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1
Empyre / RUNNING BETTER THAN EVER and USAGE AMOUNTS
« on: February 27, 2015, 07:37:14 AM »
This is my 7th winter running my empyre (aspen) OWB and somehow I have learned how to run it. I struggled the first two years and took notes
every night on how i loaded it and what problems I had. It was always something. So far this has been a really good winter. I think the keys are:
1) letting the fire burn down all the way and not mixing the coals and ashes to much.
2) I push a thin rod down the two front slots from time to time to keep that clean.
3) I use good clean and dry split wood. I mix big pieces with little ones and a couple round ones as well. 24" long.
4) I also spray marvels mystery oil into my fan when it starts to stick.
5) I do not use the flapper kit on my blower anymore.
6) My water temp is set for 183 degrees.
I live in Maine and this has been our coldest February on record and I still get almost 12 hours burn time on one load. This includes
my hot water. I started running this boiler at Christmas and I have used about 3.5 cords of wood thus far. My house is 3100 sq feet
plus my full basement is above 70 degrees as well. I plan on using another 3 cords from now through may 1st. That would be a
total of 6.5 cords for 4 months. That would be 1.6 cords per month or .4 cords per week. This is more than the last few years
but it has been colder as well.
every night on how i loaded it and what problems I had. It was always something. So far this has been a really good winter. I think the keys are:
1) letting the fire burn down all the way and not mixing the coals and ashes to much.
2) I push a thin rod down the two front slots from time to time to keep that clean.
3) I use good clean and dry split wood. I mix big pieces with little ones and a couple round ones as well. 24" long.
4) I also spray marvels mystery oil into my fan when it starts to stick.
5) I do not use the flapper kit on my blower anymore.
6) My water temp is set for 183 degrees.
I live in Maine and this has been our coldest February on record and I still get almost 12 hours burn time on one load. This includes
my hot water. I started running this boiler at Christmas and I have used about 3.5 cords of wood thus far. My house is 3100 sq feet
plus my full basement is above 70 degrees as well. I plan on using another 3 cords from now through may 1st. That would be a
total of 6.5 cords for 4 months. That would be 1.6 cords per month or .4 cords per week. This is more than the last few years
but it has been colder as well.
2
Empyre / Re: On the Wood Again!
« on: January 31, 2015, 05:33:59 PM »
do you know why it leaked? did it freeze?
3
Empyre / Re: How are the Empyre boilers running?
« on: January 31, 2015, 05:31:21 PM »
This is my 7th year with my aspen outdoor wood boiler made by pro fab and I can say so far it has been the best year. The first few years i struggled with a lot of things but i have
found that by using marvel mystery oil on my blower from time to time it works much better. It does not condensate in the blower box since i removed the flapper kit as well. I also
followed the direction sent to me by pro fab on how to re seal my front door and that works well. I also have found that you don't want to stir the ashes to much or the slots at the bottom plug
up. i simply scrape the sides and re load it. I also use a 1/2" copper pipe once per month to clean the flue chambers in the back. I put a 3/4" female adapter at the end of the copper
to push the ash out the front. Much easier than a brush. I use a flex brush for the vertical tubes. I also have found white ash to be the best wood for me here in maine.
found that by using marvel mystery oil on my blower from time to time it works much better. It does not condensate in the blower box since i removed the flapper kit as well. I also
followed the direction sent to me by pro fab on how to re seal my front door and that works well. I also have found that you don't want to stir the ashes to much or the slots at the bottom plug
up. i simply scrape the sides and re load it. I also use a 1/2" copper pipe once per month to clean the flue chambers in the back. I put a 3/4" female adapter at the end of the copper
to push the ash out the front. Much easier than a brush. I use a flex brush for the vertical tubes. I also have found white ash to be the best wood for me here in maine.
4
Empyre / Re: Caution with the Blower Flapper repair kit
« on: April 27, 2014, 07:17:05 PM »
I have now used this boiler for 6 years and as a plumber I am also the one who installed it. I have worked on most parts of this boiler.
I have gone through three fans and then was told about the flapper kit. I have used that only one year and have had that thick buildup
several of times. During the first five years I would check the blower box and it was almost always clean and dry. The kit helps the fan situation
but has made the blower box wet with creosote that has rusted the box all around. I will have to take off the outer jacket and cut the box off and re weld
all the metal i can reach. I hope to get another year or two out of this boiler. I have been talking to pro fab for several years about all these things but
we have never come up with an answer. My front door has also rusted out. every year i fill it with concrete and weld what i can just to get by without buying a new door for
a few hundred bucks.
Thanks for all info.
I have gone through three fans and then was told about the flapper kit. I have used that only one year and have had that thick buildup
several of times. During the first five years I would check the blower box and it was almost always clean and dry. The kit helps the fan situation
but has made the blower box wet with creosote that has rusted the box all around. I will have to take off the outer jacket and cut the box off and re weld
all the metal i can reach. I hope to get another year or two out of this boiler. I have been talking to pro fab for several years about all these things but
we have never come up with an answer. My front door has also rusted out. every year i fill it with concrete and weld what i can just to get by without buying a new door for
a few hundred bucks.
Thanks for all info.
5
Empyre / Caution with the Blower Flapper repair kit
« on: April 26, 2014, 07:13:46 PM »
This is a kit that pro fab made to fix the problem of smoke drifting back to the blower and causing it to fail.
Since I put this bolt on kit on the back of my aspen 175 I have not had as many problems with my blower
but there is now a huge build up of wet thick creosote in the blower chamber and this has rusted out the metal sides.
I have since taken the kit off as to stop any further damage. I would buy a central the next time around. The
customer service at pro fab never truly fixes anything. This would be similar to the emypre pro 400
Since I put this bolt on kit on the back of my aspen 175 I have not had as many problems with my blower
but there is now a huge build up of wet thick creosote in the blower chamber and this has rusted out the metal sides.
I have since taken the kit off as to stop any further damage. I would buy a central the next time around. The
customer service at pro fab never truly fixes anything. This would be similar to the emypre pro 400
6
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Unreal
« on: November 25, 2013, 07:21:57 PM »
You must get political, it is a big issue with wood burning and not everyone understands wood.
We must all keep talking about politics and how it changes how we burn wood, so we can keep burning wood.
We must all keep talking about politics and how it changes how we burn wood, so we can keep burning wood.
7
Empyre / Re: Circualtion pumps
« on: November 01, 2013, 12:20:27 PM »
you need a circulator on both sides of the heat exchanger. The circulator on the wood boiler side usually always runs. match it to your friction calculations. The smaller the better. I use the grundfos three speed and use the middle setting using about .65 amps.
8
Fire Wood / Re: Cutting Trees Down
« on: October 22, 2012, 12:56:39 PM »
Studies by the Canadian government have shown that most, something like 95% of drying happens from the ends once the wood is cut to length.
Splitting does not add that much to the drying. Some of course. A green tree in a 10 foot length will be green a year later except for perhaps a bit on either end.
I would not wait with birch. That will rot quickly and should be cut and split soon. Red oak takes a long time to dry, two years once cut but will not rot in tree form for many years.
Green wood is much easier to cut and split. White ash has the least amount of moisture when cut fresh and will sit in log form a couple years. A bit harder on a chain than other wood.
That study on wood drying is available on line through the Canadian government website.
Splitting does not add that much to the drying. Some of course. A green tree in a 10 foot length will be green a year later except for perhaps a bit on either end.
I would not wait with birch. That will rot quickly and should be cut and split soon. Red oak takes a long time to dry, two years once cut but will not rot in tree form for many years.
Green wood is much easier to cut and split. White ash has the least amount of moisture when cut fresh and will sit in log form a couple years. A bit harder on a chain than other wood.
That study on wood drying is available on line through the Canadian government website.
9
Empyre / how are things running
« on: January 22, 2012, 05:57:19 AM »
anyone having problems with their empyre, curious about your wood consumption? l
Let me know, perhaps I can help.
Let me know, perhaps I can help.
10
General Discussion / Re: Standby generators.
« on: May 12, 2011, 07:53:59 PM »
I put a 10,000 watt generac in this past January. I went with generac because there are hundreds in the area. Not so many of any other brand. I have a 2500 sq foot house and a 600 sq foot garage and I can power my entire house with the 10,000 watt unit. If you spec it out the way the companies have you do it you would waste a ton of money buying a huge generator. I had an 8,000 watt portable and I plugged it into my house via a manual disconnect and turned on everything I would use (no 220 stuff) and it only used about 5500 watts on the meter. I did all the work myself and I installed two 420# propane tanks. That way if I loose power there is enough propane to run the house for a week if i were not here. It also works good in really cold weather. The colder the weather the more propane(volume) you need to produce enough btu's from the propane. My system comes on every monday at 2:00 PM for a 20 minute test and I did loose power once this winter and it worked perfectly.
11
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: WOOD USAGE
« on: April 22, 2011, 07:38:16 PM »
thats not bad for an old farm house with no insulation, as oil prices go up we all (OWB Owners) look smart.
12
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: WOOD USAGE
« on: April 19, 2011, 08:29:17 AM »
From Dec 09,2010 -April 09,2011 I used a little over 6 cords. It averages about 1 and 1/3 cord per month for all of my heat and hot water during that time. It was a cold year here in Maine this year. House with garage = 3100 sq feet plus an 1100 sq foot basement and all hot water. That is my house in the profile photo.
Aspen 175 gasification wood boiler.
My neighbor has a central non gasification boiler and uses twice the wood I do for a house half the size.
Aspen 175 gasification wood boiler.
My neighbor has a central non gasification boiler and uses twice the wood I do for a house half the size.
13
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / WOOD USAGE
« on: March 15, 2011, 07:59:17 PM »
From Dec 9,2010 - March 9,2011 I used 5 cords of wood to heat a two story house 2500 sq ft plus basement and a 600 sq foot garage and my hot water. This was a cold winter here in maine with a lot of wind and snow. Now I am using much less, I think when it is all over I will use 7 cords and stop the first week in may.
Like to hear what other people used and how cold it was at their house.
Like to hear what other people used and how cold it was at their house.
14
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: owb inside garage...? suggestions
« on: March 15, 2011, 07:50:23 PM »
you will want to be sure you have a real strong fan mounted above the door, every OWB I have seen or installed lets out smoke when the door is open, enough to be a problem, i am planning on doing something similar but i am building a hood over the boiler with a strong fan to draw all the smoke out and up away from me.
15
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: smoke roll out
« on: February 02, 2011, 05:28:56 PM »
A friend of mine has a set up that i will do next year. He built a shed over half his wood boiler and by the door is a large exhaust fan that he puts on when he opens the door.His wood is inside and he has lights and windows in the shed. The smoke stack is on the outside of the structure. Nice setup.