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Messages - Jon_E

Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 5
1
Equipment / Re: How often do you sharpen your chain?
« on: October 08, 2018, 04:26:02 AM »
Usually two tanks, sometimes three or more if I'm cutting clean softwood, other times it can be one tank or less.  Last weekend I was cutting some really dirty beech that had been down for 2+ years, and dulled the chain right quick.  Sharpened it and started cutting again, only to realize I hadn't sharpened it enough, so I had to do it all over again after running the saw less than two minutes. 

2
HeatMaster / Re: Blower fan
« on: September 25, 2018, 11:42:06 AM »
Oh I know for sure I burned the old fan.  Melted the bearings.  I made the mistake of opening the smoke bypass and filling the firebox near the end of a full burn cycle.  The flames got up into the fan area and I could hear the fan start making noise and then abruptly shut down from overheating.   I make sure now to not feed it unless it is at the low end of a temperature cycle.   Some of the things that I was able to do with my old Central Boiler are not possible (make that - not too smart) to do with the G200.

3
HeatMaster / Re: Blower fan
« on: September 24, 2018, 05:59:31 PM »
What did you do to fix the motor being longer. I have the same one from zoro on the shelf of just in case parts. If there is something I could do to get it ready beforehand would be interested to know.

The motor has four threaded studs that are probably an 8-32 thread or similar, they hold the motor to the plate.  On the Fasco motor, threaded studs are part of the motor case.  The Dayton has two threaded studs in the case and two long through bolts that actually hold the motor together.  So all four pieces have two small nuts on the threads.  If you take one set of nuts off the threaded studs, the motor stays together but then it's just a hair too long unless you remove the second set of nuts.  If you take off the second set of nuts the motor will come apart if you're not careful.  So I had to remove the second set of nuts and actually through-bolt the motor to the plate while holding everything in place.  It's still just a hair too long but I was able to get the rear inlet box to fit.  I think this will only be an issue on the models that have the rear vent through the door.  Earlier models pre-2017 without the rear vent/tube may allow the Dayton to fit just fine.  The other option I had was to modify the vent box and that wasn't a good option for me unless I had no other choice.

4
HeatMaster / Re: Blower fan
« on: September 21, 2018, 06:50:03 AM »
Finally installed my new Dayton blower fan in the G200 last night.  The old Fasco unit apparently wasn't quite ready to give it up, and lasted until yesterday morning before it finally just quit.  Took me two hours to do the installation, mostly because I had to disassemble everything three times.  First disassembly was getting the old motor out.  Second one was getting everything completely put back together and realizing that the new motor was about 3/16" longer than the old one and wouldn't fit properly.  Third time was because I fixed the fit problem but reinstalled the motor upside down on the plate and the power cord wouldn't reach.  Probably would be an hour or less if I had a clue. 

Anyway the new motor fired right up, nice and quiet, working the way it should.  I need to make sure that I don't open the smoke bypass in the middle of a hot burn cycle, because I am sure that is what smoked the bearings in the old fan and overheated everything.

5
HeatMaster / Re: Blower fan
« on: September 02, 2018, 12:08:52 PM »
I ordered a Dayton 3M292 from Zoro on eBay.  Hopefully it will work.  Mine was installed Jan 2017 so it has the duct through the rear door.

6
HeatMaster / Blower fan
« on: September 01, 2018, 12:17:10 PM »
Been having some problems with my blower fan, it's been making a lot of noise over the past few months, especially on startup and shutdown of a cycle.  I think the bearings are shot but I can't be sure.  The fan motor spins silently if it is just spun up by hand.  The past couple days it has actually needed a "push" to get going, which is bad because I am not always around to do so.  I took everything apart this morning, cleaned the back chamber and all of the bits and pieces, took it all apart and wirebrushed it.  I put it back together and it started up but is still very loud. 

Has anyone else had problems with their fan?  I did some research and the fan is just an off-the-shelf Fasco blower motor, $150 or so, but I work in maintenance and have hundreds of fans and motors in my facility, and Fasco has proven to be straight crap.  I was wondering if anyone knew of an "or equal" motor that has the same mounting and specs and could be use in its' place.  If not, I'll just replace it and then keep the old one as an emergency replacement. 

7
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Spare Parts
« on: April 05, 2018, 07:39:20 AM »
I keep a spare pump.  I have a spare temperature controller and door rope kit left over from my old wood boiler.  Door rope might be useful someday.  If anyone needs a spare temp controller for an older Central Boiler classic model (I had a 2004 CL5648), message me - I'll let it go for cheap.

8
Plumbing / Re: Need help with backup system
« on: March 27, 2018, 06:41:46 PM »
All my heating is radiant tubing, so the heat pump would be set to electric mode only if used to provide heat in the winter.  This would be pretty rare and only occur for a couple of days at most in the winter months.

The heat pump style water heater will be a bonus in the summer, because it will cool the space it's in (my basement) while providing domestic hot water.  Obviously no need for heating demand in the summertime.

I have been inquiring other places online and found that using another plate exchanger to heat the cold water inlet is the simple way to do it.  I might have to install a manual bypass, check valve and circulator pump into the system for those few days in the winter that I would need heat.  And it wouldn't need to be a lot of heat either, just enough to keep pipes from freezing. 

9
Plumbing / Need help with backup system
« on: March 26, 2018, 09:21:24 AM »
Hay all, I need some help with system design.  For the past 13 years I have been heating my house and producing domestic hot water with my outdoor wood boiler.  My old boiler had a propane burner in it, so when I didn't want to burn wood (or ran out), I would switch to propane.  The current G200 boiler does not have a propane system, so I have no backup.  At all.  I have no system in my house, such as a small propane boiler or electric water heater, that will provide me with hot water during the summer or even a backup in case of a major system failure or an extended vacation. 

So, this spring I have saved up some money and I want to install a heat-pump hybrid electric water heater.  I want it to serve two functions: First, to serve as primary domestic hot water from mid-April through early September.  The OWB would be shut off completely.  Second, to act as a backup if I have a system failure in the OWB, or I want to be away from my house for a few days in the winter and just need to maintain a minimum heat level.   I want to be able to manually switch modes (if necessary) between seasons, and manually switch to backup in case of a failure or vacation.  I have a generator to provide backup power so using electric backup is not a concern. 

Currently, I have a 40-gallon indirect water tank, which is fed from the primary OWB loop in the basement, has its' own small circulator pump loop, and the hot water flows through a mixing valve to domestic use.  The rest of the OWB loop is for heating.  Compounding matters, the indirect tank has developed pinhole leaks and is out of warranty.  I want to replace the indirect tank with the electric water heater.  I do not have room for both, so I need the electric heater to function as an indirect tank during the winter months when the outdoor boiler is running, and function as primary heat for domestic hot water during the summer.  I only need the electric heater to provide minimal heating if a backup is needed during the winter, and I would like to accomplish that with some sort of valved bypass. 

So, does anyone have any photos of systems that utilize both an electric water heater and an outdoor wood boiler, or have some sketches, or barring that, describe to me what I need to do?  I am on a very limited budget, and have some reasonable plumbing skills, so as long as I have an actual plan, I can put it together. 

10
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Rubber heater hose?
« on: February 14, 2018, 02:17:57 PM »
Heater hose on my system too.  Brass barbed fitting on the PEX, short stub of copper to the hose, then back to copper and then to the pump flange.  Only a year for me but it looks solid.  I am going to use the silicone hose for my garage connection if I ever get to that point.   ::)

11
Heard from another source that liquid fuels were somehow involved - like gasoline.  Not sure it is true but it might explain a lot.

12
HeatMaster / Re: Smoke bypass
« on: January 22, 2018, 09:01:38 AM »
You don't even have to close it all the way.  Just push the lever backwards until it meets resistance and then pull it forward again.  Your five minutes will restart.

13
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Extending underground PEX
« on: January 17, 2018, 08:35:34 AM »
Mine is the "old" stuff that is in a black corrugated outer shell - not the current stuff that is solid urethane foam and a hard rubberish smooth shell.  I doubt I can get that stuff to seal with any kind of boot or wrap.

14
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Extending underground PEX
« on: January 16, 2018, 02:51:51 PM »
I would like to move my OWF about 10 feet in order to make a significant change in the layout of my wood heating operation.  The obstacle is the Central Boiler pex tubing which goes from the boiler to my house.  I could, in theory, just dig it up and replace it, but that's about a thousand bucks I have no reason to spend and about 85' of tubing wasted, with no other issues aside from being too short.  I would love to be able to simply extend it, but I have no clue how to do so and still maintain the insulation value of it.  Joining two pieces of PEX end to end is easy - it's the insulation and the hard outer shell and keeping it all watertight. 

Any ideas or suggestions?

15
Plumbing / Re: Manifold diagram or pics
« on: January 16, 2018, 02:45:34 PM »
I can take a couple pictures of mine and post them, I will warn everyone that it is NOT a stellar example of plumbing but it works and that's what counts.  My plumber was not the sharpest tool in the box and at the time, I knew next to nothing about plumbing and piping heat manifolds.  He used a lot of black iron pipe, and his explanation was that it was a lot cheaper.  Well, yes, but it looks like crap.  The main loop is black iron and everything else is copper or brass.

I am doing my own manifold for my garage heating and my connections are a mix-and-match of sweat and threaded but all of it is 1" copper.  Most of the high-dollar stuff (valves, Spirovent etc.) are threaded because I am scared that I will overheat the valve while soldering it and ruin something.  I used sweat X MNPT fittings to connect the pipe sections. 

If you wanted to spent the money and has a good way to support the heavy stuff, you could use Sharkbite and PEX, but for a manifold I think it looks unprofessional.

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