stltreedr
ArboristSite Operative
Thanks for sending me the pics, awesome build, did you build because there isn't one like it on the market, or just because you can? Seems like you have quite a bit of $$ and a whole lotta time in it.
u need some pipe?
Thanks Doug!! Here is a pic of the pump and some plumbing in the shop. I use 3- 8ft long base board, fin tube heaters in the shop.Good job. I would like to see the rest of it like the pump and radiater. How did you pressure check your welds and can you tell me what it cost in electricity to run it?
Really I built it just to save money off buying a new one. after studying a bunch of manufacturers designs I came up with one that I thought would be a good quality long lasting and efficient.Thanks for sending me the pics, awesome build, did you build because there isn't one like it on the market, or just because you can? Seems like you have quite a bit of $$ and a whole lotta time in it.
I saw that heatmor uses a flap that opens by turning on the motor. so its simply operated by air pressure. there's no solenoid to go bad. they say with my design the solenoid goes out more than any other part. Heatmor also has an option of 2 blowers like u mentioned. I know a guy who has one. he said he only burns soft wood that's still green, because hard wood burns too quick. he's heating a pretty well insulated 2000 sq ft house. I thought about 2 blowers but I figured that would be too much air into the fire. I didn't want it to be like the old wood doctors that just ate up wood really fast, so I went with 1 blower. i just noticed my blower has a lot of ash on it. my last boiler never got ash on the blower. I think its because on my last boiler the auger hole is in the back of the boiler. now this boiler its in the front like a woodmaster. when I'm cleaning out the ashes they blow around in the wind, and get sucked into the blower. that's the reason I'm getting ash on the motor. could be the same problem for yours? I still get some smoke that comes out the door. usually it happens if I haven't pushed the wood pile closer to the boiler, and I have to take a few steps to grab the next piece. then by the time I'm throwing the last piece in the first piece has started smoking.Very well done. I see a lot of similarities with my woodmaster but there are so many things I would change with my woodmaster. I love that you moved the stack up front. I open the baffle and open the door and I still get a face full of smoke and all the heat goes right out the door. What did you use for a draft fan? That's my other issue with my woodmaster. The flapper closes on the fan to stop all drafts which makes a ton of smoke and soot. All the smoke and sot are trapped in the fan. Every month I have to clean the blades of the fan and I know there is nothing I can do about the soot and ash that are making there way in the motor shaft. The only thing I would change on your set up would be a draft fan in the back as well as in the door. I will try to build one of these as soon as the woodmaster gives up. Here in NY they have got very strict on the sales of Woodboilers. They have very strict regulations around efficiency here and no one sells boilers here anymore.
Take the fan out in the spring when the boiler is shut down and check the fins on the blower. They will be filled with ash. Nothing a wire brush cant take care of but a pain to do. Also it is my theory that the same ash and soot works its way into the bearing at the base of the shaft under the fins because that too is closed into the smoke and ash when the flapper closes. I know I'm on a blower a year give or take because the blowers seem to be getting weak. If you got nervous about the foam near the flue and loading door, great stuff makes a high temp fire safe spray foam. Not sure about R-value or temp ratings but it should be better than nothing. With a flue temp of 130 Im sure regular spray foam will last a while.
Nice job on that OWB - Any thoughts on how many years she'd go without major problems? [leaks, burnthrough, whatever]
I'm with hondaracer2004. That is one of the nicest setups I ever saw. Was the smoke bypass system explained? I missed it.
Thanks for showing. I wondered if my heatmor is made of half a pipe with the bottom of the two different half pipes welded together. What I see of yours is it is an efficient design.
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