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1
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Wand and 1.75" cleaning brush for tubes
« on: November 29, 2018, 05:45:29 AM »
Hey people,
I trust everyone is enjoying the change of season and next to free warmth provided from our boilers?
I am looking for the rod and brushes to clean my empyre 200pro stove. I have found a few places that still have brushes but the wand is elusive and mine has seen better days.
Any thoughts?
I trust everyone is enjoying the change of season and next to free warmth provided from our boilers?
I am looking for the rod and brushes to clean my empyre 200pro stove. I have found a few places that still have brushes but the wand is elusive and mine has seen better days.
Any thoughts?
2
Pro Fab / Hey Fellas
« on: January 19, 2016, 09:07:10 AM »
How are your Empyre/Profab gassers runnin?
We have had a mild winter so far but has been pretty cold lately. I have gone through about 2.5 cords with a continuous fire burning from the end of October. I am gonna have some wood left over, that's for sure!
Hope all is well!
We have had a mild winter so far but has been pretty cold lately. I have gone through about 2.5 cords with a continuous fire burning from the end of October. I am gonna have some wood left over, that's for sure!
Hope all is well!
3
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Test fire...
« on: September 14, 2014, 06:31:28 AM »
In southwestern Ontario we hit a balmy 4 degrees Celsius last night. There is high teens forecasted for the next few weeks so I thought I would take advantage of the back end of this cold front to test fire my stove. This way I would have a month to straighten out the bugs.
I only had to make a few connections to finished the deal up and after a leak check with 15 psi air pressure and some soapy water at all my compression fittings I was satisfied there would be no puddles in my house.
I have to admit the juxtaposition of anxiety and excitement while over-viewing my somewhat completed project was a very strange feeling. After spending the summer splitting wood, gathering plumbing pieces and most importantly learning new skills I was apprehensive that my hard work would not come to fruition.
Filling the boiler from my basement at one of the bleed ports became my first challenge. I feel a bit embarrassed to say I did not account for the weight of the water in the boiler once it reached a level to overcome water pressure in my domestic water system. I was a bit perplexed when it stopped filling after 15 min but came up with a remedy pretty quickly to close off supply and return valves at the boiler and tap in to the fill port below the pump. Luckily for me physics has not changed since highschool.
With the blower on I was surprised how quickly I was able to get the fire started. In essence some newspaper, discarded stakes from my concrete pad experience and a few pieces of straggler wood chunks and kaboom. Raging fire.
It took about 30 min to heat the water jacket from 50dF to 170dF. Once the water jacket was hot I plugged in the pump and went to my manifold to check flow and temps. DHW is a bit too hot and the house was so warm last night we had to open the windows. I do not have my thermostat figured out yet so I just switched it over to fan for now. I installed a mixing valve between the plate exchanger and cold water in line so after a quick adjustment all is good.
To make sure no one was going to get scalded I jumped in the shower to get a feel for how hot my DHW is. I am happy to report I literally stood under the hot water for 30 min grinning my face off that the hot water coming out of the shower head was born from my own two hands. Not the propane guy, not the electricity guy and not the oil guy. I told my kids to take as long as a shower as they want (I was the hot water nazi) in the shower whenever the boiler is running.
So here is a formal thank-you to everyone on the board. Scouring old posts and reading new posts has given me enough knowledge to complete this entire project without any help. I would not have been able to do this if it wasn't for this message board.
Now for another hot shower!
I only had to make a few connections to finished the deal up and after a leak check with 15 psi air pressure and some soapy water at all my compression fittings I was satisfied there would be no puddles in my house.
I have to admit the juxtaposition of anxiety and excitement while over-viewing my somewhat completed project was a very strange feeling. After spending the summer splitting wood, gathering plumbing pieces and most importantly learning new skills I was apprehensive that my hard work would not come to fruition.
Filling the boiler from my basement at one of the bleed ports became my first challenge. I feel a bit embarrassed to say I did not account for the weight of the water in the boiler once it reached a level to overcome water pressure in my domestic water system. I was a bit perplexed when it stopped filling after 15 min but came up with a remedy pretty quickly to close off supply and return valves at the boiler and tap in to the fill port below the pump. Luckily for me physics has not changed since highschool.
With the blower on I was surprised how quickly I was able to get the fire started. In essence some newspaper, discarded stakes from my concrete pad experience and a few pieces of straggler wood chunks and kaboom. Raging fire.
It took about 30 min to heat the water jacket from 50dF to 170dF. Once the water jacket was hot I plugged in the pump and went to my manifold to check flow and temps. DHW is a bit too hot and the house was so warm last night we had to open the windows. I do not have my thermostat figured out yet so I just switched it over to fan for now. I installed a mixing valve between the plate exchanger and cold water in line so after a quick adjustment all is good.
To make sure no one was going to get scalded I jumped in the shower to get a feel for how hot my DHW is. I am happy to report I literally stood under the hot water for 30 min grinning my face off that the hot water coming out of the shower head was born from my own two hands. Not the propane guy, not the electricity guy and not the oil guy. I told my kids to take as long as a shower as they want (I was the hot water nazi) in the shower whenever the boiler is running.
So here is a formal thank-you to everyone on the board. Scouring old posts and reading new posts has given me enough knowledge to complete this entire project without any help. I would not have been able to do this if it wasn't for this message board.
Now for another hot shower!
4
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / potential problem..
« on: September 02, 2014, 02:52:57 PM »
I cracked open my plenum today to install my heating coil and much to my chagrin there is no room for it under the A coil.
I have a Brunswick forced air Oil furnace and the A Coil only has about 2" above the peak of the 'A' so I can't raise it to install the water coil.
Is it a viable solution to install the water exchanger on the cold air return side?
I have a Brunswick forced air Oil furnace and the A Coil only has about 2" above the peak of the 'A' so I can't raise it to install the water coil.
Is it a viable solution to install the water exchanger on the cold air return side?
5
Plumbing / Plumbing Schematics
« on: August 18, 2014, 05:42:21 PM »
Hey Guys,
Is there a good resource for plumbing and design schematics out there somewhere?
Is there a good resource for plumbing and design schematics out there somewhere?
6
Plumbing / Logstor Install
« on: July 02, 2014, 12:48:19 PM »
HEy All,
I have run into two small problems (at both ends of my install).
I have to make a tight turn under my deck to get into my basement and the come-along approach is not going to work. It wouldn't be so bad but the Logstor is already hooking to the first bend in the s turn.
Also, there is a concrete footing of some sort in a place just behind my boiler pad that I did not know was there until the install. I had dug down only 24" before install in case of rain and went to dig down another 3 feet for the bend up the back of the furnace and I hit a concrete encasement or footing of some sort that is not going to be movable. Just my luck.
The question:
Is it ok to use barbed pex 45's at these two points? I am confident I can get away without using a 90 but I am crap out of luck for getting any more bend out of the beast...
I have run into two small problems (at both ends of my install).
I have to make a tight turn under my deck to get into my basement and the come-along approach is not going to work. It wouldn't be so bad but the Logstor is already hooking to the first bend in the s turn.
Also, there is a concrete footing of some sort in a place just behind my boiler pad that I did not know was there until the install. I had dug down only 24" before install in case of rain and went to dig down another 3 feet for the bend up the back of the furnace and I hit a concrete encasement or footing of some sort that is not going to be movable. Just my luck.
The question:
Is it ok to use barbed pex 45's at these two points? I am confident I can get away without using a 90 but I am crap out of luck for getting any more bend out of the beast...
7
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Concrete finally getting poured
« on: June 12, 2014, 04:40:20 AM »
Hey all,
I have had bad luck with timing concrete with weather here in Southwest Ontario. When I book it, it rains. When I cancel it, it's sunny. I booked yesterday three days ago and although the forecast said rain I went ahead regardless. Luckily for me it was just humid as hell and the sky just didn't give up the moisture.
Recommended new arrangement of pex for pad heat:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123605823@N05/14217895918/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123605823@N05/14424676733/
Concrete truck backs in:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123605823@N05/14217884698/
Out comes the good stuff:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123605823@N05/14378364456/
Screening with some help from kids and friends:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123605823@N05/14214979987/
Finished product:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123605823@N05/14400189694/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123605823@N05/14378161816/
For the most part it went pretty well. If I could change anythign I would have used thicker forms. It would have been fine if I poured the next day but 6 weeks later off and on rain caused them to warp and I had to constantly adjust, replace some boards and install more stakes. These are the things you learn when you do something for the first time I guess.
Off to pick up my boiler next week and set it on pad. Will send more picks when it arrives and then ask for more help!
Have a great day!
I have had bad luck with timing concrete with weather here in Southwest Ontario. When I book it, it rains. When I cancel it, it's sunny. I booked yesterday three days ago and although the forecast said rain I went ahead regardless. Luckily for me it was just humid as hell and the sky just didn't give up the moisture.
Recommended new arrangement of pex for pad heat:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123605823@N05/14217895918/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123605823@N05/14424676733/
Concrete truck backs in:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123605823@N05/14217884698/
Out comes the good stuff:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123605823@N05/14378364456/
Screening with some help from kids and friends:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123605823@N05/14214979987/
Finished product:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123605823@N05/14400189694/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123605823@N05/14378161816/
For the most part it went pretty well. If I could change anythign I would have used thicker forms. It would have been fine if I poured the next day but 6 weeks later off and on rain caused them to warp and I had to constantly adjust, replace some boards and install more stakes. These are the things you learn when you do something for the first time I guess.
Off to pick up my boiler next week and set it on pad. Will send more picks when it arrives and then ask for more help!
Have a great day!
8
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Empyre 200pro Install
« on: April 19, 2014, 06:27:32 AM »
Hello All,
At the request of Jwood I am going to post my progress in this message thread and attach photos for all to critique. Normally when I take on a project that is not my area of expertise I like to do it quietly, under darkness at the witching hour, without mention to my family and friends so I can plow my way through mistakes and no one is the wiser. This time I am offering up my humble project and its photos for this community to critique. I am interested in doing the best install I can and will appreciate any information anyone has to offer.
Before anyone pipes up I know the Empyre 200pro may have been a mistake. There is very little info available on it and I was not privy to some of the manufacturing defects and negative service points they may have. My parents came home with a Beta VCR in the early eighties, we all know how things work. I chose the Empyre 200 for two reasons;
A: Cost. I purchased it from a dealer at under 60 percent of retail value
B: Two Zones and BTU output. I have a 2 story farmhouse with great room addition. Not including the basement it is 2000 square feet and well insulated. I had holes drilled in walls this winter and insulation injected between studs. I also had roof re-insulated and 2" of foam sprayed on my brick foundation in the basement. My shop is 2100sq feet with 13' ceilings and is well insulated. I know I am on the upper edge of the BTU output for the whole system but I do not plan on heating the shop throughout the week and a system that is running hot is cleaner and more efficient.
So here is my plan: (note to slim, no point in emailing you now on my intentions for plumbing schematic, here it is!)
*----------------* Pex grid in boiler slap and walkway
I
Zone 2 ---- *----------------* 35' X 60' Shop. Water to air heat exchanger
I
Boiler I
Zone 1 *----------------* Great room water to air heat exchanger/radiator/baseboard radiator
I
* --------------- Hot Water Heater
I
*---------------- Furnace plenum water to air
I
*---------------- Kitchen Slate Floor radiate joist heat. (I can make breakfast with ice skates on it seems)
So as you can see its a medium project. I can supplement heating requirements in the shop with the wood furnace I installed two years ago. Should the radiant pad put too much load on the system I can shut it down. It's easier to put pex in concrete BEFORE you pour it.
The exchanger in the great room may seem odd but the guy who did the addition did not provide a link to the HVAC system and the addition is built on a slab completely concreted and insulated in.
I have struggled heating my home for a few years now. Originally I had a pellet stove in the great room and although it was pour/dial auger speed/walk away for a continuous BTU output I never fully trusted the thing after I came home one day to a house full of smoke and a few burn marks on our hardwood floors when the doors popped open after a backdraft. I thought it a better idea to install a propane stove in the corner with a handheld remote. Unfortunately it was better on paper. The propane stove fights an air mass with the oil furnace and it is impossible to balance out.
I also have a wood stove in the basement. It is certified and works great in reducing fuel consumption but getting wood into the basement when there isn't a cellar door is a pain in my ass. The bugs, soot, odd down draft and my wife constantly nagging me that the house is on fire at 2am every night is not worth the effort. I would rather stuff a few hundred dollar bills on the 1st of every month under her pillow to shut up.
So here are three pics for you to view. The first is basically a shot behind my shop where prying eyes can't see my boiler. I decided to put it here because of a few reasons. It is 165 feet from the edge of the house and with the technology of insulated pex I don't think there will be much heat loss. I do not have any neighbors. I am the only home on this side of the concession road (thus the lack of natural gas, high speed internet and cable TV) but my family doesn't want to be smoked out when the fire gets fat on those mild days.
The second photo (while sitting on my tractor) is the area cleaned up and excavation lines drawn out. The third photo is the 8" of topsoil removed. Luckily for me after 8" it is mostly clay.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123605823@N05/13911506286/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123605823@N05/13934664793/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123605823@N05/13935051854/
So I am off to pick up a few yards of gravel today and some other odds and sods for around the house. I plan to complete the forms this weekend and hopefully pour next weekend. Like I said, I am totally open to criticism be it positive or negative.
Hope everyone has a wonderful easter and you find all those eggs under your woodpiles next winter!
At the request of Jwood I am going to post my progress in this message thread and attach photos for all to critique. Normally when I take on a project that is not my area of expertise I like to do it quietly, under darkness at the witching hour, without mention to my family and friends so I can plow my way through mistakes and no one is the wiser. This time I am offering up my humble project and its photos for this community to critique. I am interested in doing the best install I can and will appreciate any information anyone has to offer.
Before anyone pipes up I know the Empyre 200pro may have been a mistake. There is very little info available on it and I was not privy to some of the manufacturing defects and negative service points they may have. My parents came home with a Beta VCR in the early eighties, we all know how things work. I chose the Empyre 200 for two reasons;
A: Cost. I purchased it from a dealer at under 60 percent of retail value
B: Two Zones and BTU output. I have a 2 story farmhouse with great room addition. Not including the basement it is 2000 square feet and well insulated. I had holes drilled in walls this winter and insulation injected between studs. I also had roof re-insulated and 2" of foam sprayed on my brick foundation in the basement. My shop is 2100sq feet with 13' ceilings and is well insulated. I know I am on the upper edge of the BTU output for the whole system but I do not plan on heating the shop throughout the week and a system that is running hot is cleaner and more efficient.
So here is my plan: (note to slim, no point in emailing you now on my intentions for plumbing schematic, here it is!)
*----------------* Pex grid in boiler slap and walkway
I
Zone 2 ---- *----------------* 35' X 60' Shop. Water to air heat exchanger
I
Boiler I
Zone 1 *----------------* Great room water to air heat exchanger/radiator/baseboard radiator
I
* --------------- Hot Water Heater
I
*---------------- Furnace plenum water to air
I
*---------------- Kitchen Slate Floor radiate joist heat. (I can make breakfast with ice skates on it seems)
So as you can see its a medium project. I can supplement heating requirements in the shop with the wood furnace I installed two years ago. Should the radiant pad put too much load on the system I can shut it down. It's easier to put pex in concrete BEFORE you pour it.
The exchanger in the great room may seem odd but the guy who did the addition did not provide a link to the HVAC system and the addition is built on a slab completely concreted and insulated in.
I have struggled heating my home for a few years now. Originally I had a pellet stove in the great room and although it was pour/dial auger speed/walk away for a continuous BTU output I never fully trusted the thing after I came home one day to a house full of smoke and a few burn marks on our hardwood floors when the doors popped open after a backdraft. I thought it a better idea to install a propane stove in the corner with a handheld remote. Unfortunately it was better on paper. The propane stove fights an air mass with the oil furnace and it is impossible to balance out.
I also have a wood stove in the basement. It is certified and works great in reducing fuel consumption but getting wood into the basement when there isn't a cellar door is a pain in my ass. The bugs, soot, odd down draft and my wife constantly nagging me that the house is on fire at 2am every night is not worth the effort. I would rather stuff a few hundred dollar bills on the 1st of every month under her pillow to shut up.
So here are three pics for you to view. The first is basically a shot behind my shop where prying eyes can't see my boiler. I decided to put it here because of a few reasons. It is 165 feet from the edge of the house and with the technology of insulated pex I don't think there will be much heat loss. I do not have any neighbors. I am the only home on this side of the concession road (thus the lack of natural gas, high speed internet and cable TV) but my family doesn't want to be smoked out when the fire gets fat on those mild days.
The second photo (while sitting on my tractor) is the area cleaned up and excavation lines drawn out. The third photo is the 8" of topsoil removed. Luckily for me after 8" it is mostly clay.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123605823@N05/13911506286/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123605823@N05/13934664793/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123605823@N05/13935051854/
So I am off to pick up a few yards of gravel today and some other odds and sods for around the house. I plan to complete the forms this weekend and hopefully pour next weekend. Like I said, I am totally open to criticism be it positive or negative.
Hope everyone has a wonderful easter and you find all those eggs under your woodpiles next winter!
9
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Youtube Video Empyre 200
« on: April 03, 2014, 09:18:47 AM »
Hey everyone, I trust many of us are getting glimpses of grass and asphalt now!
I came across these video's that are about a year old or so. Not sure if it has already been discussed or if the owner is a user here but I would be interested in hearing what some of you have to say about his problem.
Empyre 200
There are about 5 videos related to his complaints.
I came across these video's that are about a year old or so. Not sure if it has already been discussed or if the owner is a user here but I would be interested in hearing what some of you have to say about his problem.
Empyre 200
There are about 5 videos related to his complaints.
10
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Wood boiler base
« on: March 06, 2014, 11:31:59 AM »
Hey All,
After taking a merciless beating from my propane and furnace oil company this season i finally pulled the trigger on a boiler. I have tried to do as much research as possible over the last year and chose an Empyre 200pro gasification unit.
The company I purchased it from is kind enough to store it until I have my base made. That way I only have to make one move with it when it arrives.
My first question for the forum (first of many I am sure) is if anyone has any recommendations for the base. The manual that comes with the boiler shows optimal measurements for a concrete pad with openings for electricity and water lines. Does anyone have any input to this process? Build bigger/better/patiostones vs concrete?
I am planning to do a nice install so I am open to suggestions. I don't want to pour a pad big enough to park a transport load full of rounds but I also don't want to be tripping over the lip while filling the stove!
Thanks in advance!
After taking a merciless beating from my propane and furnace oil company this season i finally pulled the trigger on a boiler. I have tried to do as much research as possible over the last year and chose an Empyre 200pro gasification unit.
The company I purchased it from is kind enough to store it until I have my base made. That way I only have to make one move with it when it arrives.
My first question for the forum (first of many I am sure) is if anyone has any recommendations for the base. The manual that comes with the boiler shows optimal measurements for a concrete pad with openings for electricity and water lines. Does anyone have any input to this process? Build bigger/better/patiostones vs concrete?
I am planning to do a nice install so I am open to suggestions. I don't want to pour a pad big enough to park a transport load full of rounds but I also don't want to be tripping over the lip while filling the stove!
Thanks in advance!
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