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1

Plumbing / HEAT EXCHANGER BRANDS

« on: November 18, 2024, 10:02:43 AM »

Hey all...   my heat exchanger is about 10 years old... and I think the age... and also the fact that I used the wrong filters, gummed it all up.   not getting much heat transfer from my OWB loop to my OIL BOILER Loop.    So I am going to replace it.   

I have always been of the mindset... that Central Boiler made great products... Though I know they have always outsourced their heat exchangers...  now I see they are no longer American Made... and still want almost 500 bucks for a 5x12 - 50 plate with 1.25 NPT fittings.  Which is fine if they are the best.... and only way to go... but are their other options - that are not a waste of money? 

Any experience or recommendations with not CB heat exchangers?

I found this one... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BLLY6MLH/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A2WGAPI6WQ1R37&psc=1   but dont want to save 150 bucks just to kick myself later.   

Also.... I see they are now recommending they be mounted vertically... is it worth redoing all my plumbing to make a vertical mount work... or just stick with the horizontal? 

Thanks!

2

Central Boiler / Loading Tips?

« on: February 09, 2014, 05:45:42 AM »

SO...   when I load the boiler...  I fill the thing pretty full.  Sometimes all the way to the top.   Usually, after around 12 hours... its is burned down to ash or mostly ash.  What is the theory on this.  Am I wasting wood by doing this?   I am going to play with putting less in, but usually I have to be gone for long periods of time and have not wanted to chance it going out. 

I seem to be going through lots of wood and wonder if this is the culprit.

Heating a 3200 ft house...   a 3 bay garage (kept at 40 degrees)  and hot water for the house.

thanks all
PMo

3

Central Boiler / Re: Losing 12-15 degrees from Boiler to house... before hitting heat exchanger.

« on: February 01, 2014, 06:55:56 PM »

Noce sit up - what type of filters you are using?

Thanks!   They are KEYSTONE FILTERS.   Mine are MODEL BBHTX - 10.   
http://catalog.keystonefilter.com/item/giant-cartridge-filter-housings/reinforced-nylon-g/htgx20-non
Not this big... but this is the closest I could find online

I got mine from my Central Boiler Dealer.   Mainlinehs.com in CT.

4

Central Boiler / Re: Losing 12-15 degrees from Boiler to house... before hitting heat exchanger.

« on: January 29, 2014, 11:22:08 AM »

No roxann is another member who is having difficulty with her boiler and install, Regarding namingthe unit, start a thread and let us help, I'll vote for WOODY

WOODY might win without even starting a thread... 

5

Central Boiler / Re: Losing 12-15 degrees from Boiler to house... before hitting heat exchanger.

« on: January 29, 2014, 09:51:11 AM »

Looks like a nice set up to me. What is the loop that heads up and out of the picture with the blue pex?

thanks

that connects to my well.   I initially installed it near the thermostaic valve to fill the boiler...   I then did a T off of it so I could have it in-between two shutoff valves so I could force water in both directions to try and get rid of air in the line.

That makes filling and purging the air soooooo much easier doesn't it PMo, This is just one of the issues that Roxann has

Did you name your boiler Roxann?  I was trying to come up with a name for mine... but after the last couple weeks it was not going to be nice...   now that I am up and running..  I will give it a couple weeks of being awesome before I come up with a name I can use in public.   

It does make it easy... although, I did it while the system was hot...  and I cracked a gauge.   Lucky I didn't do any other damage... as it was cold well water into a hot system.
 

6

Central Boiler / Re: New Install

« on: January 28, 2014, 07:19:53 PM »

Thanks for the notes Roger...   I have learned this week its all about the wood...  I like the idea of getting log length and splitting it myself..  then I know how long stuff has been split and seasoned.  I have decided I don't trust firewood dealers.

7

Central Boiler / Re: Losing 12-15 degrees from Boiler to house... before hitting heat exchanger.

« on: January 28, 2014, 07:13:47 PM »

Looks like a nice set up to me. What is the loop that heads up and out of the picture with the blue pex?

thanks

that connects to my well.   I initially installed it near the thermostaic valve to fill the boiler...   I then did a T off of it so I could have it in-between two shutoff valves so I could force water in both directions to try and get rid of air in the line.   

 

8

Central Boiler / Re: Losing 12-15 degrees from Boiler to house... before hitting heat exchanger.

« on: January 28, 2014, 06:40:55 PM »

So the 12 degree loss is after it goes through the hx and the boiler and then is about to head back to the owb to be reheated? What is the heat loss right after it comes into the basement from the owb before it has gone though any hx? We shoot for the the water at the return to the owb to be a 20 degree drop from when it started the journey. This 20 degree drop is with an average number if in house zones calling for heat.

the 12 degree loss is what it is at once it transfers to the inside loop and then makes its way to the boiler.   I don't have a reading on what the water temp is at when it goes back to the boiler... I will get one soon.

speaking of this...  here is a question... attached is a pic of my set up...showing the 2 loops and the heat HX...   does this seem like a typical set up.  I have seen some that are no filters are gauges, straight into the HX....  I have seen other with no HX, with the loop going straight into the boiler (which acts as the HX)

Sometimes mine seems like crazy overkill, compared to others I have seen...   I hate to ask the question...  but did I get sold on a bunch of stuff I don't need by my dealer?   








[attachment deleted by admin for space issues]

9

Central Boiler / Re: New Install

« on: January 28, 2014, 06:29:21 PM »

I just love how this unit barely burns any wood or smokes. The technology is just incredible. I would be happy to show any interested people this hookup if close by. Central Boiler you guys have your stuff together.

This past winter I used about 5 1/2 to 6 cord of wood.  I'm heating 3000sqft of an 1840's vintage farmhouse and my domestic hot water.  I should add that I spent a goodly amount of money on insulation.  That makes a huge difference.  I keep the temp in the living area (kitchen, dining room, living room, etc...) at 72/73 degrees.  My bedroom is kept at 60 to 65 degrees.  Roger

Roger...  what kind of wood are you burning?   I am in RI... I installed in Early december and I have gone through about 5 cords (+/-)   seems like a lot in that time frame compared to you... but it has been brutally cold.   I fill it twice a day...  when its cold... generally I fill it almost all the way up each time... to where I can not get anymore in.   

thoughts?

10

Central Boiler / Re: Losing 12-15 degrees from Boiler to house... before hitting heat exchanger.

« on: January 28, 2014, 06:13:07 PM »

How did you make out?

Hey Hondaracer... thanks for checking in.

So...   You were correct... my indoor gauge was off.   

Tonight my stove was at 191 degrees... and my indoor boiler that I feed was reading 179.  So I am losing 12 degrees from the OWB to the furnace... 

I am not sure how your systems work... but I am pretty happy with 12 degree loss from outside to inside, through the heat exchanger and through the oil furnace.   (especially considering I feed the output of the oil furnace... so that is prob a bit lower then the water temp actual is.)

Does that sound about right to you guys?

11

Central Boiler / Re: New question... chamber not staying at temp

« on: January 28, 2014, 06:09:29 PM »

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone...   such a great resource this site is.   

So I cleaned the thing from top to bottom today...   to my disappointment, there was no real blockages anywhere.   

I re-did my coal bed with oak and burned only oak today... thing worked like a champ. 

I think the root of my problems was the wood... I was burning a lot of pine... that was "seasoned" in log length...  and then split just last friday.   I was having huge problems keeping a coal bed the last few days... climaxing to a NO FIRE this am, but 3 full logs that were clearly on fire at one point. 

Burned oak today... and presto...   of course I did do the full cleaning...  so for now...  I will keep it clean.. and burn oak.   

Thanks all!

12

Central Boiler / Re: New question... chamber not staying at temp

« on: January 27, 2014, 09:44:27 AM »

Will do... thanks Hondaracer.   

I will say... I redid my goal bed and it seems to be getting a lot better.    Although my Pine is only getting the combustion chamber to about 750 degrees consistently.. but that might be the nature of Pine? 

I am starting to throw a couple pieces of Oak in the bottom when I fill to keep the coal bed nice and hot... and then Pine on top.   And it seems to keep it going better.

Living and learning the ways of my OWF.

of course I went into the basement this am and found water...   result of a broken water pressure gauge... water was coming out of the back... weird...   8 dollars later we are back up and running.   Always something!

Thanks for all the help...   Hopefully I can get through this week and give the system another
 good cleaning this weekend. 

13

Central Boiler / New question... chamber not staying at temp

« on: January 26, 2014, 08:10:16 AM »

So...  my quest to figure out the temp discrepancy is on a brief hold as I try and remedy another problem.  (but I think it is that my indoor gauge was just off a bit) 

I have had this problem for the last few days...   Put wood in in top of a hot coal bed.   when I shut the door, the temp races through all 3 stages...  up to 1300+ degrees...   [I get excited] then it slowly ticks down...  and settles around 435.  It does not always go as high as 1300...  sometimes 950+   but it always peaks... and then settles back down to 435 after about 20 min... [I get sad]  the water temp is never getting higher then 165ish. 

When I open the door to check...  with in a couple seconds I have a roaring fire...  shut the door and the bypass... and who thing repeats... high temp then settles back down around 435. 

This has been happening with All Oak, All Pine... or a mix of both.  (I thought maybe I had bad wood, so I have been mixing it up)   All wood is seasoned.

My thought is that it is not getting enough air when the door is closed and the bypass door is engaged...   But I have cleans all the solenoids, checked the air holes in the fire box... etc.

thoughts?

thank you!
PMo

14

Central Boiler / Re: Losing 12-15 degrees from Boiler to house... before hitting heat exchanger.

« on: January 25, 2014, 04:52:59 PM »

PMo. Some words of advice with the IR temp gun. Many people have problems with theirs getting accurate readings. I have found that there are a couple tricks to getting the most accurate number.

If you are measuring Pex piping take the measurement after the pex has been covered with pipe insulation for atleast a minute, peel back the insulation and take the measurement. Hold the gun sensor right on the pex and keep the gun inline with the pex piping. This seems to lead to the most accurate readings. Also make sure that you are taking measurements for comparison off of the same brand and model of pex piping. I have two different brands of pex piping and they show two different measurements. Only a couple degree difference between the two but they have the same temp water running through them. Also if you want to take the temp of something that is metal it can't be shiny. If you want to get a reading you need to cover the area with masking tape, let the masking tape heat up and then take the reading while pointing the gun at the masking tape. Lastly the further away from an item you get the larger an area the temp gun takes for a measurement. At say 3 inches away the area is 1x1 but at 2 feet away the area is 10x10 inches.

Thank you Hondaracer..   that is great advice.  I am going to redo my test in the am.   I was getting pretty high numbers which seemed a little weird.. but I think it is because there is a little shine to the black pipe.   

I just looked at the camera...  it is actually an IR camera...  does that make a difference?

Again, very much appreciate the help.
PMo

15

Central Boiler / Re: Losing 12-15 degrees from Boiler to house... before hitting heat exchanger.

« on: January 25, 2014, 09:29:59 AM »

Correct me if I am wrong but I think you are referring to the thermostatic valve not thermostatic mixing valve. The thermostatic valve just sends heat back to the owb until the incoming temp reaches a certain level or if it drops below a certain level it sends it back to the boiler to keep the boiler up to temp. If that is true then one of your gauges is wrong.

Yep... that is what I meant... sorry.        I am picking up a laser temp gun to get a read on the pipes and see where the discrepency is....   more to come.

Thanks all for the help!