Outdoor Wood Furnace Info
Outdoor Furnaces - Manufacturers WITH EPA-Certified Models => Portage & Main => Topic started by: 12valve on October 07, 2014, 09:23:45 AM
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Hey guys. Got the BL 3444 running. All is well. I was just wondering from people who used them last year about set points and differentials depending on the time of year. What works best for you guys. Right now I am at 189 degrees with a 5 degree dif? When it gets colder I was thinking of opening up the dif to 10 degrees or maybe more? Does this make sense, what works for all of you?
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How about 195 with a 10 degree differential.
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If that's what you recommend that is what I will do. I am just learning this new system.
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Watch for visible steam coming from the vent tube/water level gauge, if you see visible steam then back it off a little.
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Haha wouldn't want to boil off all my water!!!! and the differential, would you keep that at 10 degrees during the fall/spring, and during the winter?
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Sure 10 degrees will be fine.
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Run 180f with 10 or 15 differential, I forget; but all of my heat is in-slab or under-floor radiant, so max temperature I actually need is about 140F, after FPHE
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Yes but your radiant should have a mixing valve, the higher boiler temps are for the wood boiler, less creosote, more guaranteed heat to the home, and less oxygen in the boiler water, hotter is better, especially with higher efficiency stoves!
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I run mine 196 with 7 degree diff. From October till April..
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Yes but your radiant should have a mixing valve, the higher boiler temps are for the wood boiler, less creosote, more guaranteed heat to the home, and less oxygen in the boiler water, hotter is better, especially with higher efficiency stoves!
Yes, I do run FPHX and mix valves inside each structure, so that I am able to maintain a stable water temperature to the slab or under floor; and so that I do not overheat
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Yes but your radiant should have a mixing valve, the higher boiler temps are for the wood boiler, less creosote, more guaranteed heat to the home, and less oxygen in the boiler water, hotter is better, especially with higher efficiency stoves!
Slim,
My dealer recommended 180 SP with a 10 degree differential. I have a forced air furnace in the house, a hanging heater in the garage (2 separate lines from the back of the boiler), and a 20 plate exchanger for the DHW. I have a BL-3444. Should I up the SP to 185? Will a higher SP result in hotter air coming through the heat ducts throughout the house? If so, how about 190 for a SP?
Thanks.
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I like to run all my units as hot as I can, at least 185, watch for visible steam coming from the vent tube, different elevation = different boiling temp. Next would be to watch for temp creeps when the boiler is idling, bad door gaskets, overloading with wood and stuck air flappers are common causes for overheating while the fan is off
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I am with Slim on this one too. Hotter temps have to be better for the boiler long term. These units were meant to run hot for efficiency anyways.
Regarding temps, I have developed a homemade application I have running off a little computer and fairly cheap sensors I have tie wrapped on various connections within my system. It spits back a webpage where I can view it's temps and tracks temp trends. Interesting to see how long it runs between cycles etc. I have a sensor just on my boiler loop. Another on the loop to my forced air and its return. I can see how much heat is being removed as it passes through. I mainly put this together to alert me (via text and/or email) when the temps get too low or too high.
Has saved me a few times when the coal bed was so deep, air couldn't get through and caused temps to drop. Was able to correct it and keep it running without having to go thru the painful process of starting a cold boiler. Another time didn't have the ash pan closed all the way and had temps creep up while idle. Figured it's best to know things early and take preventative action.
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I'm running 185 with a 10 degree differential.
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I'm at 187 with 10 diff, going to boost to 190 with 10 diff tomorrow.
Anyone ever do greater than 10 diff? If the diff was higher, wouldn't you get longer periods of hot burns to help reduce creosote, or would it be too long at a smolder and you could lose the coals or create even more creosote?
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I'm running 194 with a 12 degree differential. Seems to work good for me. Slim told me before and its been said many times to run it hot, so hot it will be.
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When I ran 190 I had to much temp rise and was triggering my 200 degree cutoff so definitely no point for me to continually hit that temp I'm having much better luck with 185 but every stove is going to be a little different. Stay warm guys!
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I'm at 187 with 10 diff, going to boost to 190 with 10 diff tomorrow.
Anyone ever do greater than 10 diff? If the diff was higher, wouldn't you get longer periods of hot burns to help reduce creosote, or would it be too long at a smolder and you could lose the coals or create even more creosote?
I would like to know everyone's thoughts on this question as well. Adjusted my HE-2100 to 185/15 today, from 180/20, to see how it burns and the creosote build up or lack there of.
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That might work you might be better with 185/10
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I've been running 195 with a 10 differential since day one. Seems to be working well for me so far
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I've been running 195 with a 10 differential since day one. Seems to be working well for me so far
Do you ever watch your aquastat after shutdown I'm just curious if I was the only one with the creep problem
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I have watched mine and it does overshoot but only slightly.
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Probably my gaskets on the ash and heat exchanger door then.
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Mine does overshoot a bit like Crow's does. I haven't had any issues with hitting the high limit as of yet.
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Probably my gaskets on the ash and heat exchanger door then.
Do you have the orange silicone gaskets on all three doors Jwood?
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No just the loading door >:(
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Mine is the same, but it's last years model. I assumed yours would have had all 3 the same. The rope type on the ash door is very hard and I should get the newer seals for it.
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Mine was a unit that had not sold from the previous year so I ended up getting a few hundred off and got last year's price on it. I too will be putting the new gasket on this spring if not sooner.
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I run at 190 and a diff of ten
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188/8. Used to be 190/10, but since my overheat earlier this year, I start to steam pretty good when I have set at 190. I've tried increasing a few times, but keep getting what I would consider too much steam. Lookers like a pressure cooker bobber when canning beans. 188/8 seems to be my sweet spot. Stay warm..
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The temp creep could be from a low load condition but all that refractory brick keeps adding heat to the water after you've hit the cutout.
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Does anyone notice going thru more wood with the higher temps? I am a rookie so I don't know much. I have been running at 180 with 10 dif when colder (0 or under at night) and then set at 185 when a little warmer, then 190 when temps get up in the 40's daytime.
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What kind of burn times are you getting?