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Author Topic: Woodmaster 4400 Problems resolved - lessons learned  (Read 17278 times)

tlynholland

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Woodmaster 4400 Problems resolved - lessons learned
« on: January 11, 2011, 10:21:36 PM »

I'm the one that had problems with my stove over-heating and boiling the water out which ended up being a wind leak from my front door because of the fire rope which I ended up replacing.  I will do that annually from now on.

My other problem once I got the air leak figured out was that I no longer had any heat nor hot water.

Here is what all I had to do.

I had a huge amount of calcium build up which clogged my lines, my plate exchanger and my radiator.  I took them all lose, cleaned them, blew them out with a water hose and air.  My radiator above my plenum was still clogged and I ended up taking it to a company that services industrial boliers. I had tried taking it to a radiator place that does cars/ That was a waste of my time and gas money.  The guy that owned the boiler service place knew exactly what was going on.  He hooked up my radiator to some hoses and a pump that he cycled his chemical through it with.  He cleaned it right up and then he gave me some advice as follows:
Fill up your wood stove water with soft water only - never hard.
Pour some white vinegar in it from time to time - a couple of gallons as well as your annual treatment(corequest or whatever you use)

I had to buy a new pump for my wood stove which was a Taco 011.  Note: Don't waste your time or money buying a used one off of someone on ebay as I did. I ended up getting a new bigger 013 taco  pump brand new and it is working great.  Make sure you pay attention to the size of the pump you need and how long your pex lines are and how far the pum has to push the water. This is important.

Good news is that I have a very warm log cabin once again and I am burning wood again which makes me, my wife and daughter very  happy.  I won't ever run out of salt in my water softener and I will pay close attention to my stove maintenance from now on.  My electric bill for the month I have been without my stove working was $477.  With my stove running correctly, it averages just over $200 in the winter and I am ALL electric here in Indiana.

I hope this advice and my experience helps anyone else on here.

Thanks for all that posted replies for me



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yoderheating

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Re: Woodmaster 4400 Problems resolved - lessons learned
« Reply #1 on: January 12, 2011, 08:34:47 AM »

 I have heard that the salt from the softener can be hard on mild steel furnaces. I really can confirm that because I don't sell them but I would check with Wood Master and make sure softened water will not void your warranty. 
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mikenc

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Re: Woodmaster 4400 Problems resolved - lessons learned
« Reply #2 on: January 14, 2011, 05:58:30 AM »

Some good information. Their is some maintance that needs to be done every year to OWB burning. This spring I am thinking of using cleaner in system then draining completly and starting over. Don't have problem with callcium right now but don't want it down the road. Like they say an ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure.

Had never heard of using white viniger. Is that suppose to help eliminate calcium build up?

Glade you are up and running again and saving money on power bill!!
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tulenutn2o

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Re: Woodmaster 4400 Problems resolved - lessons learned
« Reply #3 on: January 14, 2011, 06:25:27 AM »

Some good information. Their is some maintance that needs to be done every year to OWB burning. This spring I am thinking of using cleaner in system then draining completly and starting over. Don't have problem with callcium right now but don't want it down the road. Like they say an ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure.

Had never heard of using white viniger. Is that suppose to help eliminate calcium build up?

Glade you are up and running again and saving money on power bill!!
White vinegar is a little known/very powerful cleaner. I use it to clean coffee pots, dishwashers, basically anything that heats water can be cleaned this way. At the factory, we would use it in its industrial concentration to clean our drains of build-up from the Kolene strippers.
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jackel440

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Re: Woodmaster 4400 Problems resolved - lessons learned
« Reply #4 on: January 14, 2011, 03:29:51 PM »

wow thanks for the great tip on the cleaning of your heat exchanger.I am going to have to remember this my self.
where at in indiana are you,and who did you use to clean your exchanger?
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tlynholland

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Re: Woodmaster 4400 Problems resolved - lessons learned
« Reply #5 on: January 16, 2011, 08:17:18 AM »

I'm in Floyds Knobs Indiana. I took it to a place in Edwardsville located next to Roberts heating and Air in the Industrial park (can't think of the name roght now) but Richie Van Hook owns it.  I will get their name and number for you.  He is excellent.

ALSO - Don't clean your Plate Exchanger with CLR or the Works - He said that those chemicals will do damage to plate exchangers.  Use the vinegar instead.

My Stove is back in operation now and I am warm as I want to be now.
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