Print

[Bill G]

Good Morning, Jeff,

      I am guessing you hale from the great state of Maine?  I get my 2 weeks a year hunting snowshoes with the beagles every Oct. in your state.  I would move there in a second, if I could only hit the lottery or figure out how to liquidate the homestead here in PA??

      Thanks for the bit of info on the other furnace, as you could tell I'm not too familiar with it.  But it sure is good to hear it is working for you.  As for the air piping idea, certainly not too difficult to re-do holes and replace top pipe to maybe get a more even burn if your not happy with front burning first?  You are definately onto something for a home grown repair for your problem.  I'm sure you are not alone with that problem w/that particular unit. 

      Today, I'll find time for another thorough cleaning, as we're smokin' quite a bit, once again.  These gasifiers are with out a doubt, maintenance intensive!  I'll have to pull the cover off the air box and fairly sure to find creosote build-up.  May try drilling a small hole in the bottom left corner and putting a coffee can under the hole, just to see if while in liquid form the stuff may drain off.  The fellow who showed me the furnace when shopping around for one, had to do that to his and I think it helped some. 

      This mild weather is certainly compounding my problems.  Simply does not matter how dry, species, of wood I use.  It will all produce creosote if left to idle for long periods of time. 

[dwneast77]

Hi Bill,
     Some questions about your unit....  Does your unit have  the drain hole at the bottom of your air channel inside the firebox?   And how are your air pipes set up in your air box?  They come through the wall horizontally I imagine.  But how do the dampers/covers work???  Mine, as I said earlier, comes in to the air box and has a 90* elbow facing up.  Sitting over the opening is a plate/cover with a solonoid over that which lifts the cover when there is a call for heat.  So the air tube would fill with creosote as far as the elbow, but nothing ever leaks into the air box.  What a mess that must be.  Does it affect your blower any?, or is that out of the way?   I wonder what you could do for better drainage in the firebox air channel to prevent the backup into your air box??  I'll try to get a picture of my set up.  I'd like to see one of yours if you have the chance.

     Yes, I am in Maine, far Eastern Washington County.  Born and raised.  It's a descent place to live.  Everywhere has it's own problems though.  The grass is always greener on the other side. 

-Jeff

[Bill G]

Jeff,

     The blower is mounted under the airbox.  Piped up into the box.  It is stubbed up about 4 inches with the solenoid activated flapper atop the pipe.  The entire affair gets coated with creosote, but doesn't appear any gets into the pipe.  Now the channel leading up into the firebox, at what looks like 45 deg ang., gets loaded with soot/creosote mixture.  Also a 1 1/2 pipe leading to secondary burn chamber also gets some gunk.

      All requires routiine maint.  Inside the firebox, is a piece of channel iron leading up the back wall and across top of box.  Has 5/8" holes to supply air.  They get punched clean just about daily.  There is a low hole in the back of the box, in the channel, that should allow for drainage, but I think it is about the first place to get clogged.  I do get after it often, but I can't always get in there w/shopvac, because of the obvious fire. 

      The floor of the P&M gasser's is re-inforced refractory cement.  The nozzle is in the center of the floor, maybe 1 /1/2" wide by 7" long.  Running front to back.  It is tapered inwards toward the bottom leading into the secondary burn chamber.  The top part is quite cracked/spalded enlarging the opening by a good bit.  A definate problem area that needs addressing.

      Live and learn, I suppose, but I do see a few upgrades.   

     

[coolidge]

Jeff,

    I do agree with Bill on some more evenly spaced holes in your air supply, maybe add on too come most of the way too the front. The P&M fireboxes are round for better air movement, air  rolls too the bottom. I see your 2300 has a square design, not soo much of an air moving box. i dont know alot about the CB, have been told some stories, seen a few cracked fireboxes.

   

[dwneast77]

     I see they all have wrinkles to iron out.  I can see how creosote gets into your air box now.  You painted a pretty clear picture Bill.  I'm attaching a picure of mine.  Maybe you can pass it along to P&M in there "suggestions" box.  That is one clear differance where CB is on the right track.  You might consider drilling that bottom hole in your air channel in the firebox a bit bigger for better drainage.  Mine originally had NO bottom drain holes.  Once they figured out the problem, CB sent a mailer telling me to drill a 3/4" hole on each side of the of the channel running against the back wall down near the firebrick.  It helped some but as you know it still built up and hardened/dried out.  Unfortunately, given the P&M design, I'm not sure you can completely stop the creosote in the air box.  Those gases will seek out any spot open to them and settle anywhere it can.  As a result of CB's design (where the tubes are covered when not in use), I have no trouble with my secondary air tube.  Usually clean is a whistle.  I typically don't even check it. 

     I might at some point try some modifications to my air design.  I may pipe off from the T at the end to each sidewall, install another T on each side, size it down, extend the pipes front and back and then down the sidewall.  Two pipes down each side, one near the front and one near the back.  As long as I can figure out how to do it and still easily remove it.  For right now I think I'll leave it as is.  I may have to actually slow down my primary air flow a little.  I opened my combustion chamber a little while ago and had to close it immediately.  Fire might be a little too big now and I was getting some blue smoke.  But it was certainly producing some heat.

Coolidge -  I know of 2 other 2300's both giving troubles.  I had a pin hole leak in mine a few weeks back.  Not too big a deal.  It was located in a corner and was probable just a bad weld.  Pretty easy fix.  My neighbor's dad has one in town, same unit, and he just had a leak form right in the middle of the sidewall on the same day my welder was here working on my air channel.  About a quarter sized area worn down extremely thin.  Rediculous to for a unit only on it's 4 season.  Doesn't make me feel very confident.


Jeff

[attachment deleted by admin]