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1
Central Boiler / Can't get her going this year (E-Classic 2400)
« on: November 20, 2018, 08:34:39 AM »
Yet another struggle with my OWB. I did a complete cleaning a month ago and due to other projects etc. I wasn't able to start it for the season until now.
First thing I noticed was that the blower wasn't working. Fortunately, I had a spare so I was able to replace that.
I have good, seasoned wood, but it was wet since it had rained most of the day. I dug through the stack to get some drier pieces from the middle. I used a lot of bone-dry kindling and paper. Lit the fire and it seemed to start. I ran it with the by-pass open for quite a while and closed it when it got to 450 or so. Then it proceeded to choke itself out.
I stirred up the coals and repositioned the wood. It seemed like it may have bridged. Ran it with the bypass open again until it got to mid-400's, shut the bypass and it again choked itself out over the course of an hour at best.
I know the wood was wet-ish, but by the second time I tried the wood was good and dried. Fuel, air and ignition source is all that fire needs. I think my air may be the issue? When the door is open for loading, the small tube on the lower air supply elbow is open and I can see/feel/hear air coming out of the air charge tube.
When the door is closed, the upper air supply elbow is open. When is the larger tube on the lower air supply elbow supposed to open?
It seems to me, that until the water gets to temperature, all the tubes should be open and blowing a ton of air in there no? The water temp only reached 110 degrees... Any help/suggestions?
First thing I noticed was that the blower wasn't working. Fortunately, I had a spare so I was able to replace that.
I have good, seasoned wood, but it was wet since it had rained most of the day. I dug through the stack to get some drier pieces from the middle. I used a lot of bone-dry kindling and paper. Lit the fire and it seemed to start. I ran it with the by-pass open for quite a while and closed it when it got to 450 or so. Then it proceeded to choke itself out.
I stirred up the coals and repositioned the wood. It seemed like it may have bridged. Ran it with the bypass open again until it got to mid-400's, shut the bypass and it again choked itself out over the course of an hour at best.
I know the wood was wet-ish, but by the second time I tried the wood was good and dried. Fuel, air and ignition source is all that fire needs. I think my air may be the issue? When the door is open for loading, the small tube on the lower air supply elbow is open and I can see/feel/hear air coming out of the air charge tube.
When the door is closed, the upper air supply elbow is open. When is the larger tube on the lower air supply elbow supposed to open?
It seems to me, that until the water gets to temperature, all the tubes should be open and blowing a ton of air in there no? The water temp only reached 110 degrees... Any help/suggestions?
2
Central Boiler / E-Classic 2400 rear doors blown off!
« on: March 26, 2018, 09:53:35 AM »
Saturday night it started getting cold in the house. Sunday morning I went outside and sure enough the fire was out in the boiler, BUT the wood was still in it unburned. I got it going again but then I closed the bypass lever the temp started dropping. When I opened the door, it would take off again. This has happened in the past when my intake tube has gotten packed with creosote but since I added my removable side plates inside the boiler box, I haven’t had hardly any backup but I went to check.
To my surprise, both access doors were lying on the ground, side by side, just as if they’d fallen together off the back of the boiler. This was strange… I checked the intake tube and it was clean, but the solenoid wasn’t opening the cover. Of course I don’t keep a spare solenoid, so I propped it open so it would allow air into the firebox.
I was in the middle of evaporating maple sap so I’d mess with the OWB and then check on the evaporator. Each time I’d come back, the OWB was on the verge of going out. WTH? So I ran it for a while with the bypass lever open for a while. When I came back to check it again the temp was getting there, so I closed the bypass lever. When I did, smoke started coming out from under the roof and out of the back panels, like a lot! Then, right in front of me, both rear doors blew right off of the back of the OWB!!!! Obviously it must have happened before when it went out because the panels were lying there just like I found in the morning. What would possibly cause this?
I opened the bypass and ran the OWB with the door open for 5-10 minutes while I checked back on my evaporator. I came back to the OWB, closed the door, closed the bypass, and it ran fine the rest of the day and all last night!
I don’t know who to talk to as just this Friday we received a letter in the mail saying the place we purchased our OWB from was no longer a Central Boiler dealer and to go on line to find another one.
To my surprise, both access doors were lying on the ground, side by side, just as if they’d fallen together off the back of the boiler. This was strange… I checked the intake tube and it was clean, but the solenoid wasn’t opening the cover. Of course I don’t keep a spare solenoid, so I propped it open so it would allow air into the firebox.
I was in the middle of evaporating maple sap so I’d mess with the OWB and then check on the evaporator. Each time I’d come back, the OWB was on the verge of going out. WTH? So I ran it for a while with the bypass lever open for a while. When I came back to check it again the temp was getting there, so I closed the bypass lever. When I did, smoke started coming out from under the roof and out of the back panels, like a lot! Then, right in front of me, both rear doors blew right off of the back of the OWB!!!! Obviously it must have happened before when it went out because the panels were lying there just like I found in the morning. What would possibly cause this?
I opened the bypass and ran the OWB with the door open for 5-10 minutes while I checked back on my evaporator. I came back to the OWB, closed the door, closed the bypass, and it ran fine the rest of the day and all last night!
I don’t know who to talk to as just this Friday we received a letter in the mail saying the place we purchased our OWB from was no longer a Central Boiler dealer and to go on line to find another one.
3
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Door gasket adhesive
« on: October 18, 2017, 12:48:23 PM »
I ordered the Portage and Main silicone super door gasket stuff for my CB. What should I use for adhesive?
4
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Door gasket material
« on: August 25, 2017, 06:54:36 AM »
In preparing for the upcoming burning season, I need to replace my door gasket on my E-Classic 2400. This past spring in Bangor, I was talking to the Portage and Maine guy (he may have actually been the president?) and he pointed out the gasket material they use on their doors. He suggested I see if I can use that same material on my Central Boiler door instead of the fiberglass rope gasket that I currently end up replacing almost every year. Unfortunately, I can't remember the supplier who makes it for them. I wrote it down because I knew I wouldn't remember.....but....I forgot where I wrote it down.
Does anyone know? Is there something better to use?
Thanks!
Rich
Does anyone know? Is there something better to use?
Thanks!
Rich
5
Central Boiler / E-2400 Air chamber cracked
« on: August 21, 2017, 11:57:51 AM »
I've had this CB boiler since 2011 (Installed in November, plumbed and on-line in January 2012). After the first (half) season of use, I developed cracks along the sides where the air enters through the holes in the burning chamber. I contacted my dealer in December od 2012 as soon as I noticed it and he said that CB wanted him to send a welder out to repair it, but the boiler needed to be shut down. Since it was the middle of the burning season, he told me it could wait until spring shut-down.
Once spring arrived I got busy with hay, and everything else and didn't contact him again until August of 2013. At that point, the dealer changed their tune and told me that it didn't hurt anything; that it "actually allows more airflow" into the burn area. The boiler was working fine, so I took his advice and forgot about it.
The problem, as it turns out, is not only does it let air in better, it allows creosote to get into the air chambers easier and eventually clog everything up! The problem is, it's near impossible to clean these areas out. I see that CB makes a kit that (to my understanding) replaces these areas with removable plates which would allow you to clean the areas easier and (assuming they warp/crack again) replace them...? The "kit" is "Kit, Air Channel Repair" P/N 2500006, but none of the sites I've visited have a picture of it and my dealer doesn't seem to have heard of it.
Has anyone here:
1. Had the same problem?
2. Repaired it with the CB kit?
3. Come up with a better repair?
Any information and photos (I know Photobucket sucks at the moment) it would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you!
Rich
Once spring arrived I got busy with hay, and everything else and didn't contact him again until August of 2013. At that point, the dealer changed their tune and told me that it didn't hurt anything; that it "actually allows more airflow" into the burn area. The boiler was working fine, so I took his advice and forgot about it.
The problem, as it turns out, is not only does it let air in better, it allows creosote to get into the air chambers easier and eventually clog everything up! The problem is, it's near impossible to clean these areas out. I see that CB makes a kit that (to my understanding) replaces these areas with removable plates which would allow you to clean the areas easier and (assuming they warp/crack again) replace them...? The "kit" is "Kit, Air Channel Repair" P/N 2500006, but none of the sites I've visited have a picture of it and my dealer doesn't seem to have heard of it.
Has anyone here:
1. Had the same problem?
2. Repaired it with the CB kit?
3. Come up with a better repair?
Any information and photos (I know Photobucket sucks at the moment) it would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you!
Rich
6
General Discussion / Interesting interactive map
« on: July 25, 2017, 09:31:18 AM »
Found a link to this map in my latest issue of Timber Line. You can click on the map or select any state and see how the growth vs. harvest rate for hardwoods. Pretty neat!
http://www.americanhardwood.org/index.php/environmental-profile/interactive-forest-map
http://www.americanhardwood.org/index.php/environmental-profile/interactive-forest-map
7
Equipment / My WoodEze processor rebuild/improvements
« on: May 23, 2017, 09:26:30 AM »
I picked up a WoodEze processor this past February. I bought it from a really nice guy in VT. I looked at it last summer and apparently I was the only one who showed interest in it. We worked out a deal and he delivered it to me. Unfortunately, it didn't work! We spent some time fooling around with it, but we had no luck. I gave the guy $100 for fuel and we worked it out that I'd keep it and once I got it to run, I'd pay him the balance less the amount I had to put into it.
We knew the flow control was troublesome, but I wanted to check the pump as well. My nephew works for a company that builds and services buckets, booms, etc. for trucks so I borrowed a flow meter from him and checked the pump; very poor flow. I ordered a new pump, a flow control valve that Marty suggested (Thanks!), replaced the suction and output lines and it worked!
Marty has a thread here with a lot of great ideas/improvements that I plan to incorporate into my machine as well. The first one will be to hard-mount the pump to the unit to the tongue of the machine. The pump, along with it's large cumbersome hoses are a pain to wrestle on and off the tractor. Details to follow.
We knew the flow control was troublesome, but I wanted to check the pump as well. My nephew works for a company that builds and services buckets, booms, etc. for trucks so I borrowed a flow meter from him and checked the pump; very poor flow. I ordered a new pump, a flow control valve that Marty suggested (Thanks!), replaced the suction and output lines and it worked!
Marty has a thread here with a lot of great ideas/improvements that I plan to incorporate into my machine as well. The first one will be to hard-mount the pump to the unit to the tongue of the machine. The pump, along with it's large cumbersome hoses are a pain to wrestle on and off the tractor. Details to follow.
8
Central Boiler / Newbie here
« on: February 10, 2012, 10:12:39 AM »
Hi - I am new to the OWB scene although I have burned wood for all my life with the exception of the past 8 years before getting my boiler. I have an e-classic 2400. My home (designed and built by me) is approx. 2500 square feet. Except for the 3 bedrooms and the 476 square foot loft (no heat there at all) , all our floors are radiant as is our entire walk out base ment. I was burning 900 gallons of oil each year. The boiler has been on line for a couple of weeks now and it is nice to not hear the oil burner kick on at night! I am sure I will have lots of questions as I go along here.
Rich
Rich
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