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Prefab ODC Furnace or Do It Your Self

Posted: Tue. Jul. 08, 2008 9:55 pm
by 1800ASPHALT
Hello Everybody,
I am new to the alturnative fuel and thinking of buying a ODC Furnace. I am also an Asphalt Paving Contractor and figured my carb footprint is already so big what the heck. But seriously I am looking to save some money and am not intrested in wood. I have some prices on the prefab kind they are around $11000.00 w. an auger and a small hopper including 120 ft of insulated pipe. I have read some posts that building my own shed and getting a coal furnace is as good as a prefab and maybe cheaper.
The unit will be aprox 120 ft from the house .
I live in a 2500 sq. ft. log cabin, decent insulation w. 11 ft. ceilings on average. We have oil heat and hot water and I think it will cost aprox. 6000.00 in fuel over the next year at the curent oil price .I live in southwest NY and am not to far from PA.
so coal makes sense and as an added bonus maybe a little less American $ for Chavez and the like.
I guess I would like to know if you prefer prefab what brand and are the prices I am getting allright? If you are for the other which one of them should I get and maybe a little advice on construction of the shed . I am looking forward to your opinions and help,all will be appreciated.

Re: Prefab ODC Furnace or Do It Your Self

Posted: Wed. Jul. 09, 2008 12:00 am
by LsFarm
Read through the forums, there are several that cover this very subject. One recent one is 'Ka6 in an outbuilding?'

Outdoor units are boilers, they heat water so it can be piped into the house.. furnaces heat air. The hot water is a good medium to tranfer heat, air is very poor at tranfering heat.

There are not any prefab outdoor boilers that are good coal burners.. you will need to buy a coal boiler and install it in a simple shed or outbuilding, and bury insulated water pipes to the house to tranfer the heat to your in house heating system.

Hope this helps.. Greg L

Re: Prefab ODC Furnace or Do It Your Self

Posted: Sun. Jul. 13, 2008 2:36 pm
by 1800ASPHALT
Thanks for the insight Greg I will keep looking into it.