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Shaver Furnace / Re: Fan opening - draft control
« on: December 06, 2010, 03:51:54 PM »
Russ is there any chance you could send me or post a picture of the solenoid setup that you can order from Shaver's. I just gave all my parts to my neighbor and he's interested in setting up a solenoid on his stove. Thanks Rob
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Shaver Furnace / Re: Fan opening - draft control
« on: December 02, 2010, 08:00:31 AM »
Russ, I went to the local hardware store and bought the largest "Rope Gasket" they had and embedded it into new silicone. It worked great and again should have came from Shaver that way. As for the latch, mine was broke when I got it. Shaver didn't deliver, we had FedEx do it. I always kept a variety of flat washers laying on top of my stove to put between the latch to add tension. The only bad thing was the latch and the door hinges are welded to 3/16 steel and when the stove heats up they will both pull forward. My door hinges were not plumb from the factory and this always caused a sealing problem around the door. Another thought is to weld an extra tab to the front of the latch, then tap it and stick a bolt through it. You could then tighten it up to take up the slack in the door.
The other nightmare was there was no sight glass nor vent tube on the overflow. Both of these have to be made and Shaver did not leave any threads on the nipple, so I had to remove the siding and cut threads on the nipple. I then threaded on an elbow and put on a piece of clear tubing with a piece of hard plastic pipe over it with a section cut out for a sight glass. I left the clear plastic as long as possible to allow my steaming water to condensate, cool and fall back into the tank, preventing water loss.
These are all things I had to learn for myself. I had countless hours of research and loss of sleep dealing with this. When you spend $5000.00, you should not have to do all that I had to do to get this stove to work. I would pay $2000.00 dollars more for all this to be done at purchase, as if you figure up my time I probably had $10000.00 dollars in a stove that at the end of the day still did not function as well as most other stoves.
Again Russ, I think you are a decent person and can respect what I'm trying to say here. I don't get a commission or even own a stove anymore, but I feel a duty to advise people about the downfalls of this stove. My friend with the Nature's Comfort came to me last year stating that he was going to buy a stove and was "sold" on a Shaver's after reading "Ben's" BS. I told him about all the problems I had and pointed him to a Nature's Comfort. I hooked it up for him and he has nothing but praise for the stove. I've tended it for him when he's away and it is nothing short of awesome. I also tend my other neighbor's Shaver's at times and well.........
If the folks at Shaver's had better customer service and would incorporate the modifications I made (I sent them to Ben) Then I would probably forget and forgive. I have decided not to file a civil suit, instead just try to educate people about this incomplete product.
The other nightmare was there was no sight glass nor vent tube on the overflow. Both of these have to be made and Shaver did not leave any threads on the nipple, so I had to remove the siding and cut threads on the nipple. I then threaded on an elbow and put on a piece of clear tubing with a piece of hard plastic pipe over it with a section cut out for a sight glass. I left the clear plastic as long as possible to allow my steaming water to condensate, cool and fall back into the tank, preventing water loss.
These are all things I had to learn for myself. I had countless hours of research and loss of sleep dealing with this. When you spend $5000.00, you should not have to do all that I had to do to get this stove to work. I would pay $2000.00 dollars more for all this to be done at purchase, as if you figure up my time I probably had $10000.00 dollars in a stove that at the end of the day still did not function as well as most other stoves.
Again Russ, I think you are a decent person and can respect what I'm trying to say here. I don't get a commission or even own a stove anymore, but I feel a duty to advise people about the downfalls of this stove. My friend with the Nature's Comfort came to me last year stating that he was going to buy a stove and was "sold" on a Shaver's after reading "Ben's" BS. I told him about all the problems I had and pointed him to a Nature's Comfort. I hooked it up for him and he has nothing but praise for the stove. I've tended it for him when he's away and it is nothing short of awesome. I also tend my other neighbor's Shaver's at times and well.........
If the folks at Shaver's had better customer service and would incorporate the modifications I made (I sent them to Ben) Then I would probably forget and forgive. I have decided not to file a civil suit, instead just try to educate people about this incomplete product.
3
Shaver Furnace / Re: Fan opening - draft control
« on: December 01, 2010, 08:29:15 PM »
Russ you seem like a genuine guy and very polite, but I just have alot of resentment towards Shaver. First, let me state I sold my 165 a month ago and have never been happier to burn gas. My neighbor still has a Shaver and the other has a Nature's Comfort. There's absolutely no comparison between the two in regards to quality of construction and efficency. The Nature's Comfort wins hands down ( And no, I don't sell them).
If you have a well insulated home and cycle your pump on and off with the blower in your furnace, you will boil water. The water circulation in these stoves is terrible and the fact that the stove "Free Runs" when the thermostat is satisfied only adds to the problem. A flapper is a must. My neighbor with the Shaver's Stove always has to worry about what the temperature might be during the day and load his stove accordingly, as well as worrying about where to set the flapper. The Neighbor with the Natures Comfort loads it and forgets it. The soleniod controlled flapper is the only logical control for any entry level stove. Having a manual flapper only contributes to boiling water.
Second, a cheap $10.00 thermo disc for an aquastat is almost criminal. They will inadvertently stick, causing extreme temperatures and severe water loss. At the very least, Shaver should weld in an immersion well for adding aquastat at a later date. I detailed in another thread where I removed the thermo disc and welded in a nipple and a collar to put an immersion well on the stove to have adequate temperature control and hence voided my warranty.
Third , the silicone sealing of the top of the stove simply doesn't work. I engineered a mechanical means to hold the cover down and finally got the steam to stop soaking my insulation.
The only way this stove works, is if you run your pump 24/7 to keep the water circulated and in turn waste wood.
Russ I wish you all the luck in the world, but I can state that I feel "liberated" that I no longer have a Shaver Stove.
If you have a well insulated home and cycle your pump on and off with the blower in your furnace, you will boil water. The water circulation in these stoves is terrible and the fact that the stove "Free Runs" when the thermostat is satisfied only adds to the problem. A flapper is a must. My neighbor with the Shaver's Stove always has to worry about what the temperature might be during the day and load his stove accordingly, as well as worrying about where to set the flapper. The Neighbor with the Natures Comfort loads it and forgets it. The soleniod controlled flapper is the only logical control for any entry level stove. Having a manual flapper only contributes to boiling water.
Second, a cheap $10.00 thermo disc for an aquastat is almost criminal. They will inadvertently stick, causing extreme temperatures and severe water loss. At the very least, Shaver should weld in an immersion well for adding aquastat at a later date. I detailed in another thread where I removed the thermo disc and welded in a nipple and a collar to put an immersion well on the stove to have adequate temperature control and hence voided my warranty.
Third , the silicone sealing of the top of the stove simply doesn't work. I engineered a mechanical means to hold the cover down and finally got the steam to stop soaking my insulation.
The only way this stove works, is if you run your pump 24/7 to keep the water circulated and in turn waste wood.
Russ I wish you all the luck in the world, but I can state that I feel "liberated" that I no longer have a Shaver Stove.
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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: If you could do it all over agian, which boiler would you get?
« on: October 30, 2010, 08:51:30 PM »
Selling my Shaver 165 on Wed and not sure what I'm going to do, except celebrate that the Shaver is gone. RIP. Good Idea very very poor execution. I'm either going to put a natural gas hot water tank in my shop to heat my floor or buy a Nature's Comfort.
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Shaver Furnace / Re: 165 in Vermont
« on: August 19, 2010, 09:16:29 AM »
Shaver---Good idea--terrible execution. If you like to work and tweak stoves, then this one has potential, but I'll just build my own next time.
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Shaver Furnace / Re: 165....not enough heat in cold weather----Vermont
« on: August 19, 2010, 09:14:15 AM »
My heat exchanger is located 12 feet above my stove. Stove is 100 feet from house. I take water off the top of the stove and yours will work, but you have a leak somewhere, probably very very small or you are never getting all the air out of your system. This is very important. I pull my heat exchanger in the summer months. I have valves and have a "summer loop" to circulate through to keep my water from stagnating. In the fall I put the heat exchanger back in, but have to work a while in getting the air purged out. The last ten feet of my runs to the heat exchanger are done in one inch copper. Once my pump stops, if I can hear water running inside the copper, I have air. Usually, I can go out to the stove and slam the return valve on and off several times and the air will purge itself while the pump is running. Sometimes you have to slam it off and on really quickly several times, then leave it closed for awhile then open it quickly. You can usually hear the air gurgle inside the tank.
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Shaver Furnace / Re: Any Satisified Shaver Owners ??
« on: December 08, 2009, 02:08:35 PM »
Even tough I have issues with my door not being square when closed (I think the hinges were welded out of square or damaged in shipping) and have made a multitude of "upgrades", I can say that my stove is working good this season. But if the upgrades weren't made, especially providing a means for a mechanical seal to the top plate, I would have taken this stove in for scrap.
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Shaver Furnace / Re: Shaver 165
« on: December 08, 2009, 02:03:32 PM »
I will try to take a picture of my aquastat tonight. I tried the hardy fan and solenoid, but didn't like it. I used a piece of chain and a turnbuckle to connect the two, but I never could really get it dialed in. The 100 cfm fan on the Hardy was just to much. It moved the air to fast and blew the heat out of my stove. I put the flapper assembly on my old fan and still didn't like it.
But I have to admit that I have had ZERO problems with my stove this year, as the Honeywell Aquastat has cured my problems. I strongly recommend doing this. I have lost zero water and have not boiled my water at all.
But I have to admit that I have had ZERO problems with my stove this year, as the Honeywell Aquastat has cured my problems. I strongly recommend doing this. I have lost zero water and have not boiled my water at all.
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Shaver Furnace / Shaver 165
« on: November 29, 2009, 04:38:01 PM »
I have a 165 Shaver that I bought in December of 2007 and first fired it in january 2008. This thing has been a huge nightmare. The first winter I dealt with steam and lots of it. I would use RVT silicone- $10.00 a tube and seal the cover on the top rear, but it would always develop pin holes and steam, soaking my insulation. My neighbor also bought a 250 at the same time and had the same problems. We fixed them in Oct. of 2008, by welding "C channel" around three sides of the opening and a piece of angle across the back. We then tapped and drilled 1/4 holes in the top of the "C Channel" to hold down a quarter inch plate to cover the top rear. This worked awesome. We also welded three nipples into the top back of the stove and connected the domestic hot water coils to them. Now even if we boil water, there's no steam. I called Ben at Shaver's and told him that we had less than $50.00 in this modification, but he wasn't impressed.
This year, we got rid of the stupid and inaccurate thermo disc and added Honeywell Aquastats. What a difference. I simply drilled a hole through the rear of the stove where the thermo disc was, welded in a 1/2 pipe nipple and screwed on a 1/2 collar. Then I added the immersion well and mounted the Honeywell. This is the way this stove should have been built.
My next area to modify will be the blower fan. I just ordered a fan for a Hardy Stove and intend put a draft adjustment on the metal "swinging" door and actuate it with a solenoid. This should greatly increase my recovery time.
As for insulation, I added all the fiberglass insulation I can to the top and I am considering spraying the "Great Stuff" under the stove, but I'm concerned about condensation. Any ideas. Sorry fothe long post, I just hope this helps other who might have bought this terrible stove.
This year, we got rid of the stupid and inaccurate thermo disc and added Honeywell Aquastats. What a difference. I simply drilled a hole through the rear of the stove where the thermo disc was, welded in a 1/2 pipe nipple and screwed on a 1/2 collar. Then I added the immersion well and mounted the Honeywell. This is the way this stove should have been built.
My next area to modify will be the blower fan. I just ordered a fan for a Hardy Stove and intend put a draft adjustment on the metal "swinging" door and actuate it with a solenoid. This should greatly increase my recovery time.
As for insulation, I added all the fiberglass insulation I can to the top and I am considering spraying the "Great Stuff" under the stove, but I'm concerned about condensation. Any ideas. Sorry fothe long post, I just hope this helps other who might have bought this terrible stove.
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