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[jrider]

I don't really know much about my settings because the guy who installed it took care of everything.  I do know its set at 180 with a dif. of 10.  I live in south Jersey where temps have been 65-70 last 5 days and fire hasn't gone out once.  Nor do I get any dark smoke when it fires up/shuts down.  Don't know if something was done right or I am just lucky??  I guess time will tell if I start to develop issues I can't fix.

I think I am getting some creosote in the burn box though...its the black stuff that accumulates on the interior walls and door that peels off like burnt potato chips?  Not sure if my wood isn't dry enough, the warm weather, or just something to expect naturally?

[Ridgekid]

You can expect higher creosote build-up when you are not getting "burns" regularly. As soon as it gets colder and you do get more burns you'll note the smoke is brownish in color. That's the "potato chips" burning.

BTW- Cold front is on the way..... 32 F here this morning in Western PA.

[jrider]

Thanks Ridgekid.  I kind of figured the burnt potato chip thing was natural but is nice to hear from someone else.  I will look for that smoke you mentioned but with this gasification burner, I struggle to see any smoke coming out of the stack.  In fact I usually listen for the fan to tell if its even burning or not.
Funny thing about the lack of smoke - I only live on an acre and half in a development and my one curious neighbor came over asking about it on the day of install.  2 weeks later when I was stacking wood he came over to ask when I was firing it up.  When I told him its been running for the last 2 weeks he looked pleasantly suprised and said he didn't see or smell any smoke at all.

[Ridgekid]

That's awesome. I love hearing stories like that. 

It's the stories about "smokers" in residential neighborhoods that get under my skin. That's when I ask myself "What was that dealer thinking!!"

[martyinmi]

Bill-
   A tool like I've fabricated won't work on the horizontal tubes as they are a welded construction.
   My De Walt drill spun my cutter without an issue.
   No one of the three of us have added anything to ours recently. All of our boilers ran over when we first fired them up- both times(mid Oct. then again late Oct.)
   We've all bumped our set points up to 185 or higher(the exception being last night-read below). These machines seem to like to work hard and hot.
jrider-
   My neighbor across the road came over during the first week of November and asked when I would fire up my "new toy". I told him to listen for the fan, and that it had been running already for close to a month. He said "I thought I seen heat waves or something, but I figured it was an optical illusion".
Skyking-
   I lowered my set point to 175* and raised my differential to 15 last night around 9:00 for an experiment. Ended up being late for work by a few minutes because fire nearly went out. Temperature was down to 144* at 6:00 am. Took me 35 minutes to get it to gasify again. My set point is now 190* and my differential is back to 6. That extra expansion and contraction of the metal cannot be good for it with such a big differential, especially if it appears to contribute to fires going out. I'll be talking to Rory tomorrow or Friday(cracked firebrick in doors) and I'll give him my report.

   Have you guys sent in your water samples yet? Ours all came back  low. We've adjusted and are sending new ones in the next few days.

   Marty
   

[Bill G]

Marty,

      Thanks for your informitive reply.  It's cooler the last few days, and I've kept a fire for 48 hrs w/4 fillings.  Not full, but 6-8 splits added.

      I don't believe I'm working it hard enough during daytime, and that's my troubles.  House is only 11 yrs old and very well built/insul.

      I added water to get gauge to top and 3 days gone by and we're registering in the middle.  But, see zero on concrete slab this time around.  When it was the coldest morning, I did see a bit of steam vaporizing above guage, and wonder if maybe that is where I may be losing a bit?  I would think 2-3 minutes a running my fill line can't be adding a great deal a water??  Still hoping against hope that there isn't a problem.  But, then again, with my luck there is a problem somewhere. 

      Just haven't found the time to get into it yet.  And I NEED to get that water sample sent out SOON. 

      If you guys never added a drop a h2o, mine is going somewhere.  Better not be an underground event, as that logstor stuff appears Grade A.  Certainly didn't drop any boulders or harm it in any way during install. 

      I'll be hunting deer next 3 days, so it all goes to back burner....s*****w it!

Bill

[skyking]

Bill,  I noticed when I filled mine that  the dif. between low level line and upper fill line is only 2 or 3 gallons.  You might not have a problem.  Mine  is down a little bit, but not enough to add.  Boyd

[Bill G]

Boyd,

Noticed that also, that just a minute or 2 and we're right back up there.  Quite possibly evaporation.  Seeing as it is still "new", I suppose just over-analizing.  (how's that for spelling???) 

Glad to have feed-back from you gents, as it puts me at ease some. 

Mr. Jrider, sorry to have hi-jacked your thread! We all got a good chunk of change tied up in these units/systems and it don't take much to over react.  Hope all is well in your neck a the woods.

Bill