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[Guru]

Attention all Nature's Comfort owners. 

There is a poll in the General discussion index on who makes the very best OWB.  I am a proud dealer of Nature's Comfort and would like all owners to add there vote to the poll in support of Nature's Comfort.  At this time, the Poll did not have Nature's Comfort listed as a possibility, but I hope they consider.  I truely believe Nature's Comfort wood boilers are the best for the price because you get a gasification wood boiler for the cost of the traditional wood boiler and they use  the best design with the consumer in mind.

Thanks,

[Firebug]

Mike

The Nature's Comfort boiler is not a gasification unit.  If you are selling these as a gasification model then you are lying to your customers plain and simple.  You better check what gasification is before you say that you are selling them.   It's not even UL listed.   Having the chimney extending 2' down into the fire box does not make it gasification.  It make it so the heat goes straight up and out the chimney.  I lived through it for a whole year and it won't happen next year. 

Natures Comfort is not even in the discussion with the top boilers.  That is why it is not listed with them!

[Guru]

Firebug

You are correct in that Nature's Comfort is not a "full blown" gasification unit, but the chimney design does direct the unclaimed gasses to pass through the flame before exiting the firebox.  Anytime a reburn is acurring it is considered gasification. 

Nature's Comfort is a young company with a bright future.  There has been many upgrades made to the '09' models and these upgrades prove Nature's Comfort is continually trying to build the best product possible at a  reasonable price.  There are thousands of satisfied customers all over the upper US.

All OWB are simple in design, Nature's Comfort will perform just as well as the rest of them.  The main thing to keep in mind is burn good dry wood and make sure the system is installed properly.

[j845125]

Anyone try to burn coal exclusivley, besides me, with these things. NC sucks.

[lymeboy]

I have been using my NCB- 175 in Michigan now for 2 1/2 months.  This is my 1st boiler, and so far I love it!
I purchased my unit from Guru who started this post.  I would recomend anyone to purchase from him.
My biggest reason for buying a NC was price, and simplicity.   

[unaslob]

currently burning coal in a NCB-250..  anthracite stove coal.  cant get the temp up despite raging fire.  I installed the shaker/grinder grate prototype from company which makes the process easier.  I think that my fan is allowing too much air.  but the newer units dont have a chain link that can be adjusted, it is solid bar which doesnt move much.  I have talked to one guy in upstate newyork that runs his great with water temps of 185+  I am getting ready to make the 5 hour drive to see how!   i have also installed front and back firebox plates.  this is too keep the fire stictly above the grates and provide more coal depth.  the back plate is about 2/3 up on a 15 degree angle and the front one is 1/2 up.  enough to allow me to get the shovel in nice.  i have an wonderful fire but not a wonderful temp... i can hold 100 degrees on its own..... that is sad.... there was a zen 3 day period where it ran around 170-180... but i dont know how or why as I cannot reproduce it.  At the time,  I was not running the forced draft as my thinking for the last 2-3 weeks was that the fan was running to fast and blowing all the heat out the stack.  i was using the method similar to an indoor hand fired stove of varying the degree of opening of the ashpan/door.  I know it can be done... I am missing the link..  help!!!   

[willieG]

i have seen quite a few stoves...i have never seen one that got so much air it could not heat the water...i have seen many that were not getting enough to create the heat needed.

my stove has a 150 cfm blower, with this blower running i can open the door3 inches and let even more air in...it will actually heat the water faster

make sure (if you have one) that your solenoid is in fact opening the draft door to allow the blower to put air in yoru stove...and make sure the air passage is clear of any soot or creosite build up...leave your door open a few inches and see if the stove heats up to the set temps

i have heard of folks saying that their blower put too much air up the stack, and i am not saying it can't happen..but i have never seen it.

do let us know what you find out is really causing your problem...(when you find out)

[unaslob]

what kind of stove do you have?   the door is opening as it is in easy view.... the thing is the fire is soo raging that the front plate i installed is 1/4 in steel and is  red hot at night with very nice blue flames long ones licking the top

[mikenc]

I have a NCB-175 and have been burning some coal mix with wood. Have no problem getting water temp to set point. Only run at 150. I am sure temp would go on up if i changed aquastate. One thing I did have trouble with at first was spark arrestor that was installed on flue got stopped up with soot when I burned coal. Removed it and had no problem since. You might check your flue and make sure it is not stopped up. Only have my fan draft set at 1/4" open. It has a turn buckle for adjustment with hinge mounted on fan. I don't have shaker grates installed. Not using grate that came with boiler,I made a grate. I am burning lump coal. Comes in pretty good size pieces. After they burn awhile I take a poker and break them up,(next morning) then they burn into fine ash.

[unaslob]

how did you clean your flue??? was that something that could be accomplished while the stove is running???

[willieG]

what kind of stove do you have?  the door is opening as it is in easy view.... the thing is the fire is soo raging that the front plate i installed is 1/4 in steel and is  red hot at night with very nice blue flames long ones licking the top

i am somewhat confused, if your stove is making such flames that it is turning part of your stove RED HOT and blue flames are LICKING THE TOP of the fire box then i can not see why it is not heating the water

have your tired turning off the circulating pump and see how long it takes to  get to the set temp (or if it does)

was yoru stove professionally installed. good insulated pipes to the house (if you are using any floor heat was it well insulated under the slab)

it almost sounds like your stove is undersized for what btu's you are using

If you think your blower is providing TOO MUCH AIR them shut it off and do not use it and teat your stove again using only natural draft or with the door slightly open and with yoru circulating pump off

[mikenc]

how did you clean your flue??? was that something that could be accomplished while the stove is running???

Used 6" flue brush with fiberglass rod like you buy at lowes. I cleaned mine with  small fire still in firebox. Turned fan off during cleaning. Have 4' piece of pipe on mine that I took down and brushed. Then brushed down into OWB. Removed cap w/spark arrestor and left off. Cap was almost completly stopped up.The soot from coal clings to creosote like glue.

[Pennrungold]

I've had my OWF one year in November.  I've learned a lot.   Now if I had this problem, I would check the water level, and check the solenoid that opens the air for the blower.  I've had my solenoid actually come loose (and stick open) from screws not being tighten at factory, nearly causing a meltdown!
I burn a little coal now and then mixed with wood and have no problem getting the temp up.  Now if you have a raging fire and no water temp maybe it's the water level.
Have you tried shutting down all your zones except for one?   If the temperature goes up then maybe your furnace is undersized.  Just a thought.

[unaslob]

i am planning on cleaning the flue in the am.  I was buring wood for the first 3-4 weeks and some of it was wet and poorly seasoned... i had a ton of cresote build up. i scraped/sanded most of it out before converting to coal, but never scrubbed the stack.  I have maybe a 3000-3500 sq ft house..  I am also heating an office with forced hot air with a heating coil over the airhandler.  the office is heated easily as it doesnt require a very high water temp, usually 120 does it for there, my house becuase of the radiatiors and baseboard fin type hot water requires temps of 150+ to be effective.  i nice addition to the newer NCB units is that the circulator pumps have three speed settings.  I have set the office at the slowest speed as it is effective and house i have set at the medium speed.   I did this to allow the water more time to sit in the boiler to heat up... the house set slower is not effective at all.  I do think that there is something to the water level... because I have such wide flucuations in water temp, I think I overexpand and blow off some water then when it cools down the top of the boiler is not filled where it is the hottest...   i kicked my oil furnace which is set at about 140 today for a few hours to get heat up in the house.. i turned it off and the temp in the OW/CB rose upto 170.. I have it set at 165... so I was happy..  I came home after about 6 hours to a warm house and a OW/CB at 145... and on.. I will check it again in a few hours to see if it is going in the right direction.

[unaslob]

willieG-  i did turn off the circulator pump today for a bit to the house (the office i left on low) and noticed that the temp came up 10 degrees every 30 min from 110 to 140 then i put it back online with the home and had to leave... the fire was good.... just got home and am at 135...which is not great... but better... and my house is warm...it is particulary cold night tonight anyway.. with wind chill we are down to -11F.  on another note, I did try opening the ash pan door and letting in air as a natural draft without the fan for about 2 weeks.. with it being windy lately is was getting alot of mixed results...plus that was when the fire was causing my front plate to turn red... it is now bent!!!  i was having similar problem with the fire buring fast up front and slow in the back but i installed "air bafflers" in the ash pan to shunt part of the draft up the middle of the grates which has really helped get the fire better disturbuted....

i think one of the problem with these burning coal is that especially with the 250... the coal grates are only about 1/2 the lengh, if not a bit less) then the length of the boiler... so the effective heat generating area is much less.... if the grate were to go the full length or at least 2/3 back.... there would be a greater area for the fire... the grate that they use of the 175 and 250 are the same!!!!?  for the spring I plan on fabricating something to allow the grates to go back further...

j845125- I was wondering if your dealer has manufactured a grate for the 250... or just the 175..  i would be intersted in seeing what he has done and would be interested in purchasing something for the 250 if the grate goes at least 2/3 the boiler length..