Building my own OWB - the lowdown

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any non gasification boiler out there that says there any where near 60% efficient are blow smoke up your a@#!!!....maybe 30% in the real world....everything looks good on paper!!!
 
ghitch75 said:
do you?...explain?....

brand?
Click to expand...

I have the Heatmor 400SSR that is listed on the EPA website to be 60-65% efficient :D

I KNOW it is more efficient than the old Heatmor 400 by how much longer my wood lasts and it is NOT a downdraft. It burns cleaner too, always clean white smoke out my chimney in the winter when I burn it. :cheers:

What is your explaination for saying what you did? Explain please.
 
cleanburn said:
I have the Heatmor 400SSR that is listed on the EPA website to be 60-65% efficient :D

I KNOW it is more efficient than the old Heatmor 400 by how much longer my wood lasts and it is NOT a downdraft. It burns cleaner too, always clean white smoke out my chimney in the winter when I burn it. :cheers:

What is your explaination for saying what you did? Explain please.
Click to expand...

first i don't see that model on there web site?...

second...where on the epa's web site it say's it's 65%??

ok you have it hook to a house that needs say 60,000 btuph to heat that space...heating system runs 20 min's of every hour to maintain set temp so thats 20,000 btu's..... in 12 hour burn would take 144,000 btu's...you put in 75 pounds of wood@ 5,000btu's per pound..thats if its well seasoned....most is not....thats 375,000btu's....and its all burned in 12 hours...that = little under 40% efficient...

the epa site is for how much emission's of smoke partials in the air...not fuel usages....unless i'm reading it wrong...just like a 94% gas furance @ 100,000btu's input puts out 94,000btu's...
 
^^read my post on page 2. You can calculate efficiency from the website and yes my Heatmor is on there. The only other gasifier there is Central's and if you do the math they are very close to the same efficiency.

Efficiency is simply BTUs out over BTUs In....

You still did not explain your logic for saying what you did.....
 
cleanburn said:
^^read my post on page 2. You can calculate efficiency from the website and yes my Heatmor is on there. The only other gasifier there is Central's and if you do the math they are very close to the same efficiency.

Efficiency is simply BTUs out over BTUs In....

You still did not explain your logic for saying what you did.....
Click to expand...

yes just as i did btu's in btu's out....go get a scale and weight the wood going in to your boiler....measure the time of burn.... find out your btu load for your house and do the math...you'll be shocked!!
 
ghitch75 said:
yes just as i did btu's in btu's out....go get a scale and weight the wood going in to your boiler....measure the time of burn.... find out your btu load for your house and do the math...you'll be shocked!!
Click to expand...

I just refuted what you said by the EPA website with sound math. I've been there and done that with the wood weight and calculating efficiency in my stove.

What is your counter argument? I have provided a sufficient enough arguement for my side. Tell me why you do not believe a stove that is not a "gasifier" can not reach over 30% efficiency....
 
Sawmill said:
There is a place in Grand Rapids call Arevon ( not sure if I spelled it right) that makes foam sheets and all shapes. I bought my insulation from them and I had them make it so I had an R 10 value all around the pex. I think it is the same stuff you buy at Bitley. They will make whatever length you want up I think 12 foot. It has been 4 years since I bought it but I had them make mine 8 inch Dia with holes down the middle for the pex and then I used a plastic sleeve to cover it. When I bought this foam I paid 50 cents a foot. I am sure the price is higher now but may be worth checking out.
Click to expand...

nothing under that name. google didn't recommend a spelling correction, so dunno about that business title.

it did refer me to grand rapids foam technologies on 2788 remico st. wyoming. I'm going to give them a call in the morning.

spartan distrib has some 1" pex for $98 for 100Ft. rated at 180deg F at 100PSI. 160deg at 120PSI. maybe it's 200deg at 0psi? viega is the company name. going to give them a call as well. BUT, not for sure if it's a true 1" ID. i'm sure they're following the ID standard measurement. I figure i'd skimp on pex, long as it's rated for 200F, as it's the insulation and sleeve that does the wonder work.

Gonna look into pricing out my own insulation fab. if it's just as much as buying the stuff from H20, i'll just get it from them. I plan on buying the sleeve from them anyways for 80cents a ft.

and holy! all caught up in a EPA efficiency war! besides, the best BTU, sitting on my A$$ on a beach chair in florida heated from the sun :p
 
Last edited:
I wasn't trying to make a war :dizzy: I do like to have civil conversations about technology and its fun to "argue" with someone in a good way :D
 
cleanburn said:
I just refuted what you said by the EPA website with sound math. I've been there and done that with the wood weight and calculating efficiency in my stove.

What is your counter argument? I have provided a sufficient enough arguement for my side. Tell me why you do not believe a stove that is not a "gasifier" can not reach over 30% efficiency....
Click to expand...

ok...just telling others what i found with my boiler and many others.....you done the test with yours you would know better than me how your boiler runs....
 
I've seen a few crappy gasifiers though....some fly by night operations like that BlackBear that got a lot of Media then went into the dumps. It depends on the company and which stove you have looked at too. :cheers:

Ghitch75-What OWB do you have?
 
Last edited:
trialanderror said:
Alright, welded another 12" on the backside of the boiler, so the rear of the firebox will heat some water instead of dead space, plus give me a lower temp area to actually spray foam and not burn in flames... and another 32gallon on the boiler instead of stored somewhere else in the system.

it has a draft on the front, and a small blower on the rear. probably close the back and use the front or vice versa. probably use the front, blower will have a tendency to blow the ashes a bit?
Click to expand...

OK , where are the pics ?
 
dancan said:
OK , where are the pics ?
Click to expand...

re-compiled some usb source code and now i b0rk3d it...


jason@anywhere:/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.27-11/drivers/usb$ dmesg
[123050.037203] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] 487425 512-byte hardware sectors (250 MB)
[123050.039007] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Write Protect is off
[123050.039015] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Mode Sense: 0b 00 00 08
[123050.039019] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Assuming drive cache: write through
[123050.043251] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] 487425 512-byte hardware sectors (250 MB)
[123050.044757] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Write Protect is off
[123050.044766] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Mode Sense: 0b 00 00 08
[123050.044769] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Assuming drive cache: write through
[123050.046283] sdb: sdb1
[123050.049393] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Attached SCSI removable disk
[123050.050089] sd 2:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg2 type 0
[123052.522849] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
[123052.522861] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
[123052.522869] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 487424
[123052.522878] Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 487424
[123052.525349] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
[123052.525360] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
[123052.525367] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 487424
[123052.525375] Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 487424
[123052.528222] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
[123052.528230] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
[123052.528237] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 487416
[123052.528242] Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 487416
[123052.530842] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
[123052.530849] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
[123052.530855] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 487417
[123052.530860] Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 487417
[123052.530864] Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 487418
[123052.530867] Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 487419
[123052.530871] Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 487420
[123052.530874] Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 487421
[123052.530878] Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 487422
[123052.530881] Buffer I/O error on device sdb, logical block 487423
[123052.549720] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
[123052.549732] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
[123052.549740] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 487416
[123052.553213] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
[123052.553222] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
[123052.553230] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 487417
[123052.555960] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
[123052.555968] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
[123052.555976] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 487424
[123052.558584] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
[123052.558593] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
[123052.558600] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 487424
[123052.562438] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
[123052.562449] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
[123052.562457] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 487424
[123052.567593] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
[123052.567604] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
[123052.567612] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 487416
[123052.571460] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
[123052.571467] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
[123052.571474] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 487417
[123052.583776] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
[123052.583788] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
[123052.583796] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 487360
[123052.587469] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
[123052.587481] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
[123052.587490] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 487361
[123052.590079] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
[123052.590086] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
[123052.590093] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 487424
[123052.593337] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
[123052.593346] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
[123052.593354] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 487424
[123052.597330] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
[123052.597338] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
[123052.597345] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 96
[123052.600958] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
[123052.600966] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
[123052.600973] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 97
[123052.609345] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
[123052.609357] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
[123052.609365] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 96
[123052.613961] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
[123052.613970] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
[123052.613977] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 97
[123052.617707] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
[123052.617717] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
[123052.617724] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 96
[123052.621368] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
[123052.621375] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
[123052.621382] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 97
[123052.625173] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
[123052.625182] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
[123052.625189] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 96
[123052.628954] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Sense Key : Not Ready [current]
[123052.628962] sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Device not ready: Add. Sense: Medium not present
[123052.628969] end_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 97
jason@anywhere:/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.27-11/drivers/usb$


i took some pics, but they're on my phone. i'll get them posted as soon as i figure this out. unless you have an idea what's up with it? :)
 
Last edited:
Are those Dwyer digital controls the same ones Central Boiler uses? Does look like them....see they have just temp displays...wonder if I can wire one in parallel and run a wire to the shop and/or house...would love to see water temp in the house from right at the boiler.


fletcher0780 said:
Why not use a digital programmable 2 stage aquastat like either of these:

http://www.rancoetc.com/ranco-etc211000000-stage-p-105.html?osCsid=b9860bd0f43c32c7deff9fdab6f7c679

http://www.dwyer-inst.com/Products/Product.cfm?Group_ID=125&Product_ID=289&sPageName=Ordering
Click to expand...
 
Slick said:
Are those Dwyer digital controls the same ones Central Boiler uses? Does look like them....see they have just temp displays...wonder if I can wire one in parallel and run a wire to the shop and/or house...would love to see water temp in the house from right at the boiler.
Click to expand...

yah, it's a direct replacement i think.

i'm going to buy 3 mechanical dial temp, one in each house for each zone, then a 3rd on the boiler for kicks.....give an idea how good the water is floating around

they do have remote sending ones, up to 75" from CB.
i'm sure there's other ones that can remotely send for quite a distance.
 
Last edited:
I've looked, haven't found to many yet that go very far :( Those 2" dial ones on the dwyer site are a good price at $13 and change though, I got tiny 1" ones from my CB dealer for $8 and one broke right away.
 
Those wireless ones are great but no range...my house is at least 150' from the owb and signal would have to go through or around a 40x70 steel building....it's only 5 feet into my shop but I doubt it would go through the steel building :(
 

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