Wood Gun Boiler and tank pictures.

Gasifier · Oct 25, 2011

Well this is the almost finished product. I started last April I guess it was. Took a long break on it in late spring. Then did the floor job to get the tank in. Then my boiler guys hooked it up the end of September. I was on-line October first. Have used no oil sense then. Been burning once or twice a day to heat DHW and the little heat demand from the house. Everything is working great so far. Am I ever happy I found this site when I did. Much more to do on the boiler room but that can be done anytime in the winter when the weather is cold and nasty. So, that is it for now. I have to get my grass cut for the last time. Then start getting some Ash for next year. But first I have to help my father out with digging out some stumps on his property so we can put a new fence in for my father and mother. And sometime on my four day weekend off I need to find some time to help my brother out with some more siding on his house. Lots and lots to do. Only problem is there is not enough light in the day to do it. Later guys. :coolsmile: Have a good one.

Briquetmaker · Oct 26, 2011

What type of foam spray did you use on the tank?

Gasifier · Oct 26, 2011

Briquetmaker said:
What type of foam spray did you use on the tank?

Tank kit was called a Froth Pak 180. Great product. The closed cell spray foam is expensive. But worth every penny.

infinitymike · Oct 26, 2011

What type of pipe did you go with right off the cyclone ash?
Is that s.s. single wall then you increase to double wall before the wall thimble?

Gasifier · Oct 26, 2011

infinitymike said:
What type of pipe did you go with right off the cyclone ash?
Is that s.s. single wall then you increase to double wall before the wall thimble?

My guys had already installed 24 gauge galvanized. They just had to seal all the joinst with high temp. silicone. (It is very important that you have everything sealed well.) I am eventually, probably next spring, going with a S.S. pipe that is all one piece from the cyclone to the double wall insulated stainless chimney. I would recommend that you have someone make you up a one piece S.S. pipe that would do the same for you. Or go with the black 24 gauge for the first year or two if you don't want to spend the money. But make sure everything is sealed very well. Or you will have smoke and a mess. The manual states it is not recommended to use galvanized. I am surprised and do not understand why that is, doesn't seem like it would hurt anything on just the exhaust pipe with a S.S. boiler. But I do not know. Anyway, I am going to change it out in the spring with a S.S. Then I can just take that section from cyclone to insulated chimney right outside and clean it out. Good luck Mike, I will try to get a diagram to you of my piping. But I do not know when I can get to that. I am really flat out right now. I am also not experienced in the equipment itself. So my diagram would be pretty basic and probably help you very little.

I would highly recommend that you contact another boiler guy if your current guy is to busy. And print out the theory of operatioin from nofossil's sticky called Simplest Pressurized Storage System Design. If a good boiler guy just follows the theory of operation from that he should be able to make it work for you pretty simple with circulation pumps with check valves in them. Others would have you do it a little differently than that. But they both work.Also, ask some of the more experienced/smarter ;-) guys on this sight about a diagram. I think some of them would be happy to help you out.

muncybob · Oct 26, 2011

Good looking set up. I wish I had that kind of space available to me in my basement/boiler room! Both my installer and AHS said go with SS piping or I'll be replacing it inside of 3 years. Mine is in sections so I have had to seal all joints and you stated, this is a must.
This is the time of year that I wish I too had storage but with the limited space, low ceilings and low funds at present it will be awhile before I go down that road.

Gasifier · Oct 26, 2011

muncybob said:
Good looking set up. I wish I had that kind of space available to me in my basement/boiler room! Both my installer and AHS said go with SS piping or I'll be replacing it inside of 3 years. Mine is in sections so I have had to seal all joints and you stated, this is a must.
This is the time of year that I wish I too had storage but with the limited space, low ceilings and low funds at present it will be awhile before I go down that road.

Thanks Bob,

I appreciate that. It has been about 7 months in the making, a lot of work, and a lot of money. But I get most of my wood for free. As long as I can find the time to get out there and get it.

That is what is going to make my return come quicker. A large investment, but worth it. NO MORE OIL! And I have a generator for back-up to run the boiler. Or hook the P.E. Super 27 back up if power was off for a long while. Have a good one.

muncybob · Oct 26, 2011

We also have a generator at stand by...fortunatley no need thus far.

It really is a good feeling to be a little more independent isn't it!? One of the rewarding parts for us is hearing frends/relatives complain about high heating costs and how cool they have to keep there homes to control the $$ flowing out the door/chimney. We just smile knowing our home is toasty and no bills for it will arrive anytime soon. Heck, we don't even yell at our daughter when she comes to visit and decides to have one of her infamous 25 minute hot showers!

maple1 · Oct 26, 2011

What do you guys have for backup for when you are away and the fire goes out?

Gasifier · Oct 26, 2011

muncybob said:
We also have a generator at stand by...fortunatley no need thus far.

It really is a good feeling to be a little more independent isn't it!? One of the rewarding parts for us is hearing frends/relatives complain about high heating costs and how cool they have to keep there homes to control the $$ flowing out the door/chimney. We just smile knowing our home is toasty and no bills for it will arrive anytime soon. Heck, we don't even yell at our daughter when she comes to visit and decides to have one of her infamous 25 minute hot showers!

It is a great feeling to be heat independent. Well, almost anyway. Heating the hot water with wood is awesome. With four kids and wife at home that is going to save me some cash! What does your tractor/loader look like. I did an image search on google for it and it looks like an articulating tractor with all the implements hooking to the front of machine? Is that right? Is it four wheel drive? How do you like it. How about a picture of your machine? I would like to see it.

What do you guys have for backup for when you are away and the fire goes out?

Oil fired boiler for back-up heat. If that is what you mean. I do not have a battery back-up yet to keep circulation pump running. Is that what you mean?

Tennman · Oct 26, 2011

Wow.... very neat.... looks like a Dental office or at least a country doctor! May want to consider a smoke hood until you get the hang of running the beast. I singed my eyebrows several times my first season due to inexperience/impatience opening the upper door, and last year (our second year) I still experienced occasions of billowing smoke. Very nice, clean install. I'm of the "outbuilding" crowd, but hopefully you'll get some advice from the "in-home" crowd how to keep your room looking this way. Excellent looking job. Congrats on a job well done.

If possible start with really dry wood to get a baseline on your system's performance early. For my first season I was debugging so many issues that burning poorly seasoned wood masked identifying all my sources of inefficiency. I just couldn't figure out if it was the underground, poorly seasoned wood, Danfoss adjustments, or fan/boiler settings. Turns out it was all of the above... in spades. If I had started with good wood I could have focused on learning how to run and feed the beast (and discovering I had lots of warm dirt between the barn and house!!). Your system is already more efficient than mine by not having an almost 400' boiler/HX round trip. Welcome to a great community here at Hearth. I'd have been really lost without the help of this great group of guys my first year.

muncybob · Oct 26, 2011

Gasifier said:
muncybob said:

We also have a generator at stand by...fortunatley no need thus far.

It really is a good feeling to be a little more independent isn't it!? One of the rewarding parts for us is hearing frends/relatives complain about high heating costs and how cool they have to keep there homes to control the $$ flowing out the door/chimney. We just smile knowing our home is toasty and no bills for it will arrive anytime soon. Heck, we don't even yell at our daughter when she comes to visit and decides to have one of her infamous 25 minute hot showers!

Click to expand...

It is a great feeling to be heat independent. Well, almost anyway. Heating the hot water with wood is awesome. With four kids and wife at home that is going to save me some cash! What does your tractor/loader look like. I did an image search on google for it and it looks like an articulating tractor with all the implements hooking to the front of machine? Is that right? Is it four wheel drive? How do you like it. How about a picture of your machine? I would like to see it.

Yep, it's a unique type of tractor for sure. It's articulated with hydraulic quick connects for implements. All wheels have their own hydraulic motor so I guess it's all wheel drive? I'll have to dig up some pics for you. That and the boiler is some of the best $$ we have ever spent!...and both are made in the USA.

Gasifier · Oct 26, 2011

Tennman said:
Wow.... very neat.... looks like a Dental office or at least a country doctor! May want to consider a smoke hood until you get the hang of running the beast. I singed my eyebrows several times my first season due to inexperience/impatience opening the upper door, and last year (our second year) I still experienced occasions of billowing smoke. Very nice, clean install. I'm of the "outbuilding" crowd, but hopefully you'll get some advice from the "in-home" crowd how to keep your room looking this way. Excellent looking job. Congrats on a job well done.

If possible start with really dry wood to get a baseline on your system's performance early. For my first season I was debugging so many issues that burning poorly seasoned wood masked identifying all my sources of inefficiency. I just couldn't figure out if it was the underground, poorly seasoned wood, Danfoss adjustments, or fan/boiler settings. Turns out it was all of the above... in spades. If I had started with good wood I could have focused on learning how to run and feed the beast (and discovering I had lots of warm dirt between the barn and house!!). Your system is already more efficient than mine by not having an almost 400' boiler/HX round trip. Welcome to a great community here at Hearth. I'd have been really lost without the help of this great group of guys my first year.

Thank you Tennman. Thank you. I do appreciate the feedback. I am considering a smoke hood. Just have not made up my mind on which way to go yet. I open another window on the other side of the basement place that box fan you see in the window in the boiler room before I open the boiler door and blow any smoke out that way for now. Although I have not been getting a lot of smoke. Any is to much. But I won't want to be doing that when it is -20 Â°F . :lol: I try to keep everything clean. I was taught young that when you heat with wood, or with just about any type of work, the best thing to do is keep things cleaned up as you go along. Then it never turns into a big job to clean up a big mess. That is especially true with heating with wood. I clean up after every loading of fire, every splitting of wood, etc. etc. I have been heating with wood in stoves for many years. This is just my first year with a wood boiler. So I have plenty of dry wood. I am a lucky and fortunate person to be able to get most of my wood for free. Besides all the hard work of course. But that is the fun part. Just have to be careful. Free gym. I always found it hard to believe people pay a monthly bill to exercise. Always some way you can exercise for free. All year round. I love my Wood Gun and tank in the basement. Just like I had my wood stove in my basement. All the heat that radiates off of it keeps my basement a toasty 72-78 degrees. And that heat eventually makes it's way up the open staircase. Awesome. I have been on hearth since April I guess. And I will say it again. Am I ever glad I found this site. This place is the reason I have a gasser, with storage. :ahhh:

maple1 · Oct 26, 2011

Gasifier said:
What do you guys have for backup for when you are away and the fire goes out?

Oil fired boiler for back-up heat. If that is what you mean. I do not have a battery back-up yet to keep circulation pump running. Is that what you mean?

Yes, that is what I meant. I just read 'no more oil' above, and was wondering what the non-oil backup would be. My oil/wood combo will be leaving, pretty sure there will be a new oil unit coming for backup - but am also intrigued by an electric boiler backup option, so am info gathering on those also. Electric is the last thing I would have considered a couple of months ago (with the cost of electricity) - but with storage added, and maybe a heat pump water heater for summer DHW, I am thinking the backup unit would see very little use. We rarely go away in winter, maybe 1 or 2 weekends all told. It would be nice to get the oil out all together, tank & all - but the guy I'm counting on to help me hook up whatever when I get to that point works for my oil company. So I'm not sure he'd be too fussy helping out if i was getting rid of oil all together. Sooo many options & possibilities...

rkusek · Oct 26, 2011

The family and I have passed on the usual big summer vacation opting instead for a week in Mexico in January or February the past 2 years and we are going again this winter. The house is all electric heat pump with only a wood fireplace in the living room. To make use of my wood boiler and storage in my barn, i still need electricity to power the circs and blower in the air handler. All is fine as long as I don't lose power, even a battery backup is not going to turn the blower in the air handler. Eventually I may have some form of staple up radiant which might last quite a while on battery backup. The good news is I have relatives that basically live next door that could fire up the generator for me as long as I make it simple enough to do so. I would vote to keep your oil if you can operate it in a power outage somehow. If I could do over again, I would somehow incorporate a propane backup that would require no electricity at all.

maple1 · Oct 26, 2011

My current combo unit can heat the house just fine hydronically on wood with no electricity. I'm planning my new setup to be able to do the same - with some careful watching of the fire, that is. It's mainly for when there's nobody home for a few days that I'm weighing the main options for.

Course, I don't know what would happen if the power would go out when we're away for a few days - hopefully whatever might be in storage would keep enough warmth to avoid a freezeup. Doubt we'd ever be more than a few hours away anyway. I have also yet to ask my insurance agent about what getting rid of oil all together would do to our premiums - it should improve things insurance wise, I would think.

Fred61 · Oct 27, 2011

Nice neat install. Wish mine looked that good.

It may be too late for you but for those who are installing now or in the future, some day down the road you may wish you had installed an isolation valve on your air eliminator.

jebatty · Oct 27, 2011

Many of you are familiar with this tip. In a pressurized system, if you need to work on it and might not have an isolation valve or two where you need one, but you do have an isolation valve on your expansion tank: a work-around is to heat your system up to maximum (25-30psi), close the isolation valve on the expansion tank; let the system cool down, and you likely will find that your system water might be below your working point, and if not, draining only a small amount of water will let you do the work you need to do. Then open the valve to the expansion tank, water will flood the system, and if needed add a small additional amount of water.

huffdawg · Dec 6, 2011

Gasifier said:
Well this is the almost finished product. I started last April I guess it was. Took a long break on it in late spring. Then did the floor job to get the tank in. Then my boiler guys hooked it up the end of September. I was on-line October first. Have used no oil sense then. Been burning once or twice a day to heat DHW and the little heat demand from the house. Everything is working great so far. Am I ever happy I found this site when I did. Much more to do on the boiler room but that can be done anytime in the winter when the weather is cold and nasty. So, that is it for now. I have to get my grass cut for the last time. Then start getting some Ash for next year. But first I have to help my father out with digging out some stumps on his property so we can put a new fence in for my father and mother. And sometime on my four day weekend off I need to find some time to help my brother out with some more siding on his house. Lots and lots to do. Only problem is there is not enough light in the day to do it. Later guys. :coolsmile: Have a good one.

Thats handy having a wet bar in your boiler room. All you need is a flat screen and a fridge.

Huff

Gasifier · Dec 6, 2011

Thats handy having a wet bar in your boiler room. All you need is a flat screen and a fridge.
Huff

Not done yet! :lol: If I turned around 180 Deg. from the angle I took the picture from there is a 27" TV, "old style picture tube"

and a large 55 gallon fish tank on the other end of the cellar. My basement use to be a one bedroom apartment. It needs some work now, but I have all the essentials there. Full bathroom, washer/dryer hook-up, TV and large fish tank, bedroom, etc. Another project down the road. Eventually will get a complete remodel, done by me, unless I win the lotto.

Briquetmaker · Dec 7, 2011

Gasifier said:
Thats handy having a wet bar in your boiler room. All you need is a flat screen and a fridge.
Huff

Not done yet! :lol: If I turned around 180 Deg. from the angle I took the picture from there is a 27" TV, "old style picture tube" and a large 55 gallon fish tank on the other end of the cellar. My basement use to be a one bedroom apartment. It needs some work now, but I have all the essentials there. Full bathroom, washer/dryer hook-up, TV and large fish tank, bedroom, etc. Another project down the road. Eventually will get a complete remodel, done by me, unless I win the lotto.

THE NEW MAN CAVE!

Wood Gun Boiler and tank pictures.

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