HELP! OWB question

[TBrown]

Where abouts do you live? I know where your stove came from, well at least i have a very good guess. I agree that an extra pump to help circulate the water inside the boiler would help alot. Also an idea is to attach a taller fill pipe and or a tank on top of it to help keep the water from boiling off and keep the main tank always full. Insulate it and maybe pump from there to the return on the bottom of the stove. Main object to help even out water temp everywhere in stove.

 

[woodchop]

"Both supply lines are at the top of the cylinder and the returns are at the bottom."

I would switch the pump direction if possible or switch the lines.

How many lines are going to the house? You have 1 pump or two?

 

[OUBrew]

I live in Menomonie WI and the stove is from Steel Town in Colfax

 

[Biker Dude]

You say your supply lines are at the top and returns on the bottom? Mine are just the opposite. Could it be that your water level got below the supply feed and allowed air in to the system? You might check with the maker, maybe it should be supply on the bottom and return on the top.

My Taylor is plumbed with returns on top and supplies on bottom but I also crossed sides for the supplies. The left return is looped with the right supply, the right return is looped with the left supply so the water circulates crosswise from top to bottom.

 

[Bcat22]

here's a simple test i would think is worth trying. see how big the heat transfer is at your heat exchanger. if the water on teh OWB side is 170 going in and 140 comin' out, i think the problem is your not moving enough water.
what size pump are you using?
if the water isn't moving fast enough, the water in the OWB might not be circulating enough to prevent hot spots ( the source of the boiling ). this would also starve your house of heat since not enough is getting transfered into your heating loops.
if your stove says it is 180 deg. and your house still isn't warm, obviously the stove isn't having trouble keeping up to the demand, it just cant get enough heat into your house.
here's what i think it could be
1. air in the pump slowing the flow (happened to me last year)
2. pump is too small
3. lines are too small
4. heat exchanger is too small

any chance of getting more detail?

my personal bet is its SOME sort of flow issue

 

[Uncle John]

My Heatmor is set up with supply bottom and return top.

Heatmor says:" Mixes water in the water jacket better"

 

[applefarmer]

My hawkin also has supply on bottom returns on top.

 

[OUBrew]

So I looked at the return lines and there is no ball valve next to the unit. Is the best way to plumb a release to install a ball valve right next to the re-entry to the jacket on the return line? If I am going to mess with with it...I want to do it right. It very well may be water in the lines.

 

[OUBrew]

uhhh...I meant air in the lines. I sure as hell hope there is water in the lines

 

[Windwalker7]

Yes. you will want a ball valve somewhere near where return line goes back into boiler.


You'll probably have to drain water out of the boiler to install the valve.