Garn Boiler Feedback Please

[brad068]

high e , what do you have under the hood, do you have any pictures? it almost sounds like garn 3200 burn chambers in a 1900 can. heaterman thanks for the testo info, a couple of burners in the hood and i might consider. also it is nice to see field data , always nice to validate, thanks

TCaldwell,
When you say "3200 burn chambers" is more than one in a 3200? I don't think I've seen a 3200.

 

[TCaldwell]

garnification, the garn model 3200 has a 3200 gallon capacity and a larger burn chamber with a stated burn rate of 975k btu/ hr.... thought maybe HI E might have a burn chamber like this in his tank, if so maybe more hx tubes inside? do you think he might enlighten us. I was referring to the primary chamber and secondary chamber as "burn chambers", did not mean to confuse.

 

[brad068]

Talked to High "E" today. His computer went low "E". He tells me that he is going to enlighten us when his computer is back up to gasification mode again. You guys better get your knee boots :lol:

 

[TCaldwell]

garnification thanks for the update many of us are very interested, thanks tom

 

[brad068]

High E is about ready to gasify his computer. I think it broke down from all the "lies" that were being typed on it. :lol:

 

[machinistbcb]

Garnifacation,

I am really interested in building one if these boilers my self. I have been studying the pitcures you posted and I am trying to figure out how the air intake enters the fire chamber. It looks like the intake pipe enters into the box that the door closes onto. Is there some type ports cut into the fire chamber where that box is ?

Thanks,
Brian

 

[brad068]

The combustion air intake pipe comes all the way through the water tank from the back of the boiler and enters the "air collar" in the lower right hand corner. There is a baffle so the fresh air has to go up and around the collar cooling it in turn preheating the incoming fresh air. This is where I experimented with the air actually entering the firebox. The air enters the box right behind the two inspection plates (above and below the door) I made removable air nozzles/deflectors that can be removed behind these plates. Kind of like removable venturis. I can make new ones with different air flow patterens as long as they fit the template.

 

[cupcake]

TC Cadwell,
Computer up and running. What's under the hood? It's a big block in a compact. 46 x 30 block with a 24 inx 10in secondary, 60 plus ft 4 in. hooker exhaust, 9 in banks turbo, and a 6 in eddlebrock torker intake with a wild port job in 1995-2000 gallon compact. Got the knot out of my boot lace and calculated heating around 1780 gallons plus or minus a toe.
Garnification, keep testing It's all in the porting.

 

[brad068]

High E was going to post pics of his blueprints but the wife keeps parking the car on top of them. I think we are going to have to exchange some wood. That crack laced jack pine that he's burning to get all them there BTU's aught to work real good in my unit.

 

[brad068]

Does anyone know what the difference is between welded steel boiler tube (ASTM 178) and regular steel tube, besides the price?

 

[TCaldwell]

since heaterman posted real data on combustion efficiency of a garn model 2000, I will entertain you with my last burn results, garn model 1900, 1960gal+550gal remote storage=2510gal. Started with boiler temp of 150deg, 2 hours later finished at 189deg,so 2510gallonsx8.33lbs per gal=20908lbs waterx39deg rise=815,412btu, put into storage, with a hourly demand of 65,000btu per hr, that represents about 12.5 hrs heat, dwh, hot tub, if you add back the 2 hours of demand that never made it to storage,another 130,000btu + 815,412btu=945,412btu, a hourly hot dog roast of 472,706btu/hr, on 1 load of wood!

 

[brad068]

Tom,
What species of wood are you burning? Is it seasoned? What lengths do you cut? Have taken apart your fan at all/check flues?

 

[TCaldwell]

garnification, I pretty much burn any form of wood, cordwood, oak, maple ,birch, pine, fir , all about 24-30" . I also burn alot of dimensional lumber scraps, laminated beams, silent trusses ect, but not pressure treated. I twice a year clean / brush pipes,flues and remove blower, cleaning fan. Have only brushed fly ash, never had creasote, all wood i am burning this year was cut ,split,stacked before april. thanks tom ps. if you dont already try filling the primary burn chamber to the top, you will increase the time of 1800- 2100 burn temps. let me know how it works out. tom

 

[brad068]

Tom,

I cleaned out my firebox to inspect. It was alot of work removing all 1.5 gallons of ash. I burned @1.5 face cord so far. And it was so nice to clean box with the draft fan running, no ash in my face!
P.S.

Looks like we got another interested garner on a new thread. "Change the world one Garn at a time" -TCaldwell

 

[brad068]

Talked to High E this weekend. He is starting on his 3rd boiler. Should be @2900 gal. Hopefully I can acquire pics of this submarine and post them. I think he is going to bury lines in his yard so he can have green grass year round for the goats to eat. He figures its cheaper to let them graze then buy hay. But then again you all know how he does his figuring, Fingers and toes!

 

[Eric Johnson]

You Garn boys need to hook up with Father John, who just decided to get a Garn for his monastery in southern Virginia:

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/12352/P45/

 

[TCaldwell]

eric, after reading the trouble father john was having, i called my garn distributor asked him to read the thread, i think between heaterman and the distributor they made some calls.

 

[heaterman]

RE Father John
I had a very pleasant, 40 minute conversation with him Saturday. I really want to pay him a visit when all is said and done. They have put a TON of work into the monastery and have every right to take great satisfaction in their accomplishments.

 

[Eric Johnson]

I'd like to see it, too. I wonder how far they are from Richmond. I get down there on business every once in awhile.

 

[Happy]

I am also trying to order Garn boiler.I left several messages at their phone no. for last 10 days.I got 1 response back 3 days ago saying some salesman will contact me from my area.They did not give me contact information for this salesman.Now I am waiting for his call for last 3 days.I understand it takes 6 weeks for delivery and I have to decide fast if I want to wait longer for Garn or go with Orlan EKO.Garn has great product but if they are not ready to sell then it is just imaginery product for me.I talked to Tom from CT in detail about Garn who is using it and I am impressed.

 

[Eric Johnson]

Welcome to the Boiler Room, happy. Whether you decide to go with the EKO or the Garn, you've come to the right place for information. Either way sounds like a great choice to me.

 

[woodlady]

Hi, I just spoke with Jim Sauffer (Martin's right hand man) at Garn, they are overwhelmed with business but want to get Garns out to us. You can call him at 952-288-3076. I have to wait to get mine until the spring as I have to build a foundation and pad for this unit as it is so close to my house and my cinderblock foundation has no lateral strength to bear the weight of this unit next to it. It is too cold for the cement now (I'm sooo sad). everytime I hear my boiler kick on at $3 a gollon for oil my only comfort is that next year and forever I will not be buying oil again !! It is worth the wait for me to get the Garn, I like the fact that it is outside of my house and I won't have to lug wood down to my basement. I do have room for wood storage in the shed I am building. I am getting the 2000 (as per Tom's advice) so I can eventually heat my Mom's cottage next door. For me, getting the Garn is the Big Event in my life, I am so impressed with them that I am thinking of becoming a dealer...
Cheers,

Woodlady in Woodstock, NY

 

[Happy]

Hi Eric and woodlady,

Thanks for your quick reply.I just talked to Jim at Garn and he gave me local contact's information.I am going to talk to chris from floor heat system in Maine.I think he is their sales rep.woodlady,Thanks for your help getting in touch with Jim at Garn. how much did you pay for Garn 2000?

 

[Rick Stanley]

garnification, I pretty much burn any form of wood, cordwood, oak, maple ,birch, pine, fir , all about 24-30" . I also burn alot of dimensional lumber scraps, laminated beams, silent trusses ect, but not pressure treated. I twice a year clean / brush pipes,flues and remove blower, cleaning fan. Have only brushed fly ash, never had creasote, all wood i am burning this year was cut ,split,stacked before april. thanks tom ps. if you dont already try filling the primary burn chamber to the top, you will increase the time of 1800- 2100 burn temps. let me know how it works out. tom

Tom,

Lately I've read a lot here about needing one year or even two year seasoned wood to get good performance from a gasser. Now I've stumbled across the above post where you were burning 8 month seasoned stuff (oak even, wow) back in December. I have a Garn purchase in the works and have been kicking my butt that I didn't make the decision earlier so as to have wood enough cut and seasoned ahead of time to last through next winter. Maybe if I get to cutting and splitting right away there's still time?? I have 2+ cords of real dry stuff to get me started. How did that April wood you speak of work out in your Garn? Did you get good secondary combustion temps? No smoke? Please say yes.

Thanks,
Rick

 

[brad068]

garnification, I pretty much burn any form of wood, cordwood, oak, maple ,birch, pine, fir , all about 24-30" . I also burn alot of dimensional lumber scraps, laminated beams, silent trusses ect, but not pressure treated. I twice a year clean / brush pipes,flues and remove blower, cleaning fan. Have only brushed fly ash, never had creasote, all wood i am burning this year was cut ,split,stacked before april. thanks tom ps. if you dont already try filling the primary burn chamber to the top, you will increase the time of 1800- 2100 burn temps. let me know how it works out. tom

Tom,

Lately I've read a lot here about needing one year or even two year seasoned wood to get good performance from a gasser. Now I've stumbled across the above post where you were burning 8 month seasoned stuff (oak even, wow) back in December. I have a Garn purchase in the works and have been kicking my butt that I didn't make the decision earlier so as to have wood enough cut and seasoned ahead of time to last through next winter. Maybe if I get to cutting and splitting right away there's still time?? I have 2+ cords of real dry stuff to get me started. How did that April wood you speak of work out in your Garn? Did you get good secondary combustion temps? No smoke? Please say yes.

Thanks,
Rick

ricks, I'm burning wood that I cut when I started my boiler back on 9-9-07. Most of it was standing dead with some green from downed trees. My unit will burn it, It just takes longer to get it all burning and you don't get as much heat out of it according to the water temp gauge. I will get more ash in the flues and alot of "steam" out the stack. The reason these units can handle green wood better is because of the amount of combustion air they can move.