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[SperleFarms]

How are the E-Classic owners out there cleaning the fly ash out of their heat exchangers?   

[dwneast77]

I have the E-Classic 2300.  I think they are set up about the same.  I generally just use the cleaning brush that came with the unit.  Did they not give you one??  Fly ash is pretty easy.  It's when I get loaded up with creosote thats more difficult. 

[buckgrunt]

Same here.....Steel brush the exchangers.   Hey dwneast....How do you clean the creosote from your heat exchanger channels ?  My brush runs cleanly/smoothly through the channels, but there is creosote that remains.  I would imagine that if there was less creosote, my furnace would be more efficient.  Am I making a big deal out of this for nothing ?.....

[johnybcold]

Brush?? I have a e1400 I did not get a brush I got a pole with a bent end

[dwneast77]

Yeah, it came with a brush and a 4' whip handle to ram it down through the exchangers.  This does most of it.  For the creosote??  Well, I don't do too much now.  My 3rd year I was given the pole with the bent end which I found was useful to help clean the creosote out of the exchangers along with using in the firebox.  However, at the beginning of last season the end broke off rendering it pretty much useless.  I've since used some of that rod as an axle to make my own 2-wheeled wheel barrow.  Best thing I ever did!!!!  I'd like to get or make a replacement, maybe with rebar or something.

I find that when I get the boiler running hot for extended periods of time the creosote will break up and clean itself out pretty well.  But when just running the home without my greenhouses and under a lite heat load there is more build-up.  It can be managed by not filling the firebox full all the time.  Add smaller amounts of wood more frequently.  That's my experience with it anyway. 

If you can't get a brush from your dealer, the one they sent me was just a round brush maybe 2 1/2" diameter.  Yes it's a round brush used to clean a square tube, makes perfect sense to me.  In the Central Boiler Accessories catalog (.pdf you can view/print right online) it's part number 310 Flue Brush Kit.  Comes with brush, 4' rod & T handle.  Funny they only list it for cleaning the E-2300.  Strange.

I just noticed that they also list a heat exchanger scraper for the E-3200 and the E-1450.  Strange looking thing.

[boilerman]

Sperle, My E2400 came with a poker rod that can be used to slide along the sides of the exchangers. No brush. Don't see why you would need a brush. The large vertical design seems to allow most of the ash to just fall down into reaction chamber for cleaning. The fine fly ash on the exchanger walls falls down when rubbing with the rod. I only clean mine during end of season and less than a cup of fly ash falls. The E1400 should do the same. The E2300 exchanger had 6 diamond shaped tubes with turbulators in them that seemed to catch more ash and creosote than the later models, requiring more frequent cleanings. The mentioned E1450 and E3200 have a H-scraper that is sized to drop down through their exchangers to knock the dust off. These were all great improvements over the E2300 IMO.

[dwneast77]

Boilerman,  I've not had the opportunity to view the newer models from CB.  I'm really interested to see the changes. But anything is an improvement over the E-2300 IMO.  I just hope this thing will last me a few more seasons.  Though, if I were to buy another boiler from CB, I'd be looking at the 3200, but then,  someone on this site posted some pretty good reasons for concern that would make me question that purchase.  There is no reason for their air channel to be falling apart after 1 season.  Maybe it was the 1st model year for the 3200 and the issue has been corrected.  I don't know.  My E-2300 was the 1st model year (2008) and I regret the purchase, but it was the only option from CB at the time.  And I admit we did not research enough.   But if I were to list all the problems I've had with my E-2300, anyone would question purchasing their product.

[SperleFarms]

Thanks for the info guys.  My E-Classic 2400 has two large vertical heat exchanges connecting the reaction chamber to the chimney box/T area.  I guess they don’t get that dirty, and thus don’t require a lot of maintenance!

[Jack72]

I have the 1450 which the heat exchanger tubes are in the vertical in the back (7 of them) the 3200 is the same way  when I open my door to clean ash out of the reaction chamber  the fly ash is laying at the bottom also  I just use a shop vac to clean up the ash 
hope this makes sense to everyone
 Are the tubes on the 1400 and 2400 in the horizontal   I've  never looked at the 1400 or 2400 to be honest?

[Ohiowood]

Hey Jack,

I don't have any tubes, just a vertical heat exchanger.

[Roger2561]

Jack72, The design of the heat exchangers in the CB e-classic 1400's is different from the 1450.  Essentially, it's a space 2 inch by 3 feet (back of boiler to the front) by approx. 2 1/2 feet (top to bottom) plenum where the super heated air helps in the transfer of the heat to the water jacket.  To clean it all I do it take the rod that CB provided me upon delivery (It's the same unit I use to rake the coals in the firebox) and run it up and down on the wall to loosen the fly ash.  I do this maybe once a month if I think of it.  The 2 areas where fly ash collects in the 1400 is in the reaction chamber and at the base of the chimney before it goes vertical.  I have never seen creosote in the heat exchanger.  Roger 

[Jack72]

Jack72, The design of the heat exchangers in the CB e-classic 1400's is different from the 1450.  Essentially, it's a space 2 inch by 3 feet (back of boiler to the front) by approx. 2 1/2 feet (top to bottom) plenum where the super heated air helps in the transfer of the heat to the water jacket.  To clean it all I do it take the rod that CB provided me upon delivery (It's the same unit I use to rake the coals in the firebox) and run it up and down on the wall to loosen the fly ash.  I do this maybe once a month if I think of it.  The 2 areas where fly ash collects in the 1400 is in the reaction chamber and at the base of the chimney before it goes vertical.  I have never seen creosote in the heat exchanger.  Roger

Dan/Roger

Hmmmm        I did not know that  I was thinking you guys had tubes  I have seven tubes seperate probably 2 -3 foot long  1 inch wide by 4 inches              I run a plate through the tubes that looks like the shape of the letter H with a chain at each end and I pull through from top to bottom pretty easy to do some black fine powder comes out but never big chunks.

Dan Maybe thats why I get a little more smoke than yours        Its a different design???        Interesting   

[dwneast77]

First and foremost in keeping these things burning clean is making SURE the primary air channel is un-obstructed.  After that, maybe fine-tuning air inlet solenoids and not letting too much ash build up on the firebox floor, particularly around the nozzle. 

I recently built new primary air channel for my CB E2300 so that it is removable for cleaning.  I can't believe how much better it runs.  It actually never burned clean even from new.  Partly my fault I think in how I was burning.  I had a tendency to pull the coals away from the nozzle because I thought it was hurting the burn.  I didn't dare to ever open the combustion chamber at that time when the bypass damper was closed so I never saw if it was gassifying or not.  Now, I open the combustion chamber every time I add wood.  I like to check it when I arrive to see how well it's burning when I get there and again after I fill it.  In my defense, the first few months I thought it smoked more than it should but it kept up and heated my home just fine.  It was when I overtaxed it running my greenhouses that I really started have trouble and pulled the coals away and what not.  It was certainly a learning curve for me.  Glad I got through it.  I now have a much better understanding of the whole thing.