Switching to a Boiler

[Medic21]

A local dealer with a genuine concern for his customers is huge if you ever get in a bind.

Well, all I have "local", within 50 miles, is Woodmaster. I have not pulled the trigger on anything yet as I am skeptical of drive 250 miles to pick up a unit that I will have zero local support on.

Are you familiar with the Woodmaster? It looks like a fairly simple and well built unit. Warranty looks very good also.

 

[maple1]

It's nice to have a local dealer yes, if they have good support. But depending on your local dealer situation & what they are selling (maybe also assessing your personal DIY abilities), I wouldn't put too high a priority on going local.

My dealer is like a 20hr drive away in another country. Absolutely no regrets about that purchase, 6 years later. If I had gone local, it likely would have had to be with an Empyre - some glad I didn't do that.

 

[E Yoder]

The first unit we burned at our house way back in the '90's was a woodmaster. Eventually rusted through the firebox but that was after 17 years so we got our money's worth. Simple basic design but no reburn, less efficient and smokes quite a bit. No criticism intended, it's just old school. Solidly built unit, moisture in the chimney and door jambs are typically what I've seen eventually get them. Not any more legal than the CB Classic on residential since the EPA regs came in. ?
I think they have a new one that uses a catalyst but aren't pushing it.
I agree with maple1 good local dealers aren't always easy to find and one who will support even just by phone and mailing parts can work well if you're handy.
You might have more dealers in your area than you think. Most of the larger brands of outdoor boilers have dealer search tools on their website.

 

[Medic21]

The first unit we burned at our house way back in the '90's was a woodmaster. Eventually rusted through the firebox but that was after 17 years so we got our money's worth. Simple basic design but no reburn, less efficient and smokes quite a bit. No criticism intended, it's just old school. Solidly built unit, moisture in the chimney and door jambs are typically what I've seen eventually get them. Not any more legal than the CB Classic on residential since the EPA regs came in. ?
I think they have a new one that uses a catalyst but aren't pushing it.
I agree with maple1 good local dealers aren't always easy to find and one who will support even just by phone and mailing parts can work well if you're handy.
You might have more dealers in your area than you think. Most of the larger brands of outdoor boilers have dealer search tools on their website.

I’m purchasing under my business as a commercial unit. I’ve had my fill of EPA “certified” after the shelter stove. I’m also considering a coal unit from heat master.

 

[brenndatomu]

I’ve had my fill of EPA “certified” after the shelter stove

You had a bad experience, yes, but you know what they say about buying first year new models...and you couldn't have picked a bigger terd.

 

[JRHAWK9]

When I looked at installing a boiler system a few years back, it didn't take me too long to figure out that project would be biting off more than I wanted to chew...so that was the end of it for me.

You got further than I did....lol Once I found out I couldn't load it in my birthday suit w/o freezing the twins off that was the end of it for me.

 

[brenndatomu]

You got further than I did....lol Once I found out I couldn't load it in my birthday suit w/o freezing the twins off that was the end of it for me.

Ha! I was looking at a indoor unit...so the twins would have been OK but as previously mentioned, the wallet would not have been happy at all!

 

[Highbeam]

Ha! I was looking at a indoor unit...so the twins would have been OK but as previously mentioned, the wallet would not have been happy at all!

I don’t know how these residential folks justify wood boilers. Heating with wood stoves is super cheap and logical. One reload per day or two if it’s a furnace. No pumps, storage, valves, corrosion, etc. Sure, it would be fun to run a gasser at full throttle to storage or maybe just heat your home.

Sitting in front of my shop stove right now burning lumber cutoffs and enjoying a hard cider. End of may!

 

[E Yoder]

Lol, I think the indoor stove v. outdoor boiler debate will go on forever.
They're really different animals. One is a central heating system on a thermostat, the other isn't I presume?

 

[brenndatomu]

An indoor gasser with storage would be my in dream house built from lottery winnings, but since I don't play...

Sitting in front of my shop stove right now burning lumber cutoffs and enjoying a hard cider. End of may!

Dang, we have been on the AC this week...and I won't run it unless it is really needed...but we had back to back days in the low to mid 90s...yep, AC is runnin!

 

[E Yoder]

I’ve had my fill of EPA “certified” after the shelter stove. I’m also considering a coal unit from heat master.

Yeah, some of the early EPA approved OWB's came out on the market quickly. Too quickly perhaps? I've seen the focus now shift a bit to user-friendliness and longevity in the Heatmaster G series I work with. From what I see online other brands are focusing on the same thing. I'm glad, it's what we need.
I don't see it as much of problem if it's epa-approved but more how long has the model been running in real world conditions. And the coal units are very reliable, easy to use units.

 

[maple1]

I’m purchasing under my business as a commercial unit. I’ve had my fill of EPA “certified” after the shelter stove. I’m also considering a coal unit from heat master.

The only thing your Shelter experience would tell me is not to get a Shelter. There are lots of other nice running 'EPA Things' out there.

 

[maple1]

I don’t know how these residential folks justify wood boilers. Heating with wood stoves is super cheap and logical. One reload per day or two if it’s a furnace. No pumps, storage, valves, corrosion, etc. Sure, it would be fun to run a gasser at full throttle to storage or maybe just heat your home.

Sitting in front of my shop stove right now burning lumber cutoffs and enjoying a hard cider. End of may!

Boilers period are standard issue around here. (That or furnace & ductwork). Usually oil fired. Or at least they were. Likely the more sensible people nowadays are building to much higher standards and not building as big - so a big power unit isn't so standard any more. Lots of mini-split tech being used in new builds, with a stove for backup or supplement. More open concept thought into it. Ours was built 25 years ago with 25 year old standards, and likely is bigger than it needed to be - but there is no way it's staying warm all winter with a stove, even though it has a pretty decent heat loss signature (doing it with 5-6 cords now). It would need 3 of them with way too much wood handling and fire tending for me. It was built with a boiler & hot water heat - so adding a wood boiler was a natural fit. Plus if I ever get my garage built I can run a line to it & heat that too.

With some hindsight we might have built something different back then - but it's served us well these 22+/- years and no regrets overall. A lot has changed in 22 years in building & heating tech.

 

[E Yoder]

There are lots of other nice running 'EPA Things' out there.

I agree.

 

[salecker]

It's nice to have a local dealer yes, if they have good support. But depending on your local dealer situation & what they are selling (maybe also assessing your personal DIY abilities), I wouldn't put too high a priority on going local.

My dealer is like a 20hr drive away in another country. Absolutely no regrets about that purchase, 6 years later. If I had gone local, it likely would have had to be with an Empyre - some glad I didn't do that.

I am in the same boat with the same boiler.My support comes from Econoburn, the dealer i bought it from doesn't stock a lot of parts.
But i have also found that there isn't much on an Econoburn Boiler that I have to worry about.When the original controller died i was able to run the boiler with the fan plugged into an extension cord,using my aguastates to control the upper limit of temp.Having storage helped to do this safely.
I almost bought a piece of junk,and the next two on my list were no better.But then i found this site and spent a couple of months reading.Learned a ton and bought my Econoburn and spray foamed my lines in the trench and am very happy with my informed decisions.
Otherwise i would have ended up with a sub-par water heater and a trench full of BTU sucking foam warped frost melting lines and no time to enjoy my system because i would have been spending all my time feeding the heater and cutting wood.
Thomas

 

[Medic21]

And the WoodMaster 4400 it is.

I backed off the EZboiler due to the fact the owner is a registered sex offender for “Crimes against a child under 13”. The father and Emergency Services veteran in me will not allow my money to go and support someone like that. I’m all about second chances but, not for that.

You’d all kick me off here if I gave you my true beliefs on this subject.

Unit is ordered and now it’s time to pour concrete and install the pex lines in the house.

This is what I have wanted to do to my house for decades so I’m excited.

 

[E Yoder]

Best wishes! Post any questions, pics of your install. I enjoy seeing projects like this come together.

 

[Greyhousemogul]

Never heard of EZ boiler before...looks to be an old school smoke dragon unit...which I though were banned as of about a year ago...but must not be?
Unless you have already made up your mind, I'd look at Portage and Main and also Polar boilers...hear a lot good about both...and they won't smoke your neighbors out...
http://polarfurnace.com/
http://portageandmainboilers.com/

STAY AWAY FROM PORTAGE AND MAIN!! They have no dealer network in the US and they dont stand behind their product. I have a 13k gassifying unit that doesnt work as it should even by admission if the owner if the company Brian Martin. He agreed to refund the boiler admitting there is something wrong, then next day told me it would cost him too much to make it right. That's how that company handles problems with their product. Also My unit came with missing parts and a faulty fill guage resulting in 700 in lost glycol antifreeze. There are many other stories like mine. Beware polar is also no owned by Portage and main so they can sell under a different name. He is the owner of the companies admission and conversation on refunding