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Discussion Forum

Oil Boiler OUTSIDE of house?

brucepirger | Posted in General Discussion on September 26, 2002 01:04am

I have my building in the FingerLakes region of NY state…winter weather is coming. I am considering placing my oil fired boiler outside the building in its own small “shed” with the oil tank. I have no basement, radiant heat, indirect hot water planned. I do have 4″ condiut running into the utility room inside the house where I planned to put the boiler (for future connection to an outdoor wood boiler).

Any reason why not to put the oil boiler outside?
Here’s my list:
1. Lost heat (both in plumbing to inside and also ambient).
2. Slower recovery times for indirect H20.
3. Boiler outside in “shed” environment.

What am I missing??

Advantages:
1. Quiet…won’t hear that mighty roar. (biggest advantge)
2. Room.
3. Any potential CO leaks or hot water pressure issues outside (very weak advantage I think…but existent).
4. Perhaps will tend to keep oil tank outside (regardless of boiler location) somewhat warmer in the winter’s cold.
5. No need to worry about the mounting of a direct vent system throuhg my wall, around corners/windows, etc.
6. Can use a slightly less expensive normal venting boiler, not a direct vent.
7. No combustion air to even think about…or direct vent flexible chimney to worry about cracking or whatever they may do.

Seems like if I bury 1″ lines and insulate them well, very well, I shouldn’t loose all that much…I’ll have to do some calculations. We’re talking about 15′ or so for the buried lines…not 50′.

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Replies

  1. Piffin | Sep 26, 2002 01:26am | #1

    You'll be pulling some wires too.

    I think if I were doing it, I would put the tank(s) in the same shed. That way the ambient heat from the boiler would help keep the fuel oil from gelling up in extreme cold.

    Excellence is its own reward!
    1. brucepirger | Sep 26, 2002 01:42am | #2

      Thanks piffin. Yep, that's what I mean...all inthe same shed. And yep, pulling wires. no biggy...pulled about 1 mile of them so far in this project I think! (830' of buried primary (two lengths), blah blah blah).

      Any experience with this?

      1. Piffin | Sep 26, 2002 01:57am | #3

        Kinda sorta did.

        We rebuilt a basement and the owner was trying to fit twice the stuff in there that he had room for (and now is complaining that the rooms are kinda small) so we had to move the boiler out. Not totally separate, it's under the back porch and stairs where we created a separate room for it and added a chimney to that end of the house. The CO outside is a major plus IMOExcellence is its own reward!

        1. HammerHarry | Sep 26, 2002 03:26am | #4

          around here (new brunswick, canada), there are one or two firms that sell wood fired hot water boilers that sit out in your yard, for exactly this reason.  chimney, fire hazard, all that wood mess all sits outside.  of course, you have to go out a couple of times a day to fill the sucker, which you wouldn't have to do with oil.

          just make sure your lines to the house are well insulated.  district heating systems do this all the time, so that's no problem.  if the oil tank is not going to be in the same shed, make sure the lines to the boiler are big enough that you won't starve the boiler when the oil is cold and doesn't want to flow.

          i would say, if you have the space to do it, go for it.

  2. whancock64 | Sep 26, 2002 05:27am | #5

    Exactly like an old setup at a relative's loghome. Worked great for them, and was a feature the buyers were excited about when he sold.

    1. roucru | Sep 26, 2002 06:29pm | #6

      Please update us during the winter if you end up doing this. Lars and I are seriously thinking of doing this. We have considered the wood, but I like the oil boiler idea also. Presently using monitor heating in a house around 90-100 years old (still not sure about the age of the house). I like the idea of it all out in its own shed. We can use every inch of space we have now with three kids, home office etc.Tamara

      1. brucepirger | Sep 26, 2002 11:18pm | #7

        I am liking the idea more and more...and am planning to put it outside. When I poured my floor, I poured some extra in a slab for the 500gal fuel oil tank. There's about a 4-5' section unused...so I plan to build a shed around all this and set the boiler out there. Need to figure out just what to build to provide necessary access, some nice appearance, etc.

        From my searches, looks like you loose something like 10 BTU/HR/Foot of 1" copper pipe, insulated, underground. Not so sure what the assumptions of temp differential and everything are...but if this is the case, it amounts to a gallon or two of fuel every week. So, for $100 a year...tops...It is well worth it to me to have the lack of noise.

        I do like the outdoor woud boilers...but they ARE expensive and are not a year round solution (well, if you want to burn all summer just for hot water). I suppose the bank might have a little fit as well...

        But I think a 4" conduit with my two insulated 1" HePEX tubes, a couple of wires for circuits, one for furnance, one for lights, and a conduit for the thermostat...and should be all set.

        I'm really happy to thnk about the quietness...radiant heat (can't wait) and also a Lopi wood stove inside anyways. So, shouldn't even use all that much oil...

        Thanks for all the advice...please send more if you think of it...and also, must be log home builders think alike! LOL

        1. Snort | Sep 27, 2002 12:21am | #8

          A friend of mine's got an outside wood boiler. He loves it, except when he's sick or away...it's got to be fed

          I've had oil tanks freeze here in NC (any water condensation heads for the bottom of the tank and outlet), the shed idea sounds like the ticket, though a strip of heat tape can also keep things flowing... It's okay, I can fix it!

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