We invested in a Classic Edge 760 last December, after our 20-year old 6840 sprang a leak. We absolutely love it & have had no regrets at all. It was a significant outlay of cash & I do not expect to be around long enough for it to 'pay for itself,' as our old CB Classic did. However I do know -- given that the main part our house was built in 1897 -- installing an outdoor boiler has absolutely been one of the smartest things I've ever done.
I agree. The best wood boiler video on the internet. And efficient too! 7 or 8 cord wood per season, for heat and domestic HW is very reasonable. And he heats garage too! Excellent!
Woke up this morning to my old Tarm wood boiler melting down in my garage. It’s attached to my house! For the last 8 years I’ve enjoyed having this setup. If I had been half an hour later the garage would have been gone and probably the house too. Keeping it separate from the home is now a huge plus for me. Thanks for this video and I will be looking into Central Boiler 👍
Hi Joel! The experience you just had is everyone’s nightmare! I’m glad you were able to avoid a catastrophe. The hair is standing up on my neck right now. Some people say that my boiler is still too close to the house, but the majority say it’s fine. The insurance company gave me a discount for have an outdoor boiler. They see it as mitigating risk. There are a lot of good boilers out there. I went with Central Boiler due to the sales and service aspect. They have done me well and a few very minor issues they took care of. Thanks for sharing your story and watching, WST! All the best!
@@WSTMike I was just going to ask why not inside a large shop? That's where my home made one is, I don't feel it's any more risk than a proper installation of a regular wood stove.
I have a 350, love it. Have used it 5 years. Only problem I had was a water leak in the water jacket in the fire box. I checked into warranty, but turns out I would have to ship it to the factory which cost around $600 then, probably more now. I cleaned it all out and found where the leak was and had a welder come weld up the leak. The welder said it was a weak weld from the factory. In essence the warranty isn’t that good. I really like my stove because of the wood savings. I probably use 4 - 5 cords.
@@kennethheern4896 Thanks! I'm in 61084 Northern Illinois. I just got a used E classic 2400. Ill be heating a 1917 square foot ranch house with a 576 sq ft garage. Forced air. Just wanted to compare notes.
I have a CE 550 and I made a 18" rod with a drill bit on the end. I then take course steel wool and wrap it around the drill bit with it connected up to my cordless drill. I turn the drill on and run it in between the water jacket. Sometimes, I add more wool but not that often. Thank for telling me about the vents above the water jacket. I'm a Michigander also.
Hello! Thank you very much for the comment and what you do for cleaning. So I am clear, is this for cleaning the heat exchanger tubes or another part of the boiler? I just want to be sure. Also, if you wouldn’t mind taking a picture some time of your device and sending it to woodsweattears@protonmail.com I would appreciate it. Michigan people always have great ideas 😉 Thanks for watching! WST
Really love the idea of filling it only once a day. Just watched another video before this where the guy was happy to fill his boiler 4 times a day and thought that was a bit much. But on mine, I have to fill 3 times a day when it is cold. Thanks for the upload.
Hi Oby-1!! (great name BTW) I had a boiler that required a lot of feeding before. When I went to this boiler, I was almost bored! LOL! When it gets super cold I will throw a few more pieces on at night to make sure, but it isn't much. Thank you for watching and commenting. I appreciate it! WST
Hey ahowl7mx! Glad you enjoyed the video. There is always things you can imp-revise or make better with anything you own. I appreciate you watching and commenting! Take care! WST
Your system is pretty amazing, I've added thermal siphon hydronics recently and I burn like a quarter of the wood. I also have gaps in the logs you can see through lol. Wood is a good choice here in PA it's everywhere. People call me to clear out dead trees, a few of those and I'm good for the winter.
Hey spaceman with raygun (pretty cool name) I appreciate the comment. It is a good system and has been very dependable into its 4th season. Your system sounds pretty good to me also. I wish I could see how it works. Wood is a choice everywhere and I know in PA you have a lot of great choices in wood. I do the same also, I pay nothing for wood (other than labor and expenses in equipment) but I love it and it is my hobby. Thanks again for the awesome comment and I wish you all the best my friend. WST
Great video .a lot of great info I forwarded this to my brother he was looking at these units and really didn’t get as much info like u just gave when he went looking.
Thank you for the comment. I am happy to hear you shared this with your brother. I gave the best information I could to educate those on the fence about a boiler. For the most part, this boiler has been trouble free. I’ve had a few small issues, but had great support to get them fixed and eliminated. Thanks again and all the best to you. WST
Hello, great video with good quality information. Looking at added one of these to my house for extra heat and use less propane. Now just need to get the full install done after this cold winter.
Hi Zach! I am glad you found the video informative. I can say that since we got this boiler, our propane bill went way down since we got this boiler. Mostly because we heat our water with it. I wish you the best! Thanks for watching. WST
Hi Mark! Thank you for giving WST a shot. We appreciate it very much! We are 50 minutes straight south of Gaylord. We go up there a lot of skiing and snowboarding. We would love to have to back up here. Not sure where you moved to, but the north always has room to take you back! Thanks again for watching. Hoping to see you in the comments again soon! WST
Yes we lived in Waters from 2000-2008 up on the hill west of 75. When our 4 kids were young. Precious memories. Now we are in Indianapolis since 2008. I assume you around West Branch or Houghton Lake. I especially miss walleye fishing on Big Bradford Lake. Your videos remind me of those great years.
@@wfcperrine I know Waters well. Beautiful area. I can understand the memories you cherish. Indy is a little different then Waters 😆 We live on the North Shore of Houghton Lake. Tip Up Town is going on right now. I’m sure you remember that. Never fished Bradford before. I fish Houghton and Higgins Lake every weekend. Ice fishing has been good.
Lots of nice upgrades from the first EDGE 550. The first one they came out with does not have the bypass door and you can only access the back tubes through the firebox for the major cleaning and it is 12 bolts that hold 2 different plates on. They do have a chain system that you access through the stove pipe that you are supposed to bang around to keep the pipes clean. Your defiantly correct they don't tell you to much about them when you buy them. I was never told about keeping the back pipes clean at least once a week with the chains and because of that my pipes clogged completely and it took me about 3 hours to clean the stove out and when I did it was in the middle of winter at about -18. Now at the end of the season it's climb in the firebox and lots of scraping going on. I definitely wish I could afford the updated version it would be worth the money just to have the back access door.
Hi Bryan! I’m glad you found the video interesting. I also learned from you of the updates. I wasn’t aware of that. Great info. It seems that there are always things with anything you buy that you have to learn along the way. Frustrating! I honestly can’t think of too many things that I would change with the unit I have now. Anything I would mention would be ticky tack and not game chargers per say. I would just ask them to offer more of a tutorial on maintenance that must be done. My dealer didn’t not provide that, unfortunately. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts. I appreciate it very much! Take care my friend. Hope to see you in the comment again soon! WST
@@yetilikesbeer When cleaning, there is a slight build up that you need to scrape and knock down. No matter how dry your wood is, this is common. Does that answer your question?
@@WSTMike I have the 750. If you burn dry wood and get it over 1200F on every secondary burn the exchangers stay clean. I only get build up when I burn wetter or greener wood.
@@yetilikesbeer I burn Birch and my major build up was because I didn't know I needed to scrape out the back thought I could just use the hanging chains and it was good. Well the chans stopped going up and down and the buildup happened over the course of about 1.75 years until it choked it off completely. I learned from that and now do a better job at cleaning. I start my stove in September and turn if off in May. Where I'm at it is not uncommon from the month of January till first 2 weeks of March for the temp to not get above -20F. Mine will get to 1,100 or so but I don't know if I have ever got up to 1,200 or above. Either way there will be some creosote no matter what as there are times when the stove vents and does not get up to the high burn temp.
Hi Jacob! I’m glad you enjoyed the video. I’m sure Central will be happy to ship you one also. I love that area you live in. I go through there countless time a year on my way to Green Bay for work. Enjoy your boiler! WST
Hello Mr. Tears. I clicked on a vid to do with what to do with wood ashes which sorta was there on the side...just for the heck of it which led me to Central Boiler which led me to you. I live in Alabama, heat with natural gas and we're lucky to have a 0 degree day once about every 20 years. All that said, I enjoyed the heck out of your presentation. All new tech for me. I did build a 'workshop' around a Birmingham Stove Model 181 potbelly (Prolly a hundred years old) so I could have somewhere to go and write and compute other than here in the house. Ha. I know the draw to wood. In your case seems like it would be ever so much nicer if you had wood on your property to source, being that you have a real wood chomper. Fantastic job on your vid! Your bestest fan in Alabam, Norm
Hey Norm! I appreciate the one thing led to another viewing of my video. Glad you were able to learn some new tech. I know have two fans in Alabam!! Believe it or not. I have wood on my property, just choose not to use it until I need to. Get a lot of free wood elsewhere. Until the spigot turns off, that what I’ll do. Take care and feel free to visit in the future. We don’t charge to watch our videos!! 🤣 Take care! WST
Good review as I have the 350 titanium version.As you stated the maintenence is the easy part where as the firing part is a learn curve where you need to become a part of the stove.I fire twice a day and it holds heat under very cold conditions. The nice attribute is that it doesn't smoke and the mess is outside
Hi Jack! You sound like you’re happy with your setup also. I have no complaints, as it keeps the house toasty and the water hot. What else could I ask for. Is there something better out there? Very possible? No matter, this is going to be the last boiler I ever own. Thanks for watching and the comment! WST
I shared your video to a friend. I have a New Yorker hard coal boiler and I probably only use about 3 tons of coal a year. I live in an old log house which is considered thermal insulated
Hey Bubba! Thanks for sharing the video. Much appreciated. I don’t know anything about coal, but it sounds like you are pretty happy with your usage. Your house sounds pretty cool also! Thanks for watching. We appreciate it! WST
Hi Larry! Hope all is well. There are a lot of good boilers out there. I went with Central Boiler since they have sales and service relatively close to me. It’s all about what you want and the comfort of working on things (if needed) on your own. Best of luck to you! Glad you are enjoying the videos. Take care! WST
I have a huge old Green Colonial wood furnace in my basement. It can hold some pretty big chunks. The advantage that you have with the outside unit is that all of your mess stays outside. We have 110 acres of hardwood timber here in northeast Iowa. The woods is very mature trees and we get a lot of storm damage. I just clean up the downed and damaged stuff.
Hi Gary, thx for stopping by and commenting. That’s a good bit of land and a real nice resource to have. Growing up we had a wood furnace in the basement. Had to load wood in the basement through a chute. Thanks again for the comment. Mike
Best video yet on wood boilers you said you went thew 8-12 cords how well is the house insulated just trying to figer out how much wood I would go threw in north Jersey on a 2500 square foot home well insulated but very windy by me I was thinking no more then 6 cords being that it’s only November to at most March
Hi Jason! I am glad you enjoyed the video. I had no idea how popular this video would be when I made it. I just wanted to give the viewers as much information as possible to make a good decision or help them with general maintenance. There are other videos also on this boiler on my channel if you are interested. Now to you question(s) I live in the Northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. I also have 2500 square feet of space to heat. My house is well insulated also. The wind is not too bad being tucked in the woods. I finished last season just a tad over 8 cord of wood. All the wood was red oak with some hard maple mixed in. This year is all red oak with a little ash mixed in. I am very much on pace to burn 8 cord again. I just burned through 4 cord in the 3 months I have been burning. I usually shut her down mid April or so. I hope this helps. If you have further questions please let me know. Thank you for watching and commenting! WST
Thank you for your great informative videos,(I am a new subsciber)this is why I like youtube!!!If you want to learn something about a topic that you are interested in,there a people like you that take the time to post quality videos!I dont watch the garbage that is on regular tv unless it is NHRA or NASCAR!Thank you WST!!!
Hi Ron! Thank you for the very nice comment. I’m glad you, as well as others, have learned and enjoyed. Not many people I know have all the answers, but we can always learn what they know. Thanks again and we appreciate the subscription. WST
Hello, thanks for your video. When we aren't home for a few weeks in the deep Canadian winter, what can we do so that the water in the pipe doesn't freeze/the boiler wont get ruined? There must be some way around to not have all the pipes frozen? You mentioned 36 hours is fine, but what about a few weeks? If totally off. We have a dual system propane/wood boiler. And we can not have someone coming to keep the fire on. The boiler has 1500l water. Thanks.
I cycle my pex pipe through my crawl space which is warm. If your pump is still pumping water through the system, no reason it should freeze if the water is circulating. I also have my pex below the frost line from the boiler into the house. 4 feet in my case. It is different for everyone on the depth.
Hi Will! Appreciate the comments. That means a lot to us that you found it informative. We are all here to learn from each other. Thanks for the support and we will see you for the next video! WST
Hey Daniel, thanks for watching. Glad you enjoyed the video. I bet you’ve noticed everyone does it a little different here and there. I will most likely show our domestic hot water setup in future videos if you like seeing mazes of copper. Take care and be safe out in the wood yard! WST
@@WSTMike : that would be cool.. I heat my home with wood pellets but here in Western Washington it does go into the teens for a week or so than its back up to the mid 30s. but its all how we heat our homes, So many different ways for the same result.
I have an old central boiler and I burn about 15 to 18 chords a year. I live in the mountains of NH and when the temp gets down below negative 25 degrees we burn over a chord a week. But we burn a lot of junk wood that the newer boilers would have a tough time with.
i still think that this video should be on their website and they should deal with the no tools comments and manufacture tools to clean the boilers!!! again another great video WST!!!
Hey WD30! Hope all is well. I appreciate the comment. This video does well, but I wouldn’t call it Central Boiler website worthy. Just a honest admission of opinion. Take care my friend! WST
@@WSTMike my friend i appreciate all the videos ive gotten to see of yours. this one only helps push me to always push hard and do my research. also am gonna be shooting you footage soon of a processor that my buddy restored and i just helped him with. this thing will pump out wood like crazy. have an amazingly blessed day!!!! also ill miss not being able to see you at The Paul Bunyon Show due to some things that have happened around here. WD30
Great video, very informative. We have been heating our house for over thirty years with a different brand of outdoor wood burner. Figured it was time to upgrade, we just ordered the exact same furnace you have. You explained everything in great detail which will help tremendously. One question, where can I locate a wood cart like the one you have? Thanks, from central Minnesota.
Hello Al! Congrats on your new purchase. These aren’t made that far from you, so you are in good shape. I am glad you found the video informative and useful. As for the woodcart, I made it from an old wheelbarrow I had on the scrap heap. It was a rainy day project that has been super useful and dependable. I wish I could sell you one, but you’ll have to make it if you want it. Take care and thanks for watching! WST
Very good and alot of information I'm getting ready to buy new stove I have classic 6048 and leaks so going to get New style also I burn 17 cord of wood now hopefully I will be burning less with new one I enjoy burning wood haven't bought much propane just for spring maybe 500 gal total in 16 yrs nice thanks
Hi Curt, glad you found the information helpful. I will be doing a “Start Up” video very soon on my Central Boiler. I think you will find this very informative also. If you have subscribed to the channel, you will get an alert of when the video will come out. Should be within the next 2 weeks or so. Appreciate you watching!
Very informative video Mike. If and when mine wears out that’s what I’ll be getting. Mrs WST likes her showers just like the little woman. Don’t know how they stand it.🥵 Take care and see ya on the next one!👍🏻
Glad you enjoyed the video. I spend 20 minutes a month showing you what I did. The 6048 is a great unit. Make sure it lasts a long time. The new EPA units are nothing like it. Thanks for watching! WST
Hello! Thank you for watching and enjoying the video. I am not sure what the temperature of the air is coming out of the chimney. If I had to guess, it is just a bit cooler than the chamber where the heat exchanger is heated. Since it is a repetitive cycle of heat the heat exchanger, there may be only a 20-50 degree difference. That is my best guess. Thanks again for watching. WST
Hi Craig! That is funny! Paul Coffey and that curve was phenomenal! I was a netminder, but I played my share of pond hockey with that stick. Can’t use todays composite sticks to clean a boiler. Old school of nothing! Thanks for watching! WST
There are people that put them undercover completely. With my boiler so close to the house, putting it in an enclosure or even something 3 sided isn’t high on the list. Doing the maintenance that I do during the winter would not be as convenient either. These boilers are designed to be outdoors. Also, since our house is tucked in the woods, I get very little wind here. Thanks for the comment and for watching. WST
thank you for another wonderfully helpful video and this makes me want to get one when i move out of the house i'm in now. once a day check and loading sounds wonderful. also less spliting sounds nice too along with multiple years worth of storage
Hey Will! Glad you enjoyed it. There are a lot of great boilers out there. I went with this one due to local sales and service. Plus, talking with others and doing the research helped also. I am into year 4 and I have been very happy thus far. Mrs. Tears is a fan also. She is the one home loading it right now ☺Thank you for watching and commenting. We appreciate you! Take care. WST
I am looking at purchasing a classic edge 550 so your video is extremely helpful. I have a relative who used to live in a house that was heated with one of Central Boilers older models. His was set up so that if the wood burned down and the water temp got too low, the forced air unit in the house would still provide heat via propane. When the central boiler water temp came back up to be within the set parameters, then the propane would automatically stop being used. Does this model provide that capability?
Hi Ed! I’m glad you enjoyed the video. In regards to your question; it doesn’t matter which unit you buy, what you are asking is actually something separate of the boiler. I do not have that set up on mine. I just keep it stoked once a day and all is well. You don’t have to babysit these boilers. They take care of you! If you have further questions please let me know. Thanks for watching! WST
Great informative video. I'm on my 17th season with my classic central 5036 boiler. Knock on wood...Ive only replaced the damper door solenoid, the digital temperature controller and several door ropes. I'm not sure how much longer I have with this boiler...but the 550 is the comparable model for me. Curious how much just the boiler costs in your neck of the woods? My local dealer wants 12.5 k for just the boiler which I think is high. Love my CB though!
Hi Aaron! Thanks for the nice comment. Your dealer is in the ballpark. I paid $13k for mine. I did add the new energy efficient pex pipe, which is why it was a bit higher. These new EPA models have a lot of bells and whistles on them, which drives up the cost. You can see my latest video on boiler start up. You can see with the actuator motors etc, it just costs more. You have a reliable unit. Use it as long as you can! Thanks for checking out the video. Let me know if you have any other questions. WST
Kentucky here I paid 12500 for a used one install included just got it a week ago. It came with several tools for scraping and turning and poking and shoveling. Appreciate this video showing how to load it well
@@reesegary that’s not terrible. I was prepared to put 15+ cords in the unit I have. It just turned out I was pleasantly surprised it stood up to its billing. If you enjoy doing wood and you have plenty of it, that’s all that matters.
Thank you, good info. However, does the water in the system have antifreeze in case when your not using the boiler or you have a cold snap in spring or fall?
Hi Ron. My water is treated for corrosion etc. No antifreeze. The pump continues to circulate the water through the system in the house, even if there is no heat. I am in my fourth year with this boiler and my boiler before did not have antifreeze either. No issues. Everyone has a choice if they want to use antifreeze or not. People that have used antifreeze in the past claimed issues with corrosion and plugged up heat exchangers in the boiler and in the house. I decided to go with what Central Boiler suggested. Just treat the water for corrosion and PH. Hope this helps. WST
Hi Levi!! Hope all is well. Happy to hear you have one also. We are in our 4th season with ours. It’s been as advertised. Great unit. Thanks for watching, subscribing and commenting. WST
Hi Thomas! Thank you for the nice comment. Can I ask if you had issues with the audio? I've received some complaints from a few people that it was hard to hear? Just wanted your opinion. Thanks for watching! There are other boiler related videos on our channel that you might be interested in. Take care! WST
Hi James! Thank you for the comment. We are thrilled you enjoyed the video. There are other videos on the WST channel in regards to this boiler that you may find interesting also. Appreciate you watching and commenting! WST
The boiler cost just over $14,000 installed by them. It took one day, but that is because I already had an existing boiler. I think it would take two days if you’ve never had a boiler.
Very interested in your explanation of how an outdoor boiler works. I'm not sure if we have anything like that here in England but will look into it and see as I burn a lot of wood and oil. Could you put a tray of some kind to catch the ash in that you can pull out and dump to save all that bending and Shovelling? Great video best wishes from across the pond. Marcus.
Hi Marcus! I am glad you enjoyed the video. I am not sure either if there is a technology like or similar to this in England. Every country, state, province and city etc. seem to be different in what they allow. As for a ash pan, the cleanout is very easy and quick. What I end up removing is very little. besides, the pan would be extremely hot since it would be in the reaction chamber of the boiler. I will continue to do what I do for cleanout. Thank you for the suggestion though. Thank you for watching, WST!!
i have a woodmaster 4400 and i am considering getting a gassification boiler like you have, in your opinion in there a substantial wood savings over the traditional boiler. I live in North Carolina. enjoy your channel and your opinions..
Hi Kevin! I am very familiar with that brand. Very popular here in the Midwest. My answer to your question is, ABSOLUTELY! I went from 15-20 cord of wood to 8-10 cord. I will say I was not expecting a 50% drop off in would usage like Central Boiler said I would see. I thought it was hype. The fact is, it is a fact. I don't get paid by these guys to promote their product. I just call it as I see it. You have to look at what your time is worth. For me it was worth a lot! Plus, my wife ends up minding the boiler when I am away on work. Once a day and she's done. he hugs this boiler everyday. The gasification aspect is where the value and efficiency of the boiler shines. Without it, it is semi efficient. Not sure if you saw my #short on the reaction chamber where the gasification happens. Here is a link to it. ua-cam.com/video/-Qf6pOKrU2E/v-deo.html I appreciate you reaching out. If I can answer anymore questions, please let me know. WST
I’m not going to lie. Since I posted this video, I’ve had zero failures, but the digital screen is starting to fail. The numbers are hard to read. I have yet to ask Central what they might be able to do for me. Other than that, 4 years and it runs as advertised.
Wondering if a boiler brush would be best for cleaning those tubes. Are you stii satisfied with the boiler? Looking at one of these to heat our house and garage
So far, so good with the boiler. Only one minor issue and it was quickly resolved. Whichever boiler you go with it pays to have local support. I’ve tried boiler brushes but they just didn’t last. After scraping it with the tool I made, a boiler brush could be used afterwards if you wanted. I’m on year 5 with this boiler and I seem to have a pretty good system worked out. Best of luck to you
Hi Ron, I get two years ahead on my wood. I burn primarily red oak, white oak, ash and some beech. I burn what I have on my land and what I get for free. Two years is the minimum for oak that I would go. I get to the 20% moisture number before it goes in the boiler. Anything higher in moisture tends to not burn as well. I hope this helps and thank you for watching. WST
Nice video, love the gasifier tech and happy to see it is being utilized in outdoor boilers. Can you use anti-freeze in the water without voiding the warranty? I would like the insurance of anti-freeze.
That is a very good question. You can use antifreeze, as long as you use what they provide. That is why they call it a limited warranty. You are limited by what they will let you do. Thank you for watching!
I have an older CB e-classic 1400 and a few years back I had a hip replacement so I couldn’t process my firewood. We ran oil for that year. I just left the circulator running all winter and water temp never got below 42*F even when air temp got down to -15*F here in central New Hampshire. Fortunately we never lost electricity that winter
@@603maplefarmer3 Hello!! That is very useful information and I thank you for sharing. I always wondered what would happen if that were the case. I hope you are back at it and enjoying the wood heat! Take care! WST
@@yetilikesbeer We do not require antifreeze in our systems here. You can by choice. Since we have a backup whole home generator, we opted not to use antifreeze.
Yes. The pex pipe is buried underground from the boiler into the house. We are 4 feet deep and it goes through the foundation of the house. Here is a link to the insulated pex pipe I used. outdoorboiler.com/collections/underground-insulated-pipe I should do a video on how this all works. Maybe sometime soon.
I'm wondering why creosote is running down the outside of the exhaust pipe? Isn't that a fire hazard? Could it be you have the exhaust pipe pieces installed upside down?
The chimney cap was incorrect. Overtime, creosote built up on the cap and dripped down the stack. This past summer I went to a fully enclosed chimney cap. That eliminated the issue. When I cleaned the chimney at the end of the season I shot that video, I got a dustpan full of creosote.
Hi Tom! The hot water is plentiful for heating 2500 square feet and also heating the domestic water. Here is a video I recently did that will show you the heat exchanger that is solely for heating the domestic water. Please let me know if you have further questions. Thanks for watching? WST. Starting up the wood boiler - Simple preventative maintenance - Central Boiler Classic Edge 550 ua-cam.com/video/Uwm5bZSK5wM/v-deo.html
It is quite tight between the heat exchanger tubes. I did use a slender wire brush, but it didn’t do as well as the tool I made. There are 100 ways to do something and the way I chose was best for me. I’m sure there are other options. Thanks for watching and for the comment.
Thank you for stopping by and commenting on our video. Hope you found it informative. How many people have asked to buy your UA-cam name? 🤣 That’s a great name! Take care, WST
Hello! Thank you for watching the video. You bought a great boiler. The scrappy thing you are referring to is something I made myself. It is a 1/4" thick x 3/4" wide x 18" long piece of metal that I ground teeth into. It does a great job for the upper vents and the heat exchanger. I also have a new video out this past Saturday on the start-up and basic maintenance you should do before starting your boiler every year. I think you will find it helpful. Here is the link ua-cam.com/video/Uwm5bZSK5wM/v-deo.html If you have any further questions, feel free to ask. I'm on my 4th season with my 550. Take care! WST
Hey Mike. I have a video coming out on Wednesday that probably every boiler user should see. I've been burning since 2014 and first time I started my adjacent wood pile on fire. Be interested in your comments on why that was. Thanks. Nebraska WoodSTR
Do you burn some soft woods in there? Thats alot of gunk thats been running down the exhaust stack and creosote on the exchanger. Just curious as another central boiler owner to another :D Mine is still really clean but been burning 70% hardwoods. Its a great system, went from a 3.5k heating bill to....well maybe a hundred or so now for the season? (Gas for the saw/running the pump/fans in house)
Appreciate the comment. I do burn north of 70% hardwoods. I mentioned in my video that I did burn some wood that I shouldn’t have. That is when the creosote issue began. I am regretting it majorly. This upcoming season will all be red oak 100%. Glad you like your Central. I don’t regret it at all. It’s been very good once I learned some of the tricks with it.
I only clean my flute at the end of the winter. Even then it's not dirty. Biggest problem is cleaning the creosote from firebox. Cant understand why your flute get that dirty.
Been thinking about getting one to offset gas prices, and on my land we always have dead trees I usually just burn anyways. I work 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off though and it gets below freezing starting in Nov-Apr. Do these things have something that keeps the water from freezing/cracking the boiler during non-use?
Hi Brandon, the best thing to do is use antifreeze in the line. Your dealer can get you set up with the correct stuff. That is the only way to keep boilers from freezing during non use. Thanks for watching!
Hi Arne! I have a video on the heat exchanger for heating hot water. I will be doing a video on the pex into the house and into the whole house heating system. Should be out in two weeks or less. If you subscribed, you will get a notice when the video is up. Here is the other video I mentioned earlier ua-cam.com/video/Uwm5bZSK5wM/v-deo.html Thanks for watching! WST
What do I do if I’m leaving for a week or two and don’t have anyone to check on the stove? Should I turn it off? My heat electric bill was double when I was gone even when I turned the thermostat down to 65.
Hello Mariam, if you left for a week of two you would need to have antifreeze in your lines in order to keep it from freezing. This is an option for all boilers. I do not run antifreeze, since I have a neighbor who watches it for me when I leave 2 weeks during the winter. There are always options. Just do your research locally for the right one that works for you. Thanks for watching. WST
Hi Great Video, I gave it a thumbs up! I've seen some homes for sale in Canada that use various models of "The Wood Doctor" boilers. Have you ever heard of "The Wood Doctor" brand? It is hard to find info. on them as they may be bankrupt. Is the Classic Edge 550 available in Canada? Thanks!
Hi Michael! I appreciate the fact you enjoyed the video and thanks for the Thumbs Up!! I have never heard of The Wood Doctor brand before. I could not find info either. Central Boiler is the company you want to look up. They make the Classic Edge series. I know you can buy them in Ontario for sure. Not sure what part of the Maple Leaf you reside in? We do have other videos on the Central Boiler on our channel you may be interested in. I just did a video last week on how much ash I cleaned out in 6 weeks of burning. I think you may be surprised. Thanks for watching! Let me know if you have further questions. WST
I have an orlan eko 40, very similar design but my lower chamber is refractory lined and gets extremely hot which burns all the coals in the lower chamber, it seems you have a bit more coals with your ash. Is the lower chamber refractory lined?
When I cleaned out during the video I did have some coals since I cleaned the firebox out some. The lower chamber is not refractory lined on mine. I’ve been burning for 4 weeks now. I have all fly ash right now and might get half of a 5 gallon bucket of ash out of it. My reaction chamber (lower) get up to 1000 F max. Most of the time it is between 500-700 degrees
As Wood, Sweat and Tears said some coals fall down to the secondary when you clean the top first. Other people screen them out and throw them back in the firebox. I now just clean the ash out of the secondary then let the ash/coals fall down from the firebox. The next cycle will consume the coals. Easier than screening.
@@WSTMike 1000 is on the lower end. Try and get dryer wood. Aim for 1400. If your not getting over 1200 you risk costing your exchangers with creosote. My highest was 1700 ish last year, cleaned the backend right up.
@@yetilikesbeerNy wood is 15% moisture. That’s dry all things considered. Are you running a new EPA unit like I am? They have changed greatly from the older units in how they are run.
@@WSTMike just starting my second year on my 750HD. 15 is good but the dryer the better with these up to kiln dried wood, that's to dry and there is no coal retention
Hi Martin, I have received several comments from European viewers saying the same thing. I would love to put this boiler under a roof at some point. I understand the benefits. If I understand right, you said your hot water goes to a 50 liter accumulation tank? I just wanted to make sure that I have the volume of your tank correct. Thank you for watching and commenting. We appreciate it. WST
@@WSTMike no, accomulation tanks go from 800 liters to 2000 liters, boilers are rated in kilowatts of heat given, to calculate accomulation tank size you multiply kilowatts by 50 and you get size of accomulation tank in liters
@@WSTMike Hey, I know this is an old comment thread, but I just wanted to add my 2 cents as a European wood heater. I have a 40kW burner (gasification, same principle as your burner) coupled to a 3000L insulated buffer tank. Instead of keeping the burner going all the time, the idea is that you just make a fire once every couple of days, store the energy in the tank, and take it out from there for heating. I keep my place here in Finland warm that way - for example I made a fire last Wednesday and we're still heating the house today (4 days later; about 5C/41F outside; in middle of winter, maybe a fire every other day). I use about 10m³ of wood per year (about 3 cords) to heat a 120m² (1300 square feet) living area - the key is that everything (pipes, tank, boiler itself, the room where they are) are very well insulated and that the burn is done as efficiently as possible. My flue gas temperature gets to 150C (300F) max.
@@upnorthandpersonal That is very impressive. I’ve heard of units like that, but have yet to see them sold near me. I will have to continue to use this unit , since I’ve only owned it 4 years. Thanks for sharing this.
ive got a 12 year old central boiler 6048 that heats my 1400 sq ft 2x4 walled house, all the domestic hot water and as of 2 years ago my attatched garage to about 50 deg F. we only burn about 7-8 cords per year and i could set it up to run for 3 days depending on weather and wind. i was actually thinking of upgrading to these models, but from what ive seen of yours...the design leaves a lot to be desired. i don't have to burn dry wood in mine...it helps...but not necessary. i only get about a wheelbarrow full of ash every season, and from what you've said we're burning the same amount of wood every year. i get that the epa changed the game....but i don't think central boiler improved upon the models. What temp do you keep your water at in the boiler?
I keep the water at 185 at the boiler. I think if you have an older Central and it is doing well, I would keep using it. The brand I had before was not Central and much, much more inefficient. EPA doesn’t mean better for the user all the time. I can tell you some stories about my DEF on my newer diesel pickup. Not a fan. Best of luck to you and thanks for the comment.
Very good to see the actual operations part of owning a boiler. After seeing this I would learned to consider adding a pedestal to new installations to avoid the bending over. This would also allow you to put a small wheeled wagon under each end for cleaning out so you dump right into it. Then maybe 1 step up to load with wood. Also I learned to get a larger box to have extra capacity for new building additions or for extra mlm long burns. Question. Can an outdoor boiler be combined with an indoor boiler so that if you are gone for a week the indoor boiler takes over till you can reload the outdoor boiler again? Also, can you remotely shut down the boiler by closing the dampers? Thanks
Hi Reno! These boilers are extremely heavy. You would need a very thick gauge steel to support this boiler. I clean out only once a month, so it is not an issue. I cannot turn it off remotely at all. We don't go away for long periods of time during the winter. A couple days at most and I just fill it up to burn 48 hours. This unit is one size bigger than we needed. I wanted to make sure I had more capacity. I appreciate you watching! WST
Best good video but I was alarmed that you had to find out forself about cleaning those important areas that need cleaning, was there a owners operating manual with it from new? Somerset Mike.
There was only one area that I was not able to see visually and no tool was provided. That was the area above the heat exchanger. I made a tool to access that area easier. Manual came with the unit but is not clear on that particular part.
If the power goes out it would not work. You could easily set it up to work off a generator. It wouldn’t require a very big generator at all. You are running a pump, fan and small actuator motors. Not sure if there is a better backup system for these. Never seen it advertised or offered. We have a whole house backup generator because we live back in the woods. Trees are always messing with the power lines. Let me know if you have any other questions. I have a new video of the boiler startup coming next Saturday. Be sure to check it out. WST
@@WSTMike Thanks, I did see a video after I posted this that a guy setup a Solar system to his for a backup, I may be moving this spring or even sooner to upper Indiana that's why I'm looking into one of these and some of the houses I have looked at had them installed already.
Yeah, that's why Crown Royal boilers have those heat exchanger cleaners built in, you just pull a lever, no need to invent tools to do it on your own and scrape on your knees breathing in the particles.
I am not going to disagree with your statement. Having something that is built into the boiler for cleaning the heat exchanger would be a nice benefit to this boiler. I appreciate the comment. WST
Do you by chance know what the power draw is on this type of unit? Can't find any information on it looking to be more solar of grid but the blower and pumps can't find the power wattages.
I do not know the exact amp draw, but I can tell you that I have mine a 15amp circuit and zero issues. That is the way it was installed. Very little power consumption. I hope this helps. WST
Hi Dawgrum! Every state is different when it comes to outdoor wood boilers. I cannot be 100% sure for your state. That being said, the Central Boiler I have does meet EPA standards for emissions etc. My opinion would be that manufactures have to abide by certain EPA rules in order to sell their products. My boiler has an emissions tag on it that certifies compliance. I speak to a lot of guys that use boilers around the country. I have never heard someone not being able to burn, unless there was a city ordinance. There are a lot of junk boilers out there that I would be surprised had EPA compliance. They sell them every day. I know I didn't answer your question specifically. Just wanted to give you my opinion and two cents. Thanks for watching and commenting! WST
You have to send them a sample? I was never told this when I bought mine 13 years ago. I test my water twice a year(once in the fall when I fire it up and once in the spring when I shut it down) and I have it all documented. But I was never told I had to send them samples
Hi Brad! I was told that in order to keep the 25 year limited warranty in tact, I have to send a sample in once per year. This unit is going on 4 years old, so maybe it is with the newer models? I cannot be sure. Here is the latest video from 3 weeks ago when we started ours up. It references the water sample you asked about. ua-cam.com/video/Uwm5bZSK5wM/v-deo.html. Appreciate you watching and commenting. WST
There is a lot of 2.5 milligrams of ash that your breathing into your lungs so it would be advisable to wear a good filter to prevent that from happening. It can extend your life.
I like that idea a lot. I’ve kicked that around a time or two in my head. Just have to get through a few more projects before that is something I do. Thanks for watching and for the great comment. WST
@@frankmarcella7572 Nope. Right is right and wrong is wrong. It was a simple correction. Words mean things. If you called a horse an elephant, would it be a “nit pick” to say “Hey, that’s not an elephant, it’s a horse”? No, it wouldn’t be. Please take your ignorance elsewhere. Thanks. By the way, the owner of the channel gave my comment a “heart”. So had no problem with it. Neither should you.
Just bought the 560hdx to replace my wood hungry woodmaster 4400. Gotta say, I’m pretty nervous as I don’t have a wood stash built up at the moment since we are nearing the end of our burn season in Missouri. The logs I’m cutting have been on the ground for 1-2 years, so I’m hoping they’re dry enough that it doesn’t bite me come next winter 😳
That’s a great unit. Basically an upgrade from what I have. I think you will be fine with your wood as long as you get it cut a split very soon. I wish you the best and I appreciate the comment. All the best! Mike
@@WSTMike what I’ve cut off of the log pile towards the end of this season has all been around 22% on the moisture meter. Hoping I can get by on 4-5 cords next year. Thanks for the content! Eases my mind a little bit lol
@@jorrick66 that’s not bad in regards to moisture. You will be below 20% by burn season comes around. The dryer I have my wood, the better my boiler runs. Much more efficient. Glad you like the content. More coming this weekend. Mike
@@facediaper4607 I’ve already burnt a fire in it, there’s no taking it back now. Granted I only ran it for a week before I shut it down for spring, but it ran flawlessly for me in that time. Do you have any personal experience with the new titanium HDX? I’m always looking to educate myself, and would appreciate any insight. I’ve read the horror stories about the E classic and the early classic edge models with the chains; however I haven’t heard of much bad about these titanium HDX models with the rear heat exchangers. I went back and forth between a CB and a heatmaster g series for months, and ultimately went with a CB because the heatmaster dealer never would return my phone calls.
@@facediaper4607 I appreciate your honesty! I guess the only upside to my having bought this unit, is my dealer has been nothing but exceptional. Hopefully he keeps that good record going in the future, sounds like I’m going to need him.
Hi Craig! I am not familiar with that brand of boiler. It sounds like you have the same issue I had with my previous boiler. 15-20 full cord a year was what she averaged. I love cutting wood, but at some point I had to find some efficiency. The other reason I made the switch was to be able to heat my domestic water. This Central Boiler checked all the boxes. Thank you for watching! WST
@@craiggrant3511 Wow! That’s tough when time is not on your side. I travel a lot for my job and the Mrs. was getting a workout. That was the number one reason a new boiler was installed. So, I feel your pain…. Or I should say my wife can relate.
I’m not sure of the wattage it would take. I have a whole house generator that runs the house, shop and boiler when the power goes out. Thanks for watching. WST
We invested in a Classic Edge 760 last December, after our 20-year old 6840 sprang a leak. We absolutely love it & have had no regrets at all. It was a significant outlay of cash & I do not expect to be around long enough for it to 'pay for itself,' as our old CB Classic did. However I do know -- given that the main part our house was built in 1897 -- installing an outdoor boiler has absolutely been one of the smartest things I've ever done.
I think this is one of the best wood boiler videos I’ve watched. 👍🏻
Thanks, Rod. Appreciate your comment. Easy to talk about something when you love it! WST
I agree this has been one of the best videos on the subject. Thank you
I agree. The best wood boiler video on the internet. And efficient too!
7 or 8 cord wood per season, for heat and domestic HW is very reasonable. And he heats garage too! Excellent!
Woke up this morning to my old Tarm wood boiler melting down in my garage. It’s attached to my house! For the last 8 years I’ve enjoyed having this setup. If I had been half an hour later the garage would have been gone and probably the house too. Keeping it separate from the home is now a huge plus for me. Thanks for this video and I will be looking into Central Boiler 👍
Hi Joel! The experience you just had is everyone’s nightmare! I’m glad you were able to avoid a catastrophe. The hair is standing up on my neck right now. Some people say that my boiler is still too close to the house, but the majority say it’s fine. The insurance company gave me a discount for have an outdoor boiler. They see it as mitigating risk. There are a lot of good boilers out there. I went with Central Boiler due to the sales and service aspect. They have done me well and a few very minor issues they took care of. Thanks for sharing your story and watching, WST! All the best!
@@WSTMike I was just going to ask why not inside a large shop? That's where my home made one is, I don't feel it's any more risk than a proper installation of a regular wood stove.
I’m not one of those that inflates egos, but have to say this is a great video. Well done
Hi Chris. I appreciate the nice comment. I’m glad you enjoyed the video. Take care! WST
I have a 350, love it. Have used it 5 years. Only problem I had was a water leak in the water jacket in the fire box. I checked into warranty, but turns out I would have to ship it to the factory which cost around $600 then, probably more now. I cleaned it all out and found where the leak was and had a welder come weld up the leak. The welder said it was a weak weld from the factory. In essence the warranty isn’t that good. I really like my stove because of the wood savings. I probably use 4 - 5 cords.
Where do you live? Zip code? And i was wondering how many square feet you are heating? Water to air in the furnace? Thanks.
@@eahalling6066 62896, southern Illinois. I heat a 2150 square foot double wide. I have a heat exchanger installed in a forced air furnace.
@@kennethheern4896 Thanks! I'm in 61084 Northern Illinois. I just got a used E classic 2400. Ill be heating a 1917 square foot ranch house with a 576 sq ft garage. Forced air. Just wanted to compare notes.
I have a CE 550 and I made a 18" rod with a drill bit on the end. I then take course steel wool and wrap it around the drill bit with it connected up to my cordless drill. I turn the drill on and run it in between the water jacket. Sometimes, I add more wool but not that often. Thank for telling me about the vents above the water jacket. I'm a Michigander also.
Hello! Thank you very much for the comment and what you do for cleaning. So I am clear, is this for cleaning the heat exchanger tubes or another part of the boiler? I just want to be sure. Also, if you wouldn’t mind taking a picture some time of your device and sending it to woodsweattears@protonmail.com I would appreciate it. Michigan people always have great ideas 😉 Thanks for watching! WST
Really love the idea of filling it only once a day. Just watched another video before this where the guy was happy to fill his boiler 4 times a day and thought that was a bit much. But on mine, I have to fill 3 times a day when it is cold. Thanks for the upload.
Hi Oby-1!! (great name BTW) I had a boiler that required a lot of feeding before. When I went to this boiler, I was almost bored! LOL! When it gets super cold I will throw a few more pieces on at night to make sure, but it isn't much. Thank you for watching and commenting. I appreciate it! WST
Great review and thanks for going over the operation of the unit. The part in the back with cleaning the pipes is a great pro tip.
Hey ahowl7mx! Glad you enjoyed the video. There is always things you can imp-revise or make better with anything you own. I appreciate you watching and commenting! Take care! WST
Your system is pretty amazing, I've added thermal siphon hydronics recently and I burn like a quarter of the wood. I also have gaps in the logs you can see through lol. Wood is a good choice here in PA it's everywhere. People call me to clear out dead trees, a few of those and I'm good for the winter.
Hey spaceman with raygun (pretty cool name) I appreciate the comment. It is a good system and has been very dependable into its 4th season. Your system sounds pretty good to me also. I wish I could see how it works. Wood is a choice everywhere and I know in PA you have a lot of great choices in wood. I do the same also, I pay nothing for wood (other than labor and expenses in equipment) but I love it and it is my hobby. Thanks again for the awesome comment and I wish you all the best my friend. WST
Great video .a lot of great info I forwarded this to my brother he was looking at these units and really didn’t get as much info like u just gave when he went looking.
Thank you for the comment. I am happy to hear you shared this with your brother. I gave the best information I could to educate those on the fence about a boiler. For the most part, this boiler has been trouble free. I’ve had a few small issues, but had great support to get them fixed and eliminated. Thanks again and all the best to you. WST
Hello, great video with good quality information. Looking at added one of these to my house for extra heat and use less propane. Now just need to get the full install done after this cold winter.
Hi Zach! I am glad you found the video informative. I can say that since we got this boiler, our propane bill went way down since we got this boiler. Mostly because we heat our water with it. I wish you the best! Thanks for watching. WST
Just came upon your channel. Love it! We used to live in Gaylord so this brings back wonderful memories. This makes me want to move back.
Hi Mark! Thank you for giving WST a shot. We appreciate it very much! We are 50 minutes straight south of Gaylord. We go up there a lot of skiing and snowboarding. We would love to have to back up here. Not sure where you moved to, but the north always has room to take you back! Thanks again for watching. Hoping to see you in the comments again soon! WST
Yes we lived in Waters from 2000-2008 up on the hill west of 75. When our 4 kids were young. Precious memories. Now we are in Indianapolis since 2008. I assume you around West Branch or Houghton Lake. I especially miss walleye fishing on Big Bradford Lake. Your videos remind me of those great years.
@@wfcperrine I know Waters well. Beautiful area. I can understand the memories you cherish. Indy is a little different then Waters 😆 We live on the North Shore of Houghton Lake. Tip Up Town is going on right now. I’m sure you remember that. Never fished Bradford before. I fish Houghton and Higgins Lake every weekend. Ice fishing has been good.
Lots of nice upgrades from the first EDGE 550. The first one they came out with does not have the bypass door and you can only access the back tubes through the firebox for the major cleaning and it is 12 bolts that hold 2 different plates on. They do have a chain system that you access through the stove pipe that you are supposed to bang around to keep the pipes clean. Your defiantly correct they don't tell you to much about them when you buy them. I was never told about keeping the back pipes clean at least once a week with the chains and because of that my pipes clogged completely and it took me about 3 hours to clean the stove out and when I did it was in the middle of winter at about -18. Now at the end of the season it's climb in the firebox and lots of scraping going on. I definitely wish I could afford the updated version it would be worth the money just to have the back access door.
Hi Bryan! I’m glad you found the video interesting. I also learned from you of the updates. I wasn’t aware of that. Great info. It seems that there are always things with anything you buy that you have to learn along the way. Frustrating! I honestly can’t think of too many things that I would change with the unit I have now. Anything I would mention would be ticky tack and not game chargers per say. I would just ask them to offer more of a tutorial on maintenance that must be done. My dealer didn’t not provide that, unfortunately. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts. I appreciate it very much! Take care my friend. Hope to see you in the comment again soon! WST
Was it creosote build up?
@@yetilikesbeer When cleaning, there is a slight build up that you need to scrape and knock down. No matter how dry your wood is, this is common. Does that answer your question?
@@WSTMike I have the 750. If you burn dry wood and get it over 1200F on every secondary burn the exchangers stay clean. I only get build up when I burn wetter or greener wood.
@@yetilikesbeer I burn Birch and my major build up was because I didn't know I needed to scrape out the back thought I could just use the hanging chains and it was good. Well the chans stopped going up and down and the buildup happened over the course of about 1.75 years until it choked it off completely. I learned from that and now do a better job at cleaning. I start my stove in September and turn if off in May. Where I'm at it is not uncommon from the month of January till first 2 weeks of March for the temp to not get above -20F. Mine will get to 1,100 or so but I don't know if I have ever got up to 1,200 or above. Either way there will be some creosote no matter what as there are times when the stove vents and does not get up to the high burn temp.
I live in stephenson mi, been looking at them for a couple years and you just sold me one!!!
Hi Jacob! I’m glad you enjoyed the video. I’m sure Central will be happy to ship you one also. I love that area you live in. I go through there countless time a year on my way to Green Bay for work. Enjoy your boiler! WST
Thank you for this detailed video. I love the idea of getting one of these.
Glad you enjoyed the video. There are lots of options out there. I’m happy with my purchase after 4 years
Hello Mr. Tears. I clicked on a vid to do with what to do with wood ashes which sorta was there on the side...just for the heck of it which led me to Central Boiler which led me to you. I live in Alabama, heat with natural gas and we're lucky to have a 0 degree day once about every 20 years. All that said, I enjoyed the heck out of your presentation. All new tech for me. I did build a 'workshop' around a Birmingham Stove Model 181 potbelly (Prolly a hundred years old) so I could have somewhere to go and write and compute other than here in the house. Ha. I know the draw to wood. In your case seems like it would be ever so much nicer if you had wood on your property to source, being that you have a real wood chomper. Fantastic job on your vid!
Your bestest fan in Alabam,
Norm
Hey Norm! I appreciate the one thing led to another viewing of my video. Glad you were able to learn some new tech. I know have two fans in Alabam!! Believe it or not. I have wood on my property, just choose not to use it until I need to. Get a lot of free wood elsewhere. Until the spigot turns off, that what I’ll do. Take care and feel free to visit in the future. We don’t charge to watch our videos!! 🤣 Take care! WST
Very informative as I am considering the 750 for next season. Thanks
The 750 is a great boiler! Glad you found it informative. Thank you for stopping by and subscribing! Mike
Good review as I have the 350 titanium version.As you stated the maintenence is the easy part where as the firing part is a learn curve where you need to become a part of the stove.I fire twice a day and it holds heat under very cold conditions. The nice attribute is that it doesn't smoke and the mess is outside
Hi Jack! You sound like you’re happy with your setup also. I have no complaints, as it keeps the house toasty and the water hot. What else could I ask for. Is there something better out there? Very possible? No matter, this is going to be the last boiler I ever own. Thanks for watching and the comment! WST
@WSTMike I do like it but you'll never ever get 24hrs out of it.The part I hate is when the damn chain unhook to clean the exchanger😮
Tons of solid info. THANK YOU VERY MUCH ‼️ ‼️ Vinny 🇺🇸
Hi Vinny! I am glad you enjoyed the video. Hope to see you on future video comments. Thanks for watching! WST
I shared your video to a friend.
I have a New Yorker hard coal boiler and I probably only use about 3 tons of coal a year. I live in an old log house which is considered thermal insulated
Hey Bubba! Thanks for sharing the video. Much appreciated. I don’t know anything about coal, but it sounds like you are pretty happy with your usage. Your house sounds pretty cool also! Thanks for watching. We appreciate it! WST
Thanks for the info, really enjoy your videos been looking at boilers
Hi Larry! Hope all is well. There are a lot of good boilers out there. I went with Central Boiler since they have sales and service relatively close to me. It’s all about what you want and the comfort of working on things (if needed) on your own. Best of luck to you! Glad you are enjoying the videos. Take care! WST
I have a huge old Green Colonial wood furnace in my basement. It can hold some pretty big chunks. The advantage that you have with the outside unit is that all of your mess stays outside. We have 110 acres of hardwood timber here in northeast Iowa. The woods is very mature trees and we get a lot of storm damage. I just clean up the downed and damaged stuff.
Hi Gary, thx for stopping by and commenting. That’s a good bit of land and a real nice resource to have. Growing up we had a wood furnace in the basement. Had to load wood in the basement through a chute. Thanks again for the comment. Mike
@@WSTMike , I have a couple of videos where I show unloading wood into the basement using an old coal chute.
That boiler seems to be working out pretty good for you. Thanks for sharing. 👍
Hi Matt! Yes it is working out very well. Thanks for stopping by and the support. Looking forward to your next vid. WST
They actually have a burner you can add to the boiler that run on propane for a backup, definitely a great option for a backup plan.
Best video yet on wood boilers you said you went thew 8-12 cords how well is the house insulated just trying to figer out how much wood I would go threw in north Jersey on a 2500 square foot home well insulated but very windy by me I was thinking no more then 6 cords being that it’s only November to at most March
Hi Jason! I am glad you enjoyed the video. I had no idea how popular this video would be when I made it. I just wanted to give the viewers as much information as possible to make a good decision or help them with general maintenance. There are other videos also on this boiler on my channel if you are interested. Now to you question(s) I live in the Northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. I also have 2500 square feet of space to heat. My house is well insulated also. The wind is not too bad being tucked in the woods. I finished last season just a tad over 8 cord of wood. All the wood was red oak with some hard maple mixed in. This year is all red oak with a little ash mixed in. I am very much on pace to burn 8 cord again. I just burned through 4 cord in the 3 months I have been burning. I usually shut her down mid April or so. I hope this helps. If you have further questions please let me know. Thank you for watching and commenting! WST
Thanks. Nice system, explained really well 👍
Glad you enjoyed the vid! WST
I have a little bit older cenral boiler and i love it. I heat about 4800 sq ft and i can go 3 days without loading wood.
Thank you for your great informative videos,(I am a new subsciber)this is why I like youtube!!!If you want to learn something about a topic that you are interested in,there a people like you that take the time to post quality videos!I dont watch the garbage that is on regular tv unless it is NHRA or NASCAR!Thank you WST!!!
Hi Ron! Thank you for the very nice comment. I’m glad you, as well as others, have learned and enjoyed. Not many people I know have all the answers, but we can always learn what they know. Thanks again and we appreciate the subscription. WST
We had a central boiler 550. Sold that and purchased a portage and main boiler. We use half the wood of the central boiler.
If I only burned 4 full cord a year (instead of 8), that would be amazing. Do you think Portage and Main would guarantee something like that?
@@WSTMike probably not. Central boiler is old technology. Just amazing how much less the new stove takes to heat our house and garage.
I’m looking at purchasing one of these thanks for the input I really appreciate it
Hi AA! I am glad you enjoyed the video. I have had very good success to this point. Thank you for watching and commenting! WST
What a great explanation thank you 😊
Thanks, Andy! I appreciate you watching! Happy Holidays! WST
Hello, thanks for your video. When we aren't home for a few weeks in the deep Canadian winter, what can we do so that the water in the pipe doesn't freeze/the boiler wont get ruined? There must be some way around to not have all the pipes frozen? You mentioned 36 hours is fine, but what about a few weeks? If totally off. We have a dual system propane/wood boiler. And we can not have someone coming to keep the fire on. The boiler has 1500l water. Thanks.
I cycle my pex pipe through my crawl space which is warm. If your pump is still pumping water through the system, no reason it should freeze if the water is circulating. I also have my pex below the frost line from the boiler into the house. 4 feet in my case. It is different for everyone on the depth.
Cool to see, man. Thanks for posting
Hello! Thanks for watching and enjoying the video. Your support is greatly appreciated! All the best! WST
Outstanding information
Hi Lisa! Thank you very much. Appreciate you watching and Merry Christmas to you and yours. WST
Thanks, very informative, appreciate ya. Good wood , nice system👊
Hi Will! Appreciate the comments. That means a lot to us that you found it informative. We are all here to learn from each other. Thanks for the support and we will see you for the next video! WST
I dont have a boiler but I do like seeing how others heat there homes and how there systems work..
Hey Daniel, thanks for watching. Glad you enjoyed the video. I bet you’ve noticed everyone does it a little different here and there. I will most likely show our domestic hot water setup in future videos if you like seeing mazes of copper. Take care and be safe out in the wood yard! WST
@@WSTMike : that would be cool.. I heat my home with wood pellets but here in Western Washington it does go into the teens for a week or so than its back up to the mid 30s. but its all how we heat our homes, So many different ways for the same result.
@@DanielAtkinsFirewood did you ever do a vid on your pellet stove? If so, I would love to check that out. Very interested to that setup
@@WSTMike : I have not done one.. I have thought about it though. Its a neat simple system once you look at it..
I have an old central boiler and I burn about 15 to 18 chords a year. I live in the mountains of NH and when the temp gets down below negative 25 degrees we burn over a chord a week. But we burn a lot of junk wood that the newer boilers would have a tough time with.
Hi Bob! Yea, the new boilers need good would or they do not perform. You are in pretty country. Keep feeding the boiler and enjoying life! WST
i still think that this video should be on their website and they should deal with the no tools comments and manufacture tools to clean the boilers!!! again another great video WST!!!
Hey WD30! Hope all is well. I appreciate the comment. This video does well, but I wouldn’t call it Central Boiler website worthy. Just a honest admission of opinion. Take care my friend! WST
@@WSTMike my friend i appreciate all the videos ive gotten to see of yours. this one only helps push me to always push hard and do my research. also am gonna be shooting you footage soon of a processor that my buddy restored and i just helped him with. this thing will pump out wood like crazy. have an amazingly blessed day!!!! also ill miss not being able to see you at The Paul Bunyon Show due to some things that have happened around here. WD30
Excellent Video and information
Hello Eduardo. Appreciate you watching and learning from the video. Hope to see you again on the channel. WST
Great video, very informative. We have been heating our house for over thirty years with a different brand of outdoor wood burner. Figured it was time to upgrade, we just ordered the exact same furnace you have. You explained everything in great detail which will help tremendously. One question, where can I locate a wood cart like the one you have? Thanks, from central Minnesota.
Hello Al! Congrats on your new purchase. These aren’t made that far from you, so you are in good shape. I am glad you found the video informative and useful. As for the woodcart, I made it from an old wheelbarrow I had on the scrap heap. It was a rainy day project that has been super useful and dependable. I wish I could sell you one, but you’ll have to make it if you want it. Take care and thanks for watching! WST
If you go to you local masonry supply store and ask for a mason cart for brick and block. It is pretty much the same thing
Al Sharp, Go to search & type in Wood & brick cart, $300.00+
Very good and alot of information I'm getting ready to buy new stove I have classic 6048 and leaks so going to get New style also I burn 17 cord of wood now hopefully I will be burning less with new one I enjoy burning wood haven't bought much propane just for spring maybe 500 gal total in 16 yrs nice thanks
Hi Curt, glad you found the information helpful. I will be doing a “Start Up” video very soon on my Central Boiler. I think you will find this very informative also. If you have subscribed to the channel, you will get an alert of when the video will come out. Should be within the next 2 weeks or so. Appreciate you watching!
Very informative video Mike. If and when mine wears out that’s what I’ll be getting. Mrs WST likes her showers just like the little woman. Don’t know how they stand it.🥵 Take care and see ya on the next one!👍🏻
I think you have a lot of miles on yours yet. Women and a scolding water I’ll never understand. Thanks for watching! 🍻🍺
A lot of work compared to a 6048. Good video.
Glad you enjoyed the video. I spend 20 minutes a month showing you what I did. The 6048 is a great unit. Make sure it lasts a long time. The new EPA units are nothing like it. Thanks for watching! WST
Very helpful video. Thank you. One question. What's the hot air temperature at the smoke chimney?
Hello! Thank you for watching and enjoying the video. I am not sure what the temperature of the air is coming out of the chimney. If I had to guess, it is just a bit cooler than the chamber where the heat exchanger is heated. Since it is a repetitive cycle of heat the heat exchanger, there may be only a 20-50 degree difference. That is my best guess. Thanks again for watching. WST
Anyone that cleans their broiler with a Coffey model Sher-wood is ok in my book. Loved that curve.
Hi Craig! That is funny! Paul Coffey and that curve was phenomenal! I was a netminder, but I played my share of pond hockey with that stick. Can’t use todays composite sticks to clean a boiler. Old school of nothing! Thanks for watching! WST
Great video - thanks. Would there be any advantage to having some sort of three-sided enclosure to keep the boiler a bit protected from the weather?
There are people that put them undercover completely. With my boiler so close to the house, putting it in an enclosure or even something 3 sided isn’t high on the list. Doing the maintenance that I do during the winter would not be as convenient either. These boilers are designed to be outdoors. Also, since our house is tucked in the woods, I get very little wind here. Thanks for the comment and for watching. WST
thank you for another wonderfully helpful video and this makes me want to get one when i move out of the house i'm in now. once a day check and loading sounds wonderful. also less spliting sounds nice too along with multiple years worth of storage
Hey Will! Glad you enjoyed it. There are a lot of great boilers out there. I went with this one due to local sales and service. Plus, talking with others and doing the research helped also. I am into year 4 and I have been very happy thus far. Mrs. Tears is a fan also. She is the one home loading it right now ☺Thank you for watching and commenting. We appreciate you! Take care. WST
Just subscribed. Awesome
Glad you enjoyed the video. We also appreciate the subscription! WST
I am looking at purchasing a classic edge 550 so your video is extremely helpful. I have a relative who used to live in a house that was heated with one of Central Boilers older models. His was set up so that if the wood burned down and the water temp got too low, the forced air unit in the house would still provide heat via propane. When the central boiler water temp came back up to be within the set parameters, then the propane would automatically stop being used. Does this model provide that capability?
Hi Ed! I’m glad you enjoyed the video. In regards to your question; it doesn’t matter which unit you buy, what you are asking is actually something separate of the boiler. I do not have that set up on mine. I just keep it stoked once a day and all is well. You don’t have to babysit these boilers. They take care of you! If you have further questions please let me know. Thanks for watching! WST
Great informative video. I'm on my 17th season with my classic central 5036 boiler. Knock on wood...Ive only replaced the damper door solenoid, the digital temperature controller and several door ropes. I'm not sure how much longer I have with this boiler...but the 550 is the comparable model for me. Curious how much just the boiler costs in your neck of the woods? My local dealer wants 12.5 k for just the boiler which I think is high. Love my CB though!
Hi Aaron! Thanks for the nice comment. Your dealer is in the ballpark. I paid $13k for mine. I did add the new energy efficient pex pipe, which is why it was a bit higher. These new EPA models have a lot of bells and whistles on them, which drives up the cost. You can see my latest video on boiler start up. You can see with the actuator motors etc, it just costs more. You have a reliable unit. Use it as long as you can! Thanks for checking out the video. Let me know if you have any other questions. WST
Kentucky here I paid 12500 for a used one install included just got it a week ago. It came with several tools for scraping and turning and poking and shoveling. Appreciate this video showing how to load it well
Nice wood boiler. Mine is a little older. And it takes 2 of those wheel barrows full a day.
Definitely more efficient. Take care 👍
Thanks for stopping by Gary and for the support! How much wood do you go through in a season?
Not really sure. I've always guessed about 15 cords.
@@reesegary that’s not terrible. I was prepared to put 15+ cords in the unit I have. It just turned out I was pleasantly surprised it stood up to its billing. If you enjoy doing wood and you have plenty of it, that’s all that matters.
Not sure if you'll get this message,. But, I got notification for your new video and it's in private mode only.
@@reesegary Hi Gary. We had an issue with the video. Had to take it down. Should be back up soon. Sorry for the issue.
Thank you, good info. However, does the water in the system have antifreeze in case when your not using the boiler or you have a cold snap in spring or fall?
Hi Ron. My water is treated for corrosion etc. No antifreeze. The pump continues to circulate the water through the system in the house, even if there is no heat. I am in my fourth year with this boiler and my boiler before did not have antifreeze either. No issues. Everyone has a choice if they want to use antifreeze or not. People that have used antifreeze in the past claimed issues with corrosion and plugged up heat exchangers in the boiler and in the house. I decided to go with what Central Boiler suggested. Just treat the water for corrosion and PH. Hope this helps. WST
hi there nice to watch john
We have a classic edge aswell. We love it
Hi Levi!! Hope all is well. Happy to hear you have one also. We are in our 4th season with ours. It’s been as advertised. Great unit. Thanks for watching, subscribing and commenting. WST
@@WSTMike it’s going great! It’s our 4th too I believe (since we built the shop) and I enjoy your videos!
Great video.
Hi Thomas! Thank you for the nice comment. Can I ask if you had issues with the audio? I've received some complaints from a few people that it was hard to hear? Just wanted your opinion. Thanks for watching! There are other boiler related videos on our channel that you might be interested in. Take care! WST
Well done! Thanks!
Hi James! Thank you for the comment. We are thrilled you enjoyed the video. There are other videos on the WST channel in regards to this boiler that you may find interesting also. Appreciate you watching and commenting! WST
love th evideo can tell us the cost of it also did they install or did you and how long did it take?
The boiler cost just over $14,000 installed by them. It took one day, but that is because I already had an existing boiler. I think it would take two days if you’ve never had a boiler.
Awesome thanks
Will it work for heating a pool?
Absolutely!! I know a lot of people that heat their pool with a boiler. Appreciate you stopping by and best of luck. WST
Very interested in your explanation of how an outdoor boiler works. I'm not sure if we have anything like that here in England but will look into it and see as I burn a lot of wood and oil. Could you put a tray of some kind to catch the ash in that you can pull out and dump to save all that bending and Shovelling? Great video best wishes from across the pond. Marcus.
Hi Marcus! I am glad you enjoyed the video. I am not sure either if there is a technology like or similar to this in England. Every country, state, province and city etc. seem to be different in what they allow. As for a ash pan, the cleanout is very easy and quick. What I end up removing is very little. besides, the pan would be extremely hot since it would be in the reaction chamber of the boiler. I will continue to do what I do for cleanout. Thank you for the suggestion though. Thank you for watching, WST!!
I just watched a different video with a wood burner from Portage and Main that had a bottom ash tray, otherwise similar ash catching design
i have a woodmaster 4400 and i am considering getting a gassification boiler like you have, in your opinion in there a substantial wood savings over the traditional boiler. I live in North Carolina. enjoy your channel and your opinions..
Hi Kevin! I am very familiar with that brand. Very popular here in the Midwest. My answer to your question is, ABSOLUTELY! I went from 15-20 cord of wood to 8-10 cord. I will say I was not expecting a 50% drop off in would usage like Central Boiler said I would see. I thought it was hype. The fact is, it is a fact. I don't get paid by these guys to promote their product. I just call it as I see it. You have to look at what your time is worth. For me it was worth a lot! Plus, my wife ends up minding the boiler when I am away on work. Once a day and she's done. he hugs this boiler everyday. The gasification aspect is where the value and efficiency of the boiler shines. Without it, it is semi efficient. Not sure if you saw my #short on the reaction chamber where the gasification happens. Here is a link to it. ua-cam.com/video/-Qf6pOKrU2E/v-deo.html I appreciate you reaching out. If I can answer anymore questions, please let me know. WST
@@WSTMike thank you so much for the feedback, I am sold
Very good video
How confident are you about the control system as far as longevity?
I’m not going to lie. Since I posted this video, I’ve had zero failures, but the digital screen is starting to fail. The numbers are hard to read. I have yet to ask Central what they might be able to do for me. Other than that, 4 years and it runs as advertised.
Wondering if a boiler brush would be best for cleaning those tubes. Are you stii satisfied with the boiler? Looking at one of these to heat our house and garage
So far, so good with the boiler. Only one minor issue and it was quickly resolved. Whichever boiler you go with it pays to have local support. I’ve tried boiler brushes but they just didn’t last. After scraping it with the tool I made, a boiler brush could be used afterwards if you wanted. I’m on year 5 with this boiler and I seem to have a pretty good system worked out. Best of luck to you
Good video how long do you you let your wood season for? How long would you recommend seasoning it for thanks.
Hi Ron, I get two years ahead on my wood. I burn primarily red oak, white oak, ash and some beech. I burn what I have on my land and what I get for free. Two years is the minimum for oak that I would go. I get to the 20% moisture number before it goes in the boiler. Anything higher in moisture tends to not burn as well. I hope this helps and thank you for watching. WST
Nice video, love the gasifier tech and happy to see it is being utilized in outdoor boilers. Can you use anti-freeze in the water without voiding the warranty? I would like the insurance of anti-freeze.
That is a very good question. You can use antifreeze, as long as you use what they provide. That is why they call it a limited warranty. You are limited by what they will let you do. Thank you for watching!
I have an older CB e-classic 1400 and a few years back I had a hip replacement so I couldn’t process my firewood. We ran oil for that year. I just left the circulator running all winter and water temp never got below 42*F even when air temp got down to -15*F here in central New Hampshire. Fortunately we never lost electricity that winter
@@603maplefarmer3 Hello!! That is very useful information and I thank you for sharing. I always wondered what would happen if that were the case. I hope you are back at it and enjoying the wood heat! Take care! WST
Yes. They require 100% propylene glycol mixed with their chemicals. I'm in central Alberta and mine is 50/50.
@@yetilikesbeer We do not require antifreeze in our systems here. You can by choice. Since we have a backup whole home generator, we opted not to use antifreeze.
Very good video!!!!!
Thank you!! Glad you enjoyed it.
So how do the supply and return pipes get to your house? Do you bury them in the ground insulated? What does that look like?
Yes. The pex pipe is buried underground from the boiler into the house. We are 4 feet deep and it goes through the foundation of the house. Here is a link to the insulated pex pipe I used. outdoorboiler.com/collections/underground-insulated-pipe
I should do a video on how this all works. Maybe sometime soon.
I'm wondering why creosote is running down the outside of the exhaust pipe?
Isn't that a fire hazard?
Could it be you have the exhaust pipe pieces installed upside down?
The chimney cap was incorrect. Overtime, creosote built up on the cap and dripped down the stack. This past summer I went to a fully enclosed chimney cap. That eliminated the issue. When I cleaned the chimney at the end of the season I shot that video, I got a dustpan full of creosote.
How is it heating the domestic water for the water heater, is there a heat exchanger outside the tank or is a coil in the tank needed.
Hi Tom! The hot water is plentiful for heating 2500 square feet and also heating the domestic water. Here is a video I recently did that will show you the heat exchanger that is solely for heating the domestic water. Please let me know if you have further questions. Thanks for watching? WST. Starting up the wood boiler - Simple preventative maintenance - Central Boiler Classic Edge 550
ua-cam.com/video/Uwm5bZSK5wM/v-deo.html
Thanks for the great information!
@@tomrunning357 You are more than welcome. Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment. WST
I would think that a nice 20v drill with a circular wire brush would do a great job at cleaning those pipes in the back and a lot of areas actually.
It is quite tight between the heat exchanger tubes. I did use a slender wire brush, but it didn’t do as well as the tool I made. There are 100 ways to do something and the way I chose was best for me. I’m sure there are other options. Thanks for watching and for the comment.
Great video thank you 🙏
Thank you for stopping by and commenting on our video. Hope you found it informative. How many people have asked to buy your UA-cam name? 🤣 That’s a great name! Take care, WST
What is the name of that scrapy tool you are using to clean the back?
Great video!! Just got the 750 last month
Hello! Thank you for watching the video. You bought a great boiler. The scrappy thing you are referring to is something I made myself. It is a 1/4" thick x 3/4" wide x 18" long piece of metal that I ground teeth into. It does a great job for the upper vents and the heat exchanger. I also have a new video out this past Saturday on the start-up and basic maintenance you should do before starting your boiler every year. I think you will find it helpful. Here is the link ua-cam.com/video/Uwm5bZSK5wM/v-deo.html If you have any further questions, feel free to ask. I'm on my 4th season with my 550. Take care! WST
Hey Mike. I have a video coming out on Wednesday that probably every boiler user should see. I've been burning since 2014 and first time I started my adjacent wood pile on fire. Be interested in your comments on why that was. Thanks. Nebraska WoodSTR
Hi Mike! I look forward to your video. I am curious to watch and comment. Thanks for watching and I’ll see you over on your channel tomorrow! WST
Do you burn some soft woods in there? Thats alot of gunk thats been running down the exhaust stack and creosote on the exchanger. Just curious as another central boiler owner to another :D Mine is still really clean but been burning 70% hardwoods.
Its a great system, went from a 3.5k heating bill to....well maybe a hundred or so now for the season? (Gas for the saw/running the pump/fans in house)
Appreciate the comment. I do burn north of 70% hardwoods. I mentioned in my video that I did burn some wood that I shouldn’t have. That is when the creosote issue began. I am regretting it majorly. This upcoming season will all be red oak 100%. Glad you like your Central. I don’t regret it at all. It’s been very good once I learned some of the tricks with it.
I only clean my flute at the end of the winter. Even then it's not dirty. Biggest problem is cleaning the creosote from firebox. Cant understand why your flute get that dirty.
@@francoisderome8562 the wood may not be as dry as the owner thinks it is or should be.
I just change my habit this year. I'm clean those heat exchanger every couple weeks. Already did it this year .
Do you or have you considered using creosote logs or powders once a month? Might help with some of the build up. Flake off easier...
Hi Steve! Yes, I use AshTrol on a regular basis. Makes a big difference with the stack etc. It is made by Central Boiler.
Been thinking about getting one to offset gas prices, and on my land we always have dead trees I usually just burn anyways. I work 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off though and it gets below freezing starting in Nov-Apr. Do these things have something that keeps the water from freezing/cracking the boiler during non-use?
Hi Brandon, the best thing to do is use antifreeze in the line. Your dealer can get you set up with the correct stuff. That is the only way to keep boilers from freezing during non use. Thanks for watching!
@@WSTMike much obliged! I wondered if that would be the solution.
Do you have a video on the equipment used inside the home from the boiler?
Hi Arne! I have a video on the heat exchanger for heating hot water. I will be doing a video on the pex into the house and into the whole house heating system. Should be out in two weeks or less. If you subscribed, you will get a notice when the video is up. Here is the other video I mentioned earlier ua-cam.com/video/Uwm5bZSK5wM/v-deo.html Thanks for watching! WST
What do I do if I’m leaving for a week or two and don’t have anyone to check on the stove? Should I turn it off? My heat electric bill was double when I was gone even when I turned the thermostat down to 65.
Hello Mariam, if you left for a week of two you would need to have antifreeze in your lines in order to keep it from freezing. This is an option for all boilers. I do not run antifreeze, since I have a neighbor who watches it for me when I leave 2 weeks during the winter. There are always options. Just do your research locally for the right one that works for you. Thanks for watching. WST
Hi Great Video, I gave it a thumbs up! I've seen some homes for sale in Canada that use various models of "The Wood Doctor" boilers. Have you ever heard of "The Wood Doctor" brand? It is hard to find info. on them as they may be bankrupt. Is the Classic Edge 550 available in Canada? Thanks!
Hi Michael! I appreciate the fact you enjoyed the video and thanks for the Thumbs Up!! I have never heard of The Wood Doctor brand before. I could not find info either. Central Boiler is the company you want to look up. They make the Classic Edge series. I know you can buy them in Ontario for sure. Not sure what part of the Maple Leaf you reside in? We do have other videos on the Central Boiler on our channel you may be interested in. I just did a video last week on how much ash I cleaned out in 6 weeks of burning. I think you may be surprised. Thanks for watching! Let me know if you have further questions. WST
Have you ever thought of getting a battery powered leaf blower to clean out some of that ash?
I have an orlan eko 40, very similar design but my lower chamber is refractory lined and gets extremely hot which burns all the coals in the lower chamber, it seems you have a bit more coals with your ash. Is the lower chamber refractory lined?
When I cleaned out during the video I did have some coals since I cleaned the firebox out some. The lower chamber is not refractory lined on mine. I’ve been burning for 4 weeks now. I have all fly ash right now and might get half of a 5 gallon bucket of ash out of it. My reaction chamber (lower) get up to 1000 F max. Most of the time it is between 500-700 degrees
As Wood, Sweat and Tears said some coals fall down to the secondary when you clean the top first. Other people screen them out and throw them back in the firebox. I now just clean the ash out of the secondary then let the ash/coals fall down from the firebox. The next cycle will consume the coals. Easier than screening.
@@WSTMike 1000 is on the lower end. Try and get dryer wood. Aim for 1400. If your not getting over 1200 you risk costing your exchangers with creosote. My highest was 1700 ish last year, cleaned the backend right up.
@@yetilikesbeerNy wood is 15% moisture. That’s dry all things considered. Are you running a new EPA unit like I am? They have changed greatly from the older units in how they are run.
@@WSTMike just starting my second year on my 750HD. 15 is good but the dryer the better with these up to kiln dried wood, that's to dry and there is no coal retention
in europe we keep them inside and use external accumulation tank 50l per kw of boiler
Hi Martin, I have received several comments from European viewers saying the same thing. I would love to put this boiler under a roof at some point. I understand the benefits. If I understand right, you said your hot water goes to a 50 liter accumulation tank? I just wanted to make sure that I have the volume of your tank correct. Thank you for watching and commenting. We appreciate it. WST
@@WSTMike no, accomulation tanks go from 800 liters to 2000 liters, boilers are rated in kilowatts of heat given, to calculate accomulation tank size you multiply kilowatts by 50 and you get size of accomulation tank in liters
@@martinocko9 Now I understand. Thank you for the lesson and understanding. Much appreciated. WST
@@WSTMike Hey, I know this is an old comment thread, but I just wanted to add my 2 cents as a European wood heater. I have a 40kW burner (gasification, same principle as your burner) coupled to a 3000L insulated buffer tank. Instead of keeping the burner going all the time, the idea is that you just make a fire once every couple of days, store the energy in the tank, and take it out from there for heating. I keep my place here in Finland warm that way - for example I made a fire last Wednesday and we're still heating the house today (4 days later; about 5C/41F outside; in middle of winter, maybe a fire every other day). I use about 10m³ of wood per year (about 3 cords) to heat a 120m² (1300 square feet) living area - the key is that everything (pipes, tank, boiler itself, the room where they are) are very well insulated and that the burn is done as efficiently as possible. My flue gas temperature gets to 150C (300F) max.
@@upnorthandpersonal That is very impressive. I’ve heard of units like that, but have yet to see them sold near me. I will have to continue to use this unit , since I’ve only owned it 4 years. Thanks for sharing this.
Where is there a dealer up there. I live in Lower Michigan but have a cabin on Hubbard Lake and thinking about getting a wood boiler
Hello! I got married on that lake. Here is the dealer for that area www.gauthierheatingandcooling.com/
All the best to you! WST
ive got a 12 year old central boiler 6048 that heats my 1400 sq ft 2x4 walled house, all the domestic hot water and as of 2 years ago my attatched garage to about 50 deg F. we only burn about 7-8 cords per year and i could set it up to run for 3 days depending on weather and wind. i was actually thinking of upgrading to these models, but from what ive seen of yours...the design leaves a lot to be desired. i don't have to burn dry wood in mine...it helps...but not necessary. i only get about a wheelbarrow full of ash every season, and from what you've said we're burning the same amount of wood every year. i get that the epa changed the game....but i don't think central boiler improved upon the models. What temp do you keep your water at in the boiler?
I keep the water at 185 at the boiler. I think if you have an older Central and it is doing well, I would keep using it. The brand I had before was not Central and much, much more inefficient. EPA doesn’t mean better for the user all the time. I can tell you some stories about my DEF on my newer diesel pickup. Not a fan. Best of luck to you and thanks for the comment.
Very good to see the actual operations part of owning a boiler. After seeing this I would learned to consider adding a pedestal to new installations to avoid the bending over. This would also allow you to put a small wheeled wagon under each end for cleaning out so you dump right into it. Then maybe 1 step up to load with wood. Also I learned to get a larger box to have extra capacity for new building additions or for extra mlm long burns.
Question. Can an outdoor boiler be combined with an indoor boiler so that if you are gone for a week the indoor boiler takes over till you can reload the outdoor boiler again? Also, can you remotely shut down the boiler by closing the dampers? Thanks
Hi Reno! These boilers are extremely heavy. You would need a very thick gauge steel to support this boiler. I clean out only once a month, so it is not an issue. I cannot turn it off remotely at all. We don't go away for long periods of time during the winter. A couple days at most and I just fill it up to burn 48 hours. This unit is one size bigger than we needed. I wanted to make sure I had more capacity. I appreciate you watching! WST
@@WSTMike Thanks for the reply. I was thinking of a concrete pedestal. Cheers!
@@reno4819 Cement is a good idea
Where did you get the wood burner
From a local distributor in Northern Michigan.
Fantastic! This would work well with Solar Hot Water!
I agree it definitely would!!! Thanks for watching!
Best good video but I was alarmed that you had to find out forself about cleaning those important areas that need cleaning, was there a owners operating manual with it from new? Somerset Mike.
There was only one area that I was not able to see visually and no tool was provided. That was the area above the heat exchanger. I made a tool to access that area easier. Manual came with the unit but is not clear on that particular part.
A Question form you if you have a power outage does this still work? or does it have a battery for the power on it? Just wondering how it's setup.
If the power goes out it would not work. You could easily set it up to work off a generator. It wouldn’t require a very big generator at all. You are running a pump, fan and small actuator motors. Not sure if there is a better backup system for these. Never seen it advertised or offered. We have a whole house backup generator because we live back in the woods. Trees are always messing with the power lines. Let me know if you have any other questions. I have a new video of the boiler startup coming next Saturday. Be sure to check it out. WST
@@WSTMike Thanks, I did see a video after I posted this that a guy setup a Solar system to his for a backup, I may be moving this spring or even sooner to upper Indiana that's why I'm looking into one of these and some of the houses I have looked at had them installed already.
@@YFZMoto That makes sense. Solar is the way to go. I wish you all the best!!
Yeah, that's why Crown Royal boilers have those heat exchanger cleaners built in, you just pull a lever, no need to invent tools to do it on your own and scrape on your knees breathing in the particles.
I am not going to disagree with your statement. Having something that is built into the boiler for cleaning the heat exchanger would be a nice benefit to this boiler. I appreciate the comment. WST
@@WSTMike I actually thought it was standard on all of these, I know Polar has a similar system as well.
@@piotr277 like anything in this world, they charge more and give you less and less.
Do you by chance know what the power draw is on this type of unit? Can't find any information on it looking to be more solar of grid but the blower and pumps can't find the power wattages.
I do not know the exact amp draw, but I can tell you that I have mine a 15amp circuit and zero issues. That is the way it was installed. Very little power consumption. I hope this helps. WST
In PA here and was looking into these. Is it true the EPA banned all outdoor boilers as none meets standards? Or is this a unit that is still legal?
Hi Dawgrum! Every state is different when it comes to outdoor wood boilers. I cannot be 100% sure for your state. That being said, the Central Boiler I have does meet EPA standards for emissions etc. My opinion would be that manufactures have to abide by certain EPA rules in order to sell their products. My boiler has an emissions tag on it that certifies compliance. I speak to a lot of guys that use boilers around the country. I have never heard someone not being able to burn, unless there was a city ordinance. There are a lot of junk boilers out there that I would be surprised had EPA compliance. They sell them every day. I know I didn't answer your question specifically. Just wanted to give you my opinion and two cents. Thanks for watching and commenting! WST
You have to send them a sample? I was never told this when I bought mine 13 years ago. I test my water twice a year(once in the fall when I fire it up and once in the spring when I shut it down) and I have it all documented. But I was never told I had to send them samples
Hi Brad! I was told that in order to keep the 25 year limited warranty in tact, I have to send a sample in once per year. This unit is going on 4 years old, so maybe it is with the newer models? I cannot be sure. Here is the latest video from 3 weeks ago when we started ours up. It references the water sample you asked about. ua-cam.com/video/Uwm5bZSK5wM/v-deo.html. Appreciate you watching and commenting. WST
Can you use glycol in the system?
You can if you wish too
There is a lot of 2.5 milligrams of ash that your breathing into your lungs so it would be advisable to wear a good filter to prevent that from happening. It can extend your life.
build a solar kiln very well done
I like that idea a lot. I’ve kicked that around a time or two in my head. Just have to get through a few more projects before that is something I do. Thanks for watching and for the great comment. WST
FYI: The black buildup from combustion is CREOSOTE, not "creasol".
Nit pick much?
@@frankmarcella7572 Nope. Right is right and wrong is wrong. It was a simple correction. Words mean things.
If you called a horse an elephant, would it be a “nit pick” to say “Hey, that’s not an elephant, it’s a horse”?
No, it wouldn’t be. Please take your ignorance elsewhere. Thanks.
By the way, the owner of the channel gave my comment a “heart”. So had no problem with it. Neither should you.
Just bought the 560hdx to replace my wood hungry woodmaster 4400. Gotta say, I’m pretty nervous as I don’t have a wood stash built up at the moment since we are nearing the end of our burn season in Missouri. The logs I’m cutting have been on the ground for 1-2 years, so I’m hoping they’re dry enough that it doesn’t bite me come next winter 😳
That’s a great unit. Basically an upgrade from what I have. I think you will be fine with your wood as long as you get it cut a split very soon. I wish you the best and I appreciate the comment. All the best! Mike
@@WSTMike what I’ve cut off of the log pile towards the end of this season has all been around 22% on the moisture meter. Hoping I can get by on 4-5 cords next year. Thanks for the content! Eases my mind a little bit lol
@@jorrick66 that’s not bad in regards to moisture. You will be below 20% by burn season comes around. The dryer I have my wood, the better my boiler runs. Much more efficient. Glad you like the content. More coming this weekend. Mike
@@facediaper4607 I’ve already burnt a fire in it, there’s no taking it back now. Granted I only ran it for a week before I shut it down for spring, but it ran flawlessly for me in that time. Do you have any personal experience with the new titanium HDX? I’m always looking to educate myself, and would appreciate any insight. I’ve read the horror stories about the E classic and the early classic edge models with the chains; however I haven’t heard of much bad about these titanium HDX models with the rear heat exchangers. I went back and forth between a CB and a heatmaster g series for months, and ultimately went with a CB because the heatmaster dealer never would return my phone calls.
@@facediaper4607 I appreciate your honesty! I guess the only upside to my having bought this unit, is my dealer has been nothing but exceptional. Hopefully he keeps that good record going in the future, sounds like I’m going to need him.
I have a hawken. You can't keep enough wood in front of it when it gets bitter cold
Hi Craig! I am not familiar with that brand of boiler. It sounds like you have the same issue I had with my previous boiler. 15-20 full cord a year was what she averaged. I love cutting wood, but at some point I had to find some efficiency. The other reason I made the switch was to be able to heat my domestic water. This Central Boiler checked all the boxes. Thank you for watching! WST
@@WSTMike yep. I was going thru that much while working a job that was a minimum of 70 hours on a 6 day week. Never seemed to stay ahead
@@craiggrant3511 Wow! That’s tough when time is not on your side. I travel a lot for my job and the Mrs. was getting a workout. That was the number one reason a new boiler was installed. So, I feel your pain…. Or I should say my wife can relate.
@@WSTMike I'm 60 years old now. I'm done. My back is shot
@@craiggrant3511 Sorry about the back. It was good chatting with you.
How many watts per day does it use to be run solar, otherwise useless in emergencies.
I’m not sure of the wattage it would take. I have a whole house generator that runs the house, shop and boiler when the power goes out. Thanks for watching. WST
@@WSTMike AS prepper question what if no gas?
@@safffff1000 Then I’m screwed.