Outdoor Wood Furnace Info
Outdoor Furnaces - Manufacturers WITH EPA-Certified Models => Portage & Main => Topic started by: karlk on January 03, 2013, 10:16:22 AM
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Anyone change their nozzle yet?
How long did it last?
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Made my own by installing 1" firebrick on the bottom. Run a couple rows in front and back east/ west and then a couple in the middle north/ south with the required slot.
Been working great and easy too change. You will have too cut some of the brick to get them too fit right.
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I'm curious to know the size of the 250 nozzle, length and width of the opening.
Thinking about re-working the nozzle in my CB-2300.
Thanks,
Jeff
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I cast my own replacement nozzle out of castable refractory with some changes to the slot, works great.
Jeff I will post pictures and size later
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karlk- Cool, I look forward to seeing it.
thanks
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The pictures are attached, the approximate measurements are below:
11" long
4" wide
4" deep, tapered
1/4" on 4 sides
I work with refractories daily. If you could send me some sort of template I could make a nozzle for you. Possibly with some improvements.
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WOW, Karl!
That's slick! If you are ever interested in selling these, I'd be in for one per year depending on price. That seems to be the rate at which I'm wearing them out.
Also, it looks in your second photo that you've got the same phenomenon as me. At the bottom of the gasification flame there appears to be a build-up of some sort of solid material. It almost looks like the refractory from the nozzle is melting and being forced down there to form a reverse cone of formed refractory brick.
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Wow is right!
I have one from P&M that looks identical to the one that you've cast.
I tried casting one myself, but the refractory cement had been sitting for a year in the shop and for some reason never bonded properly(flaked apart).
You know, you could sell those for $100 each. :thumbup:
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It has some changes from the p&m nozzle,and could sell them for less than 100
pm me
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very nice, Has anyone cut there existing nozzle out? I know the new boiler design has a changable one.
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I cut mine out, not much fun. My original nozzle was worn quit a bit so there really was not a lot of material to remove.
I got a new nozzle from p&m to use as a guide, turned on the fan and put a shop vac in the lower chamber.
I used a 4 inch grinder with a diamond blade and tried to cut so the dust went down thru the opening
Wear a good dust mask
Really wasnt bad and took about an hour, now I can change my nozzle in minutes
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Has anyone changed the nozzle? How difficult is it to change it? I have burned one heating season and my nozzle has some serious wear on it and the stove is having difficulty gasifying now.
If you did change it, did you get one directly from Portage and Main or did you manufacture your own? Do you know if they cover the nozzle on warranty?
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Another update to my post:
I took a good look at the nozzle yesterday and there are signs of major deterioration. I cleaned it off with a gloved hand and picked at it with my fingers. To my surprise some major pieces were loose and came off! I don't know if it's poor manufacturing or whether one year is the lifespan of these nozzles.
I'm awaiting a call back from my dealer to see if they will replace it on warranty. I'm thinking it should be covered on warranty because the stove is not a year old.
I've put through about 18 full cords this year, so is this the lifespan I should expect from a nozzle?
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No you should be getting far more than one year out of the nozzle. chech with your local dealer to find the problem before you go to the trouble of replacing it. usually when the nozzle goes bad that soon it is caused by scraping out the nozzle with metal when the nozzle gets plugged, leave it alone and it will burn itself clean, if it does not then you have another hidden problem and that is moisture. Is your wood dry, do you have any air leaks around door gaskets or at the back of your distibution box (this will create lots of moisture within the firebox), creating wet ash that then plugs up the nozzle.
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Hi slimjim,
I haven't had issues with a plugged nozzle this winter and I haven't been scraping it out with any tools. My wood has been split and stacked for 2+ years and is fairly dry. It seems the entire nozzle has gone crumbly with big chunks breaking off.
My dealer rep has been out of the office so I haven't been able to speak with him about it yet.
In any case, do you know what the process is to replace it?
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Check to see if it is the newer version with the replacable nozzle, if it is simply smack it with a hammer and chisel on the side where it is thin and it will break free from the mortar, take out the peices and replace it with the new drop in nozzle, no need to remortar it. you may very well have gotten a poorly mixed batch of cement as they typically do not wear out for about 30 cords of wood. if it is one of the older units then PM me with your contact info and I can explain your options
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Wondering if this would work - nozzle is shot, so maybe instead of refractory, you just put in a really heavy metal plate in the bottom of the furnace with a slot in it the same size as the nozzle opening? would this work? maybe not as efficiently as a full fix, but not sure how to do the refractory thing, but a cutting torch - that's a different story...
input is appreciated.
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Some people have done the steel nozzle, from what I hear they wear out a little faster. I used to have a picture of the refractory brick nozzle, will see if I can dig it up later.
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Over at hearth forum many people have gone with a replaceable steel nozzle that they drop over the refractory. Seems like the consensus is that stainless holds up best, guys are getting a couple seasons out of them. I would think that the more refractory left the better combustion since the refractory itself aids in the secondary combustion.
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Great question Schavis. I'm not the most industrial guy out there and probably among the least in this forum so I have thought about this idea as well just haven't asked yet. So from the little feedback so far, it seems like a doable idea.
The smaller the plate the better though? What kind of thickness is suggested?
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I believe 1/2" stainless. As far as width I don't remember.
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I used to use the thickness of the poker that came with the stove. 5/8 3/4 maybe
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I made one once just to play with it. 1/8" thick stainless lasted more than one season. So 1/4" should last several. You won't cut stainless with a cutting torch though I'd think. Plasma or angle grinder.
Mild steel would burn up in a few months I'd guess.
Cut out a hole as big as the original hole was.
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You need to use unobtanium, will last longer than the stove, check Ebay.
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I'm currently trying to figure out a plate to put in place of a nozzle. I'm looking at half inch stainless steel about 12" wide by 18" long. My nozzle area is so far gone I can't measure the dimensions for the slot. I was thinking 2"x8". Does this sound about right? Also, what kind of price am I looking at?
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2 inches sounds way to wide.
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So what's the correct measurement?
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I always used the thickness of the poker that came with boiler. I think that was 5/8"
7/8?
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Ok maybe I will split the difference and go with 3/4"? Also, does the 8" in length sound about right?
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That should work.
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FYI, I measured the slot width of my spare factory 250 nozzle last night and it's 11/16" wide.
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This is a factory nozzle.
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Do you cook up new nozzles in your crockpot there?
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No my dinner, cook my chili in the garage. LOL