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31
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Boiler comparison test idea
« on: January 07, 2016, 05:48:02 PM »
So I decided to run the test. It was dead calm today and temps were in the mid thirtys. I let the boiler run out of fuel and cleaned out all ashes. I isolated the boiler from the heat exchangers and just looped it back to itself. My underground line is 140 feet of thermopex. My boiler holds 150 gallons and I figured 10 gallons in the line. Water temp was stable at 124 when I started. I weighed out 17 pounds of well seasoned wood. I figure 20% mc. So my temp got up to 150. So 160 gallons weigh 1334# *26 is 34,684 btu,s to the water. I used 5800 btu's per pound * 17 is 98,600 potential btu's. Divide 34,684 by 98,600 is 35%. Disappointing, yes. Surprising, no. That's pretty close to what I had always guessed but I was hoping for at least 40%. So this was simple to do and I think fairly accurate, it was a great idea by loglivin2 and I hope we get some more numbers to compare.
32
Hawken Energy, support only / Re: HE-1100 OWNERS..
« on: January 07, 2016, 11:00:41 AM »
This is my 9th season with my he1000. I have had very good luck with it. I like the simplicity of it. I send in a water sample once a year. I throw wood in it twice a day. I wish it had a low temp shut down that would turn off the fan when the water temp gets too low. Other than that, I can't complain.
33
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Boiler comparison test idea
« on: January 07, 2016, 10:39:06 AM »
I think it is very difficult to get a true comparison simply because there are so many variables to everyone's set up. If you want to compare boilers I think you need to isolate it. My thought would be to bypass all heat exchangers and just loop the water back to the boiler. Let the temp drop to 150 then empty the firebox completely. Weigh 10 pounds of wood at a known moisture content then burn it and see what the water temp raised to.
34
HeatMaster / Re: WOW!!-14 Hour burn time unheard of before
« on: January 06, 2016, 11:30:04 AM »
When I say heat load I meant how big of an area are you heating at what temp which may or may not include dhw. The reason I am so curious is I am to the point with my heat load and my boiler that I am somewhat undersized. When it is zero out at night, multiple morning showers pull more btu's than I have capacity for after 12-14 hours. I thought it was more effecient to be slightly undersized during a small portion of the season rather than oversized for most of it, but from what you are seeing that may not be correct.
35
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Anyway to cheat a undersized boiler
« on: January 06, 2016, 11:12:44 AM »
Is there any good way to add some cushion to a undersized boiler. The thing is, it's not undersized 90% of the time. I run into trouble when it drops to near zero at night and multiple morning showers require more btu's than I have left after 12-14 hours. I know the easy fix is to go top off the boiler at 9 or 10, but I am lazy. I usually get home around 5 and load up the boiler and I don't want to see it again till 7-8 the next morning. From 8am til 5pm my heat load is considerably less than it is from 5pm till 8am. I was thinking about adding some buffer tanks in the basement, but I don't know how much or how to do it. The thought was charging during the day when the boiler spends a fair amount of time at idle.
36
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Large heat loss issue??
« on: January 04, 2016, 03:49:43 PM »
I still don't see how a flow issue could cause heat loss. Put a inline thermometer in the supply line at the boiler and I bet it is the same reading he is getting at the house. That statement his manufacture gave is complete crap. It sound like they already know there is a circulation problem within the boiler.
37
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Large heat loss issue??
« on: January 04, 2016, 03:35:59 PM »
I don't know. I always thought you pulled from the bottom and returned at the top to help with circulation.
38
HeatMaster / Re: WOW!!-14 Hour burn time unheard of before
« on: January 04, 2016, 03:32:39 PM »
Mr Maple will you please explain what your heat load is. Also is there a way for you to get a exhaust temp reading when the boiler is firing?
39
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Large heat loss issue??
« on: January 04, 2016, 03:21:50 PM »
You lost me there somewhere. How does a small pump make you lose heat between the boiler and house. By the way I've ran to a 20 plate exchanger than to a water to air hx for the past 8 or nine years. No problem and no restriction.
40
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Large heat loss issue??
« on: January 04, 2016, 11:02:24 AM »
Where does it pull water from the boiler? Top or bottom and what is the temp there? With nothing else to go on it sounds like it could be a circulation issue within the boiler.
41
HeatMaster / Re: WOW!!-14 Hour burn time unheard of before
« on: January 04, 2016, 10:38:10 AM »
That's awesome! But how is it doing this? You are talking at least a 100% increase in burn time+. In my mind that equal a 50% increase in effeciency. I am not doubting your observation but what is making this furnace so effecient?
42
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: I'm starting A Firewood Company
« on: October 06, 2015, 06:03:06 PM »
Well that was 3 minutes of my life I will never get back! How do people have the time to make a video like that!?
43
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Oh Crap, Water in my underground lines
« on: April 10, 2015, 05:57:00 AM »
That water probably won't dry out. Not only that but mice, snakes, God knows what else could have crawled down in there.
44
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: How does your boiler perform in heavy Rain?
« on: March 31, 2015, 05:35:11 AM »
Rain has no effect on my boiler either. Where is the steam coming from? Other than the flu and the door frame there shouldn't be anything hot on the outside.
45
RidgeWood Stoves, defunct, support only / Re: Boilers
« on: March 24, 2015, 06:00:24 AM »
You guys having trouble with creosote at the door, is there any chance the stove is just off level? If so try shimming the legs in the front a little to make it tip back ever so slightly.