Innova 30 w/ square tank running

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.

flyingcow

Minister of Fire
Jun 4, 2008
2,563
northern-half of maine
I have a Innova 30 w/ square tank(820gal) that's on Tarm website. Neat looking HX's. Controls and valves are also supplied by Tarm. Termovar Loading valve option.Installed system as their diagram shows. Followed instructions on starting a fire and lit the kindling and 1 to 2 minutes later loading wood and shut door. Had gasification very quickly.Stack temp has run pretty steady 400.


I have a 1800 sq/ft 2 story house, built about 12 yrs ago. Standard insulation. Located on a hill and we had -18 below with about 7 to 10 mph wind. Shut down heating zones( 2 zones) in house while wiring in BLT control and other related equipment. Probably had house offline for about 2 hours, from about 11pm to 130am. Once turned back on, zones called for heat all the time, while heating the storage. Also I located my boiler in an unattached garage aprox 40ft away, had a total run of 40ft underground and 60ft in buildings. Don't have all my notes with me, but I filled it at various times, not full each time, but I probably filled it complete about 4 times? I filled it last about 7am this morning, put too much wood in,fan shut down a couple of times, storage full and zones were wide open. I'll check on it again, but guessing it will be out by noon.



time ..............bottom temp..........mid temp.............top temp
910pm................45f.......................45f....................48f
1040pm..............49.6.....................53.4...................73.4
1135pm..............50.5.....................65.1...................98f
1240am..............54.5.....................84.7...................127.9
140am................63.1.....................108.5..................148.6
330am.................79.7....................130.1..................160.7
355am.................84.4....................134.8..................162.7
Than a short nap
7am...................119.5....................158.....................172.4
915am................136.4.....................167.9.................177.8
945a...................141.8.....................171.1.................179.6
 
Congratulations!

photos of your install, please!
 
What is the model number of the Loading Unit you have? Do you know if it has the "backflow preventer". If it has a letter 'S' at the end of the model number it doesn't have it.

Keep us posted on your setup and how you get along with it.
 
Hansson said:
If you want the boiler to shut of the fan at a higher temp there is a little trick you can use.
You can adjust the termostat in the boiler.

Thanks, I got it adjusted as high as the factory setting will let me.When this happens, it's pushing 200+ in my supply line into the house, which is 100ft away from the boiler. Shuts down very seldom, and only for a short time. Really impressed with it. I'm going to hook up a on/off light so i can tell when the fans running and going to look for a thermometer to put in the extra well on top of the boiler and run a temp gauge inside the house from this. Just got to have a few more bells and whistles.
I was told that the innova would be an easy unit to start. Understatement. I went out at 130am to start the fire(go to work way too early!). Split kindling, threw in unit, rolled a few pieces of paper, lit,let burn for 30 seconds till cracklin' good(i got some really good dry cedar), filled fire box full of wood, shut door and left. all under 10 minutes!!! Did this same thing yesterday and i think I had 160 degree water entering house about 35/40 minutes after start. Got some real good dry hardwood also.
 
I didn't put the baro in. I'm trying to keep heat loss in boiler room to a minimum. I get good draft, and it seems to perform good in the windy conditions. I went over it with bioheat/tarm . Maybe I should put it in, what advantage will it offer, that's assuming it's running correctly. Color and flame seem to be right, 400 degree stack temp, same temp from the first day. My secondary is adjusted about 75%
 
I think 75% on the secondary is to much.I have 25% secondary and 75% on the primary air.
The temp out of the boiler is 200-250 C.

The boiler is preforming best at 10-15pa if you have more draft you can have to much ait tru the boiler that cools the ceramic and so on.
Try the barometric damper.

I have heard some rumour that Tarm is developing a simpel lamda controll for the innova.
Cost around 500usd I want one :)
 
Hansson said:
I think 75% on the secondary is to much.I have 25% secondary and 75% on the primary air.
The temp out of the boiler is 200-250 C.

The boiler is preforming best at 10-15pa if you have more draft you can have to much ait tru the boiler that cools the ceramic and so on.
Try the barometric damper.

I have heard some rumour that Tarm is developing a simpel lamda controll for the innova.
Cost around 500usd I want one :)

Its set up to run as hot as the setting will let it. 194(F) I believe. I've got 200+ coming in my supply 80ft away. Also it will start circulating out of the loading valve into the house, about 35/40 minutes after firing. My ceramic is glowing fairly soon after firing. I'm burning some very well seasoned hardwood. What are you burning for wood? From what i understand, softwood would be more like the settings you describe. But next firing I'll try the settings you have. Also when I get the time I'll cut the baro in. I feel like I'm using more wood than I should, but its been 25 top 35 below(F) at night and a high of 3(F). When the temp gets into the teens the winds get pretty strong. No doubt into the cold season.
 
I am burning birch and pine,spruce
Mostly birch.
Do you have a flue gas thermometer? It would be intresting to hear what temp you have.

What is your setting on the primary air?

This is what my manual say about the secondary/primary air.
The translation is quite bad :)

Setting the combustion air Setting the combustion air
In order to achieve optimum combustion and the effect is Solo Innova designed with marketing opportunities for
both primary air and secondary air. With full set turbulatorer delivers the boiler at the rated output and
flutemperatur around. 180 º C when the boiler is nysotad.
At each damper is inst ansade points. • = 0% (closed), • • • • • = 100% (fully transparent).
The burning of softwood, which usually requires more primary air than burning of hardwood.
Set the primary air at 25-100% open (• • - • • • • •) depends on woodtype and secondary air at about 25% open (• •).
After about. 45 minutes operating temperature is stable and secondary air can be regulated. Look at the flame through
inspection glass. When the setting is good should normally only need to change it if you switch to
different type or quality of the wood. Flame color is yellow and light blue.
Is rökgastemperaturen too high to be primary and secondary air is adjusted down and vice versa on
rökgastemperaturen is too low.
T000026X
Too much air.
Flame for short and bluish
Reduce secondary air.
For some air.
Flame for long and ORANGE
Increase secondary air.
Right attitude
Flame color is yellow and light
bluish.
 
The manual was written by Bioheat USA, I think. Very well written manual. In english and everything. :) My stack temp(measured with a probe thermometer) is 400+(F). Been very consistent. The manual explains to set primary and secondary at 50%, when burning hard wood. 75% on each(I think) when burning softwood. With the primary and secondary at 50% it wasn't quite the right color flame. I turned the secondary to 70/75% it looked about right. When I explained this to the reps at Bioheat, they said that's the setting if you have well seasoned wood, which I do.
The manual/boiler has the same markings as what you explained. it seems to be right and thats why I held off on the baro. I want to go another week, hopefully with reasonable temps, before I do anything else.

BUT I am open to any suggestions, or comments.
 
How are you adjusting the primary? The big set screw doesn't seem to really do anything, unless stopping the swing of the flap is the intent.
 
Rory said:
How are you adjusting the primary? The big set screw doesn't seem to really do anything, unless stopping the swing of the flap is the intent.

Took a while to get back.

I don't think I have that type of set up. It has a dial on the adjustment, for both primary and secondary.
 
Hansson, I saw the Lambda device on the European website for the Solo Innova. I called BioHeat USA Saturday and asked if they could get one of the models with the Lamda when I ordered my Solo Innova 50 this Fall, but they said it was not available. I wonder if I could order the part separately from a European source and retrofit it? Seems a shame to have to do that when the boiler costs almost $10,000 US. Where did you get the $500 price you mentioned from? If you know of any place over your way that might be able to help, please let me know. Maybe I should email Baxi? Thanks

Mike
 
Status
Not open for further replies.