Installing a GARN

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The only thing i would add is a way to easy flush the HX i have a large plate HX on my system that transfers the wood boiler heat to preheat my NG boiler water. I wish i would have put 4 unions or 2 three way valves just so i could flush it out once in a while to make sure i was getting the best Delta T across it. But heaterman might have already added something to do this that i am not seeing.
 
Yeah. that's a really nice pump. Probably overkill for the Panel rads, but you can turn it down a bunch and be fine.

Glad to see that boiler going to someone who will really appreciate it.

Just noticed the upgraded HX. that's a real monster.

karl
 
Close approach temp is the goal. Whatever temp is available in the Garn is what we want available to the load. No 20* temp difference from side A to B for this job.
It is a lot of pump for this job but it will turn itself waaaaay down when needed. Actual max head on any of the loops to the panel rads will be about 6' so that thing will just be idling and pulling about 20 watts of power.
 
Do the flat plate HX need flushing often? I have a Y-screen on the outlet of the garn and a woven filter in paralell on the return side. I could add a couple water spickets to the end of the main pipes and flush backwards with a garden hose if needed. I filled it and fired it for the first time today. I was supprised by the amount of condensation from everything when i filled it. I had water dripping all over the place. Fired it up when it was around 3/4 and continued to fill it as it was burning. Started out around 60 deg water and now around 165 4 hours later. Does that sound normal? I was also filling it with ice cold well water for about the first hour.
 
Not a bad idea at all to install a boiler drain and then a ball valve in and out of the open side of the HX. That let's you isolate the HX from the rest of the system while you pump some cleaner through it.

Condensation on fire up with normal fill water temps is absolutely normal for any boiler that runs at the same efficiency as a Garn. I've seem them make 1/2 of a 5 gallon bucket until the water temp gets to the 100* range. Then it will taper off. Using smaller loadings of very dry and small diameter pieces of wood will make a hotter fire and keep condensation to a minimum.
 
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