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31
Fire Wood / firewood storage
« on: September 15, 2014, 07:43:31 PM »
How does everyone keep their firewood near the boiler, stacked in a shed a short distance from the boiler, in a lean beside the boiler, under a tarp or how.
I've been thinking about some sort of a skid steer movable shed with a roof on it, flip the roof and dump in the firewood and then shut it, so it keeps the rain and snow off of it, and hook it up when empty to dump it out or move it. Any ideas as how to build it or does someone have a better idea?
I've thought about a firewood shed next to the boiler, just open a walk door and fill the boiler, have it bulk dumped with a skid steer on a cement floor with cement walls and just a sliding door on one end of the shed, didn't need to hold a lot, maybe 10 wide by 20 feet long and have one door on one end, slide it open and dump in the wood, a roof to keep it dry and clean out the wood debris with a skid steer, any thoughts on this idea or have seen one similar?
I've been thinking about some sort of a skid steer movable shed with a roof on it, flip the roof and dump in the firewood and then shut it, so it keeps the rain and snow off of it, and hook it up when empty to dump it out or move it. Any ideas as how to build it or does someone have a better idea?
I've thought about a firewood shed next to the boiler, just open a walk door and fill the boiler, have it bulk dumped with a skid steer on a cement floor with cement walls and just a sliding door on one end of the shed, didn't need to hold a lot, maybe 10 wide by 20 feet long and have one door on one end, slide it open and dump in the wood, a roof to keep it dry and clean out the wood debris with a skid steer, any thoughts on this idea or have seen one similar?
32
Fire Wood / Re: 2013-2014 wood burned
« on: September 15, 2014, 10:51:48 AM »
In Iowa, last winter was the worst I've ever been around in decades, my wood doctor eat firewood by the truck load, we lost count after fifty cords but I do know we burned my entire years supply plus this winters supply as well, heating a 125 year old two story house that's about 2000 square feet, and a shop that's about 2700 square feet, but has 20 foot ceilings in it.
The wind never quit blowing all winter long, and the blower motor on the boiler never shut off for weeks at a time, we had issues but hopefully have them worked out now, time will tell.
The wind never quit blowing all winter long, and the blower motor on the boiler never shut off for weeks at a time, we had issues but hopefully have them worked out now, time will tell.
33
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: new taco pumps
« on: September 15, 2014, 10:43:48 AM »
My old taco pumps were warmer to the touch than my grundfos pumps are, the metal around the motor is also thinner on the taco pumps which I figured accounted for some of it, unless the paint is burned I'm not sure I'd get worried about it, any time the paint discolored on my old one's was about the time they'd lock up and quit, requiring another new cartridge [guts] to be put into it.
34
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: ridgewood install indoors?
« on: September 15, 2014, 06:49:07 AM »
You might want to contact your insurance company and ask if your building will have insurance on it, after you install this boiler indoors, most will void the insurance once they find out there's a wood furnace or boiler installed. I'd thought about putting a wood boiler and waste oil boiler in a building as a "heating building" everything in one place, feed my house and shop along with a backup system, once I asked the insurance company they told me no.
Ironically any kind of wood heating source would void my insurance, so I called several other companies, they all told me the same thing, even a wood furnace meant to go indoors would void my insurance, but I could make any type of homemade waste oil boiler and it didn't even need to be certified or inspected nor did they care how I hooked up the chimney out of it, there was no guidelines or cares what so ever about it, which made no sense to me at all.
Ironically any kind of wood heating source would void my insurance, so I called several other companies, they all told me the same thing, even a wood furnace meant to go indoors would void my insurance, but I could make any type of homemade waste oil boiler and it didn't even need to be certified or inspected nor did they care how I hooked up the chimney out of it, there was no guidelines or cares what so ever about it, which made no sense to me at all.
35
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Suggestions for concrete strength
« on: September 14, 2014, 11:47:20 AM »
How thick is the concrete going to be, how much and what size rebar are you putting in, and what's the subsoil you have, solid bedrock or a swampy bog?
As for 28 days to cure the concrete, that's a new one for me, we've poured many a thousand of yards of concrete and have never waited that long to do anything with concrete, including buildings on top of foundations or drive loaded cement trucks and semi's on new concrete to get at the next pour. If its half way warm out, a few days is all that's needed to cure about any concrete, week tops.
As for what strength, five or six bag mix is plenty, some would even go with a four bag mix, personally I like five bag mix for most everything. I'd also go six inches thick for a furnace slab or use 2x6 lumber for forms which is about 5.5 inches thick.
As for 28 days to cure the concrete, that's a new one for me, we've poured many a thousand of yards of concrete and have never waited that long to do anything with concrete, including buildings on top of foundations or drive loaded cement trucks and semi's on new concrete to get at the next pour. If its half way warm out, a few days is all that's needed to cure about any concrete, week tops.
As for what strength, five or six bag mix is plenty, some would even go with a four bag mix, personally I like five bag mix for most everything. I'd also go six inches thick for a furnace slab or use 2x6 lumber for forms which is about 5.5 inches thick.
36
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: plate heat exchanger size
« on: September 14, 2014, 11:24:25 AM »
Wrong still again, two per line, one in the shop and another by the furnace, the first photo's show the shop and plate exchanger that's not been cleaned off since we foamed the walls a couple weeks ago, the line coming up into the shop is now behind the tin and insulation of the office break room.
I haven't calipered the line but I'm sure its one inch pex, we got the fittings at Menards and some from the place we got the insulated line from.
I'd have to check the model number on the pumps, but they are all three speed pumpgs, gruntfos is the brand, might not have spelled it right, but close enough.
I haven't calipered the line but I'm sure its one inch pex, we got the fittings at Menards and some from the place we got the insulated line from.
I'd have to check the model number on the pumps, but they are all three speed pumpgs, gruntfos is the brand, might not have spelled it right, but close enough.
37
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: plate heat exchanger size
« on: September 14, 2014, 11:18:06 AM »
I was wrong, there is a 90 degree elbow in the line from the shop the furnace, its viable in the photo if they come up on here.
38
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: plate heat exchanger size
« on: September 11, 2014, 06:37:04 AM »
Pipe size is once inch pex, pictures I'll have to have the kids attempt that this weekend, that's out of my league completely, I can type on the computer and that's about it. I'll caliper the fittings and pipe to get you the exact measurements.
39
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: plate heat exchanger size
« on: September 10, 2014, 05:19:33 PM »
My outdoor boiler is maybe 50 feet from the shop, we put the foam insulated two one inch pex in a four inch tile buried to the shop, there is no bends, elbows or anything in the line, we buried the same type of line to the house, which is 150 feet from the boiler. In the shop it goes into the plate heat exchanger and back out again, there are two elbows in the plate heat exchanger on the shop side to the water heater, nothing but straight in and out on the boiler side, there is a pump on the back of the boiler that pumps to the shop, another pump does the house.
When we've done the heat loss with a temp gun, maybe not accurate enough, but the temps were close, less than five degree's from the boiler to the house, and less than that to the shop.
We are in a wet area of the state, I installed drain tile a foot deeper than the boiler lines, and some more tile shallower than the lines, the lines themselves are at the six foot depth, mainly because its what the angle it took to get under the shop footings with the bend radius, and the same at the boiler. As for the brand, I'm not remembering right off, but its the same as everyone in the area has used no matter the brand of boiler installed, all the plumbers and boiler sales people get the same brand, I know I asked at the time.
I should have gone with a larger line, but if we'd do a radiator with a fan to add a faster recovery when we open the door, I'd run another line still for that unit alone with another pump to run it.
When we've done the heat loss with a temp gun, maybe not accurate enough, but the temps were close, less than five degree's from the boiler to the house, and less than that to the shop.
We are in a wet area of the state, I installed drain tile a foot deeper than the boiler lines, and some more tile shallower than the lines, the lines themselves are at the six foot depth, mainly because its what the angle it took to get under the shop footings with the bend radius, and the same at the boiler. As for the brand, I'm not remembering right off, but its the same as everyone in the area has used no matter the brand of boiler installed, all the plumbers and boiler sales people get the same brand, I know I asked at the time.
I should have gone with a larger line, but if we'd do a radiator with a fan to add a faster recovery when we open the door, I'd run another line still for that unit alone with another pump to run it.
40
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: plate heat exchanger size
« on: September 10, 2014, 09:38:02 AM »
Been around a few that didn't insulate very well around the foundation, in the dead of winter with below zero temps the grass was green and growing outside the building. Mine we insulated to the hill, both under, around and there's a foot of fiberglass blowin in the walls, we've done heat gun temps of the wall and surrounding area's, all are like they are supposed to be behind the insulation and the wall itself.
I've considered a forced air radiator style setup for quick recovery, but with the house already online I'm not thinking my wood boiler can do anymore, but this winter should tell us more. We've considered a chip boiler to go along with a wood boiler, but for the costs associated with them all, its looking doubtful. I'd probably opt for a larger firewood boiler that would be new and keep processing firewood.
We're also getting setup for lp gas in case this winter is another repeat of last winter, to aid us out in times of extreme cold and if or when the wood boiler won't keep up.
I've considered a forced air radiator style setup for quick recovery, but with the house already online I'm not thinking my wood boiler can do anymore, but this winter should tell us more. We've considered a chip boiler to go along with a wood boiler, but for the costs associated with them all, its looking doubtful. I'd probably opt for a larger firewood boiler that would be new and keep processing firewood.
We're also getting setup for lp gas in case this winter is another repeat of last winter, to aid us out in times of extreme cold and if or when the wood boiler won't keep up.
41
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: plate heat exchanger size
« on: September 09, 2014, 08:04:01 PM »
While on the subject of in floor heating, I'm also told that about 25 btu's per square foot of floor space from my in floor heat, is this accurate? If so what else do I do to add supplemental heat, a forced air radiator/blower or an added heat source of something else entirely?
42
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: plate heat exchanger size
« on: September 09, 2014, 11:18:34 AM »
slimjim, so is my plate heat exchanger large enough to do the job, or do I need to do something different before the heating season kicks in full swing?
All the local "experts" tell me I only need 60,000 btu's to heat the shop, ceiling height means nothing in the equation, which I'm finding very hard to believe and swallow, so we did as they said and insulated it better for the coming winter and got my wood boiler back up to par, supposedly/hopefully.
All the local "experts" tell me I only need 60,000 btu's to heat the shop, ceiling height means nothing in the equation, which I'm finding very hard to believe and swallow, so we did as they said and insulated it better for the coming winter and got my wood boiler back up to par, supposedly/hopefully.
43
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: plate heat exchanger size
« on: September 09, 2014, 04:55:21 AM »
My shop has infloor heat in both the office and main shop, the shop is put in an old barn that was remodeled, the entire floor is setup on a slope from one end to the other to make it work and be able to enter the main door, then there is a full service pit in the main shop that's 50 feet long and six feet deep, also on with a sloped floor from one end to the other.
I wanted antifreeze in the entire building, including the office/break room attached to the shop, so it was decided to install a hot water heater, to be used as a holding tank, not to heat anything, but we put in the plate heat exchanger and have a pump set up off the thermostat on one of the heating elements to start and stop the pump to maintain the temp in the tank. We also pressurized the tank and system in the building to try to equalize all the zones so they could pump and circulate equally and in order to do that we used the plate heat exchanger to isolate the furnace which isn't pressurized to the shop which is.
Last winter was the first winter we heated the shop, but we've been heating the office/break room for a couple years, along with the house for quite a few years. Then along comes last winter's bitter extended cold and my furnace couldn't keep up and keep everything warm, so after a couple months of going through the whole equation, it was finally discovered that the blower motor wasn't the correct one for the furnace, which has just been solved.
My main question was this, is my plate heat exchanger large enough to do the job of heating the shop and office, total footage of the shop is about 2700 feet but the main shop has 21 foot ceilings, all fully insulated, but the kicker comes into play when I talk about shock cooling the shop when I open up the large door on the end of the building that's 20 feet high by 34 feet wide and its a one piece hydraulic door that opens up, then we bring in equipment to the tune of 30-70,000 lbs to warm up and work on during the winter's off season.
I wanted antifreeze in the entire building, including the office/break room attached to the shop, so it was decided to install a hot water heater, to be used as a holding tank, not to heat anything, but we put in the plate heat exchanger and have a pump set up off the thermostat on one of the heating elements to start and stop the pump to maintain the temp in the tank. We also pressurized the tank and system in the building to try to equalize all the zones so they could pump and circulate equally and in order to do that we used the plate heat exchanger to isolate the furnace which isn't pressurized to the shop which is.
Last winter was the first winter we heated the shop, but we've been heating the office/break room for a couple years, along with the house for quite a few years. Then along comes last winter's bitter extended cold and my furnace couldn't keep up and keep everything warm, so after a couple months of going through the whole equation, it was finally discovered that the blower motor wasn't the correct one for the furnace, which has just been solved.
My main question was this, is my plate heat exchanger large enough to do the job of heating the shop and office, total footage of the shop is about 2700 feet but the main shop has 21 foot ceilings, all fully insulated, but the kicker comes into play when I talk about shock cooling the shop when I open up the large door on the end of the building that's 20 feet high by 34 feet wide and its a one piece hydraulic door that opens up, then we bring in equipment to the tune of 30-70,000 lbs to warm up and work on during the winter's off season.
44
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: plate heat exchanger size
« on: September 08, 2014, 07:44:26 PM »
Too long ago to remember for sure but I was thinking something like 80 plate and thinking in that 300k neighborhood???
45
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: high efficiency gassifier boilers
« on: September 08, 2014, 07:57:36 AM »
So the hotter burn cycle temps will burn up the creasote so when it cools the air going through the heat exchanger it won't be an issue afterwards, is that the jest of it, whereas on a wood boiler such as wood doctor which doesn't have as hot of burn temps, it never burns them off and its always a problem and the reason for a short stack in the first place??