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[dwneast77]

Wow, this thread has made me feel a little better about my problems.  But I haven't seen anyone with a 250 have to re-line the firebox with new 1/4" steel plate to cover 3 leaks and paper thin walls that have been eaten away over a lousy 5 years.  I will say my E2300 is running like a champ right now, however.

[renoman]

lone ranger if you go to your local hardware store buy a wire wheel brush for a drill and a
fibreglass chimney brush rod(one of the 5' sections that you can thread together)
cut one end of the rod off with the threaded fitting, drill out the fibreglass, fit the end of the drill brush
into the hole and give it a little tack with a welder. Thread that back onto the other end of the rod.
You now have a brush you can put in your drill that will flex enough to feed down into the vertical tubes!
When the brush wears out just grind the tack weld and put in a new one. That is how I keep mine clean
but I do not get near that much creosote buildup just dust.

[loneranger]

Thanks for all the advice. I do believe that my stove is too big for the temperature coefficient in this area. I heat our house that is 3400 sq ft my work shop that is 2000 sq with a 16' ceiling and an 800 sq ft guest house on the end of the shop. Sounds like lots but if it is around 0 C the heater doesn't work hard enough. Brian Martin told me to open a dead zone. I have done that a few times just to try it but I hate heating the outdoors.
I am not talking through my hat. I built my own stove for a cost of $600 in 1997. It used 4 cords of wood a winter heating about half of what I heat with the optimizer which burns about 6 cords. My home built stove took almost no care. Shovel the ash out every 2 or 3 weeks and run a brush down the chimney 1 in the middle of the winter and again in the spring. No nozzle to worry about no vertical pipes and the creosote would roll off the sides of the heater and burn up when I really opened it up.
I am a bit embarrassed when my close friend who has a house very similar to ours says he burns 2 1/2 cords and never has any problems with his little Blaze King stove made in Penticton. They won a world award for the best inside stove in the world.
I spent a fortune on this stove so I could have a clean house, heat 2 buildings 100' apart and not have my neighbours complain about smoke in the air.
I have it now and have worked hard to get it optimized, the reason for its name. I would like to get the most out of my investment without heating the outdoors and burning another 4 or 5 cords.
I think I will have to train my wife not to open the stove when it is just finished its burn as suggested. That will make life a bit better. She is a fire bug and loves feeding the stove except when it erupts.
What is different about the updated air box cover?  My door gasket is still in good shape but if they have a silicone gasket I should get one. I built a silicone gasket for the stove I built. It worked good but was a pain to make. I need more brushes anyhow. they are getting really beat. I have considered trying to make some out of cat winch cable but haven't tried yet. The quality of the steel is the best for abrasion resistance.
Do you guys know of a picture of that air box cover? Is it easily exchangeable? Does it have a definite advantage?

[Bill G]

Hey,
   It's been awhile!! 
   The thing still heats my house, but it's a pain in the ****.   I got a soft ball or better size hole where the nozzle was.  I clean every 7-8 days.  But, it works.  Thoroughly disgusted as far as that goes. 
   Sad thing is, I could have easily gotten away with a non-gasifier! 
   Spring of the year, I will make contact w/Karl K , (close by) and get a new nozzle.  Cut it in, and replace as needed.
   Maybe put some cut fire bricks in for temp fix.
   I don't get around too many folks, or spend much time on this machine, but I suggest staying away from gasifiers, if you can.  They are 100% a pain you know where!  Maintenance intensive! 
   Don't wish to stir the pot, been burning wood all my life, properly!  Dry, the best. 
  Sent water sample in first year, (2 yrs ago) still waiting on results!  Must be good!
   Not at all happy,happy, happy!! 
   I believe that I've got it beat lately, as I mix any and all wood, dry and wet together, loading whenever it needs, or when I'm near it.  Half and half dry to wet.  What's the difference, I figure, I got to clean it so often....tires and phone poles next!
   I cover the big A** hole in the floor with a nice big chunk of green wood and she works OK.  Even gasifies. 
   Thought I would cover the hole with a steel plate, never got around to it. 
   What it is, is a product brought to market without enough real world testing.  We are the geaunea pigs willing to pay for thouroughly untested heating appliance.  Heck, I feel I'm in seat#1 row#1.  I don't have unlimited coin to play again. 
   I said on a post a few years ago, I'd rather cut and and stack 3-4 more cord a year, than go through this bull**** cleaning ritual every week.  She get's very un-efficient anyway if I neglect cleaning, which I do, on occasion.   Sooo I probably ain''t saving wood anyway.
   Would have been so much better off with that ml-36.  Anybody want to trade...opti junk 250 for ml-36??  Maybe the smoke cops are on ya?
Bill
   

[loneranger]

Thanks Slim Jim, I bet the flash back from unburnt gasses cause my nozzle to break down. A high impact of gasses coming from the refractory could cause a concussion severe enough to crack the brick. May have two problems solved by making sure the gasses are gone before opening.
One other thing that I have done that helped a bit is, I drilled a hole about 1/8 in the bottom of the air intake damper box. Water did drain for a while and when it quit I should have figured out that the hole was likely plugged with creosote. I drilled it to help keep the fire going between demands. The only thing with this is it is a trade off. I do smell some smoke for a while now after the fan has gone off. Lack of air and I think it may also cause a bit more creosote. Although probably negligible.
Thanks for the advice renoman. I think I will try my cable idea first and then head for the hardware store if my idea doesn't work. I will post about the cable cleaner after I build it. Have to wait for the time to do my prototype.

[willowbk]

loneranger
if you have a hole drilled in airbox it will definetely add to your creosote/moisture issue.  slim will varify, but its allowing that smoke and moisture to come back into that airbox and has no where to go but get trapped in the box and start the nasty process. i know why you did it but maybe we can figure out why the fire is going out.  what are the temps you are keeping living areas at? is it possible to keep rooms warmer or crack some windows a bit?
i will try to post you a pic of new cover.  slim will hopefully advise on hole theory. i know air leaks are the devil.
the gasket update is easy and takes no more than an hour at best.

[James]

How ya making out, loneranger?

[jrider]

I must be lucky because my 250 has run like a champion.  This was my first owb so I didn't have any old habits to kick to run this thing....maybe that has helped me.  I did some thorough research and initially pulled the trigger on a Wooddoctor but thankfully I paid for it on my credit card so after 6 weeks of getting the run around from them, I was able to file a grievance and recover my money.  3 weeks later my 250 was sitting on my property.  The only issue I had was within the air box but as some of you have seen from my post last week, I hadn't touched it since owning this (3rd season now). 
This flare up complaint I don't understand.   I never turn the blower off when loading.  Each time I go out to load, I open the door and step back and to the side.  Did I get surprised the first time?  Hell yeah but a little common sense has saved me since then. 

[slimjim]

Good post Jrider, common sense is really all it takes, we know that we will never please everybody but tell me of another company that pays a knowledgable tech to answer questions on this forum, perhaps those guys would be better off with a different brand and then they could try to figure it out on thier own!

[martyinmi]

I get a little taken aback when I hear of folks having issues with their 250's.
The three of us here in mid-Michigan could not be more pleased with our units. We've all ran conventional units in the past and wouldn't think of going back to them. 45% less wood consumption certainly justifies the 15 minutes spent weekly doing routine maintenance.
We all put just enough fuel in them to last until the next "feeding". We clean the heat exchange tubes and the secondary burn chamber once weekly. Basically a throw and go system for us. We try to maintain a 2 - 4" ash bed and we run our temps at 188* on and 195* off. Much, much less build up on the vertical heat exchange tubes with temps up that high.
I have friends with other manufacturers gassers. Three of the four of them are way more finicky than ours.
My one bud with an Empyre 400 runs his the same way we do. He has no issues with his either. The Empyre's design is very similar to P&M's.
Any of you guys who are having issues with your units can feel free to pm or call me any time. I think you all have my cell number now. I'm probably going to parrot almost everything that "the Slim one" has relayed to you though.
A product that I think really helps with any boiler, and especially a gasser is ProFormer. I bought some from Scott and let the other 250 users  try it out. They ordered some from our local Empyre dealer and use it every day.....or at least every time they remember. It helps keep the build in the exchange tubes and the ledge at the bottom of the loading door drier and have more of a powdery consistency.
Might want to check with SlimJim to see whether or not it might void your warranties though.

Marty

[slimjim]

Freakin awesome post

[randy_1]

Slim I'm wondering what your thoughts are about pro former? Should I give it a try?

[slimjim]

It won't hurt Randy and won't affect warranty, if you like go ahead and give it a try!

[mlappin]

Would you complain about your gas powered wood splitter cutting your hand off because you left your hand in front of the ram when you pulled the lever?

 A lot would, which explains the rise of ambulance chasing lawyers.

[slimjim]

Would you complain about your gas powered wood splitter cutting your hand off because you left your hand in front of the ram when you pulled the lever?

 A lot would, which explains the rise of ambulance chasing lawyers.