Anyone using the new Garn controller

There have been a few threads on it.

Curious, I haven't been here for awhile. I've just got my Garn 1500 up and running a few months ago. What is this new controller? I've searched Garn website and don't see anything about it. Sounds very interesting though.

I have contacted GARN a couple times. Apparently they are having difficulty getting all the parts together. I am hoping they weren't relying on anything from the North of Japan. I sincerely hope we will all be able to get our Garn Controllers some time this Summer, so we can be ready for next winter's burns. I just sent off another query to GARN asking when the Controllers will be available. I will post their reply here in 24 hours.
Hankovitch (Garn 2000 up-and-running January of 2011)

Hello all ---- Hankovitch again --- see the reply I received from Keith Kelly at GARN
(it took Keith exactly 12 minutes to reply -SWEET!)....
**********************
"Hank,
The new Digit Controller/sensor is ready to go.
We redesigned the Low Water Cut Off (Stem/Float) to interface with the new controller, just waiting to received the new stock of LWCO and we then well be offering the new package. Looks like two weeks.
Have not set pricing, hoping to get better pricing on sensors.
Will let you know
Keith Kelley"
**********************
I will keep all at "Hearth" updated.....

Thanks for the update. From what I've read sounds like this ill be an improvement on an already very efficient machine.

Indeed, it will be a much appreciated improvement. I can't wait to do the install. Should be wonderful to simply flip the switch for the fan, get the fire going, and walk away knowing that the fan will feed oxygen to the fire for as long as necessary, and shut down when it would otherwise be simply taking cold air from the outdoors, using the GARN's hot water to heat that air, and returning the warmed air to the atmosphere! I want to heat my home with the BTUs from the wood, I don't want to heat WISCONSIN.
I have been heating Wisconsin for 8 winters, using the EMPYRE 450 we put into service in 2002. It has served us well, I am just very pleased to have a wood burner which will be SO much more efficient, and will not be adding unburned hydrocarbons, soot, creosote to the air.
We still heat our uninsulated 2,000 sq ft, 120 yo farm house with wood we burn in the EMPYRE 450.
We are now heating our Barn (soon to be Barn/Home) with our GARN 2000 WHS.
The EMPYRE puts out a great deal of smoke which carries over one mile downwind to our next two neighboring farms.
The GARN puts out water vapor, which dissipates before it reaches the full height of the barn!
AND.........the GARN will likely use 1/2 to 1/3 the amount of wood to heat the 10,000 sq ft of (well-insulated) Barn/Home that the EMPYRE now uses to heat the 2,000 sq ft of (uninsulated) farm house.
It ought to be a pleasure to be in Wisconsin next winter!!


By the way, what was the idiocy to which you refer in your signature?

Hankovitch in SW Wisconsin

I live in White mtns in AZ at about 7,000ft. Had Garn first fired 11/25 and worked great for a week when my primary loop pump died. Was a few weeks before got replacement and fortunately had very mild temps through December. Left town for new years and while gone area had coldest temps for almost week. Came back from trip to a few broken pipes and a split open mixing valve. Who would have thought it would get that cold in the mountains in the winter. I slapped myself silly after expanding my vocabulary.

Still fine tuning the system and tracking lost BTU's. Love watching the propane truck drive past. Thanks to this group, and Kenny from Garn I'm a satisfied Garn owner. Only one I AZ I might add.

The updated LWCO stem will incorporate the tank temp sensor also which will place it more in the middle of the tank for a little more accurate read out. They have been holding off shipments of the new controller until they can get that change made. There will no longer be a tank thermometer in the front of the unit once the change is made.

I am looking forward to reports from users and to see the price of the new controller and accessories.

It seems with a full chamber, 150-170 pounds of wood, that the three hour setting is very close to the point where my flue temperature and supply temperature are approximately the same or the flue temp is slightly lower than supply temps. I am using dry wood and getting good efficiency out of my burns. Are others experiencing greater differences than me? Or is the problem with partial loadings?

Just curious. ;-)

Hello George,
Thanks for weighing-in.
I burn 100% pallet wood. It is all kiln-dried wood. It is extremely dry, and I need to use ~2-foot sticks, stack carefully to minimize air space between wood pieces, and keep the wood stack to within 3-4" of the back of the burn chamber. This avoids huffing. With wood this dry (likely ~6% MC) I use a maximum setting of 2 hours on the fan timer. I am very excited to order, receive and install the GARN Controller, whenever it comes available. I am hoping that none of their supplies/parts come from Northern Japan.
What are you heating with your GARN?
Are you using in-floor radiant, regular radiators, Forced hot air, baseboard radiators, a combination...?
Do you use a heat exchanger plate, if yes, how big is it?
Do you have a backup furnace?
I checked out your Blogspot - nice install.
Hope ours looks that nice................when COMPLETED...........!
We have three little Reznor heaters in three sections of the former milking parlor (one is a garage bay, one will be general storage, third section will be workshop area).........then one floor up we will have in-floor radiant heat..........then on top floor we will have standard radiators. An excellent HVAC guy designed the system, so that we can go down to 120F water and still 'heat' the building.
It is a 36' x 104' gothic arched barn, which will soon be our Bar-ome (Barn/Home).

Hank and Heidi in SW Wisconsin

Hey Hank, I can understand how my wood would be more predictable than the pallets.

I am heating 4600sq/ft of house (sized 92,000btu/hr) plus domestic hot water and a 1200 sq./ft workshop (sized 32,000btu. I have radiant in the floor or the workshop and the lower level of the house. Also radiant in the upper master bath. The rest of the upper lever is through a coil in the forced air plenum. I have a flat plate HX in both the house and the shop. The house has a GEA, 5x12-50 plate and the shop a AIC - LA 14 50 plate HX.

I do plan to put hydronic in the living room when I install the hardwood flooring this spring. It will allow me to use the lower temps that radiant is so good for and the coil cannot.

Started stacking firewood in the shed for 2013, want to be done before fishing opener and the bugs.