Outdoor wood burner project

[bullydogcj]

I started this project around the first of September. Im build a 3'depthx3'widthx4'tall firebox with a 4'x4'x5' water jacket here some pictures from the first day I started working on it. Im stick welding everything with 1/8th 7018 electrodes



The main door is 18x18 the ash pan door is 6"x18"
It took 6 4'x8' sheets of 1/4" a36 steel plate to build
the bottom has a 36"x26" grate made out of 3/4" hr round bar, there is fire brick on the sides of the grate on an angle.

[Dr Dave]

Nice job! thats a lot of welding. What do you think this will cost to build? What do you have for a heat exchanger in your home, radiant floor or forced air? Keep us posted on the performance of this unit.

[LazySusanFarms]

I am also very interested in your design and projected cost. That is some very nice work and welding.

[snowjoker]

looks good ! only think i would have done to make the build easier is, not worry about a ash collector. We have a Taylor outdoor burner piece of junk . that i plan on replacing with a custom built one... once i find the materials . cheap lol

[bullydogcj]

I hooked up the burner to 2 90000 btu heat exchangers one is in my attic and one in my basement. I bought a Taco 0013 stainless circulating pump which I installed in my basement, which is around 70 feet from my burner. The 1" pex then goes to my attic heat exchanger, back down to my basement through another heat exchanger then back to the wood burner. The pump is pushing water through 180 feet of 1" pex. The burner is 15 feet above the pump so it is not having to suck water.

I have been running it for a couple of days, and I'm filling I once a day, with about a wheel barrow load of wood. I am mixing green and dry wood, because I dont have enough seasoned wood this year.

[bullydogcj]

looks good ! only think i would have done to make the build easier is, not worry about a ash collector. We have a Taylor outdoor burner piece of junk . that i plan on replacing with a custom built one... once i find the materials . cheap lol

I put my blower through the ash pan door. I also wanted a grate and needed the door to get the ashes out without taking the grate out. the grate weighs about 150 pounds, it has 40 feet of 3/4 round bar in it.

[bullydogcj]

Cost of unit broken down
Steel plate 1/4" 4x8 sheets $1000.00
2 Heat exchangers $268.00
300 feet Pex 1" $214.00
Taco 0013 stainless pump $348.00
75 cfm fan $68.00
1 " stroke solenion $44.00
5 3/4 weld in bungs $25.00
6 shut off valves $54.00
4 3/4 stainless 90* street $24.00
2 1" pex t $12.00
4 1" sweat x 1" male pex crimp $15.00
15 1" pex elbows $36.00
1" pex crimp tool $30.00
50 1" pex crimp rings $29.00
4 1" pex crimp x 3/4 npt male $13.00
Circulator pump flanges $17.00
Reflective bubble insul $87.00
concrete $50.00
flashing $28.00
pipe insulation $80.00
metal roofing Free
frame to put on siding $100.00
Firebrick $20.00
Foam insulation $114.00
14 feet 1 inch firerope $65.00
firerope adhesive $18.00
Smoke stack 4 1/2 pipe Free
2 electronic thermostats $40.00
Digital temperature controller Free
100 ft 10/2 $110.00
water treatment $40.00
Welding rods, grinding wheels $50.00

So with the cost of gas and electricity that I also used I have close to $3000.00 in it

[rancher3]

You have a good looking heater for a cheap price.

[vwnotrunning]

Excellent job! I keep thinking I will get around to a project like that but stuff always gets in the way

[bullydogcj]

I took 8 years to plan it and 3 months to build it. I stopped working on my backhoe project to do this one. I'm glad that I built my logsplitter first though.