Print

[mikenc]

Just ordered furnace 2/19 2009. Dealer said should have it next week. I had ordered a furnace from a someone else December 1,2008 and had not received yet. Canceled order yesterday. Already have concrete pad poured and piping roughed into pad for other boiler. I am hoping I can make hook up of piping and electrical with out having to break up concrete.
Not sure yet. Rough in is 12 inches in on right side 6 inches in from back. Piping comes up in 6 inch PVC pipe on 45deg. angle. Dim. Are to edge of PVC pipe. Not sure how I will get Furnace off trailer and on to pad yet either without going to expense of hiring boom truck to set unit.Hopeing to here from other Natures Comfort owners how there installation went.

[ckbetz]

I wonder if you could use some concrete blocks to raise the unit up on your pad 18" or so to help with your clearances?  I've found from myself and others that it's kinda nice to have the firebox a tad higher anyway. 

I was lucky when my furnace was delivered, although not a Nature's Comfort.  The dealer had a very nice trailer with a boom, kinda like a vault trailer.  He dropped it right in place.

[MarkP]

If you do need help in lifting it down to your concrete, you might check into a local wrecker service.  They usually have an extendable boom that can handle the weight of the stove, and they will definately be cheaper than renting a boom truck.  We use them changing "loaded" tractor tires that weigh almost as much as a stove.  Very little expense.

[Jason]

My Hardy dealer had an excellent setup.  He had this old (probably mid 80's) F250 with big wide tires and what looked to be a homemade flat bed with a small boom rigged up on the back.  He just unstrapped the furnace and swung it into place.  I believe he built the whole rig himself.

[Scratch]

I have to move mine come spring.  I just barely got it off the trailer, and where it sat is where it's at right now.  I still have to pour my pad and bury by lines.  My neighbor has a pretty good sized skid loader, it's lifting capacity is 2000 pounds.  But with my CB6048 at.............. (can't remember).......more than that, we had to have a neighbor bring his tractor over, put his bucket on the skid loaders rear tire to hold it down, then lift with the skid and slide the trailer out.

Not sure how we're gonna move it the 20 some feet over to where I have planned...

I'll have to keep an eye on this thread.....

[mikenc]

I think I will check about the wrecker idea Markp mentioned and see if there is one close by. Went and borrowed trailer that sits close to ground yesterday. Thing about adding blocks to. I like the idea of door being at least waist high. Speaking of that does anyone have a log loader to load heavy logs into furnace? Seen video one on web a few weeks back of one, made it look easy.

[Jason]

I just split my logs down into manageable chunks.  My wife has trouble with her wrists that prevents her from throwing big chunks into the furnace.  In any given load of wood, I split some into little pieces that she can handle and then I split some into bigger chunks that I can toss on that are a little quicker to load than all the little bitty stuff.  Anything less than about 8" goes in whole.  I've put in 1' plus rounds before, though, and I honestly believe it burns better if it's split, even just once.

[MarkP]

I've thougth several times about building a lift to at least get the wood to the door, but I think it might be too difficult to get it stacked inside the stove.  My stove is near my garage, so I have a good air supply for a pneumatic lift, or even a small electric winch would work well.  I have 4 ruptured discs, and a titanium plate in my neck, so I have to split my wood fairly small to be able to get it in.  A 6" round 24" long is about my max.   A 12" round gets split into 4 pieces. 

I did see one once with a very wide door, that looked like a pallet burner.  The guy loaded the wood in rounds with his tractor onto 2 old railroad tracks elevated in front of the door.  He had "dogs" operated by levers that allowed the wood to roll down the tracks once he threw the lever, and another lever that stopped the next log.  You are limited to using rounds only with his set-up, but it worked for him.

Any ideas?

[mikenc]

Mark I came across this sight a little while back. It dosen't look like it would be to hard to build.Looks like it would sure save the back. Check it out when you get a chance.
http://www.stoveloader.com/

[MarkP]

Looks do-able,,,, I will check it out.

THANKS!!

[sstan]

Wish I could help .. I had my NCB-175 put on a trailer at the dealer and my buddy had a skid steer that we used to unload onto the pad .. then just nudged it into place.

steve

[mikenc]

Well installation went much easier than expected. Dealer loaded NCB 175 with forklift onto  trailer I borrowed from my brother in- law.  I borrowed some equipment rollers from my work place. Jacked up unit and placed equipment rollers under legs. The trailer I borrowed had a tilt bed which made things easier. Hooked come along to legs and just started rolling unit to rear allowing trailer to tilt onto concrete pad, while letting off of come along. Rolled unit right onto pad, set in place in less than a hour.

Made piping and electrical connections and had fire in fire box by late afternoon. Took about 3 hours to get unit to 150 deg from cold start up. Fan came set to 1/2 inch opening which seemed to allow to much heat to be blown out chimney. I changed it to 1/4 inch which seemed to work ok. Boiler worked great Saturday night all day sunday keeping water at 150 with no problem. Weather not to cold. This morning and last night was a different story. Temp this morning out side 20deg. with 0 deg wind chill water temp down to 110 this morning. Only changes I made late sunday afternoon was insulation added to underside of OWB and added some insulation inside back off access panel to cover piping holes in floor.
Really don't know what has happened. Still had wood in unit this morning added more at 6:00am.  Blower was running but fire in fire box did not seem to be as hot as previous day. 
Water temp only up to 130  31/2 hours  latter. Really don't know what to do.Turned off unit heater in basement to reduce load.

New owner so any suggestions will be helpful. NCB 175 should heat my house with no problem only 1800 sq. ft. with full basement.

[Firebug]

Mike

Your problems with your NC-175 sound just like mine only you have yet to go through the whole heating season yet.  I have already gone through 40 face cords of wood and I'm thinking of changing back to oil to close out the season.  Every single morning that it is not unseasonably warm my temp in the boiler is 30-40 degrees below what it is set at.  The boiler spends all morning trying to recover.  When it's cold I load more than my typical 3x per day because I need to start with such small wood just to get it going.  I have had several heating experts look at my situation and have replaced several things on the boiler itself but nothing seams to work.  After buying the boiler I have spent several hundred dollars just trying to make it work like it should. 

On some cold days I let the inside oil boiler heat the water up inside and in the OWB boiler to give it a chance for the rest of the day.  This has been a very frustrating winter to say the least. 

PS I'm trying to heat a 2000 SF home with a stove approved for 4000 SF and it's not even coming close to working. 

[sstan]

I'm not sure whay your saying.. there was wood in the boiler but the fire was not hot?  I can tell you a couple things to try .. I took a 3/8 pipe and cut it to 12 inches.  Laid them in the slotes between the fire brick.  I found the slots were too wide and the coals fell trough to easily.  I know a layer of coals in the bottem helps keep my fire longer .. but I had problems of fires burrning out .. not burning hot enough!  If you have and cheasnut coal try a shovel or two with your wood .. the cucks burn nice and also keep the ash base from falling in the ash pan too soon.

steve

[mikenc]

 I had installed 1/2 pipe instead of 3/8 in slots between fire brick in grate to narrow space  so large chunks of coals could not fall through. Come to find out they were not allowing enough air to pass through. Slots had become clogged with ash . I called my dealer and he suggested I remove them. Also told me to place piece of 11/2 pipe in rear slot toward smoke pipe.Since removing them I have not any problems. Aquastate set at 150 and has maintained 150 with no problem. Full load of wood at night all I can get in front, about half as much during day. This afternoon I placed some pieces of 1/2 inch rebar (much smaller than 1/2 pipe since I didn't have any 3/8 pipe laying around) between firebrick to see if this will cutdown on the size of coals falling into ash pan.
I guess I am still in the learing curve of OWB operation. Some of the wood I have been burning has not dried out enough though. Has  been cut since November 2007. Some ok other to wet. Dad (he's 91)says some was cut during wrong sign. He says you should only cut down trees during  light nights. Maybe so, all I know is some has caused inside of boiler to cresote up real bad. Will have to clean come spring. Don't have any coal to try wish I did. I plan on finding some before next winter and give it a try. NCB-175 working great know!!!