E-1400 or E-1450??

[PA Matt]

I have a 2,700 sq ft house in north east PA.  It's fairly new and well insulated.  It looks like the E-1400 would be fine for my house but was wondering if anyone has any advice.  (Looking to heat home & hot water).  I don't want to go too small just to save $500 and regret it later.  Also, I've read about quite a few water leaks when they approach 8 yrs old or so.  Is this the type of thing that can be welded easily?  I was hoping these boilers can last 20+ years with some maintanence, is this reasonable?  Any advice is appreciated.

[Roger2561]

I have a 2,700 sq ft house in north east PA.  It's fairly new and well insulated.  It looks like the E-1400 would be fine for my house but was wondering if anyone has any advice.  (Looking to heat home & hot water).  I don't want to go too small just to save $500 and regret it later.  Also, I've read about quite a few water leaks when they approach 8 yrs old or so.  Is this the type of thing that can be welded easily?  I was hoping these boilers can last 20+ years with some maintanence, is this reasonable?  Any advice is appreciated.

Welcome to the forum.  Lots of smart people in here.

I have an E-classic 1400, this is my second year heating with it.  I'm heating 3,000sqft plus domestic hot water.  My house was built somewhere around 1840's.  It's has nice thick insulation in it so the 1400 keeps it nice and toasty for me.  Oh, I live in northern New England, in NH.  Last season I used 6 cord of wood.  Most of that was just learning how to use it as efficiently as possible.   

The 1400 is easy to operate once you learn what works for you.  The primary air holes in the fire box need, I stress, NEED to be kept clear of ash and creosote build.  If you do not do this, you'll be outside at 1:00am when it's 15 degrees and windy clearing those dang holes.  Don't ask me how I know...  The rear most holes in the 1400 are pain in the backside to clear.  I use a screwdriver that I bent to reach through the holes around the backside so they stay clear.  The E-classic 1450's have essentially the same holes, only Central Boiler must have learned that the rear holes are pain to clear due to they now have removable panels in the corners that makes clearing them much easier.  My 1400 does not have that feature.  I'm waiting to see if CB has developed an upgrade kit for my 1400 so as to retro fit the removable corner panels. 

As for longevity - I do not know, for as I stated above, this is my second year heating with it but at the moment I've very happy with it, even if it means having to spend about a 1/2 hour every Saturday morning clearing the primary air holes in the firebox.  What will help to minimize the possibility of leaks is to make sure you keep the water ph at the level mentioned in the manual as well make sure the nitrites are where they belong.  The unit you buy will have all of this information in it and follow the directions carefully on how to use the corrosion inhibitor that CB sells.  At the beginning of my heating season this year (about 2 months ago) I put about a half gallon of the water from my boiler in a glass container.  I tested the ph and nitrites and they were where they are supposed to be.  I then put in the water a wad of steelwool and left it on the counter where I could keep an eye on it.  Everyday when I got home from work I would look at it for any rust deposits.  I did this for 2 weeks and it did not rust.  So, I decided to try something else.  I removed the steelwool from the water, poured it down the drain and left the steelwool out in the open on my counter for 2 weeks...Not one sign of rust showed up.  This test told me my corrosion inhibitor was at the desired level and not eating away at the steel in the boiler.  The moral of this is, if you keep the ph and nitrite level; where the manual says they are supposed to be, in my opinion the boiler should last you a long time.  Sorry for the long reply.  Good luck in your hunt for an outdoor boiler...will not be sorry you made this investment.  My oil furnace hasn't run now for 2 months and my home is 70's degrees and I have plenty of hot water for cleaning. 

[PA Matt]

No need to apologize for the long reply, it's exactly what I'm looking for, so thanks.  Any bit of advice is welcome and nobody better to get it from than people who actually use the E-1400.  I don't mind the maintanence, not that I have much choice since I pretty much have to install a phase II in PA.  It's impressive that you only used 6 cords for a NH winter.  I guess the additional cost for a phase II boiler will end up paying for itself by using less wood.  Probably a wash between the phase II's and the classic models.  Thanks again for taking the time to help me out,  Matt

[ga jones]

FYI you can get non phase 2 boilers if they have shaker grates and are capable of burning coal.(heatmor) has shakers.

[thecfarm]

PA Matt,welcome to the forum. I take it the 1450 is a little bit bigger than the 1400? I like to get something a little bit bigger than what I need. Seems to work out better in my little world.

[Roger2561]

PA Matt,welcome to the forum. I take it the 1450 is a little bit bigger than the 1400? I like to get something a little bit bigger than what I need. Seems to work out better in my little world.

According to the CB website, http://www.centralboiler.com/e-classic.html, the 1450 is a bit larger but not that much more than the 1400.  The 1400 firebox dimensions are 32"x32.5"x24".  Water capacity is 195 gallons.  The 1450 firebox dimensions are 32"x35"24.  Water capacity is 200 gallons.  The 1450's came out a year after I purchased my 1400 but if I had to decide which model to buy, I would spend the extra $500.00 and go with the 1450 mainly due to the ease of cleaning the primary air holes with the removable panels.  Roger 

[boilerman101]

I agree with Roger, CB's latest innovations on their most recent models would be well worth that amount.

[Jack72]

I have a 2,700 sq ft house in north east PA.  It's fairly new and well insulated.  It looks like the E-1400 would be fine for my house but was wondering if anyone has any advice.  (Looking to heat home & hot water).  I don't want to go too small just to save $500 and regret it later.  Also, I've read about quite a few water leaks when they approach 8 yrs old or so.  Is this the type of thing that can be welded easily?  I was hoping these boilers can last 20+ years with some maintanence, is this reasonable?  Any advice is appreciated.

Welcome Matt

The removable panels are nice make sure it's warm when trying to remove them that's your first tip they don't come out very easy if its cooled down.   The other thing that seems to be easier and nicer is the back door swings open out of your way    The heat exchanger tubes are vertical like the E3200 as long as you stay after them I can run the chain and plates through there very easy  wait a month and its not very easy from build up depending on what your burning too makes a difference too.   I've never cleaned a 1400 so I'm not sure but the reaction chamber on the 1450 is off the back as with everything else I think 1400 tubes are on the side but Roger please correct if I'm wrong on this statement.   I'm happy with mine .  I'm surprised that they sell the 1400 still I think they are very similar except a few changes.   In my opinion it's worth the 3or500 bucks for the easier maintance . What's another 500 bucks when your spending 10 grand already right        Hope this helps with decision   Jack

[thecfarm]

And you have to deal with it everytime you clean. My aggravation is worth alot.   ;D

[Jack72]

[


If you burn decent hardwood and seasoned        cleaning tubes and little maintance that I've done  is very minimal there is many stoves that are different on cleaning and maintance I'm sure I don't know this is my first so I have nothing to compare it too.   I don't have to clean every time but choose too just because I spent to much money for it not take care of.    I'm probably a little more anal on keeping things clean than most I would say.      .         

  Just my .02       Jack

[thecfarm]

   In my opinion it's worth the 3or500 bucks for the easier maintance .
[/quote]

I was agreeing with you Jack. Meaning I would spend the extra money too make it easier to clean.
Hope I don't muddy up the water more.  ;D  As others have stated a little bit of cleaning each week or two saves a cord or two of wood each season sounds good to me.

[Jack72]

   In my opinion it's worth the 3or500 bucks for the easier maintance .

[/quote]



Sorry still early asleep I guess.    .         We're all good.     I don't have any feelings from working in the trades for 20 yrs now.     Water still clean with me
C Farm.        Jack

[PA Matt]

Thanks everyone for your advice.  The dealer wants to sell the 1400 because he's had it for a while so he's willing to drop the shipping charge (about $400).  Add that to the $350 price difference (between E-1400 and E-1450) and the $350 discount from CB on the 1400 and I'm now at over a $1,000 price difference.  I think I may have to deal with the extra maintanence for a grand.

[Jack72]

Thanks everyone for your advice.  The dealer wants to sell the 1400 because he's had it for a while so he's willing to drop the shipping charge (about $400).  Add that to the $350 price difference (between E-1400 and E-1450) and the $350 discount from CB on the 1400 and I'm now at over a $1,000 price difference.  I think I may have to deal with the extra maintanence for a grand.

Hello Matt

Did you make your purchase yet?     

[PA Matt]

Nope, not yet.  I am in the process of clearing the area where I'm gonna put the OWB.  If the ground freezes I probably won't be able to get it done till spring.  That's IF it freezes, doesn't seem to get that cold anymore here in PA!  I have read posts from some unhappy OWB owners which makes me a bit nervous.  The last thing I want is to shell out this much money and have costly repairs or maybe the unit rusts out?? That's the nice thing about an indoor wood stove; no water, no pumps, no solenoids....   I'll probably still go with the OWB though.  I'm just not 100%.  I can tell you this though: relying only on propane for my heat sucks!  I have to keep the house warm too cause I have a 3 week old baby 

[doctorb]

How much seasoned hardwood do you have available for this winter?  If you don't have at least 4-5 cords NOW, then delay the purchase and installation until the spring.  That 1400 will be getting even cheaper in April, as the liklihood that they'll sell a discontinued unit during this winter would seem pretty low.

Well seasoned fuel for these OWB's is one of the keys to a happy heating life.  Do not skimp on that end of it or you'll be sorry.

[PA Matt]

about 2 cords of seasoned black locust...my favorite wood.  Another 4 cords worth of nice green, sappy, freshly cut white pine, not even split yet.  I wasn't planning on burning that until next year though.

[thecfarm]

Pa Matt,that's about the only good thing about a wood stove.  ;D  I am so glad i have mine OWB. I really brought it to burn all my dead wood.Hard to burn white pine and fir in a wood stove and have a contol burn.

[PA Matt]

Yeah, I have about an acre that I'm clearing right now that's 95% white pine so an OWB would be great to burn it.  I noticed you have a Heatmore.  Funny enough 5 minutes ago I opened the Heatmore brochure I got in the mail.  I haven't really looked into them yet but another guy on this thread mentioned them and the fact that you can get shaker grates to also burn coal.  He said the ability to burn coal gets you around the EPA phase II requirement we have here in PA.  Restrict wood burning but not coal?? That's politics for you! 

[thecfarm]

I saw a new one a while ago. Heatmor has changed them some. I have no idea about for the better.  :  I noticed a switch on the door that turn the blowers off,they went to the pipe like what CB has,the ash clean out on the back does not stick out anymore. Looks like they sell you a kinda a flat bucket to capture the ashes in when you auger them out,there is a digital readout now for the temp. And that was all I noticed.