Shutting down the OWB?

[ELEVOFF]

I just installed a Crown Royal RS 7200. I haven't even fired it up yet but I was wondering what do you guys with OWB's do when you shut it down for the summer? Do you drain the heat exchangers or the boiler? I would'nt think you wouldn't want stagnat water in the lines all summer so do you run the pump sometimes or fire it up occasionally?

 

[gary s]

I run the pumps once or twice through the summer just for a few minutes. If you filled it with water already don't let it set all summer without getting it hot first, the water needs to get up to over 140 or so to get the oxygen cooked off or it will be more corrosive.

 

[cantoo]

Fire that baby up and make sure everything works so you have no nasty surprises in the Fall when you need heat.

 

[Joesell]

I'm on the fence on what to do to.

Shut it down
Plus side = no more wood use, and not paying to run the pump.
Minus side = water sitting in the lines possibly clogging the hx. Boiler sweating all summer with condensation building up inside and rusting it out. No free hot water, no free hot tub.

Letting it run all summer is the opposite of the above. Except it uses a lot less wood, but it smolders all day and barely runs. Which creates a lot more creosote. Which is corrosive.

So is it better to shut it down? I don't know.

 

[AIM]

I would definately fire it up for a day or 2 to get any bugs worked out and then just shut it down. Clean it out and crack open a cold beer for the summer. I usually run my pumps a few times during the summer for 20 - 30 mins.

 

[JCMC]

I clean out all the ash and loose material from the sides, vacuum and spray a light coat of oil on the bottom, cover the stack with a bucket.
I let my pump run 24/7 year around.
Been doing this for 15 years no problems so far "knock on wood"

 

[Joesell]

Does anyone heat their water in the summer? How bad does the creosote get, and how bad is it for the owb?

 

[blackdogon57]

I've had my 6048 running 24/7 for 7 years with no issues.I shut it down for half a a day to change the water one time and changed a pump cartridge about 4 years ago. I always have waste wood to get rid of in the summer and like my hot water and warm pool. Only needs wood every two or three days in the summer.

 

[ELEVOFF]

Ok I got it fired up and it's working great. Had one small leak at one of the Pex fittings but other than that all is good so far. For you guys that burn during the summer do you lower the water temps on the Aqua stat? Factory setting for this one was 160-180.

 

[cantoo]

I have a stainless and I lower my temps so that it fires a littler more often just not as long. Creosote isn't a problem. I burn newpaper flyers and cardboard every once in awhile to heat things up. Good to burn up uglies and scrap wood. I also have access to all the free spruce construction lumber I want, no creosote in it.