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1

WoodMaster / Re: loading and operating Wood master 5500

« on: January 03, 2015, 01:26:01 PM »

Thanks for the info.  This is my first full season of burning with the 5500.  I installed last February when propane soared to over 4.00 gallon.  When you put in the two rows, how high do you stack them?  I have tried using longer pieces and having one large load in the middle of the stove but my firebox is so large it just seems like I need more wood.  I have been getting good 10-14 hour burns with temps in the teens.  This week we are expecting highs to be below zero so I am sure I will go through some wood this week.  Have you found that larger pieces burn better/longer or keep all pieces roughly the same size for better loading?

Once again, thanks for the help. 

2

WoodMaster / loading and operating Wood master 5500

« on: January 01, 2015, 12:10:58 PM »

Happy New year everyone...

For those running a Woodmaster 5500, where and how do you load your wood stove?

How: Size of wood, amount of wood, stacked in wood stove?

Where:  With the 2 blower fans on the 5500, where is the best spot to locate the fire in the firebox?  Middle, front, back? 2 stacks of wood?

Also, how often do you stir and empty the ashes?

Any other hints for using your 5500 would be greatly appreciated and I am sure others would like to learn as well.

Thanks for all of your help and comments...Happy Heating!

3

Plumbing / Re: Circulator sizing

« on: January 01, 2015, 10:19:35 AM »

Good info, but every time I search this site, it gives me new ideas and doubts my current setup.  As far has pump size, after reading this, I feel I have to small of a pump.  i have a taco 011 on my wood master 5500.  I am heating 5,000 sq feet of new well insulated home.   I tried calculating head loss and seem to have a very very high number.

BTU calculations: around 250,000
1.00" pex
Stove is 125 feet from house
25 feet from house to water heater
50 feet from water heater to forced air furnace.

I have the maverick temp on my supply and return lines at the water to air exchange in the furnace.These are installed on the copper fittings and insulated)  I get about a 9 degree drop from reading at boiler to inside house at furnace.  When the furnace is running, I see about a 15 degree drop from supply to return temps. When there is a call for hot water and air, return temps get to around 110-120.

I believe I should have another pump or at least another pump.  Stove is about 8 feet below exchangers in the house.

Any thoughts?

4

WoodMaster / Re: Temp settings in hew high efficiency house

« on: November 17, 2014, 06:37:46 PM »

Is there one you would recommend?  Also would I put the pump after I tee off the return line or should I put the pump on the main 1.00 line some where?

5

WoodMaster / Re: Temp settings in hew high efficiency house

« on: November 16, 2014, 07:24:29 PM »

Slimjim,  if I added 2- 200 foot loops off of my return line, will I need to install another pump?  What I was thinking was tee off the return line and run one loop right when the lines enter the house and then another one right after it leaves the coil in the forced air furnace.  I looked at the ultra fins and will be going with this option.  My only concern would be that by adding the additional loops and length to the return that my flow will be screwed up.  Should I look at adding anything else other than the tee fittings and shut off valves in case the loops do not work?

6

WoodMaster / Re: Temp settings in hew high efficiency house

« on: October 28, 2014, 09:32:22 AM »

Thanks for the reply.  As far as running the lines, here is what I was thinking:

Tee into my 1" PEX with the off tee going down to 1/2"  I would install a shut off here just incase it doesn't work as planned or is too hot in mild weather.  I was planning on running 1 300 foot loop and then coming back into the 1.00" PEX.

Would I be better to TEE into my supply or return line?  I am thinking Return line???

Would I need to look into a bigger pump?

7

WoodMaster / Temp settings in hew high efficiency house

« on: October 27, 2014, 08:38:04 PM »

Good evening all and happy heating season...I have a woodmaster 5500 heating close to 5000 sq feet.  I installed the unit last winter and have worked out many of the bugs I had posted about last year.  Currently our air temps are in the 40's and lows in the 20's. My forced air furnace will not run all day in the house which I like, but I feel I am "wasting" wood as the house is not calling for any heat.  Last year I suggested adding a few extra loops off of my return line to help heat the floor and use the heat that my air furnace is not calling for.  I have an exposed basement so adding lines would be fairly straight forward.

First question is should I change me water temps from 170 high with a 10 deg diff?

Also adding a few loops of 1/2 pex be a easy quick good idea? 

8

General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Using supply/return lines for in floor heat

« on: March 26, 2014, 12:39:53 PM »

Thank you all for the great information...this site has been more than helpful with all the great people on here.  Thanks again.

Is there a picture or install manual on any of this information?  If I gather what everyone is saying, this is possible, but will take a little extra money and work to make it right.   

If I need to add another circulator pump where would this be located in the run?  Also where do I install the return/supply manifold.  Running the loops off of the manifold seem fairly straight forward.  Also, as far as temperature sensors, are these used with the manifold for each loop?

9

General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Using supply/return lines for in floor heat

« on: March 25, 2014, 08:36:32 PM »

To control the heat, I would then need to add the zones, thermostats, and mixing valves?  Any good sources for doing this the traditional way? 

10

General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Using supply/return lines for in floor heat

« on: March 25, 2014, 08:10:10 PM »

I am looking to only add supplemental heat from the in floor so my furnace will still be the primary.  Could I tee off of the 1.00 pex return line and run 2 separate 200 foot runs between my joist before returning to the boiler?  I like my house to be warm and I still have some cool areas.  I would keep the runs away from the thermostat so I would not interfere with the furnace kicking on.  My thought was tee into the return line 4 places -- creating 2 loops.  Is this even a possibility or do I need more pumps and a manifold of such?  Or could I tee into the supply and also the return?

11

General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Using supply/return lines for in floor heat

« on: March 24, 2014, 07:25:54 PM »

I am using a woodmaster 5500 to heat about 5,000 square feet new construction.  I have a forced air furnace but wish I would have done in floor.  My lines coming into the house run directly under my master bath and warms the tile nicely.  What would be the easiest and best way to use this warm water to heat more of my floors?  Can I loop the return lines into a few spots in the house to warm the floor above these lines?  The basement is unfinished so getting between the floor joists is no problem.  I looked at in floor heating systems but am unsure of everything I would need or if the indoor pex from the wood boiler is sufficient.  How long can your supply and return lines be?  The would boiler is about 175 feet from the house plus 75 feet from where it enters the house to the furnace. 

12

Plumbing / Re: Major temp loss with new install

« on: March 10, 2014, 01:12:40 PM »

I taped a thermometer to the pex at several areas inside the house.  All readings were basically the same as the Ranco temp display which is still 20 degrees cooler than the reading at the stove.  Today I am going to do this outside by the boiler to see if the heat loss is happening from the stove to the house. 

As far as air in the lines, would I be safe to open the valve and run water out the top of the vent to know it is full of water?

13

Plumbing / Re: Major temp loss with new install

« on: March 09, 2014, 07:27:32 PM »

 It is a gea plate heat exchanger.  I have an inline valve that I can use to fill up the stove from this location.  This is right at the hot water heater. The pump is at the owb.  With no need. For heat, I feel the temp difference is around 20 degrees.  I am send a pic of the setup if that would help.

14

Plumbing / Re: Major temp loss with new install

« on: March 09, 2014, 06:53:09 PM »

Outdoor lines are thermoplex at 10.00/ft.  The supply line does run through the dhw first.  Could this be taking the heat first before the hx at the furance?  If there is air in the lines what can be done?

15

Plumbing / Re: Major temp loss with new install

« on: March 09, 2014, 06:41:46 PM »

Just checked again and owb is 170 and inside temp before hx is 150.  No demand for heat in the house.  The pump is a taco 011 with 1.00 lines in the house. I am going to check the temp tomorrow at various spots on the run...where it enters the house, leaves the owb, enters hx at dhw and where it leaves the hx at the furnace.