Lighting First Fire In EKO 40

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I've heard something about small splits and dry wood is supposed to work better, worth a try I suppose.

Also, buy cheap and sell dear; exercise more and eat less.
 
Never bet on a horse named dump truck!........... Glad you are getting the beast going.

Rob
 
Small fires at first to let refractory dry out gradually. Pics of you checking the firebox frequently :)
 
I bet your next question is "what does every body set their secondary and primary air intake at".
 
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Don L said:
I bet your next question is "what does every body set their secondary and primary air intake at".
Click to expand...

Is it 9 to 12 mm on sec. and 50 to 70 % on the blower fan. I have read the EKO stickey a few times but its just trying to keep the info in the hard drive for more than a couple hours thats the hard part.
 
1. Place cold celebration beer near boiler.
2. Start small fire with kindling on bottom and a little paper on top.
3. Open cold celebration beer.
4. Light piece of paper and start fire.
5. Close door and let fire get going well.
6. Take a slow, long drink of cold celebration beer. Continue until gone.
7. Keep small fire going long enough to drink second cold celebration beer.

Have a good evening Huff, and congratulations!

This can be done even if I am a little late getting this to you. %-P
 
Not an old pro just old...sort of. I used charcoal briquets (no "match light" type) on top of my kindling. That way I knew I had wood fuel that was in the % range that was at least ideal. I have a hard time accepting that firebrick will retain moisture once it exceeds 1000*f since water boils at 212 and literally vaporizes at around 400-500 when not pressurized (properly mixed and cured refractory is porous and will dry before the first real firing has a chance to die out) but that is not the issue here. The slow approach (since you are asking advice and or opinions you can have my opinion just remember I started out saying I was not a pro) is best as it does help your boiler to expand uniformly rather than sectionally. Your fire brick has been fired to cure before it came to you and any internal moisture it may have can only come through absorption from atmospherical humidity or being doused with water. As you can see the factory settings for the fire recommend the blower to be wide open. That is not a passive approach to drying out your mostly dry refractory. Don't mean to buck a general concept or offend. I just believe that by the time your refractory gets close to 1800*f any moisture would literally explode and I havent heard of that happening. Another considration is people with storage and who fire every other day or so.... Refractory rehydration from atmospherical humidity would dictate a slow approach all over again but I do not hear that being cited as the normal approach. So once again I think a slow approach, not allowing your boiler to cool all the way down, as the best caustious approach. After you have run your boiler awhile you will probably get incautious and just start the fires the safest and fastest way you can get it to gasify. Glad you got it ready to work fro you!
 
Envy the idea that you're going to lite it up. i'm some distance away from that celebration. but I will open a celebration beer and toast to you and your new EKO.
 
Ya know Smokeater. I loaded, unloaded, and stacked 4.5 face cord of slab wood today to add to next years pile of wood. And my back is a little sore. I am also happy for Huff and was advising him to open a celebration beer. The thought did not occur to me that I should drink a celebration beer with him. And now I have read your reply to this thread. Thank you! I am going to the fridge right now to get a cold one. Huff, congrats again. And here is to your system working out well for you. Thanks again Smokeater.
 
I think that will be different for each system. I settled in at about 30-40% closed. But you will have to watch and adjust, and then watch and adjust. And then....... :lol:
 
Huff,

Do you have temp. sensors before and after your danfoss? If not, where do you have any temperature sensors, thermostats?
 
Cool. I do not have sensors before and after danfoss either. The only thing I can do is watch the temperature at the top of my tank and at the boiler. I am no expert, that is for sure. I would think you could leave your bypass valve before the danfoss all the way open for now. So you are sure you are getting water that is plenty warm enough back to the boiler. Then you can adjust as you learn how the heating of your tank(s) are going. I need to get me some of those sensors and digital readouts for temperatures. Always something that needs to get done. Not enough time in the day to do it. :smirk:
 
Congrats ! I Know you have a lot of time work and money in it and it sure feels good to get it going don't it ? Hope every thing works as expected for you. I Know you have a fairly complex system.
 
Seems to be heating the buffer tank good. It does seem to leak exhaust from somewhere around the secondary chamber door. Learning not to open the top primary door until the fire is almost out.

I smell like a smoked fish. LOL. But glad to start making heat!
 
Sounds good Huff. Do you have thermometers for primary tank and storage tank(s). I am trying to remember what you storage is like. Oh, time to update your signature. No longer not ready to fire! Do you have recent pic of system? A pic of 87 Zook and 03 Powerstroke would be cool as well. ;-)
 
I guess it's time to change your signature ! "Eko 40 not ready to fire yet". I sat in the shop quite a few evenings quite pleased with myself, I hope you do too. All that heat from plain ol wood.
 
Gasifier said:
Sounds good Huff. Do you have thermometers for primary tank and storage tank(s). I am trying to remember what you storage is like. Oh, time to update your signature. No longer not ready to fire! Do you have recent pic of system? A pic of 87 Zook and 03 Powerstroke would be cool as well. ;-)
Click to expand...

I have three sensor wells in my buffer tank but no sensors as of yet. I just spent a lot of time cutting all those cast fittings off and replacing them with weldable couplings. I still hve lots of work to do. Pipe my slab ,DHW,storage and house loads to the buffer. :long:
I had several rum and cokes last night while listening to the sound of the secondary flame . Most likely a few more tonight . I think with a big load in the fire box I can heat 150 gal in a couple hrs.
I also need a controller for most of this stuff, waiting for a quote from NoFo.

Huff
 
Sounds like you are in good shape Huff. You are making heat now! That is what counts! :ahhh: Don't fret on having more work to do to the system. From what I remember seeing of your pictures you are taking your time and doing a good job. The paying the oil or gas man has just decreased almost about 90%!!!!! And when you get that DHW hooked up, it will stop all together. :coolsmile:

The other things will come in do time. Before you know it, you will need another bottle of Rum. I, I mean, you will have your system completed. :lol:

Did you start charging anything to storage today?
 
Gasifier said:
Sounds like you are in good shape Huff. You are making heat now! That is what counts! :ahhh: Don't fret on having more work to do to the system. From what I remember seeing of your pictures you are taking your time and doing a good job. The paying the oil or gas man has just decreased almost about 90%!!!!! And when you get that DHW hooked up, it will stop all together. :coolsmile:

The other things will come in do time. Before you know it, you will need another bottle of Rum. I, I mean, you will have your system completed. :lol:

Did you start charging anything to storage today?
Click to expand...

My storage isnt plumbed yet Gasser. Today i'm plumbing the shop slab into the primary. hopefully have a warm floor by tommorrow
 
Oh, okay. So just your buffer tank plumbed in now. Sounds like you are on your way. Let us know how that slab heats up. It will take a while at first, but once it is up to temp, you are going to love it. I have an approximately 900 sq.ft. garage with a concret slab that is heated. I keep the garage at 45 all winter. Unless I am planning on going out to work on a project on a day off. Then I might turn it up to 55. It is saaaaweeeeeeet, I tell ya! Sweet!
 
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