Print

[tjsgotwood]

Hello! This is my second post for help on this site. Thanks to all who helped me before! This is my first summer owning an OWB. I did a search on this forum but couldn't find any info on my topic. I have a wood doctor WD8000 and also have central air in my house. My heat exchanger is currently installed in my air duct for heating(forced air). My question is when I run my AC....do I need to remove the heat exchanger or can it be left in place? thank you!

[bajonesy77]

Leave it in! Even if your a/c freezes up the air will never get cold enough to freeze the water in the heat exchanger.

[RSI]

It is possible to freeze the heat exchanger in certain circumstances and the AC in not functioning properly but it is very, very unlikely to happen. If you are worried about it, you could put a thermostat on the AC line that shuts off the AC if the temperature drop below 35. If it is running that cold it will freeze up anyway so would not interfere with normal operation.

99% of the OWBs out there just leave them alone and do nothing and have no problems.

[tjsgotwood]

 The entire system is drained and the boiler itself is clean and ready for summer. I'm not worried about freezing any water..my only concern was airflow. I thought the central air fan might struggle to move the air quickly through the ducts. Sounds like leaving it in would be okay. thanks!

[RSI]

It will slow the airflow a little but probably make little difference in the AC system unless you used a smaller HX than the plenum and have it fairly restrictive.

Did you drain the OWB too? If so, you really need to get it completely dry inside the water jacket or it will probably rust. The reason is that the small amount of water continually will evaporate and condense on the surfaces with temperature changes and since there is plenty of oxygen there too it will rust.

With properly treated water there will be no rusting and it is best to fill so it is full to top of overflow.

[tjsgotwood]

It will slow the airflow a little but probably make little difference in the AC system unless you used a smaller HX than the plenum and have it fairly restrictive.

Did you drain the OWB too? If so, you really need to get it completely dry inside the water jacket or it will probably rust. The reason is that the small amount of water continually will evaporate and condense on the surfaces with temperature changes and since there is plenty of oxygen there too it will rust.

With properly treated water there will be no rusting and it is best to fill so it is full to top of overflow.

I did drain the boiler also. The system was drained from the basement and also from the back of the tank on the boiler. I see your point and appreciate your help. I want it stored the best way possible as I understand the value in maintenance. I have no manual and little experience with this system. I do have low PH tap water and the proper chemical to treat the water. I will re-fill the system and treat the water. Once I have circulated the water enough(to get the treatment mixed well)....should I still leave the pump running to circulate the water?

[RSI]

You shouldn't need to leave the pump running. Some people think they last longer if run all the time but even if it extends the life you will spend more in electricity than the pump cost per year of it's life. Running for a few minutes once or twice a month is better. Once pumps are getting weak, they can keep running but not be able to start up. If you leave it running it might make it till the middle of winter till you find out it is going bad instead of when it is warm out.

If you have had the pump sitting for a while with no water in it, you might want to fill it with diluted vinegar and let it soak for a few days then flush out with clean water.
The reason for this is that the water in it will have evaporated and left behind any minerals that were in it. The dried minerals can freeze up the pump.

[tjsgotwood]

You shouldn't need to leave the pump running. Some people think they last longer if run all the time but even if it extends the life you will spend more in electricity than the pump cost per year of it's life. Running for a few minutes once or twice a month is better. Once pumps are getting weak, they can keep running but not be able to start up. If you leave it running it might make it till the middle of winter till you find out it is going bad instead of when it is warm out.

If you have had the pump sitting for a while with no water in it, you might want to fill it with diluted vinegar and let it soak for a few days then flush out with clean water.
The reason for this is that the water in it will have evaporated and left behind any minerals that were in it. The dried minerals can freeze up the pump.

I will take your advice on the pump. Plus I already have a spare(new) pump ready to go if needed. My blower fan motor went out last winter so I bought two right away to have a spare. I'm on a mission to never burn propane again! haha The boiler has been sitting empty for about a week. What is the best way to get the water/vinegar mixture into the pump? thanks again!!!

[RSI]

With it removed, just plug one port and pour it full from the other. If it has been in the system and only a couple weeks, it likely didn't dry up much and I would just leave it alone and not worry about it.

[tjsgotwood]

With it removed, just plug one port and pour it full from the other. If it has been in the system and only a couple weeks, it likely didn't dry up much and I would just leave it alone and not worry about it.

thanks again for your time! Hopefully I can make this wood doctor last as long as possible!

[RSI]

Most corrosion happens in the firebox. If you search the wood doctor section here for problems on your model, the places where they occur are where you will want to put the most attention into keeping clean.

[tjsgotwood]

Most corrosion happens in the firebox. If you search the wood doctor section here for problems on your model, the places where they occur are where you will want to put the most attention into keeping clean.

I have done some research on my model and was discouraged when I found out the history of the company/products. The OWB came installed in the house we bought. We have an amazing home w/40 acres, a stocked pond, 40x40 garage, prime hunting land and etc. I was not going to let the brand of the OWB alter my choice. I bought the house with the expectation of replacing the OWB at some point. I do plan on giving this unit my best effort. I spent over 4 hours cleaning it by hand, wire wheel, brass brushes, brass scrapers and etc. The inside is like new and it has a nice coating of an Amsoil synthetic aerosal spray grease. It won't dry out like wd40 and coats better than motor oil. It clings to everything and leaves thick layer that doesn't allow gravity to "drip dry" the surfaces.
 The original owner of the house was supposed to get me the owners manual for the OWB...but never did. I have searched the web a lot for a WD8000 manual with no luck. Any suggestions on downloading an original owners manual? 

[RSI]

I have no experience with Wood Doctor except what I have read about them. I think Polar Furnaces may still still be the same design.
I mentioned looking for failures because I thought I remembered reading about a common failure point. If there is, you can keep that area clean and dry and probably really increase the life of the stove quite a bit.