We'll be happy to assist you
any way we can!

Every furnace comes with a complete detailed 44 page manual with lots of pictures and diagrams!

If you have any technical questions or need any help whatsoever, please call Billy at the factory at: 870-895-3104 or 3111 or Ben at 828-683-0025

Installing an outdoor wood furnace can be broken down simply:

1. Pour a 4" thick concrete pad to support the furnace. The Shaver Pro Series 165 weighs 1600 lb. The total weight with water will be about 2800 lb.  It will take only 1/2 yard of concrete for a nice concrete pad (approx 4" thick), giving you a nice place to stand and load wood.
2. Dig a trench, making sure it's below the frost line, to prevent excessive heat loss and freezing. This is the maximum depth to which frost will penetrate the ground during the worst of winter. This depth varies from area to area. See this frost line map or call your local building inspector's office. 
   
   Putting the Pex lines below the frost line is mot mandatory but it will save a lot of heat loss and wood. The ground temperature below the frost line is 50-55 degrees, even in winter, so heat loss is minimal.
   
   Trenchers, ditch-withes and small backhoes can be rented inexpensively allowing you to dig the trench yourself with little effort, avoiding $40-60 an hour charge from your local landscaper or septic tank installer. 
   
   You will be placing 2 runs of 1" PEX pipe (plus one 3/4" fill line to fill the furnace) and a 12/3 110V wire in a 4" or 6" PVC pipe. The pipe is placed in the trench, from the outdoor furnace to the house. We recommend using insulated pipe OR for less money, insulating the Pex pipe with Solarguard™, which is only 1/4" thick (easy to wrap) but has an R value just shy of R12 - for one layer!
3. Remember to run a 2nd twine or thin rope through the pipe in case you need to pull a pipe through later. It will make it a LOT easier!
4. If you are connecting a hot water heater you will need one additional run of 3/4" Pex (for a total of 4) and another pump ($99), mounted indoors. See info and picture below. A picture of insulated Pex pipe is below.
5. Install the heat exchanger in the furnace's output plenum. (If hooking it to a boiler, you will install a water-to-water heat exchanger). You can usually find a size to fit your plenum so that little or no metal work is needed.
6. Connect the 1" PEX pipe at the furnace and at the heat exchanger.  We use simple compression fittings or Sharkbite™ so no plumber is needed! All that is needed is your hands for the Sharkbite fittings, since they are simple push-on fittings. Or use an adjustable wrench for the compression fittings.
7. Connect the 3/4" PEX pipe at the hot water heater. No expensive side-arm heat or plate heat exchanger is needed - since potable hot water is circulated directly from the hot water heater through the built-in domestic hot water heat exchanger furnace. It goes back to your hot water heater already heated up! This can save you $30 plus a month! This also saves you about $100 - $200 on a side-arm or plate heat exchanger. You will never run out of hot water again!
8. Install a new 15A circuit breaker ($8-15) in your breaker box and connect the 110V wire to the breaker and out at the furnace
9. Install a simple thermostat and hook it up. The third wire in the 12/3 wire is used for the pump instead of special thermostat wire, so that it only runs on demand when your furnace fan (or boiler pump) is running..
10. Fill with water. Start a fire!
11. You have started saving money!

Remember, this is just an overview. You will get a comprehensive 44 page manual with lots of pictures and diagrams to make it super easy for you!
 

Download Diagram for Boiler and Hydronic installations such as for water radiators, water baseboard heaters, etc. (PDF file - Adobe reader required)

Download Diagram for hooking up a Pool, Hot Tub or Spa.

Building codes (or lack thereof) often allow a homeowner to do much, it not all of the work themselves. In other locations a licensed electrician and plumber may be required to do the actual hookup.

This usually doesn't preclude you from putting in the concrete pad,
trench, pipe and wiring. Never cover the pipe and wiring before an
inspection, if needed!

Check with your local Building inspector's office for information pertaining to your area and for the frost line level.. 

Click on picture for a HUGE image. Modem users click HERE.

Scroll to bottom of large picture to see piping, heat exchangers, hot water hookup and wires in basement. 

Picture shown has heated garage in basement, but it could, just as easily, be a separate garage,  shop or apartment.

 

Many garages or shops use an air handler like the one below.

 

CLICK on PICTURES for a BIGGER IMAGE

Typical Heat Exchanger that is installed in the supply plenum
or ductwork (the one that goes to the vents in the different rooms).

Insulated Pex Pipe

What's nice is that you have 4 Pex lines for heating your hot water tank. This also gives you a fill or supply line for your outdoor furnace. The 4 Pex pipes are surrounded by foam insulation with a sleeve or pipe around that. Then there's more foam and that is all inside a 5" pipe (instead of the normal 4") which gives you 50% more insulation!


 

Click on Picture for a LARGER IMAGE

Outdoor Furnace Dimensions

 Recommended Dimensions for Concrete Pad

SHAVER OUTDOOR WOOD FURNACE

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