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1
Portage & Main / Re: P & M Summer show schedule
« on: July 14, 2016, 09:40:47 AM »
Show update. We will also be at the Crow Wing County Fair August 2nd through the 5th. Crow Wing County Fair Grounds, Brainerd MN
2
Portage & Main / P & M Summer show schedule
« on: July 04, 2016, 07:07:32 AM »
Here is our summer show schedule for 2016.
Aitkin County fair July 6 through July 9. Aitkin County Fairgrounds Aitkin, Minnesota
Northern Wisconsin State Fair, July 13 through July 17. Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Isanti County Fair July 20 through July 24. Isanti County Fairgrounds, Isanti, Minnesota
Polk County Fair July 28 through July 31. Polk County Fairgrounds, St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin
Upper Peninsula State Fair August 15 through August 21. Escanaba, Michigan
Central Wisconsin State Fair August 31 through September 5. Marshfield, Wisconsin
Great Lakes Logging and Heavy Equipment Expo September 8 through the 10th. Sunnyview Expo Center, Oshkosh, WI
Minnesota Timber Producers North Star Expo September 16 and 17th. Itasca County Fairgrounds, Itasca, Minnesota
These are just the shows we are doing, for complete show schedule please check the Portage & Main website. Hope to see some of you at a show, have a great summer!
Aitkin County fair July 6 through July 9. Aitkin County Fairgrounds Aitkin, Minnesota
Northern Wisconsin State Fair, July 13 through July 17. Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Isanti County Fair July 20 through July 24. Isanti County Fairgrounds, Isanti, Minnesota
Polk County Fair July 28 through July 31. Polk County Fairgrounds, St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin
Upper Peninsula State Fair August 15 through August 21. Escanaba, Michigan
Central Wisconsin State Fair August 31 through September 5. Marshfield, Wisconsin
Great Lakes Logging and Heavy Equipment Expo September 8 through the 10th. Sunnyview Expo Center, Oshkosh, WI
Minnesota Timber Producers North Star Expo September 16 and 17th. Itasca County Fairgrounds, Itasca, Minnesota
These are just the shows we are doing, for complete show schedule please check the Portage & Main website. Hope to see some of you at a show, have a great summer!
3
Portage & Main / Re: Thanks for a successful burning season BL-3444
« on: April 19, 2016, 12:45:41 PM »
Thoroughly scrape out the heat exchanger and fire pot, pay particular attention to the corners. Remove all ashes from the ash pan area, top off with water so the boiler is completely full (to remove all air from the water jacket), cap the chimney and for extra protection spray all steel surfaces in the fire pot and heat exchanger with oil like mlappin. I have always used a new light oil, I give all my drain oil to the local saw mill to oil chains on the log feed deck and green chain.
4
Portage & Main / Re: 28-40
« on: April 12, 2016, 05:25:56 PM »
I am working on getting an updated manual on the Portage & Main website, I will let everyone know when that happens. Will also get a picture posted as soon as possible.
5
Portage & Main / Re: Question.
« on: April 12, 2016, 01:42:12 PM »
The Optimizer EGR 100 has been EPA Phase II approved for months, don't know why it has been slow to appear on the burn wise website. The EGR 250 is going in for testing May 2nd and should easily pass. I will post test results on the 250 as soon as we get them. I have an EGR 250 burning on a farm in NW Wisconsin, my customer is well versed in gasification as he has owned two other gassers in the past, he really likes it and tells me it is the best he has seen so far.
6
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Shutting Down
« on: April 09, 2016, 06:20:55 AM »
That would be great. They will really get going in May when it warms up. One of the best parts of spring for me.Most folks are still burning around here. Lows from the teens to high 20's and highs 30's to 40's. Snowed yesterday, almost a white out for a while but the Spring Peepers were still singing, hardy little creatures. Don't forget to throw a bucket over the chimney when you shut down for the season.
Peepers are wild/cool here.
But not for a couple of more weeks.
I'll post a video of them peepin, from the wetland behind our house.
7
Portage & Main / Re: 28-40
« on: April 08, 2016, 03:01:08 PM »
Took a while but the manual has been changed. I have been telling my customers all along the manual is incorrect and the supply should come off the bottom and return to the top. Not all boilers boil if the supply is off the top, depends on flow rate. If the supply comes off the bottom there will be less evaporation loss and a more even temperature in the water jacket. Although foil tape may not be ideal, it is an easy short term fix if you are worried about dirt. If you are filling from the basement I don't see how Portage and Main is different from any other boiler that you can't see. If you are filling small amounts of water, open the valve, count to five, close the valve and you should be good.
8
Portage & Main / Re: 28-40
« on: April 08, 2016, 11:53:38 AM »
I agree the fit and finish should be as good as the boiler itself and Portage and Main is working towards and close to achieving that goal. The unfinished corners between the outer door and the loading door have been addressed, the corners are finished off on the new models. You can close off your corners with some foil tape. There are some other minor fit and finish issues that will also soon be addressed at the factory. All boilers smoke out the loading door when opened, as smoke takes the path of least resistance. Because of our efficient four pass design this may be a bit more of an issue than your average straight shot boiler, but I think the benefits of our design in wood savings out weigh any smoke. If you let your wood burn down to a bed of coals before reloading there will be very little to no smoke. I recommend this to all my customers and it works well. Many of my customers comment that they like the float which is more convenient and easy to read versus the sight glass on their old boiler. If you put a boiler drain in your loop near your domestic hot water tank you can fill the boiler from the boiler drain on your domestic hot water tank using a washing machine hose. Or you could plumb to a domestic water line and use a ball valve to fill the boiler. All Ultimizer boilers should take their supply off the bottom and return to the top to prevent excess evaporation. With one pump, take off the bottom left and return to the top right, with two pumps it doesn't matter as long as you're pulling from the bottom and returning to the top. Do not add water to the boiler unless the float is completely bottomed out, the guage does not have to be on the full mark. If you continue to add water it will expand the next time
the boiler fires and spill out the top, let the float find its sweet spot and leave it. I am right-handed but being an old guy with a bad back, I try to do my chores half right-handed and have left-handed to balance out my back, loading the boiler like a lefty works well for me. Many brands of boilers have doors that open right to left. To me, walking to the back of the boiler to turn off the fan is no big deal, if it is too much of a hassle for you, install a toggle switch on the front and you can control the fan from there. Personally I don't like a light on the boiler, it shines in my face and no matter the boiler brand they all get sooted up over time. I recommend backlighting to my customers, a good solar light with a motion detector on a pole works very well. I don't see an issue with the depth from the fire pot door to the bottom of the boiler, never heard that before. All boilers are little different and there is a learning curve, if you work with it, you will have a better experience. All in all I don't think you will find a better boiler. Feel free to pm me anytime with questions.
the boiler fires and spill out the top, let the float find its sweet spot and leave it. I am right-handed but being an old guy with a bad back, I try to do my chores half right-handed and have left-handed to balance out my back, loading the boiler like a lefty works well for me. Many brands of boilers have doors that open right to left. To me, walking to the back of the boiler to turn off the fan is no big deal, if it is too much of a hassle for you, install a toggle switch on the front and you can control the fan from there. Personally I don't like a light on the boiler, it shines in my face and no matter the boiler brand they all get sooted up over time. I recommend backlighting to my customers, a good solar light with a motion detector on a pole works very well. I don't see an issue with the depth from the fire pot door to the bottom of the boiler, never heard that before. All boilers are little different and there is a learning curve, if you work with it, you will have a better experience. All in all I don't think you will find a better boiler. Feel free to pm me anytime with questions.
9
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Shutting Down
« on: April 07, 2016, 03:17:23 PM »
Most folks are still burning around here. Lows from the teens to high 20's and highs 30's to 40's. Snowed yesterday, almost a white out for a while but the Spring Peepers were still singing, hardy little creatures. Don't forget to throw a bucket over the chimney when you shut down for the season.
10
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Domestic hot water
« on: March 26, 2016, 09:23:29 AM »
We have installed for quite a few dairy farms that need very hot water for equipment washing two to three times a day. Because of the large daily process heat demand most all of them burn year round. We found the best way to meet this demand is to put the plate hex on the hot side bypassing the tank. Been doing it for years, works great. Also install the same way for our residential customers but always include a mix valve. In a plate hex fluid flow must be in opposite directions or it will be ineffective. If the plate is plugging up that is a different issue. Cleaning the plate often to keep a proper flow rate can be a pain, so a side arm could be the answer. We still use side arms in certain situations, usually 80000 btu for residential.
11
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Great News regarding Efficiency Maine
« on: March 25, 2016, 06:27:00 PM »
Great news for Mainers. Wish we would do that in Wisconsin. Bernie do that for you? Just kidding Slim! 
12
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Domestic hot water
« on: March 25, 2016, 06:11:21 PM »
Move the plate hex from the cold to the hot supply line so you are not dumping the hot water leaving the plate into the water heater. When you turn on any hot fixture the water leaving the water heater will flow through the plate hex directly to the fixture and deliver very hot water, always temper with a mix valve. Make sure the fluid flow in the hex between the boiler water and dhw are in opposite directions.
14
General Discussion / Re: Test your American Knowledge
« on: March 05, 2016, 06:05:36 PM »
25/25, was never much for doing my homework but for some reason always liked taking tests.
15
Portage & Main / Re: Anyone's ultimizer doing this?
« on: February 18, 2016, 04:23:38 PM »
Yes the caulk is just a water seal. Hot air escaping through the gasket must have baked the caulk. You should be able to slightly adjust the ash pan door, loosen the nuts on the hinge bolts, push that end of the door in a bit and retighten the nuts. That should do the trick.