Outdoor Wood Furnace Info
Outdoor Furnaces - Manufacturers WITH EPA-Certified Models => Portage & Main => Topic started by: Range91 on February 02, 2016, 09:59:31 AM
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I just installed this unit do to my ridgewood not being able to keep up with 12 hour burn times when dipping below 20 degrees. The unit is engineered very well, great design but I am having a hell of a time keeping the fire going. I have dif set at 5 set temp at 185. Weather has been warm 30-40 degrees. Burning split seasoned oak heating 4000sq ft. I went with this model do to future demand with pole building. The one thing I liked with my ridgewood was it could be 60 out and not call for heat all day but at night it would always fire back up would light a fire once a year and that was it!! I hope there is something I can do to keep this from being a continuing battle with milder weather. Any info would be greatly appreciated
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Try putting less wood in, and maybe splitting it more. If you have a good base of coals going, you shouldn't have any problems. Don't let the ash get too thick. I am on my second season with the same stove and have no complaints. I find it burns better with more of the firebrick exposed. Also, I'd move the diff to 10 instead of 5, at least once you get the coal bed set. Empty out your ashes once a week in the ash cleanout. It helps to keep the air flow. I find with keeping a smaller ash bed, you burn the coals more into ash that can fall between the firebricks.
Could also try loading in some kindling with the oak.
I'm in the U.P. of Michigan and this year I'm getting 12-16 hour burn times on smaller loads of wood than I burned last year. Granted, last year was much colder with multiple sub-zero nights, but on comparable nights, I'm doing better this year than last year, where last year I let the ash bed completely cover the firebricks. I burn mostly sugar maple with some white oak and white birch, plus some occasional softwood.
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Thanks for the feedback. My stove has shaker grates do to buying in January they couldn't sell me wood model like I wanted. I don't know if this is where th problem lies or if I just can't get a good coal bed established. It is raining now(suck) so I am going to try tomorrow splitting up some smaller pieces to see what that does. I have tried 10 Degree diff and had fire go out twice so moved to 5 and have lost twice again now. I don't know how much the diff change really helps me even at 5 do to creep that I get wil go to 192-193 even at a 5 spread. So ends up being 12-13 degree diff before fan kicks back on. The stove burns great fast recovery, clean but so sick of having to go out and relight this thing in the morning or worrying if I'm going to wake up to a cold house or not. I try to feed the stove only the amount of wood to get by maybe 6-7 splits 20-22" long. Every time my fire has gone out its not do to lack of wood.
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Definitely have to have a good coal bed established if you want it to relight after prolonged idling.
Try some smaller pieces on bottom that will break down faster.
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I will be giving that a try over the next couple of days. I filled it this morning like that hopefully it will be good when I get home. I also would like to know what timer people are using for the fan shut off that slimjim has talked about. I have the honeywell strap on ordered but couldn't figure out what timer. Thanks in advance for any help on this.
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Only other thought is that the wood might be too wet, either from rain or snow?
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I used this digital bathroom timer
http://www.lowes.com/pd_314811-1571-RT1WCCV4_0__?k_clickID=e1f87e3e-aac2-43f2-a21b-65cbc752551c&store_code=2617&productId=3066983&selectedLocalStoreBeanArray=[com.lowes.commerce.storelocator.beans.LocatorStoreBean%406da26da2]&storeNumber=2617&kpid=3066983&cm_mmc=SCE_PLA-_-RoughPlumbingElectrical-_-DimmersAndSpecialtyDevices-_-3066983%3APass_and_Seymour_Legrand&CAWELAID=&CAWELAID=1368032767
I used one of the cheaper mechanical types first and it failed within a week. I don't know if it was to cold out for it or what but the digital one worked for about a year until I sold the furnace.
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One other thought. If you're still having problems and if you have a free day, let the fire go out over night and wait until your water temp drops to about 130 or so before you light a new one. You'll have time to clean out the ashes, then you can start a fire with kindling, put small splits on top of that, larger splits on top of that, then you'll have some good coals going. It'll be a constant burn as it gets back up to 190 degrees.
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I am going to be trying a few different things as far as loading, blower damper and size of the wood. I did find one thing that I was doing that the stove did not like which was filling it with logs facing left to right instead of front to back. In my last stove I would stagger it when I loaded it but this one for whatever reason does not like that method. I appreciate all the help and suggestions.. I will update after a week or so with my progress
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A lot of good advise above. The 3444 can pull twice the load that you have, anywhere you can dump some heat? Open a window, throw a unit heater in the pole shed, greenhouse, hot tub? With an oversized boiler work it any way you can especially in mild weather.
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So after changing the loading tactics and using some smaller splits to get a good coal bed established boiler has been working great. Thanks for the iinput with suggestions greatly appreciated. I have one more question on the supply and return. We have a cold spell right now so boiler has had to work a little and I noticed that I could here some boiling. I have come acrossed that some people swap returns to the top. My question is is it ok to just flip my pump 180 degrees to now have it suck off the bottom and push into the top ? Pump is mounted at the boiler. Thanks for any info on this
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If I understand correctly, sorry no, it’s not that easy, if you just rotate the pump 180, then it has to pull the water thru your entire circuit making getting any air out of the system difficult to impossible, it will also shorten the life of the pump drastically.
Pump has to be moved from the current port to the current return port if you want to reverse where your pulling water from.
My G400 pulls from the bottom and returns to the top, so does my waste oil boiler.
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Well that sucks but I guess I know what I need to do.. Thanks for the quick response. just wish p&m would change there owners manual if it's such a common symptom
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If I understand correctly, sorry no, it’s not that easy, if you just rotate the pump 180, then it has to pull the water thru your entire circuit making getting any air out of the system difficult to impossible, it will also shorten the life of the pump drastically.
Pump has to be moved from the current port to the current return port if you want to reverse where your pulling water from.
My G400 pulls from the bottom and returns to the top, so does my waste oil boiler.
Right, get the pump on the bottom. push the water if you want your pump to live.
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I had this happen with mine once this year. This is my 1st year having the BL 3444 and I love it. Here is what I found in my case. I had a hot bed of coals that was around 180 degrees I loaded the wood in such a way it lowered the temp to almost 140 and just about put the fire out. Both my loops were calling for heat and there was too much space in between the pieces. I quickly freaked out and though something was majorly wrong. when i adjusted the logs it took off and the temp went up quickly. Right now I am getting about 24 hours burn time with temps around the teens at night heating 2 building one at 68 and the other at 60 as well as DHW. Hope this helps
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Watt2323 What are you running temp at? Whats your diff setting? Is your blower damper wide open? I get 12-14 hour burns heating just the house right now last night was 19 degrees. I put in 6-7 splits 20-22" long with two 4-6" pine logs about 3ft long. Stove is doing great as far as burning, very little smoke and is holding good coal bed. I dropped diff to 8 from 10 and havent heard any more boiling. I will probably end up waiting til shutdown to swap pump location unless boiling becomes a problem again.
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I sent you a private message im happy to answer any questions