Well, we’ve all read about the controversy when it comes to the Wood Doctor wood boiler/wood furnace failure, (http://www.wooddoctorfurnace.com/), but the bottom line is you need parts to service/repair your outdoor wood stove.

Who we are:

Alternative Heating & Supplies, previously known as CT Wood Furnace, is a team-oriented company that stocks and carries all wood stove essentials, and can easily help you out with the parts you need! 

What we do:

We carry just about everything needed to keep your outdoor wood furnace running smoothly! Items from boiler treatments, fire rope, pumps, heat exchangers, SharkBite fittings, pex fittings, etc.  Come take a look around our website, or better yet, download and browse around our latest Catalog Version 13!

 Ordering:

Three easy ways to order: online, by fax or by phone.  Orders taken by 3:00pm EST are shipped out the same day with delivery right to your doorstep!

Come pay us a visit and you'll see that you'll never get the "cold shoulder" from the team at AHS!

Well, to put it simply, a brazed plate heat exchanger is made up of a series of slightly different panels that allow for the proper transfer of heat or cold to a second source. Basically, it transfers heat from one medium to another while avoiding any contact between the two media, and really is the most efficient way to transfer the heat or the cold. It also allows you to keep one system pressurized while keeping the other non-pressurized. This is because the heat source producing the hot water enters one side of the brazed exchanger, while the cold water that is to be heated enters the other side of the exchanger. And since the flowing of the water is in different directions, all the while in separate plates, it does not mix, it is set up to make the best possible heat transfer. So, if you want water to be heated or transferred the best possible way for your domestic boiler or domestic hot water system, then the brazed heat exchanger is the way to go.

Just an FYI:

Some of the different names people use for a brazed plate heat exchanger could be:

flat plate heat exchanger, water-to-water heat exchanger, water/plate exchanger, stainless steel heat exchanger or plate exchanger, and last but not least, that "stainless-steel-battery-looking-thing."

Rust is the Enemy

The greatest danger posed by household water is the potential it has to introduce corrosion into your wood boiler. Specifically, the acidic ions present in water are the biggest contributors to rust forming inside an outdoor steel furnace. As this liquid sits in the cavity that exists between the burn chamber and the outer shell of your furnace, corrosion is the inevitable outcome unless the right kind of treatment is used. Ideally, the wood boiler water treatment that you select would not just scavenge corrosive oxygen left behind in your system, but it would also work to balance the PH of your water, keeping it as neutral as possible. In a perfect world, wood boiler water PH should fall within the 9.0 to 10.5 range.

Combating Scale

Another factor to consider when selecting a wood boiler water treatment is how it handles scale building up inside your boiler. Scale is the product of the minerals found in the water contained within the boiler being left behind as the fluid evaporates. Magnesium, calcium, chlorides and sulfates can all leave deposits inside your boiler - deposits which not only encourage corrosion, but which also pose the risk of clogging up the unit's plumbing. "Softening" the water inside your boiler using a water treatment product can serve as an adequate way of combating high mineral content, especially for those who are drawing from a well instead of a municipal water supply. Even if your water has been "pre-softened" by an in-house unit, you will still want to take the extra step of using the correct wood boiler water treatment for maximum protection.

Know the Facts, Make the Right Choice

It's important to be aware of the composition of the water inside your boiler and the materials used in the fabrication of the boiler itself when choosing a water treatment. By knowing the concentration of minerals in your tap water, as well as the exact type of steel that your wood boiler is constructed out of, you will be able to find a water treatment that is a perfect match for inhibiting rust and lowering the risk of scale buildup. Having an analysis of your water supply performed by either your town's utility or a private firm – or performing your own analysis with a wood boiler water treatment test kit - will allow you to select the right water treatment and extend the life of your boiler by many years.  

Keep it full, keep it clean

It's important to make sure that your water boiler is topped off in order to keep up with any evaporation that might be occurring over the course of time. The simplest way to do this is to connect your boiler to your home's water supply so that you can fill it up with just a twist of a valve. This will also help you when you are flushing your furnace, which should be done at least once a year, preferably after the heating season is over. Draining the boiler and filling it up again can be done several times for maximum cleansing. You may need to bleed air out of the boiler lines after filling it or topping off, which can be done via the circulation pump.

Wood boiler water treatments play a large role in preventing corrosion and scale buildup inside the system, which means that each time you flush and fill your unit you will want to make sure that you re-add the water treatment that you have been using. Some customers may choose to fill their boilers with glycol mix, so check with your manufacturer as to what they recommend and not recommend.

Regular inspection adds efficiency

Anything in your outdoor wood furnace with moving parts should be inspected and lubricated if possible. Inspect the door gaskets and fan covers (and any other part of the furnace where air can enter) for leaks. Anything questionable your find should be fixed and/or replaced. Failing to control air flow can cause many problems, especially overheating.

It also goes without saying that regular ash removal on a weekly basis is key to keeping enough airflow for a strong fire to burn.

Post-heating season maintenance

It's tempting to just walk away from your wood boiler after the winter is over and not think about it too hard until the weather starts to turn cold again. Taking the proper steps immediately after you are finished with your wood boiler for the year, however, is a crucial aspect of proper system maintenance.

Clearing the ashes out of your boiler can go a long way towards reducing the risk of corrosion over the course of the spring and summer. When ash becomes wet, it can start to eat away at your boiler's steel plating, and a good cleaning is a great way to head off this kind of damage before there's a chance for it to get started. At the same time removing the creosote buildup (caused by the slow burning of wood) from your wood boiler's chimney can reduce the risk of an accidental flash fire.

Finally, don't forget that Alternative Heating & Supplies is available to help you with home wood furnace needs.

Most outdoor wood furnaces are not pressurized and work with a closed loop. So this is experience comes in handy. What is important for our application is GPM (Gallons per minute) I have found shooting for 10 GPM is ideal. Most of use do not have the testing tools to determine GPM, so the simple way is to time how long it takes to fill a 5 gallon bucket and do the math. Don't worry if you’re not 10 GPM, 6 GPM or more usually does the trick for heating most homes. Here are the basics: less the 25 feet one way you can use a Taco 007 BF5-j or Armstrong 30 3 speed on high. 75 feet or less one way Taco 009 BF5-J or Armstrong Astro 50 3 speed on high. Over those distances I recommend using Taco 0011 BF4-J, Taco 0013 BF3-J or Taco's Newest pump made for this industry Taco 2400-20 WB (wood boiler) or Armstrong pumps: Armstrong E7, Armstrong E8, and Armstrong E9. Both pump companies excellent and offer 1 year warranty. Don't buy cheap pumps because they will fail much sooner then these units. It is a hard environment that these pumps work in so you need good quality pump here. Basically if they are not working you have no heat. You might want to consider an extra pump on the shelf. Even the good pumps fail. Another note is the Taco pumps use a BF_-J are pumps bronze cartridge pumps and this helps with pump life. This does not mean you can use it in potable water applications.Another common question I get is which pump is better. Well they are both excellent well made pumps. The fail rate on both pumps is less the 1% and I have had a lot experience with both pumps. If I had to choose I would give the smallest edge to the Armstrong E series pumps. Hope this helps all you guys out there. Jeff Luff

Flushing your Outdoor Furnace: It is very important to drain and flush your furnace each spring. To drain furnace -- open drain valve and let stove empty completely. To flush -- leave drain valve open and close pump valve. Add water to furnace through the return lines. Let flush for several minutes. Close drain valve and open pump valve. Refill stove and add boiler treatment right away.

Adding Wood Boiler Treatment: This should be done every year! Allow system to burn for 2 hour and then add boiler treatment as follows. Before adding boiler treatment, be sure that the water temperature is at least 100 degrees or higher. Add the wood boiler treatment that came with your unit or purchased from your dealer. Add the treatment to vent (Small tube) on top of the unit.   

Annual WoodMaster Maintenance: Protect your fire chamber by placing the chimney cap over the chimney during the off season, inspect all silicon caulking and make sure it has a good seal so moisture can't enter furnace. If you have an ash auger, remove it, clean out all the ashes and scrape excess creosote from the fire chamber surface. Reinstall the ash auger. Moisture combined with ashes will eat through metal in a short time.   

Bleeding the wood boiler unit: Routinely pay attention to the water level light. If light is not lit, this indicates water level is low and the wood  furnace may need to have water added. Add water until it over flows the vent pipe on top of unit. Not a bad idea to check to make sure the light is working properly. Open ball valve in back to see if light goes out or check the over flow pipe with flash light. The circulation pump will be very helpful in bleeding the air out. It can take several minutes to do this.

Firing the Wood Boiler Unit: Once you have determined that there are no leaks and all looks good. Paper and kindling should be used for starting the fire. Build a small fire, and add wood as needed. Be sure pumps are circulating when firing the furnace. You might notice some water on the inside walls of the unit, this is normal the furnace is sweating like a cold drink on a summer day. Once the furnace has reached 180 degrees, the furnace is ready to be filled to capacity. I recommend burning cut, split, seasoned wood. Do not overfill the unit so hot coals fall out when opening the door. The best is a well controlled fire and when the wood get low, rake the ashes exposing buried unburned coals. You will be surprised those coals will heat your home all day and then some.  

Caution: Do Not Burn garbage, rubber, gasoline, or any oil products. Do not use chemicals or oil products to start fire.  

Ash removal, rotation and disposal: Maintain a good ash rotation. This should be done weekly. Remove ashes when the furnace is very low on wood. If your furnace is not equipped with an ash auger system use a shovel to take ashes from the front of the firebox and use a rake to pull ashes from rear of the furnace to create a level bed of hot coals. Tip Ashes are great for the garden. Ashes should be placed in a metal container with a tight-fitting lid. The closed container of ashes should be placed on a noncombustible floor or the ground, well away from all combustible materials, pending final disposal. Ashes should be retained in the closed container until all cinders have thoroughly cooled. At least 48 hours. (coals can live for a week or so) Keep this in mind when disposing ash and coals. Forest fires!  

Creosote information and need for removal: When wood is burned slowly, it produces tar and other organic vapors, which combine with expelled moisture to form creosote. The creosote vapors condense in the relatively cool chimney flue of a slow burning fire. As a result, creosote residue accumulates on the lining. When ignited this creosote makes an extremely hot fire. The chimney connector and chimney should be inspected at least monthly during the heating season to determine if a creosote build up has occurred. If creosote has accumulated it should be removed to reduce the risk of a chimney fire. This is another reason why an outdoor Wood Master furnace is the superior solution to heating your home.

1. With an outdoor furnace, the wood and bugs stay outside
2. You only need to split and cut wood to pick it up.
3. An outside wood boiler keeps the smoke and dust outside.
4. You only need to feed your outdoor boiler fire once a day.
5. You can heat about anything with an outdoor furnace.
6. An outside wood furnace connects to most existing furnaces.
7. A wood furnace burns more efficiently than other indoor wood stoves
8. An outside wood boiler can heat domestic hot water
9. An outdoor wood furnace can heat your pool or spa
10. Do I need to continue?

Link to our website <a href="http://www.altheatsupply.com">www.altheatsupply.com</a>  for more information

I have tried about every option out there and I can tell you confidently that an outdoor wood furnace is the easiest and cleanest way to to heat your entire home.

I even have experience in other outdoor wood burning furnaces. I have operated the Central Boiler, Wood Doctor and the Wood Master. I still own the units to show customers the differences between the units so they can make an educated decision.

Outdoor Wood Furnace vs. Wood Stove:

1. Refer to list above!
2. You will handle the wood a lot more with a  indoor wood stove.
3. You will burn more wood heating the same area with an indoor stove.
4. You can't control heat very well with a  indoor wood stove.
5. Your at risk of burns (kids) with an indoor stove.
6. You can't heat domestic hot water with an indoor wood stove.
7. You have to feed an indoor wood stove 5 to 6 times a 24 hour period.
8. You can't burn soft woods like pine or hemlock with an indoor wood stove.
9. A good indoor wood stove is cost wise is very comparable to an outdoor wood stove.
10. Home owners insurance will increase with a indoor wood stove and decrease with an outdoor wood stove.
11. You risk carbon monoxide accumulation in the house.

Outdoor Wood Furnace vs Pellet Stove:

1. Refer to many of the points above.
2. Pellets prices will follow fossil fuel prices.
3. You have to buy a fuel source with pellet stove.
4. No dust inside the home.
5. Can't manage the heat very well with pellet stove.
6. As expensive as an outdoor wood stove after install.
7. Pellet stove can't heat anything else. (Domestic Hot Water &amp; etc.)
8. You can heat multiple buildings with an outdoor wood furnace.
9. You can heat a swimming pool or spa with an outdoor wood furnace.
10. So on and so on.

Indoor Wood Furnaces VS Outdoor Wood Furnaces

1. You need to bring the wood in the home.
2. Bugs, smoke, dust and ash are best outdoors.
3. Refer to lists above!