Outdoor Wood Furnace Info
Outdoor Furnaces - Manufacturers WITH EPA-Certified Models => Portage & Main => Topic started by: Jwood on December 16, 2014, 12:03:09 PM
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Since day one I have had water dripping from the ash pan door, it was very little when it was warmer now it is 16 degrees out and its dripping more. My thought is this either there is an air leak in my gasket or its creating condensation on the 1/4 steel section that is uninsulated. There is water slightly puddles up 2-3" back from the edge of the door opening.
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I also have condensation in my ash pan, but mine is not dripping on the outside. I'm burning dry seasoned wood and set my set point to 185 with a 10deg difference. I thought it would change when it got cold but even the couple weeks of cold weather it still had condensation in the ash pan.
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I'm running 190 with a 10 degree differential, one thing P&M could do is have the silicone gasket on the ash door as well.
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190 +/- 8. Mine condensates when warmer outside. No condensation when colder ~ 30 or lower. I would be willing to report results and to be a pilot for a better gasket if asked....
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I'll check with the guys and see what they can do, how much water are we talking about here guys.
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Mine isn't much, maybe a half cup of water. but I keep my ash really low and there are not very many coals in my stove. Should I throw more wood in to keep a lot of coals in there? The third week I had my stove I had a lot of coals where if I didn't stir them up the air wouldn't come from the bottom slots. Is that how we should run these BL's. When there were a lot of coals there was no condensation in the ash pan also.
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I'm not sure, I don't run one here, I would say perhaps a bit more ash but would not let the pan get more than 2/3 full, remember it is a dry base boiler and it's bound to get very hot if you leave lots of ash in the pan area!
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Mine is last years model and did leak from the ash door also. Warm weather not as much outside the stove but wet inside the door. When it gets well below freezing it would leak droplets from the door and form piles of ice. Mine also has the orange silicone gasket on the loading door only with the older style rope gasket on the ash and bypass doors. Who all has the silicone gasket on all three doors? At the farm show this past spring the new models all had silicone gaskets.
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I have rubber gaskets on all three of my doors...
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I have been running my new BL-2840 for over two months. Initially I had condensation inside the ash door, after a few hours, it cleared. I haven't had anymore condensation thereafter.
I set my boiler temperatures @180 on/190 off, I use 2year seasoned oak, lightly rake my coals once a day or every two days.
I think keeping the coals loose helps with forced air circulation through the brick spaces and at the same time, allow hot embers to fall down into the ash compartment so when the draft blower kicks on, it will blow air over these embers, heating up the air, then blowing the heated air against the ash door.
My Bl was built in January this year so I have the sliconized gaskets on all three doors.
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I just checked to verify. Built June 2014. All doors have silicone gaskets. 28 degrees here, condensation just inside ash pan door. Maybe a 1/2 ounce or so... JWood insulated the 2 " ash door extrusion and it dried his up completely. I am going to do the same. Slim, I believe JWood has spoken with you about his 2840.
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Uponthehill is right I insulated the 2" of 1/4 steel that extends out of the insulated portion of the boiler because when the temps were in the 40's the other day I had moisture but not a lot but then the temps dropped down to 16 degrees and had a constant drip to the point where ice mounds were forming on the ground. I believe that the non-insulated part was cooling from outside causing a lot of condensation to the point where it was puddled up 3" back. I also put silicone on the gaskets of the ash door and heat exchanger door today and the ash pan is drier than a popcorn fart.
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Nice Jwood, I tried to get in touch with the factory yesterday, no answer, I'll try again but I think you hit the nail on the head!
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Nice Jwood, I tried to get in touch with the factory yesterday, no answer, I'll try again but I think you hit the nail on the head!
Thanks Slim I would be curious if anyone else tries this besides me and I believe Uponthehill was plannimg on doing it this weekend. Anyway if anyone does do it let us all know if it changes the moisture issue if you have one like myself. Thanks guys
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Could you post a pic of how you did this? I haven't been getting much condensation lately, but it hasn't been cold either
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It seems if the ash door is correctly sealed tight, there shouldn't even be moisture dripping from the ash door. If there is, then it's allowing cold air in. I'm not saying that condensation won't occur from the boilers first start up of the season, because it will condensate for a short time, it will with all makes of owb's. But, if it continues to drip out of the ash door, odds are, that the door needs to be adjusted more tightly, or the gasket may not be applied correctly, etc.
Applying a coat of silicone does add that extra layer of thickness that was needed to seal any air leak(s).
I'm glad P&M went with silicone gaskets on there units, it does create a better seal.
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The only problem with adjustment of the ash door is that there is no adjustment short of bending the handle and I'm not doing that.
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There is a nut that secures the handle to the ash door, if it isn't already turned all the way in, it can be turned in a bit more, this will cause the handle to press against the door latch creating more pressure on the door for a tighter seal.