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This HeatMaster SS outdoor boiler review includes details about the brand’s three lines residential wood furnaces that meet EPA standards. Information about features, specifications and HeatMaster SS furnaces cost is included.
HeatMaster SS began in 2001 in Manitoba, CA. In less than two decades, HeatMaster SS has become an industry leader. Its sales network now stretches across North America.
Outdoor Wood Boilers and Furnaces Guide: Before we go deeper into HeatMaster SS outdoor wood boilers, you might enjoy our buyer’s guide. It’s a comprehensive overview of these heating units – called wood furnaces and wood boilers. Read about their pros and cons, ability to connect to indoor radiator systems and to forced air systems and the many other ways they provide heat. Outdoor wood boiler costs are included.
EPA Certified Residential Series
HeatMaster SS makes three series that meet the strict 2015 EPA regulations for residential wood furnaces. The series are the entry-level GS Series, the best-selling G Series and the MF eSeries that burns both coal and wood.
We cover those three series with depth below. There’s a summary of other HeatMaster SS series too.
HeatMaster SS Outdoor Furnace Features
The company calls its products “furnaces.” All are boilers. This means that they have water jackets surrounding them. The wood fire heats the water, and the hot water is circulated to where heat is needed.
HeatMaster SS boilers are equipped with user-friendly features. A firebox door latch prevents the door opening quickly, exposing you to excess heat. A fan starts when the door opens, keeping smoke out of your face. The sight glass window allows viewing the fire without opening the door. Vertical heat exchanger tubes require less cleaning.
The GS Series and G Series are the same in size and capacities. The difference is that the G Series has more features and costs more.
Other major features are:
Versatile Use including Domestic Hot Water
These boilers support water-to-water and water-to-air systems and heat for spas, hot tubs, outbuildings, greenhouses and many other applications. With the use of a water-to-water heat exchanger, the boiler can heat the water flowing into your water heater to provide hot water for your home.
Stainless Steel Firebox, Jacket and More
Like Heatmor furnaces, HeatMaster SS is built with 409 stainless steel. It is strengthened with titanium. The resulting material is corrosion-proof, tough and durable. A stainless steel furnace will last twice as long as a carbon steel unit. Stainless also has excellent heat transfer and resists warping and cracking because it expands less when heated than other metals.
Lifetime Warranty
The use of stainless steel gives the brand the confidence to offer a lifetime warranty against defects and material failure.
This is a prorated warranty, however, and it’s not as good as it might seem.
Warranty schedule:
- Coverage in the initial 5 years is 100%
- Year 6-7 is 50%
- Year 8-9 is 40%
- Year 10-15 is 30%
- Year 16-Life is 10%
HeatMaster SS says, “Compare our warranty to any of our competitors and you’ll see that the full extent of our warranty is the best in the industry.”
Well, we are independent evaluators, and we don’t agree. Heatmor’s warranty is slightly better. It reaches the 10% level after 20 years and remains at that level.
Be sure to read any warranty before you choose a wood furnace brand. Here is HeatMaster SS’s warranty in full.
A Good Range of Sizes
Furnaces start at 120,000 BTU and 90-gallon capacity, and the largest practical for a single residence are 375,000 BTU and 260 gallons of capacity.
This means you can find a furnace that is a good fit for a small home, which is important because you don’t want the boiler to be too large. It will create too much heat or have to run infrequently, a process that wastes fuel.
By “running infrequently,” we mean firing up by supplying the fire with fresh air. These boilers are controlled by thermostats, just as a gas furnace is. When the thermostat is satisfied, the fire doesn’t go out, of course. Instead, the unit stops providing fresh air to the fire with its draft fan. This causes the wood to smolder, rather than flame hot. Smoldering is bad for efficiency.
Gasification Boilers
The GS and G Series furnaces use gasification to burn combustion gases before they leave the unit, so get more heat from the fuel.
Gasifiers are explained in detail in our Wood Furnace Buying Guide along with how they differ from standard wood furnaces.
Rounded Firebox
The advantage of the round design is that the stainless steel can be gently bent without creasing. Strength and fewer welds are the results.
Finding a HeatMaster SS Dealer
The website’s Dealer Locator is easy to use by entering your city or zip code.
Model Analysis
Those are the basic features. The table below shows the specs for models in the three EPA approved residential series.
| Series | GS Series and G Series | MF eSeries | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | GS & G 100 | GS & G 200 | GS & G 400 | MF 3000e | MF 5000e | MF 7000e |
| Weight (1) | 1,086lbs | 1,802lbs | 2,420lbs | 950lbs | 1,300lbs | 1,700lbs |
| BTU Output | 120K | 232K | 340K | 150K | 250K | 375K |
| Forced Draft | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Heating Area (sq.ft.) | 1,500 sq. ft. | 3,000 sq. ft. | 4,200 sq. ft. | 1,850 sq. ft. | 3,250 sq. ft. | 4,500 sq. ft. |
| Water Capacity | 90G | 195G | 260G | 60G | 125G | 180G |
| Fuel | Wood only | Wood only | Wood only | Wood and coal | Wood and coal | Wood and coal |
| Firebox Size | 7.75 cu. ft. | 17.5 cu. ft. | 29 cu. ft. | 12.5 cu. ft. | 23 cu. ft. | 36 cu. ft. |
| Firebox Length | 20 inches | 30 inches | 42 inches | 28 inches | 34 inches | 46 inches |
| Workmanship | Lifetime | Lifetime | Lifetime | Lifetime | Lifetime | Lifetime |
| Corrosion | Lifetime | Lifetime | Lifetime | Lifetime | Lifetime | Lifetime |
(1) G Series units weigh 100 to 200 lbs more than GS Series units since they have more features.
See reviews with similar tables for other major OWB brands:
Heatmor Central Boiler Crown Royal
If you’d like more details on HeatMaster SS furnace specifications, here are the brochures:
As you can see, there are larger units than we’ve shown in the MF eSeries suitable for multi-dwelling and commercial heating applications.
Other HeatMaster SS Furnaces
The lines we’ve reviewed are best suited to residential use. However, if you live in coal country or want to heat multiple large buildings, you might be interested in one of these HeatMaster SS furnace series.
C Series coal furnaces: Five models, C150, C250, C375, C500 and C800 are available. BTU range is 150K to 800K. Water capacity ranges from 60 to 555 gallons. Approximate heat range for insulated buildings is 2,750 to 20,000 square feet.
B Series biomass furnaces: These two models allow you to heat with the most plentiful fuel available to you – wood chips, pellets, coal or agriculture screenings. The B500 delivers 400K to 500K BTUs. The B1000 makes 1,000,000 BTUs. Water capacities are 312G and 597G.
HeatMaster SS GS Series, G Series and MF eSeries Prices
Furnace prices vary based on dealer competition, cost of living where you live and other factors.
| Model | Furnace Only | Supplies & Installation | Total Installed Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS 100 | $7,300-$7,900 | $600-$2,100 | $7,900-$10,000 |
| GS 200 | $9.250-$10,000 | $600-$2,100 | $9,850-$12,100 |
| GS 400 | $11,975-$12,800 | $700-$2,600 | $12,675-$15,400 |
| G100 | $8,200-$8,990 | $600-$2,100 | $8,800-$11,090 |
| G200 | $10,400-$11,600 | $600-$2,100 | $11,000-$13,700 |
| G400 | $13,500-$14,700 | $700-$2,600 | $14,200-$17,300 |
| MF 3000e | $5,600-$6,000 | $750-$2,300 | $6,350-$8,300 |
| MF 5000e | $8,800-$9,300 | $800-$2,500 | $9,600-$11,800 |
| MF 7000e | $9,900-$10,500 | $800-$2,500 | $10,700-$13,000 |
Installation cost factors include distance from the furnace to what is being heated, type and quantity of heat exchangers used and supplies needed for the job.
Rebates Might Be Available
Wood is considered a renewable resource. While there are no federal tax credits currently offered, there might be state or local programs available where you live.
Ask your wood furnace dealer about offers or check the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency. Your state’s energy office might have information too.
Save Money on a HeatMaster SS Wood Furnace
Start with state and local rebates, and then shop around for competitive prices.
Most dealers offer two options. They will sell you just the furnace and supplies, if you want to install the unit yourself. Or, they offer the furnace and installation in a package.
You can work with the dealer you choose to save money by doing some of the work yourself. Options include digging the trench for the buried water lines and/or digging out the place for the concrete pad. You can also pour the concrete pad at a lower cost than the contractor would.
If you have experience with plumbing and installations, you might be able to install your own outdoor wood furnace. HeatMaster SS doesn’t have installation videos, but other manufacturers do. The work is straightforward if you know what to do and how to do it.
Let Us Know
Share with other readers your experience with HeatMaster SS. If you’ve used one, share a review.
If you purchase a new outdoor furnace of any brand, we would all appreciate the details – furnace make and model, capacity, unit and installation cost and your initial thoughts about the furnace. We’ll share your information with other readers to help them in their buying decision.
