Bigger versions for open draft. Smaller works decent if you use a draft on demand. Flow rate and cycle time of water systems on any of these are important to balance.
Use chemicals.
They will rot out. Ours is in the back yard to far gone to repair. Been in since 1985 or so.
Ours had solar backup. Potable water heat and a exchanger in the duct for house hold heat.
Don't spare expenses on any part. It's a sizable investment and takes a few years to offset cost.
Use chemicals.
and follow manufacturers regs to the letter. Some now require your water samples to keep warranties.
Small or large they inhale wood. BTUs per cubic of wood is all your gonna get. No magic in increasing this fact. The only plus is better storage of the heat in a big open draft. Or better controlled burn and transfer per draft on demand.
You better have a good source or love firewood.
I have been feeding and cutting for this types of stove personally for 5 years, helped grandparents for half my life.
If you buy stainless do a huge amount of personal research. Many use inferior grades. Many early on heat and stress cracked horribly.
Come spring I will be building my on replacement With some tweaks. It's the hottest most consistent heat for our very old house. By comparison our power bill is relatively the same running our oil furnace. The expense difference is the oil that is all. And a much cooler thermostat setting.
We wouldn't make it on a heat pump.
Like wood.
Good heat.
Neat systems once running require basic yearly maintenance.
Use chemical
.
Edit: that oil has been averaging 100 gallons a month. So yeah a lot of saw gas and bar oil.......I like excersise. How do you value your time??
