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[kc]

Well she has been burning (mostly) since Monday and I am hopeful the worst part of the learning curve is behind.   Fire went out first night and I am still not sure how that happened as it burned for nearly 4 straight hours getting to temp so it should have had a heck of a coal base.   No hot water on morning one was not a good start.  Wired my Tstat wrong on day two as I finalized it's install and had the AC and boiler competing.   That was big fun as I had cut the condensation line on the A-coil for the HE install and haven't fixed it back yet.  Who needs AC in January?   Thanks to prior posts here I learned about the power backfeed issue on the fan wiring between 2 Tstats.  On day three as I was still trying to figure out the Tstat I told my wife to just turn the fan on manually if it got cool in the house and she fell asleep with it on and it got pretty toasty by the time she woke.  None of the pets died or plants wilted so I guess no harm no foul.   

I noted that my hot water went from 115 at the tap from my DHW heater to 140 coming in off the brazed plate HE.   But with the bypass valves I installed on the lines in front I was able to mix some cold water to temper it down and now I get 130 at the tap so I am kind of smiling realizing that I have endless hot water, I am using no electricity to heat it, and I can loosely control the temp with the bypass valves (and I figured that out without reading about it).   I think I am going to like this thing!

A few observations / questions for you guys who have been doing this a while.   First off on the fire going out.   I realized that if the fire sits idle too long that the chances of it going out increase like it did night one.   I first thought about programming little temp spikes with the programmable house Tstat to pull some heat off of the boiler here and there to stoke the fire but that seemed a little nutzo.   I started with my boiler temp at 160 with a 10 degree difference but have gone to 170 with a 3 degree diff.   I am thinking with the smaller range it will stoke the fire more often but burn for less time to get to heat which may be better on keeping coals.  Do you guys think a longer or shorter burn cycle will help keep it lit?

Also I put a couple of analog thermometers inside on the supply and return lines so I could observe the heat usage and I have noted that there is a consistent difference of 9 or 10 degrees with the Ranco on the back of the boiler.   It could be that I am losing heat between the boiler and house but I have some pretty well insulated lines on a fresh install so I am more inclined to believe that the digital and analog thermometers just are not in sync.   Any similar experience with these?

She has been burning maybe a bit more wood that I would have guessed but then again with the mishaps and only a few days I don't think I have a good feel for the true usage.   But at this rate I will be busier cutting and splitting than I ever imagined but maybe that will help me get to that svelte, boyish figure from years past.   Yeah right!!   But it sure is nice in warm in here these days.   Last week on one of the cooler mornings and we were still burning the inside stove I got up for work and took my morning shower at 55 in the master BR.   No more!!!

 

kc

[MattyNH]

Well your def still learning on how the stove works....As far as the fire going out in the middle of the night. Once that fire is lit in your OWB..Fire should never go out unless you let it out... My question is, How wet is your firewood? Got a good bed of coals?

[kc]

My firewood is in pretty good shape.   Well seasoned oak cut last winter / spring although with all of the rain we had here in December it is not totally dry (tarps).   I think I didn't have a good bed of coals the first night and I just kind of threw the wood in helter/skelter but since I have been stacking my split wood and it seems to do better.   I had good coals the last two days although today not as much.   It is warmer today so I don't think much heat has been pulled off of the boiler...

[dwneast77]

Congratulations on getting it going!!  It sure is a learning curve.  Year 5 for me and I'm still learning about it.  My CB E2300 is set at 5 degree differential fixed.  I've seen quite a few guys on here use smaller differentials during milder season to help with this.  During colder temps it should cycle frequently enough.  But with a good coal bed it should be able to sit idle for an hour or more.  I actually have t boilers plumbed together (only one running right now) with a total of around 750 gallons and with 5 degree differential, it cycles about every 1/2 hour.  If your unit is a gasser, the drier the wood the better.  Wet wood will diminish your coal bed.

[kc]

My unit is not a gasser -- I picked up an Earth 505 which is a heavy duty, basic boiler.  I am in KY which is on the milder side of the boiler's home range and I have a feeling that my running will be a bit different than my northern brethren.   I already learned that the 16" logs well suited for my inside stove don't work the best in my boiler.   That will change with my next cuts.

Won't happen this burn season but in the spring I am going to build a 20' x 8' or so wood shed next to the furnace and keep my wood bone dry for the winter burn.   I have several uncovered wood racks now so my plan will be to load the wood shed for the winter early in the fall (after the seasoning) and during the winter cut next year's wood and store on the uncovered racks queueing up for next fall.   The best laid plans...

[Scott7m]

175 with a 10-15 diff is good, running less than 10 on a non gasser is just a recipe for creosote

[johnybcold]

Welcome, I think you might still find yourself in the learning curve :-), I find that all said and done these things are temperamental, everything can be set perfecting, and one morning it just might be out, if you have a CB there is a pulse setting, which I find I have to change with the outdoor temp the last few days the temps are in the 50s so my pulse is at 20 seconds every 17 minutes my diff is set at 7 degrees, leaving the heat on helps old habits die hard.