Hi!
I have a wood doctor boiler that vents out the back. Air sucked in through the firebox and down through the brick grates and then out the stack at the back through a series of square shaped tubes. It's supposed to be a gassifier, but it's not really that efficent.
A few mornings ago It got cold in the house. I went out and looked in the boiler and water was sheeting down the walls and sides inside the boiler and it was not getting hot enough to heat the water jacket to warm the house. I would also hear a wuff wuff noise about 10 seconds apart (when I shut the fire box) and smoke would shoot out the intake vent in rhythm to the wuff wuff. I assumed it was water splashing on the fire. I let it burn out cleaned it out. And filled the boiler back up with water. It is not under pressure. Anyway, I can't find the leak. It didn't take much water to top it off either! All the chimneys are clear of debris and vent freely.
I put wood back in it, lit it up with a smaller fire and now water is condensing inside again and starting to run down the back wall? What the heck. Any ideas on finding this leak. My wood might have 20% moister at highest..... It can't be the wood can it?
This is crazy. Do you think cresote blocks the leak when cool and allows the leak to occur when hot. Any help would be appreciated
!
Bill
I have a wood doctor boiler that vents out the back. Air sucked in through the firebox and down through the brick grates and then out the stack at the back through a series of square shaped tubes. It's supposed to be a gassifier, but it's not really that efficent.
A few mornings ago It got cold in the house. I went out and looked in the boiler and water was sheeting down the walls and sides inside the boiler and it was not getting hot enough to heat the water jacket to warm the house. I would also hear a wuff wuff noise about 10 seconds apart (when I shut the fire box) and smoke would shoot out the intake vent in rhythm to the wuff wuff. I assumed it was water splashing on the fire. I let it burn out cleaned it out. And filled the boiler back up with water. It is not under pressure. Anyway, I can't find the leak. It didn't take much water to top it off either! All the chimneys are clear of debris and vent freely.
I put wood back in it, lit it up with a smaller fire and now water is condensing inside again and starting to run down the back wall? What the heck. Any ideas on finding this leak. My wood might have 20% moister at highest..... It can't be the wood can it?
This is crazy. Do you think cresote blocks the leak when cool and allows the leak to occur when hot. Any help would be appreciated
!Bill
