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[TheSnowDO]

Is anyone else having problems keeping this unit gasifying? I don't seem to be able to keep this unit gasifying unless I babysit it every couple of hours, and even then, it can be a pain just to keep it going or get it restarted!

My rheostat is set at 195° with a 5° differential at the recommendation of slim Jim! I would be amazed if my average running temperature were above 160!

As noted above, I have had multiple discussions with slim Jim and am following all of his instructions to the best of my ability including making sure that there is not an excessive amount of ash or coals in the bottom of the burn box, making sure that I placed the largest pieces of wood directly over the nozzle, the proper restriction of airflow by adjusting the fan damper and the two dampers in the airbox, and I still cannot get this thing to reliably gasify OR maintain temperature! AND..... then I find out that slim Jim is no longer working for P&M!


Anybody have any ideas?

[intensedrive]

Are you burning green wood?  What kind of heat load?

[TheSnowDO]

I have been told that this unit will gasify even with the greenest of wood! My heat load is a 104 year old Victorian house in the middle of the Adirondacks that is about 2700 ft.² with all new windows and moderately insulated!

[TheSnowDO]

A little clarification is in order!

One of my biggest problems seems to be that I always get excessive bridging or doming directly above and around the nozzle! As soon as this bridging occurs, gasification ceases. If I go out and babysit the woodpile within the burn chamber and ensure that there is always wood or coals on top of the nozzle, it seems to gasifier like a monster! My problem, is that I can't babysit it like that! How do I get this thing to reliably gasify without constantly playing with it???

[intensedrive]

Are you burning Green Wood? Just curious.  Throw some dry seasoned wood and see if you notice a difference.  Many boiler manufactures claim to burn green wood, in most cases from what I read its a pain in the butt, as I have experienced but managed to make it work.

A little clarification is in order!

One of my biggest problems seems to be that I always get excessive bridging or doming directly above and around the nozzle! As soon as this bridging occurs, gasification ceases. If I go out and babysit the woodpile within the burn chamber and ensure that there is always wood or coals on top of the nozzle, it seems to gasifier like a monster! My problem, is that I can't babysit it like that! How do I get this thing to reliably gasify without constantly playing with it???

[James]

SnowDO -

I had the same problems you described during the first & second year of operating my stove too. 

The bad news is that if green wood is all you've got to burn this year, you're going to have to continue babysitting that stove to get it to work right.  The good news is that if you're able to process some wood now for use next season, you should be good to go using SlimJim's recommendations. 

The other thing to look for is whether or not your nozzle is clogged with ash.  Pushing coals and unburned wood over the hole in the nozzle will sometimes push more ash in there than you think.  Very carefully make sure the nozzle is clear as a part of your trouble shooting when you find that the stove isn't gasifying properly. The refractory brick that the nozzle is made out of is brittle and if you poke & prod it too much, it'll break and chip apart very easily.

Oh - and plan on replacing a nozzle per year for every year you try and burn green wood.

I'm disappointed that P&M is still telling people that they can burn green wood and expect trouble free operation.  I'm sure it can be done in a controlled environment, but experience in the field is obviously producing different results.

[slimjim]

James, Thank you! SnowDo and anyone else interested, Karl K and I have have been working on a new nozzle for the 250, I installed one yesterday and am currently running it, so far I am very happy with it! I will be abusing the stove as much as I can over the next few weeks by overloading it, building excess charcoal and burning green wood as much as I can to try and produce the same issues that you guys have experienced and will be posting the results. James I did like the Quality of the nozzle that Karl built for you and that is what got Karl and I working on this project, Thank You and I'm happy that you are doing better, I am hoping that Brian will be purchasing a shipment of these new nozzles and you should both be getting one ASAP.

[slimjim]

OK first days results, as I have posted several times before I typically burn 35+ cord of 4 foot green wood  per year in my old Wood Doctor, last year and up to present this year I ran the Enviro 500 wood chip boiler ( that was nice as I could get 3 days burn on a tank of chips ) I like to abuse the units that I run in order that I can produce the same problems you guys see at home, this is how we can attempt to answer your questions.
  Last night I stuffed the 250 with green Oak and Maple and I mean I stuffed it, no more would fit in the box at about 5 or 6PM, I have not touched it since. I just came back in from refilling it ( Stuffed full )  5:15 AM It had a very few coals left in the burn chamber around the edges, I placed the 8 inch round (split once) right over the nozzle that Karl made for me (Thanks again Karl ) and then proceeded to stuff the remainder of the fire box and closed her up, it gasified immediately, my water temp is set to 195, with a 5 degree differential, the water temp this AM was at 185 so obviously it was on it's way to shutting down at my low water temp cut off of 160 ( I may bump this up a bit today ) Short story guys is like the commercial for Mickey D's, ( I'm Lovin it ) so far.

[coolidge]

Are you burning hardwood?  I have found that softwood does exactly what you describe. Turn your primary air up a little.

[american-pacemaker]

Thesnowdo, I have had my 250 running for a month now and had a few bumps in the road the first week but it has been smooth
sailing since then. Two nights In a row now I have gone out to the boiler to find it completely out of wood and way less then an inch of coals. I have filled it just like you described and it was gasifying in less then two minutes. My hardwood is all around 25 % so it is certainly not the best. Check to make sure the linkage from the solenoid is not sticking in the air box. I had to adjust mine and grease it so it wasn't sticking. I am just outside of Schenectady if you wanted to see mine run or pm me if you want to discuss it I will give you my number.

[agriffinjd]

Slimjim no longer works for P&M???

[slimjim]

Huge load on the 250 last night, I filled it around 6 PM and just came back in now from reloading it 5AM. It was down to just a very few coals but still hot, 185 degrees, I thew in what I had left cut up from yesterday, about 1/2 a fire box full, I should have cut some last night but it's not a good Idea to run a saw with a can of Bud in your hand at 6 PM so I'll do that after the neighbors wake up, Karl the nozzle seems to be performing VERY well Thank You for your help!

[Sloppy_Snood]

Anyone have a picture of a "karlk Opt 250 nozzle?"

Just curious to see what it looks like. 

[coolidge]

Why are you drinking Bud at 6?  Hope that was your third one.

[Jwood]

Anyone have a picture of a "karlk Opt 250 nozzle?"

Just curious to see what it looks like. 

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