Finding the Best Location for your Outdoor Wood Boiler

When identifying the ideal location for your Outdoor Wood Furnace, be sure to always consider the following:

• Follow the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA) Best Burn Guide:
• Inspect and maintain. Make sure that your outdoor wood furnace is inspected by  National Fireplace Institute (NFI) certified professional or by a Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) yearly.
• Watch the smoke. As a rule, the darker the smoke, the less efficient you are operating.
• Stick to seasoned dry wood. To properly season wood, split the logs as soon as possible and stack them in a dry spot for 6–18 months.
• Burn smarter. Use soft woods to start a fire as they burn quickly and use hard woods for sustained heat as they create longer burning fires.
• Be Certified. Choose to have a EPA-certified outdoor boiler.

• When possible, have the outdoor boiler door open towards prevailing winds. This helps disperse the smoke while loading the outdoor boiler.

• When possible locate outdoor boiler 30 to 50 feet from any structure. Consult with your insurance company for minimum distances.

• Always install outdoor boiler with an authorized chimney cap to reduce heat loss, keep rain out, to serve as a spark arrestor, and to disperse smoke. Authorized chimney cap is available at OutdoorBoiler.com, just click here.

• Locate outdoor boiler so that prevailing winds will not cause a nuisance for neighbors. Protect your right to burn wood! When possible, locate outdoor boiler downwind from nearby buildings.

• Install on non-combustible flooring with adequate support. A concrete pad is not required for placement. Concrete blocks may be used instead. Outdoor boiler base/feet may be set on 4-inch thick header blocks that are level, centered, and properly supported.

• If pouring concrete, don’t forget to leave a space for the underground feed and return pipe.

• Although outdoor prevailing wind and smoke considerations should be given first priority, your outdoor boiler location selection may also minimize the amount of purchased pipe required. Our Heat Mizer Underground Insulated PEX loses very little heat, so longer distances will not cause significant heat loss, but reducing distance will reduce cost of purchased pipe.

• Finally, keep in mind that the underground pipe must enter the home or building to be heated, and plan for this accordingly.