I typically do 2 fires per day in the winter months. Lighting a fire involves turning the blower on, putting a few pieces of kindling on the glowing coals, and filling the fire box once the kindling catches. Less than 5 min. I try to keep my tank temp between 140 and 160 ish. If i went higher and let it drop lower i could probably do once a day, but my hydronic heating system does best without the wide swings in temp. The beauty of a gasifier such as I have is that you gain efficiency with the hot burns by also burning the smoke. I believe my system is rated at 88% efficiency. You don’t get that with a slow smoldering fire.
I did read, somewhere, 170*-180* is the optimal range. I forget why though.
 
I heat my Switzer to 200-215 (pressurized system), and refire it around 120. I heat with hydronic floor heat and also a hot water coil in a forced air furnace.
 
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I heat my Switzer to 200-215 (pressurized system), and refire it around 120. I heat with hydronic floor heat and also a hot water coil in a forced air furnace.
Different animal.... that pressurized system.
Many Switzer owners love their systems. How's yours?
 
I typically do 2 fires per day in the winter months. Lighting a fire involves turning the blower on, putting a few pieces of kindling on the glowing coals, and filling the fire box once the kindling catches. Less than 5 min. I try to keep my tank temp between 140 and 160 ish. If i went higher and let it drop lower i could probably do once a day, but my hydronic heating system does best without the wide swings in temp. The beauty of a gasifier such as I have is that you gain efficiency with the hot burns by also burning the smoke. I believe my system is rated at 88% efficiency. You don’t get that with a slow smolderin

I heat my Switzer to 200-215 (pressurized system), and refire it around 120. I heat with hydronic floor heat and also a hot water coil in a forced air furnace.
I have an Econoburn which i fire once a day . If it's -40 i try to charge the storage to the max.
I usually fire for around 6 hrs on a typical winter day -20 C, at -40 C the average time of burning is about 10 hrs. I have my back up oil boiler set to kick in when the storage temp hits 100 F.
I heat with cast iron rads which are still producing heat at 100 F
The Econoburn is not the most efficient boiler I'm sure but it was available from a local dealer and is built like a tank.We don't have the best power up here, and i have had to run it off a extension cord with no controls other than the high heat aquastate before.
 
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I did read, somewhere, 170*-180* is the optimal range. I forget why though.
Typically hydronic heating systems are sized to avoid water flashing into steam. Steam can cause all sorts of noise in systems not designed to handle it. 180 F seems to be the high point where inadvertent steaming is not an issue.
 
I did read, somewhere, 170*-180* is the optimal range. I forget why though.
For a OWB your delta T across a water - HX is generally 15 degrees , could be more, could be less too. That keeps the water temperature going back into the boiler above 140F. Below 140F, the inside of the boiler will sweat, which mixed with wood ash causes lye.

I’d assume with a IWB and storage this isn’t as important as with a OWB since the storage is probably zoned off from the boiler after it’s done firing.

Also what peakbagger said too.
 
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For a OWB your delta T across a water - HX is generally 15 degrees , could be more, could be less too. That keeps the water temperature going back into the boiler above 140F. Below 140F, the inside of the boiler will sweat, which mixed with wood ash causes lye.

I’d assume with a IWB and storage this isn’t as important as with a OWB since the storage is probably zoned off from the boiler after it’s done firing.

Also what peakbagger said too.
I have plans and made many notes on building a gasifier. I want the efficiency and will add storage after the gasser is established. I like how @cumminstinkerer added a Polar to his system. I know he heats a lot of footage.

My first step is to build the boiler house and do a cheap tank in tank setup, allowing me to establish the plumbing first, providing heat. My gasser will not have water surrounding the firebox. Exhaust gas heat only.
 
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A tough design without water walls. You could do worse starting out with the original gasifier boiler https://maine.craigslist.org/for/d/stockton-springs-jetstream-gasifier/7698050159.html I think its has refractory combustions zone with downstream heat exchanger.
Yes, I agree. It's been tough enough doing all the research. I read every thread I could find in this forum last winter. Scoured the net everywhere else. I will start a thread here for all the pointers along the way, when time. Including the first stage with the temporary cheap boiler for startup.

BTW, I appreciate all the knowledge you share, and have shared.
 
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We have a portage and main bl28-40. It does very good. Simple unit made in Canada. Installed it in 2014.
 
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Different animal.... that pressurized system.
Many Switzer owners love their systems. How's yours?
Yes, I love my system. Couldn’t really ask for anything better. I would get a bigger unit if I was in a colder climate. Mine has 600ga of water storage. It does fine here, though, heating my 3,000sq ft house, 24’x30’ garage, and domestic hot water.
 
I have plans and made many notes on building a gasifier. I want the efficiency and will add storage after the gasser is established. I like how @cumminstinkerer added a Polar to his system. I know he heats a lot of footage.

My first step is to build the boiler house and do a cheap tank in tank setup, allowing me to establish the plumbing first, providing heat. My gasser will not have water surrounding the firebox. Exhaust gas heat only.
hit me up man, I have done a lot of playing with different boilers including my own homemade one, each has some good points and some bad, I will be glad to share them. The polar rocks for sure, are there things I would change yes, discussed some with the owner but recertification is stupid expensive and be required for something so simple as moving the light bulb.
 
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hit me up man, I have done a lot of playing with different boilers including my own homemade one, each has some good points and some bad, I will be glad to share them. The polar rocks for sure, are there things I would change yes, discussed some with the owner but recertification is stupid expensive and be required for something so simple as moving the light bulb.
Will do... have to get through these next 2 months financially. Then I can work on improving this heating system and, the amount of work required to keep it going. Way to labor intensive.