Print

[Maxnchej]

I'm in my first season and thinking that I should be able to stop using the bl2840 in early April. Just wondering what others do for there shutdown process?

[Crow]

 I thought the same thing last year, and wished I kept it going till May.                                                   But a couple weeks before shutting down I took a water sample and had it sent to P+M for testing.          When I decided to shut down I let it burn as much of the wood in it as possible and shut the fan off. I let it cool down to about 130, scraped of as much creosote as I could, loaded it up with cardboard and fired it back up to try to burn the remaining creosote. After that I shut off the fan, let it cool off for a day as the bricks stay warm a long time, scraped more creosote,cleaned out the bypass and ash tray and moved the bricks out of the way, vacuumed out the ashes and finally sprayed the entire interior and bypass with Fluid Film ( rust inhibitor ). Also removed the stack and put the original shipping plate back on it, a bucket will also work. I left the  pump running 24/7 but this year I may shut it off or put a timer on it.

[slimjim]

Nice job Crow!

[Crow]

Thanks Slim. Really want to protect my investment and in all honesty it didn't take all that long to do.

[Jwood]

And how did it all look after the summer using fluid film?

[Ron_lampreau]

I am also in my first season.  I was told to coat the inside of my boiler with a 50/50 diesel hydraulic oil mix. Does anybody else do this? If so how is the best way to apply this mixture? One more question at what level should I leave my float at? I will lose a tiny bit of water when I change my side stream filter but I just want to be safe when I fire it back up in the fall?  Oh and is burning cardboard really hot like crow did the best way to get rid of the creosote?

[Maxnchej]

You make a good point about the filter, should it be changed at the end of the season or start of the next one?

Also wondering if there is anything that should be done to the pump and the fan in the unit.

When you spray the coating do you also spray it in the ash pan and heat exchanger?

With the costing you you need to do anything for the first light in the fall, just wondering if it is a big bomb ?

Sorry for all of the questions, it's my Friday season so I have more questions then answers.

[mlappin]

Fluid Film is great stuff and not explosive/flammable like diesel/oil mix could be, I've all but quit using Never seize on stuff and use Fluid Film instead.

Cardboard works good for burning creosote out, I've also kept some real light pallets around and cut those up small to get a hot roaring fire when I'm shutting it down.

[Crow]

  What mlappin said!

Max, yes I did spray it everywhere. I took out the bottom bricks to clean out every bit of creosote and ash I could so sprayed in there when bricks a were out. Also in the heat exchanger too, anywhere I could. And no issues relighting in the fall.

Ron when your water temp has cooled down top up the water level ( mixed with treatment )as full as you can. I just drained mine down some when starting up in the fall and top it off as required after water temps get to operating range again. Or it will push out the excess by itself and the P+M boiler treatment is non toxic I believe.

JWood, it looked exactly the same in the fall as when I sprayed it, nice and shiny, no rust or corrosion I could see and it had a kind of pleasant smell to boot.

[Jwood]

Mlappin maybe you could sticky the thread on fluid film from last spring seeing as its getting to be that time of the year and I'm sure the topic is going to come up again.

[Maxnchej]

Thanks for the details everyone, I'll still have another month before I shut down, or still least that is the plan. I'll plan to take some pictures as I do my clean out.

[Jwood]

http://outdoorwoodfurnaceinfo.com/forum/index.php?topic=5346.0

[Maxnchej]

Thanks for the link, it as a interesting read. Will need to find some in my local area.

[Ron_lampreau]

I live in Canada and it sounds like it is only available in aerosol cans up here. My parents are heading into the states next week, where is the cheapest place to buy a 5 gallon bucket Of fluid film?

[Jwood]

Try oriellys auto parts or Grainger might have it.