Attention Shaver owners

[ngzcaz]

Making a few items the factory should have included, namely a kitsch ( Pa. term for a long rod with a flat plate of steel shaped like a small hoe ( no holes ) for scraping the ashes out. I also made a piece of steel to fit under the ash pan door and angled it downwards to a steel bucket, that way the ashes fall in the bucket and not on the ground. This is removable. I've said this several times when Ben from Shaver was in the same topic but never got a response about a simple ash pan that pulls all the way out, not one that you have to pull the ashes in a bucket and get a face full of ash dirt. I'd REALLY like to know their thinking on this. I sure hope its not more than a once a month deal to empty them.
I put a switch on the front of the stove, not the back, in case the blower is running when I charge it. A local plumber thinks he can make a water level gauge and temp gauge that fits on the overflow tube. ( I'm not sure about that one but it would be a great thing if he can do it ) A nice big junction box in the back holds all the wires since I ran a separate line for the motion detector.
Since the almost three inches of rain we had last night, I'm thinking of a chimney cap of some sort, maybe something thats higher than the regular stainless steel caps so it wouldnt interfere with the draft. It was raining so hard at times and if the furnace was just idling all that time, some rain probably would have made its way to the firebox although everything I've read seems to indicate it wont make a difference with the fire.
Anyone do anything any differently ? Or made other mods ?

:greenchainsaw:

 

[urhstry]

Sounds like great ideas. Can you get us some pics?

 

[Windwalker7]

I like your ideas. I definitely need something like that for ash removal.


I also need to put somekind of shield under the motion detector light to protect it from the smoke and heat when I open the door. The original one only lasted about 2 days then quit working. I replaced it but it is already stained with soot. It seems I put it a little too far from the edge of the furnace and put it above the door.


I also have a problem with it sweating in the back somewhere. I sealed the plate for the hot water coil and can't see where the water is coming from. There is a small puddle under the panel right below the pump. The insulation is wet and I can squeeze a little water out of it if I reach up behind there. There is no puddle when there is no fire in the box. Only happens when its fired up. Must be sweat.

 

[Windwalker7]

One thing I did different was put a receptical in the back of the furnace instead of wiring everthing straight up. Its a 4 plug GFCI receptical, that way if I need to shut something off I can just unplug it.

Got a switch for the fan also.

 

[mistergreentree]

One thing I did different was put a receptical in the back of the furnace instead of wiring everthing straight up. Its a 4 plug GFCI receptical, that way if I need to shut something off I can just unplug it.

Got a switch for the fan also.

I did the same thing with mine...also makes it easier in case of power failure to hook it up to a generator or other source of power.

 

[Dan-o]

sweating issue

I like your ideas. I definitely need something like that for ash removal.


I also need to put somekind of shield under the motion detector light to protect it from the smoke and heat when I open the door. The original one only lasted about 2 days then quit working. I replaced it but it is already stained with soot. It seems I put it a little too far from the edge of the furnace and put it above the door.


I also have a problem with it sweating in the back somewhere. I sealed the plate for the hot water coil and can't see where the water is coming from. There is a small puddle under the panel right below the pump. The insulation is wet and I can squeeze a little water out of it if I reach up behind there. There is no puddle when there is no fire in the box. Only happens when its fired up. Must be sweat.

I ended up cutting a piece of the foil insulation and laid it under the insulation on top of the coil plate and that stopped my insualtion of getting all wet from the sweating. There isn't a very tight seal around that plate even on top.

 

[fletcher0780]

I ended up cutting a piece of the foil insulation and laid it under the insulation on top of the coil plate and that stopped my insualtion of getting all wet from the sweating. There isn't a very tight seal around that plate even on top.

You need to seal it with high temp silicone.

I need to get a hoe and a good shovel (to fit in the ash pan). I can barely lift, never mind use, that crazy poker tool they give you.

 

[ngzcaz]

Unless you plan on using the hoe up top, forget about it down below. It will never fit. Regarding the plugs in the back, I was advised by the electrician to wire it direct to the junction box due to code regulations, like an oil furnace is wired direct the breaker or junction box. Great idea if its OK with the powers that be. Thats why I put everything on its own separate line.
I never thought of the eye in the motion detector getting screwed up. Thanks for the heads up. Have to make a diverter of some type. Keep'm coming..

:greenchainsaw:

 

[fletcher0780]

Unless you plan on using the hoe up top, forget about it down below. It will never fit. Regarding the plugs in the back, I was advised by the electrician to wire it direct to the junction box due to code regulations, like an oil furnace is wired direct the breaker or junction box. Great idea if its OK with the powers that be. Thats why I put everything on its own separate line.
I never thought of the eye in the motion detector getting screwed up. Thanks for the heads up. Have to make a diverter of some type. Keep'm coming..

:greenchainsaw:

I want the hoe for the firebox.

I wired mine into an outdoor box with a GFI outlet and a switch that shuts everything but the outlet off. I also put their light on the back facing the woodpile, and added my own metal light on the front (both are on motion sensors). I've posted this before, but will add it again for this thread... I'm using a thermometer/aquastat in place of the water heater aquastat supplied. Mine has a digital readout, and adjustable differential (fan on/off). here it is http://www.iaqsource.com/product.php?p=ranco_etc-111000&product=110270

I've insulated all my pipes with the R5 fiberglass pipe wrap, along with adding R32 in the roof and a sheet of r19 down over the back. Pumps should be installed in your house (not on the boiler) for many reasons:
1st they are not rated for outdoor use
2nd it's easier to swap one out in your basement than out in the snow
3rd easier to wire into your existing boiler if you cycle your pump.

I had my Shaver built with the largest door they could fit (24x22) and its very nice.

I wish I had about 6 more taps added to the back of the boiler for various things (aquastat probes, etc.)
I also wish I set the boiler on 8"-10" blocks to bring the bottom of the door to waist height.

I have been unsuccessful with adding a chimney extension, I had 8ft added and it plugged up in 2 weeks burning seasoned hardwood.

My blower failed after 3 weeks, shaver sent one out fairly quickly, but I also bought a spare.

 

[Dan-o]

You need to seal it with high temp silicone.

I did seal it around the front with high temp silicone but didn't seal it up under the insualtion, that is why I put the foil over the top part.

 

[fletcher0780]

You need to seal it with high temp silicone.

I did seal it around the front with high temp silicone but didn't seal it up under the insualtion, that is why I put the foil over the top part.

I had to pull my cover off and use an entire tube sealing all around the plate, seams good now.

 

[ngzcaz]

I want the hoe for the firebox.



Ohh.. thats another issue and a sore spot as well. The lack of an ash pan is ridiculous and Shaver has yet to post a reason for not having one. I didnt read closely when I bought it, just the part about the " ash pan " thought it would actually have a removable pan.. but it does underscore the obvious, Shaver is touting " we have an ash pan " well sort of... I would have called it an ash bin... but many of us are going to do what turned me off to the CB and other owb's .........shoveling the ashes out of the firebox, or worse yet, hoeing them to the front when they fall in the ash bin and then you have to remove them.. double the work and double smoke and ash...
if anyone has figured out a way to avoid getting a face full of ash and smoke please inform me, I havent figured it out. I have this stove and I dont want to speak ill of it but darn it, something as obvious as that should be addressed.
Guess I should call and see if one could cut the lip out flush with the bottom of the pan/bin and put your own removeable pan in... but................ it may be surrounded by water. They claim the bottom is but I dont know about the front.

:censored:

 

[ngzcaz]

Fletcher....

I guess this is too easy but but could you just let the original thermostat in place and extend the wire out to the front of the owb for easy viewing and place the probe or lead against the original thermostat in the wood boiler ? Or are you talking about an inside application ? If so, wouldn't the aquastat on your home unit ( mine is an oil burner ) already show the water temp inside the oil burner which should be a couple of degrees of the owb ? Excuse my not understanding what's being posted. It happens all the time : - )

 

[fletcher0780]

Fletcher....

I guess this is too easy but but could you just let the original thermostat in place and extend the wire out to the front of the owb for easy viewing and place the probe or lead against the original thermostat in the wood boiler ? Or are you talking about an inside application ? If so, wouldn't the aquastat on your home unit ( mine is an oil burner ) already show the water temp inside the oil burner which should be a couple of degrees of the owb ? Excuse my not understanding what's being posted. It happens all the time : - )

I replaced the original thermostat because I had bad luck with it and boiled the water a couple times. I also wanted a thermometer to tell me the water temp inside the boiler (I have one on the line coming off the OWB but it is only accurate when the pump running). It's funny you mention inside application, because the controller I have sends a signal 0-10v for a remote monitor, still deciding if I want a display inside to tell me the temp of the boiler.

 

[mistergreentree]

This may sound really stupid...but how do you know when you boil the water in your OWB?

 

[fletcher0780]

This may sound really stupid...but how do you know when you boil the water in your OWB?

you can hear it bubbling inside and lots of steam out the overflow.

 

[mistergreentree]

I've seen steam flowing freely from the overflow before. I might upgrade thermostat also.

 

[mistergreentree]

I just picked up a scratch and dent steel pipe today to extend the stack. got a 4 1/2" OD by 24' long....trying to decide how much to cut off and hoist it up onto the OWB stack. Any thoughts on height? The burner is about 25' from my house. I'm just trying to get the smoke to go up instead of hugging the ground after I load the burner. The pipe is about 6 lbs per foot.

 

[Dan-o]

Fletcher, I have to say your right, and I was wrong the other day. The water heater plate is still sweating like crazy, I just noticed it today, all the other days it looked fine. So now I will pull it off and reseal the whole thing. thanks

Have any of you had problems with your thermostat on the back of your shaver going out? I had a fun early morning this morning. 3AM woke up to a very chilly house. Went to investigate and it ended up being a bad thermostat. ( this is my 2nd one to go bad in 1 week) the first one didn't even make it past the first 8 hour burn.

Any reasons why this could of happened?

Do you guys always have steam coming out of the over flow pipe? It doesn't sound like it is boiling, and the thermostat is set to 150 degrees.

Thanks for any help.

 

[fletcher0780]

I just picked up a scratch and dent steel pipe today to extend the stack. got a 4 1/2" OD by 24' long....trying to decide how much to cut off and hoist it up onto the OWB stack. Any thoughts on height? The burner is about 25' from my house. I'm just trying to get the smoke to go up instead of hugging the ground after I load the burner. The pipe is about 6 lbs per foot.

I'd go 6-8' up at least. I had 8' on mine and it worked well before it clogged up.