Print

[yellowriver]

I have a Woodmaster 434. I bought this new in 2001. I think my heat loss is to much. The burner is about 80' from house with 1" pex in insulatd pipe 24" deep. My dail says 166 F the upgrade digital stack switch says 169 F and the outlet water is 168 F with heat gun. Now to inside the house. Feed line inside the house is 150 F. 145 F at the waterheater and 160 F at heat exchanger. Pex line going back to wood burner is 107 F in the house and 104 F at woodburner. The boiler in house reads 138 F both with the gauge and heat gun. I listed all the readings in order as they are hooked up. This stove has the orignal Taco water pump. Thanks for the help.

[Scott7m]

Sounds like pump is to slow for one thing with such large delta t

but methods of checking temps can vary greatly

[yellowriver]

Need to take heat gun back tomorrow. Any other heat readings help me with problem or do I just plan on getting a new pump and hope? THANKS   

[Scott7m]

R u taking readings on the same materials on the same angle and all that?   u can't check a metal fitting here and a copper tube there and a pex tube here and learn anything

[RSI]

107 will barely feel warm if you hang on to the pipe. If is really that cold you have a flow problem. Has it always been this way? If not, did it slowly happen or come suddenly?

It could be the pump is undersized if it has always been the same. If not, it could be an air lock or heat exchanger getting plugged.

[yellowriver]

It seems like I don't have as much hot water on tap like I use to. 3 years ago put in new water heater and redid side arm. There was some limeing up in some steel fittings so now its all copper or pex. Checked it last year and all looked good. I have always figured kids getting older they use more cloths and hot water in shower. 7 years ago put on addition with in floor heat so after water goes threw in house boiler it goes to switch valve that returns it to outdoorboiler or makes it go threw mixing valve that is set at 120 and then threw 18 x 45 concrete addition. Then it returns at that 107 F. When I checked the temps with heat gun I tried to keep same distance and angle but diffrent maiterials was hard to control. Then I did the addition I added sq footage but i got ried off 2 old doors and 2 large windows and got things insulated better. Any more ideas would be great its -14 outside this morning. Thanks 

[RSI]

I wouldn't fully trust the reading from an infrared thermometer on copper or pex pipe.

When you checked it, is it possible the floor heat had just come on and was flushing the cold water out of the floor? How do you have it setup to run through the floor? Can you post a diagram?
Can you turn off the floor heat and check the return temp again? If your floor circuit is really restrictive that may be part of the problem.

Where are you located?

[ITO]

 I would want to backflush my HX if it were me, force any air out of the system at the same time, those are the cheapest, quickest fixes there could be, move on from there if you still have problem.

[hondaracer2oo4]

When you take readings with an IR gun you need to take them all using the same material or your readings mean nothing. If you are reading any type of metal with the gun you need to make sure that you wrap that section you are checking with masking tape and let the masking tape heat up for a minute or two before checking the temp. You also need to hold the sensor right on the material. My gun reads a 1x1 inch square at three inches away and a 3x3 inch  square at 1 foot away. If you are reading pipe and don't hold the sensor on the pipe you will be reading not only the pipe but whatever is beyond the pipe as well. Also it is best to take a reading from something that has been cover with pipe insulation. Peel back the insulation to take the reading.

I would be interested in purchasing a quick reading contact thermometer. They must have them out there. I found this http://www.zorotools.com/g/00097854/k-G5213083?utm_source=google_shopping&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Google_Shopping_Feed&kw={keyword}&gclid=CIjYlK2VuLwCFWRk7AodIiIAHA but don't know how good it is.

[ITO]

 Honda, this is what I use at work, attaches to my meter, works fast and accurate, before you say it I know it's not cheap.
http://www.amazon.com/Fluke-80PK-10-Clamp-Temperature-Probe/dp/B003RYZI9O

[hondaracer2oo4]

Good grief, I bet its accurate though. I would be happy with something that might not be totally accurate( +/- 5 degrees I would say?)on true temperature but was consistent on readings.

[mikemike]

dumb question is there a way that someone could check pressure to see if a pump was bad ? i know that these are not pressurized systems but there must be some kind of pressure

[jerkash]

The best way to check and see if a pump is bad - Every person that owns a OWF should have a spare pump - Take the old one off and try the new one!! 

[yellowriver]

Plumber supplier is going to drop me off a new pump tomarrow. Not sure of brand but he said it is the same as 007 taco but this one is a three speed. ITU could you explain the HX backflash a little better? The infloor was calling for heat when I did the test but I think I does most the time. The 1" pex runs to a manifold were it goes to 3 seperate 1/2 " pexs loops threw the floor. Thanks all for the help and glad I did not buy a heat gun. I was using a instant read meat temp and it read the same just took a little longer. Thanks again. Oh i live in NE Iowa & more cold next week.

[Scott7m]

Plumber supplier is going to drop me off a new pump tomarrow. Not sure of brand but he said it is the same as 007 taco but this one is a three speed. ITU could you explain the HX backflash a little better? The infloor was calling for heat when I did the test but I think I does most the time. The 1" pex runs to a manifold were it goes to 3 seperate 1/2 " pexs loops threw the floor. Thanks all for the help and glad I did not buy a heat gun. I was using a instant read meat temp and it read the same just took a little longer. Thanks again. Oh i live in NE Iowa & more cold next week.

the 007 is to small for most installs....