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Topics - Bluegrass Wood Burner

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1
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / The 101 test kit instructions?
« on: October 23, 2018, 04:05:49 PM »
I seemed to have lost myosin structures on how to use the drop kits. Can you guys bring me up to date on the way to check for nitrates?

2
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Goodbye aquastat
« on: September 23, 2018, 07:06:47 PM »
I'm gonna change my boiler from the aquastat to an ink bird temperature controller. I have been using one in an incubator that I hatch baby chicks out with this year and am very happy with the way it performs. I decided to mount the thermostat on the side of my boiler to get away from the smoke and heat. It will be mounted inside a electrical box with a clear cover allowing me to still see the temp and keeping the weather out of the electronics. My question concerns the probe. I bought an extra probe that is designed to be submersed. Should I run it down the vent pipe at top the tank and down into the water to get a more accurate reading? I have a mixing problem in my boiler and wander if submersing it would help get more accurate water temps. What's your thoughts on this project.

3
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Moving estimate?
« on: February 09, 2018, 04:25:36 PM »
I'm thinking of moving my boiler this coming off season. It's too close to the house and the smioke has stained the corner of my roof overhang. Also staying muddy and messy where I'm moving firewood in to boiler area all the time. What is your estimation of the cost to move it around 75 feet and what kinda difficulties am I faced with in splicing? I just have the 4 pipe wrapped , 2 blu 2 red with electric power cord inside. It's 1 inch pex. One red going to heat exchanger in air handler the other going to hot water heater 2 blues as returns.  I should have thought this out more when I put it in but I was in a hurry. We bought the house at auction and wanted the heat installed asap.

4
Fire Wood / Wood identification??
« on: January 30, 2018, 09:47:35 AM »
I'm burning a wood that has burs on it. Underneath the bark it's got burs. Anyone no what that is. It's not very dense. Just fair. The bark is very rough on it. I wish I had a picture.

5
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Having a major problem
« on: January 17, 2018, 06:56:49 AM »
I had posted on the electronics section of this forums about the monitoring I'm doing with my meat probe thermometer. The findings have shocked me. When my boiler is in its burn cycle I'm getting 178 degree water at my heat exchangers, we have a split system , so they are about 4 feet apart. When the cycle is over the temps slowly start falling even though the boiler temp is 180 the inlet temp goes all the way down to 152 and stays that way until the next cycle starts. As the boiler temp rises from about 168 up to 182 approx. in its cycle the inlet temp starts coming up slowly until it gets to within 5 or 6 degrees of the high cycle temp of 180 ish. I'm worried that my boiler has been in constant shock since I started using it 3 years ago. I had never monitored any of these temps before except for the main boiler temp. Seems my water is nit mixing right. Just out the new  Grundfos 26-99 pump on this year and am using speed 2 of the three. I tried switching to low speed and high speed and nothing changed. My supply line is coming from the top back and the return comes in at the bottom right. I have 1 inch pex the one that had 2 red 2 blue inside the insulated drain pipe. Loop is 150 feet total from start to finish 18 inches deep. I'm hoping all the info I'm leaving here will help you guys come up with solutions to help me with this. There's no doubt I'm losing efficiency here and at times my domestic water doesn't have that extreme feeling like it does other times. I'm heating 5400 sq ft with a boiler designed for up to 8000. Please chime in with your opinions please.

6
Electronics / Maverick probe reading driving me crazy
« on: January 08, 2018, 06:57:07 AM »
Can you guys give me a heads up on how you get the probes to give accurate readings on my supply line just before it goes into my heat exchangers. Sometimes off as much as 20-25 degrees. I have it zip tied on the plastic pex with the tip on the brass fitting. I also have a short piece of pipe insulation zipp tied over the whole probe. Not working for me at all.

7
Ok boiler experts and beginners, I'm needing some help here. I found out about a guy about 100 miles from me who has the very same boiler that I do. The brand I have is not really widespread in a lot of states or popular like the top brands. I called him to get some tips and he informed me of a few things he feels I'm doing wrong.

1. He feels I'm not getting the efficiency that I should because my pump runs 24/7 rather than cycling with my furnace blowers. How would I go about doing this with two separate heat exchangers, Thermostats, and blowers in my house. Would this be practical for me to do.

2. He also feels I should put the little cover back on my combustion fan that cuts down on air flow. He feels not having that on pushes a lot of my heat out the stack.

3.He informed me that I need to flush my water every year and add new chemicals.

Any advice on any of these would be helpful to me. The guy I bought my boiler from didn't train me on anything. He is no longer in business. Most of the things I learned by trial an error. And I have learned a ton from all of you.

     

8
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Generator interlock
« on: December 21, 2017, 06:53:58 AM »
Just wanted to let everyone know there is a simple and safe way to run your home with a generator and not be too expensive to hookup. I mounted a inlet box outside on brick wall and run #10 /3 wire to my panel boxes inside. I have 2 side by side. I installed a blank double pole single lever breaker in the top right hand slot and run my 10-3 wire to these two breakers. Both have an interlock mounted on face of panel that prevent both the main breaker and the 30 amp breakers from being on at same time. I know this has been talked about but just wanted to let you know this is the way to go for safety if you don't want to go the transfer switch route. This year I will be more ready for outage if it comes.
So in summary when power goes out:
1. Turn both main breakers off.
2. Hook your generator cord to the inlet box.
3. Start your generator and let warm up.
4. While waiting on generator to heat up turn all breakers off.
5. Flip the 30 amp breakers on at top you installed for generator wire.(if your interlock won't let you turn it on, that means you don't have the main broker off)
6. Go out to generator and flip its breaker on. The one that's is factory installed on generator.
7. Go back to panel and start flipping breakers on that you need.
8. I have red dots beside everything I'm gonna run in each box.
Power comes back on do all this in reverse.
Very safe

9
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Ozzark Biomass
« on: November 25, 2017, 06:41:53 AM »
Is there anyone out there using the Gasconade model made by Ozzark Biomass of Missouri? Just need to know how you have upgraded the firebox with grates etc.

10
Fire Wood / What kind of tree is this??
« on: November 20, 2017, 05:44:31 PM »
Can you identify this tree?

11
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Programable Thermostats
« on: November 19, 2017, 08:03:28 AM »
I'm thinking of purchasing programable thermostats for my boiler heat. How do you guys have yours set? For example what time do you have it raise or drop and how does it affect your wood consumption. Before I buy the two Thermostats I want to make sure it's worth the money time and trouble. I have two units so I would need 2 Thermostats. And also I now have separate thermostats for heat pump and boiler so in reality now I have 4 thermostats. Thinking of installing a thermostat that will control ac, heat pump, and boiler all from one thermostat. Any suggestion on a particular brand or model that works best for all this I've thrown at you is appreciated.

12
Equipment / Chainsaw oils both bar and 2cycle
« on: November 17, 2017, 04:40:44 PM »
In your honest opinions, is the higher priced name brand oils that much better. Especially bar oil at half the price at Rural King than major brands. Is the stihl and husky 2 cycle oils that much better?

13
Folks I'm having all it'll trouble with my boiler just not blazing up right. It takes forever to get it from 170 to 180 and it just isn't blazing up. I open the door and it's a low flame and the longer the door is open the more it blazes up. Shouldn't it be blazing more with door closed and blower on than blower off and door open. My wood is hardwoods oak hickory and locust that have been cut couple years. Most is dry with some getting wet when it rains. I checked the flu stack and it's clear. I always thought if blower goes out it just quits. Could it be getting weak?

14
Equipment / Chain repair
« on: November 01, 2017, 06:05:32 AM »
Is there a simple tool or device used to take saw chains apart and put them back together. We don't have very many if any saw shops in my county here in Ky. The last one went out of buisness last year. I'd like to be able to repair my own. I have a chain right now that's too long and need couple links took out. If any of you know a tool that's affordable for what I'm talking about I would appreciate It.

15
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Pump quit working
« on: October 26, 2017, 04:05:12 PM »
Wife called today while I was at work and said the house was cooling down and duct blowers running continuous. I had her go out and read the temp for me on the boiler. It was 180. Oh no I said. New it was something costly. My question is this boiler had a Wilo on it went they installed and it's a small one(10gpm and 10 feet high capable.) I really don't know why I hadn't already had trouble. The run is only 75 feet however it travels up the brick wall on outside the house and through the attic to the air handlers. It then  y's off and travels through separate heat exchangers. What would you recommend for pumps as far as size, brand, etc. I called the company I bought the boiler from and they did it should at least be a 25-30gpm. I wish they would have told me 3 years ago when I bought it new. Probably shouldn't have lasted this long. The reason for the attic run is there is no crawl space or basement  in my house. Whole house sits on concrete slab. All 5400 sqft. All ducts and air handlers are in attic.

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