Does anyone here have experience burning wood chips or sawdust for heat? Two neighbors and I were discussing how to build a woodstove to heat water for heating our buildings. We have access to plenty of sawdust or woodchips ( chunks from 1-3" sizes). We were trying to figure out how to make a somewhat automatic feeding system, similar to a corn/pellet stove, the challenge is that either product doesn't flow very well and needs to have no bottlenecks like a tapered hopper would be.
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Have no first hand, but there are companys that build add on units to feed sawdust to a stove or furnace. Very simalar to an old coal stoker, if you know what that is. Have seen the ads in trade magazines that I get. If I can find one latter, I will post the info. May be give you some ideas
Zachary Hoyt
Well-known Member
We got an Alternate Heating System E140 Wood Gun boiler last
year, it is an indoor wood gasification boiler. I have been burning
sawdust and shavings at times as a way to get rid of excess and I
think the company also offers auto feed systems. Ours is set up as
a chunk wood burner but it handles the other stuff fine as long as
there is a bed of coals. It is not possible to start the fire on
sawdust because it would just get blown through the system
without igniting.
Zach
year, it is an indoor wood gasification boiler. I have been burning
sawdust and shavings at times as a way to get rid of excess and I
think the company also offers auto feed systems. Ours is set up as
a chunk wood burner but it handles the other stuff fine as long as
there is a bed of coals. It is not possible to start the fire on
sawdust because it would just get blown through the system
without igniting.
Zach
Geo-TH,In
Well-known Member
St Mary of the Woods college heats their place with wood chips.
50 years ago I saw a man, who had a furniture factory, use his saw dust to heat his place and kiln dry his wood.
A brick factory uses a combination of sawdust and coal to fire brick the old fashion way.
I would try to find an old coal stoker.
50 years ago I saw a man, who had a furniture factory, use his saw dust to heat his place and kiln dry his wood.
A brick factory uses a combination of sawdust and coal to fire brick the old fashion way.
I would try to find an old coal stoker.
Consider looking at the commercial units that are available. They may cost more than building one yourself, but commercial units should have most of the bugs worked out, should be more reliable, and should be easier to insure. It may not always work that way, so use your best judgement.
Fergienewbee
Well-known Member
I can vouch for the saw dust being dangerous. I threw a shovel full on an open fire and singed my hair and lashes. It acted about like gasoline.
Larry
Larry
CH(upstate,NY)
Member
In the late 70's when I was in HS I worked at a cabinet shop that made formica covered countertops, etc. He had an old octopus style wood furnace in the shop. we chucked slabs of that particle board with laminate on it in that thing all day. Every half hour or so we threw a grain shovel of sawdust in her. stunk like heck but put out heat. Never had any explosion! What would poof though, was when we would drag our hand along the beams in the shop and get a handful of the fine dust and open the door and toss it in...poof!
Lyle Noland
Member
get a sedore multifuel they are ulc and work
J.Wondergem
Well-known Member
- Location
- Rockford, Mi.
When I was a kid, Dad installed a saw dust burner in the old coal furnace. That was in the fifties. Took a while to get lit, then would never let it go out all Winter. We had a tapered hopper and the saw dust never plugged up. The grates had slots in it from what I remember. Had very little ash. Got the saw dust for taking it away from the saw mill. The greener the better. Burnt a blue flame off it. Dad said it was the gas in the green saw dust burning. Heat was controlled with a damper. It did a good job of heating that old farm house until the saw mill started selling the saw dust for bedding, and Dad wouldn't pay for the saw dust, jerked it out and went back to burning fire wood.
We have no experience, but it's funny you should ask, a friend
of mine lets me dump leaves at his place, he also takes wood
chips from every tree service around. Well he has thousands
of yards of chips, they actually caught on fire a few years ago.
Any way we were talking to him today and he said he trucks
the wood chips to western NY in a walking floor trailer for
some grower to burn to heat there green houses, but that
system to burn them in is very expensive. Keep us posted if
you come up with a system that workes.
of mine lets me dump leaves at his place, he also takes wood
chips from every tree service around. Well he has thousands
of yards of chips, they actually caught on fire a few years ago.
Any way we were talking to him today and he said he trucks
the wood chips to western NY in a walking floor trailer for
some grower to burn to heat there green houses, but that
system to burn them in is very expensive. Keep us posted if
you come up with a system that workes.
farmerwithmutt
Well-known Member
i worked at 2 places that used sawdust one got green
sawdust from a sawmill and sold there dry sawdust .the
second had converted coal boilers the used ground up
pallets that were augered in and yes they both exploded.the
casville electric plant uses ground up railroad ties
sawdust from a sawmill and sold there dry sawdust .the
second had converted coal boilers the used ground up
pallets that were augered in and yes they both exploded.the
casville electric plant uses ground up railroad ties
allischalmers6
Member
Where do you live in western ny? I live in Wellsville.
I have a friend that heats all of his greenhouses
with woodchips that eh gets from local tree
contractors. He recently redid their large boiler
and the feed system. Here is his write up, complete
with photos
wood chip boiler
with woodchips that eh gets from local tree
contractors. He recently redid their large boiler
and the feed system. Here is his write up, complete
with photos
wood chip boiler
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