Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?

Username: Password:

Author Topic: Can't get her going this year (E-Classic 2400)  (Read 3658 times)

DeerMeadowFarm

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 55
  • OWF Brand: Central Boiler
  • OWF Model: E-Classic 2400
    • View Profile
Can't get her going this year (E-Classic 2400)
« on: November 20, 2018, 08:34:39 AM »

Yet another struggle with my OWB. I did a complete cleaning a month ago and due to other projects etc. I wasn't able to start it for the season until now.

First thing I noticed was that the blower wasn't working. Fortunately, I had a spare so I was able to replace that.

I have good, seasoned wood, but it was wet since it had rained most of the day. I dug through the stack to get some drier pieces from the middle. I used a lot of bone-dry kindling and paper. Lit the fire and it seemed to start. I ran it with the by-pass open for quite a while and closed it when it got to 450 or so. Then it proceeded to choke itself out.

I stirred up the coals and repositioned the wood. It seemed like it may have bridged. Ran it with the bypass open again until it got to mid-400's, shut the bypass and it again choked itself out over the course of an hour at best.

I know the wood was wet-ish, but by the second time I tried the wood was good and dried. Fuel, air and ignition source is all that fire needs. I think my air may be the issue? When the door is open for loading, the small tube on the lower air supply elbow is open and I can see/feel/hear air coming out of the air charge tube.

When the door is closed, the upper air supply elbow is open. When is the larger tube on the lower air supply elbow supposed to open?

It seems to me, that until the water gets to temperature, all the tubes should be open and blowing a ton of air in there no? The water temp only reached 110 degrees... Any help/suggestions?
Logged

Roger2561

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1780
  • OWF Brand: Central Boiler
  • OWF Model: Classic Edge 550 HD
    • View Profile
Re: Can't get her going this year (E-Classic 2400)
« Reply #1 on: November 20, 2018, 09:35:15 AM »

Have you removed the primary and secondary air elbows that allows air into the firebox to see if there is a creosote buildup in the elbows as well as the tube leading into the air channel?  When I had the E-Classic 1400 that's the first place I looked for an obstruction when it came to the fire not getting going.  Are the solenoids opening to allow air into the firebox?  It may be stuck.  Roger
Logged
CB Classic Edge 550 HD
JD Tractor 4500 4X4 with front-end loader
JD LX277AWS
Stihl 021
Stihl MS 311
Cud Cadet 27 Ton Wood splitter
2012 Honda Goldwing GL1800
New Hampshire

DeerMeadowFarm

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 55
  • OWF Brand: Central Boiler
  • OWF Model: E-Classic 2400
    • View Profile
Re: Can't get her going this year (E-Classic 2400)
« Reply #2 on: November 20, 2018, 11:41:14 AM »

Yes, I pulled both elbows when I cleaned it. I have visibly confirmed that the upper air supply elbow solenoid is working. I have also verified that the small tube on the lower air supply elbow opens, but I have not seen the large tube solenoid open; at what point should that open?
Logged

boilerman

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 270
  • OWF Brand: Central Boiler
  • OWF Model: E2400 Currently CL5648 Previously
    • View Profile
Re: Can't get her going this year (E-Classic 2400)
« Reply #3 on: November 20, 2018, 08:10:10 PM »

When you start a burn cycle the fan runs and the top solenoid/elbow opens putting air into the firebox air channels. At reaction chamber temp 550 the the stage 2 solenoid below opens and at 750 the stage 3 solenoid below also opens both putting air into the charge tube blowing down into reaction chamber (all three open) I can't remember for sure but when the loading door is open I think both the stage 2 and stage 3 solenoids should be open with stage 1 closed. When starting my first fire I fill the firebox 2/3 full of dry kindling (nothing over 2 inches across) and light with paper underneath. Burn with bypass open for 50 minutes, then add more kindling and some medium size wood on top, close firebox door and bypass immeadiately. Reaction chamber temp should then start rising quickly. If the fire goes out at that point you have an airflow issue. Operation is simply fan running and top solenoid open. Confirm visually then close the airbox tight with clips. If those are doing there job, you need to follow the airflow throughout the airflow passage and find what is plugged up. In elbow, through firebox air channels, down through coal bed into reaction chamber, up through exchangers, through chimney tee, up chimney and out through spart arrestor if used. Let us know what you find. (Note - I always oiled my fan at the end of every season during final cleanup)
Logged

DeerMeadowFarm

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 55
  • OWF Brand: Central Boiler
  • OWF Model: E-Classic 2400
    • View Profile
Re: Can't get her going this year (E-Classic 2400)
« Reply #4 on: November 21, 2018, 06:34:37 AM »

Well, I got home from work yesterday and found that the boiler burnt down to coals even though I shut the power off and left the bypass open. I ohmmed out the solenoids and they all read between 22-24 ohms which is within the spec of 15-30 ohms that CB claims they should be. I turned the power back on and loaded the boiler back up. It appeared to run well all night and this morning we had a bed of coals again and the water temp was 180. I loaded it up and headed off to work. Fingers crossed....
Logged

Roger2561

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1780
  • OWF Brand: Central Boiler
  • OWF Model: Classic Edge 550 HD
    • View Profile
Re: Can't get her going this year (E-Classic 2400)
« Reply #5 on: November 21, 2018, 06:29:19 PM »

Well, I got home from work yesterday and found that the boiler burnt down to coals even though I shut the power off and left the bypass open. I ohmmed out the solenoids and they all read between 22-24 ohms which is within the spec of 15-30 ohms that CB claims they should be. I turned the power back on and loaded the boiler back up. It appeared to run well all night and this morning we had a bed of coals again and the water temp was 180. I loaded it up and headed off to work. Fingers crossed....

Please keep us posted as to how it operated during the day.  Perhaps unplugging, plugging the connectors on to the solenoids simply cleaned any minor corrosion on them.  It doesn't take much at times to make something work right.  Roger
Logged
CB Classic Edge 550 HD
JD Tractor 4500 4X4 with front-end loader
JD LX277AWS
Stihl 021
Stihl MS 311
Cud Cadet 27 Ton Wood splitter
2012 Honda Goldwing GL1800
New Hampshire

smithbr

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 95
  • OWF Brand: Central Boiler
  • OWF Model: E-Classic 1450
    • View Profile
Re: Can't get her going this year (E-Classic 2400)
« Reply #6 on: November 22, 2018, 05:03:23 AM »

If you continue to have intermittent issues that seem to be air-starving related, check those crimps carefully.  It's possible that either a crimp wasn't done tightly enough, leaving the wire wiggling loose within the metal body of the crimp, or that part of the wire insulation was within the compression zone of the crimp, reducing the quality of the crimp.  In the latter case, over time the insulation may work loose, which leaves the wire loose in the crimp again.
Either one is a classic way to introduce a poor connection, which will be sensitive to vibration, wire jostling, etc. and will give you no end of grief.
Blair
Logged