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[rsprank65]

Howdy all,
New to this blog but I have enjoyed the reading. Very informative.
I started with OWF in 2003 with one of Central Boilers monsters, the 5648. This thing was a beast!! And like most beasts it had one helluva appetite!!
I used all three zones. One for the house (heat and domestic hot water), one for the garage and one for the pool.
All three lines were about 100' in length. With the house and pool in the same trench.
This was before they came out with the ready made insulated PEX piping. Spent the better part of a weekend (and a LOT of beer bribery!) stuffing all of that tubing into those lengths of insulation. And gluing ends. Taping. Then stuffing all that in the green sleeves...fun times!!
In the spring of 2011 I got my first water leak into the firebox. I got that repaired. The plan was to make it through the next heating season and replace the furnace in the spring time.
I got the next leak Halloween of 2011. This was at the Heat Lock Baffle. No repairing this one!!
(I found that the furnace basically rotted from the firebox out!!)
I contacted my dealer and he said the Pennsylvania no longer allowed that style furnace to be sold new, so I would have to go with the newer models that were EPA Certified.
He had a new E-Classic 2400 on the lot for another customer, but he wasn't gonna take delivery for a month, so he sold me that one.
Well when we tried to remove the old furnace the back hoe got stuck in the yard!! Couldn't get the old one out, or the new one in!!
Plan B.
We set the new furnace on 4X4 posts lying on the ground. Ran some Pex piping above ground and into the house so that we wouldn't freeze!!
The next spring I built a pad and dug new trenches for the PEX lines. When I tried to dig up the old lines I found that the plastic wrap had deteriorated! That would explain my mammoth increase in wood usage!! So now I am buying the Factory Insulated Pex Lines. Great stuff!! At $10 per foot.
Now my maximum distance underground is only 25 feet!! 60 feet if I count all three lines!!
These two furnaces are like Night and Day!!
These E-Classics are truly a marvel with their reduced wood consumption and almost complete elimination of smoke. (When they are operating properly!)
I burn a variety of wood. It is all split and DRY. During the spring, summer and fall, I burn the biggest variety. Anything that I can get. Mostly FREE. Pine. Poplar. Maple. Etc. But it is DRY. In the winter when I have the biggest demand, I switch to oak, hickory and some locust. Again, it is DRY.
So here are my issues so far...
1. Replaced a door seal. Probably just me being paranoid, but I did it anyway.
2. Several times I have had the air chamber clog with Creosote. I suspect this is coming from the wood being too long and ash build up. I can normally break it free with some compressed air and heat.
3. I have replaced most of the electrical connections for the solenoids. They all seem to have worked loose over time.
4. I have already replaced one solenoid due to "elongation" of the holes for the pin that holds the dampener.
5. Replaced several Taco 007 water pumps. I can do a cartridge swap almost as fast as NASCAR pit crews can change a tire!!!
6. Now I find that one of my air chambers has two cracks. The dealer told me that they offer an "upgrade" or "replacement" for this. I pay for it and they will install it.
So are all of these issues common place or should I begin to look for another heat source? And for what else should I prepare? As I do ALL the maintenance work I would like to have an idea of forthcoming maint issues/breakdowns so that I can prepare accordingly.

Thanks all!!

Randy

[aries9245]

So basicly you have only been running for alittle over 3 yrs with the new boiler and are experiencing issues already ? What is the manufacture saying ? Why are they not covering all the parts ? Seems like these might be issues they need to resolve not at your expense ..

[rsprank65]

Joe,

I have NEVER had any luck dealing directly with Central Boiler. Their attitude is like "You don't contact the manufacturer of the auto, you contact the dealer"
The dealer on the other hand, tries to appease me, but the pumps, solenoids, wiring are "normal wear items", like windshield wipers and tires on your vehicle.
I have too much money invested in wood processing equipment, saws, trucks, splitters to convert back to propane or other heat source. But I often wonder if I made the correct choice with Central Boiler.

Randy

[aries9245]

Randy
That really sucks I hope they help u with this problem I feel your pain with propane I wouldn't be able to go back either.. So what did the dealer say about the cracked chambers that can't be ware and Tear..

[rsprank65]

Joe,

The reply I got from the dealer is that CB offers an upgrade/repair to this problem. The way it sounds is that they will install a new set of pipes to handle airflow. He didn't get into a lot of specifics other than tell me it was "Part #2500062  $107.90" As the existing air chamber appears to be a section that was welded onto the water jacket, I hope they can understand my concern.
Do you know of anyone else that has had air chamber cracking?

Randy

[aries9245]

No I have not heard of anybody else saying that I'm very curious about it I'll try calling my dealer this week to get some feedback... Who is ur dealer

[CTF250]

I've been running a 5036 since 2008 with almost no problems. I changed out a circulator pump one in 2013 but that was it.  I run mine from October to April and have done almost no maintenance on it except cleaning out the fire box twice a season.

Sorry you had these troubles.

[woodman]

You should not be having trouble with your pumps. I am no expert but I know that all pumps have a sweet spot they like to be in. Get on either side of the bell and you will start having trouble. Either that or there is something seriously wrong with your water chemistry. Send a pm to RSI, slimjim, or scott7 and they should be able to tell you what pump your system should be using.

[racnruss]

Actually, the parts seem cheap enough.  Can you repair/upgrade locally or does the whole boiler have to go back to the manufacturer? That could get expensive.

I had an early gasifier too.  It was a Nature's Comfort gt-220.  It had some growing pains and I had to do a few "upgrades" also.  I had to buy the parts from the manufacturer but was able to perform the work myself.  I'm glad I did and it was worth the cost. 

You can't worry too much about the choice you made 3 years ago.  I'd do the upgrades and work with what you have.   The other option is still do the upgrades and then sell the stove and buy something else.  But that starts your years to payoff all over again. (that's what I did)

[boilerman]

Randy I too have had a E2400 since 2010 and have had great results with it and also find it very easy on the wood pile. I still have the original door seal, pumps and solenoids in mine. I believe frequent pump failures have more to do with an install/water flow problem and nothing to do with your Eclassic. What brand and what size pumps are you using that keep failing? Perhaps you have the wrong size pump for your application? Where are your pumps mounted? Something sounds wrong here. If you have a couple of cracks in your side air channels but no welds tearing away, I would not be concerned about cutting them out or spending money to change them out at this time. I don't think it would affect how the boiler works. Are you getting reaction chamber temp readings above 1,000 degrees? If you are, things would sound to be working well. Your pump issue needs to be resolved though as that sounds unnecessary. Perhaps you can give us more details.

[rsprank65]

Good evening all,
I will try to answer all the questions that have been asked...
THANKS for all the Feedback!!

My Central Boiler Dealer is as follows...
Lawn Care Distributors
Terre Hill, Pa.
(717)445-8431

All of my furnaces have been run year round, except for a 2 day span during the early spring and late fall when they are shut down for a very thorough cleaning. The swimming pool is only run seasonally, although since I can heat my pool, my season starts a little earlier than everyone elses and ends a little later too! The garage is also seasonal. The house pump does run year round. Just for the domestic hot water in the summer and for all my heating needs during the colder times of the year.

All three pumps are mounted at the back of the unit. There is very little rise/fall in any of my circuits. Maybe 5 feet max.
The pumps are Taco 007. When I experience a "failure" it is with the plastic impeller. It looks as though it has been chewed on! The last one I replaced was missing almost half of the individual vanes and the others were severely worn. This area of Pennsylvania is known for it's "hard water". Usually during the semi annual cleaning, and especially the fall cleaning, I pull all three pumps and inspect the impellers. If any are showing signs of wear, they will be used in a non critical area, such as the garage or pool. All new pumps get installed for the house. I can deal with the pool not heating properly or the garage being cold but to wake up or come home to a cold house really is an unsettling feeling. I have probably replaced 5 pumps over the years and I am pretty sure that there will be another one replaced in the spring time. I realize the pump issue is not the fault of the furnace. I had never considered their expected life. I always just assumed that pump wear was a normal part of a hydroponic system.

I have just briefly made contact with my dealer about the cracks in the air chamber. Since the unit will have to be cool to do the upgrades, it will have to be scheduled when my furnace is down for spring cleaning. We haven't discussed whether it is something that the dealer needs to do or if it is something that I can install myself. I couldn't find any photos or even descriptions of the part or the procedure anywhere online. I have no idea what the "upgrade" is gonna entail. If it will help prevent the clogging of the air chamber I am all for it!! As trying to clean out a clogged air chamber can really be a pain.

I still have fantastic reaction chamber temps!! Unless I am running my wood and ash pile low for cleaning, I am commonly seeing temperatures in the 1.1-1.3 range!! I guess my concern is that the cracks in the chamber could "spread" to the firebox itself.

If I can ever figure how to post photos without getting the "uploader error"...

Again, thanks all!!

Randy

[mlappin]

The pumps are Taco 007. When I experience a "failure" it is with the plastic impeller. It looks as though it has been chewed on! The last one I replaced was missing almost half of the individual vanes and the others were severely worn. This area of Pennsylvania is known for it's "hard water". Usually during the semi annual cleaning, and especially the fall cleaning, I pull all three pumps and inspect the impellers. If any are showing signs of wear, they will be used in a non critical area, such as the garage or pool.


If I can ever figure how to post photos without getting the "uploader error"...

Again, thanks all!!

Randy

Do you have a water softener available, if so fill the boiler with soft water, if not Central Boiler has softener cartridges available. Many manufacturers recommend using soft water, even Boilersolutions also recommends soft water. That kind of wear is not really "normal". My first build I bought a Grundfos 26-99, that was almost 15 years ago, its still in use with no discernible wear on the impeller.

Post your photos on a free photo hosting site like Flickr or Photobucket then paste the link to them here, you can even use Facebook if you have a account then paste the link here.

[hockeyguy]

Randy,
I wouldn't worry too much about the firebox cracks unless they get real big and warp the firebox. Then you'll see a decrease in airflow and reaction chamber temps. Most eclassic owners seem to get them. Mine got to be about 4" inches long and haven't grown in the last few years.  Good luck

[rsprank65]

Good morning,

For all those that are interested I think I have managed to get a working link so that you can see some of my photos. I haven't yet added any descriptions, but I think if you have been following the thread they all should be pretty much self explanatory.

Thanks again!!

Randy

http://s1148.photobucket.com/user/rsprank/library/Furnace

[aries9245]

Wow that's crazy!