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1
HeatMaster / Re: wood consumption for a 10,000 e
« on: May 14, 2015, 12:56:21 PM »
If the unit is oversized it will smoulder longer and efficiency will take a nose dive.
Hot and hard is the most efficient.
Hot and hard is the most efficient.
2
General Discussion / Re: Gas in a can
« on: April 01, 2015, 01:46:19 PM »
I pick up 5 gallons of ethanol free for all my small engines.
3
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: I'm looking for EXPERT opinions
« on: March 26, 2015, 08:22:00 PM »
http://www.ebay.com/itm/WOW-Outdoor-Wood-Boiler-/331499876466?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d2eeeb072
The eBay listing.
I read the thread on Hearth.com and definitely WOW!.
I also googled the manufacturers name, another WOW.
The mathematics are challenging. One load produces c2m BTUs, looking at the fire box size if you could put in a solid piece of wood it would be 1/10th of a cord and equal 80% efficiency. As that would not be physically possible efficiency must be over 100%.
And that would be a load of over 500lb in a boiler weighing 800lb.
How do you transfer 500, 000 BTUs using 3/4 inch per?
The eBay listing.
I read the thread on Hearth.com and definitely WOW!.
I also googled the manufacturers name, another WOW.
The mathematics are challenging. One load produces c2m BTUs, looking at the fire box size if you could put in a solid piece of wood it would be 1/10th of a cord and equal 80% efficiency. As that would not be physically possible efficiency must be over 100%.
And that would be a load of over 500lb in a boiler weighing 800lb.
How do you transfer 500, 000 BTUs using 3/4 inch per?
4
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: heatmaster 5000e
« on: March 26, 2015, 07:20:00 PM »
I have been paying under 2 for propane so say 2,500 gallons plus unknown amount of electricity for the heat pump.
So 220 million BTUs
Say 10 million btu net for a cord of hardwood is 22 cords.
How much do you pay for wood?
Gasser might be 12 cords. Big advantage of non gasser is burning junk wood that does not cost you.
So 220 million BTUs
Say 10 million btu net for a cord of hardwood is 22 cords.
How much do you pay for wood?
Gasser might be 12 cords. Big advantage of non gasser is burning junk wood that does not cost you.
5
Heatmor / Re: new heatmor and having huge issues
« on: March 25, 2015, 12:52:31 PM »I started the season out with 10 cords of dry wood. Cut and split in June dried in an open field now stored in heated basement. I have used 5 cords so far.
Once again I am having issues fun fun on a good note able to pin point problem . .. now waiting for part to come in.. not so much a unit issue some but mostly cold water return on the wall of art of copper ...
Where I am you can bet away with cutting in the summer and burning in the winter. Especially if it is dead standing, but that is unusual. Perhaps part of the problem.
7
Plumbing / Re: Noob looking for some tips
« on: April 17, 2014, 07:20:38 PM »
The OWB is not pressurized and seems to feed straight into the rest of the system with no heat exchanger?
How big is the slab that you are looking to ice melt on, I would seriously have a glycol mix in that, if it was clod and dry you would not want to heat it.
How big is the slab that you are looking to ice melt on, I would seriously have a glycol mix in that, if it was clod and dry you would not want to heat it.
8
Plumbing / Re: Noob looking for some tips
« on: April 17, 2014, 03:51:20 PM »
Looks mainly an open system, did you mean to do that?
External concrete slabs will such a lot of btu's.
External concrete slabs will such a lot of btu's.
9
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Solar panel to OWB for Summertime use
« on: April 17, 2014, 12:37:17 PM »
I have looked at this, I made allowance to add solar panels at a later stage.
Certainly currently the cost of adding the system vs the amount of extra wood I would need to burn means that that financially it makes no sense.
Certainly currently the cost of adding the system vs the amount of extra wood I would need to burn means that that financially it makes no sense.
10
Heatmor / Re: ProFab has some issues!
« on: April 16, 2014, 03:09:23 PM »
Seems a pretty standard OWB with a few tweaks.
11
Empyre / Re: ProFab has some issues!
« on: April 15, 2014, 03:24:01 PM »
I think you mentioned earlier that your job involves Air Conditioning. It is not that different, you size systems according to load. Bigger pipes, bigger ducts, sort of similar.
The bigger the pipe the more heat that can be pumped through it. 1" pipe is fine for most normal residential loads, 1 1/2" pipe can transfer more than twice the heat assuming all other factors are equal. If it was intended to run this Boiler flat out all the time I would go to 2". My guess is that this would be an unusual install so 1 1/2" fittings is fine to heat what it was designed to heat.
A friend of mine has an old 20 room hotel, colder location, worse insulation, his Gas Boiler is about the same size as yours, hopefully that describes how grossly over sized your Boiler is.
A gas boiler can modulate, switch on and off, a gas boiler of that size in your house might only run for 5 minutes every hour.
With cord wood you can not turn it on and off, you have to compromise.
The default compromise you did last winter was to let the wood smoulder, produces less heat and lots of crap and the Boiler does not like it. None do, but this type especially does not like it.
We are where we are, so the issue is really what to do next.
The bigger the pipe the more heat that can be pumped through it. 1" pipe is fine for most normal residential loads, 1 1/2" pipe can transfer more than twice the heat assuming all other factors are equal. If it was intended to run this Boiler flat out all the time I would go to 2". My guess is that this would be an unusual install so 1 1/2" fittings is fine to heat what it was designed to heat.
A friend of mine has an old 20 room hotel, colder location, worse insulation, his Gas Boiler is about the same size as yours, hopefully that describes how grossly over sized your Boiler is.
A gas boiler can modulate, switch on and off, a gas boiler of that size in your house might only run for 5 minutes every hour.
With cord wood you can not turn it on and off, you have to compromise.
The default compromise you did last winter was to let the wood smoulder, produces less heat and lots of crap and the Boiler does not like it. None do, but this type especially does not like it.
We are where we are, so the issue is really what to do next.
12
Empyre / Re: ProFab has some issues!
« on: April 14, 2014, 10:04:46 PM »
Shame it got to this.
I just looked on the Manufacturer web site and it is better than most on the specifications. Mind you 90% efficient?
http://profab.org/product.php?id=4
Makes you wonder how many 400's are sold, can not be that many for residential use.
Even the 200 could be pushing it.
All it would have taken would be for a glance at the Brochure by the Customer, the Dealer saying something instead of just taking the order, even the installer might have been wondering what was going on. If that thing can pump out 330,000btus it is going to be using 1 1/2 -2" Pex? Much bigger than the House, whatever.
No doubt a lot more wood was used than needed with the 400 smouldering all winter.
As an aside I have wood left that is too dry, even with snow sitting on it. For next year I will have to mix it.
I just looked on the Manufacturer web site and it is better than most on the specifications. Mind you 90% efficient?
http://profab.org/product.php?id=4
Makes you wonder how many 400's are sold, can not be that many for residential use.
Even the 200 could be pushing it.
All it would have taken would be for a glance at the Brochure by the Customer, the Dealer saying something instead of just taking the order, even the installer might have been wondering what was going on. If that thing can pump out 330,000btus it is going to be using 1 1/2 -2" Pex? Much bigger than the House, whatever.
No doubt a lot more wood was used than needed with the 400 smouldering all winter.
As an aside I have wood left that is too dry, even with snow sitting on it. For next year I will have to mix it.
13
Empyre / Re: ProFab has some issues!
« on: April 14, 2014, 07:17:05 PM »
The one thing that can be agreed is that there was no design guidance, so that closes out that route.
So the Boiler can be cleaned and repaired and made to function as it is designed.
To be honest if I was the Welder I would have walked as well. Just not worth it.
I presume part loading would help, but not solve the issue.
The simplest solution would be to trade out for a smaller one, one that would be the right size.
So the Boiler can be cleaned and repaired and made to function as it is designed.
To be honest if I was the Welder I would have walked as well. Just not worth it.
I presume part loading would help, but not solve the issue.
The simplest solution would be to trade out for a smaller one, one that would be the right size.
14
General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: ProFab has some issues!
« on: April 14, 2014, 05:51:44 PM »
5F here this AM and a foot of new snow....
50F tomorrow.
50F tomorrow.
15
Plumbing / Re: ProFab has some issues!
« on: April 14, 2014, 05:37:38 PM »
I grew with radiator systems, open, using Oil or Gas as a fuel source, they were the norm. Would need a header tank.
The problem that has been mentioned is one of water quality. I am not sure how that differs with a pressurized system, needs a header tank.
Where I grew up it was a hard water area, standard service for a plumber to flush them out as the pipes and radiators clogged up, I think you could rent the equipment.
Pumps were not exotic, obviously they would go, more so if you had not kept up on water treatment.
As an aside even if you have a Pressurised system disconnected from an OWB with a heat exchanger, there is still a pump in the boiler pumping the water around.
The problem that has been mentioned is one of water quality. I am not sure how that differs with a pressurized system, needs a header tank.
Where I grew up it was a hard water area, standard service for a plumber to flush them out as the pipes and radiators clogged up, I think you could rent the equipment.
Pumps were not exotic, obviously they would go, more so if you had not kept up on water treatment.
As an aside even if you have a Pressurised system disconnected from an OWB with a heat exchanger, there is still a pump in the boiler pumping the water around.