I live in a two story house with a fuel oil fired boiler AND a mid '70's installed MEMCO MW100 wood boiler. They are side by side in the basement and they are connected to hot water baseboard separated into two zones, upstairs and downstairs. I have no instruction manual for this boiler, and have been trying to run it as my main heat source based on previous knowledge of operating a regular wood stove in another home. My problem seems to be keeping the water temperature controlled. Twice in the past week I have flooded the basement when the water temp got to over 220 degrees and the Watts safety valve on the fuel oil fired boiler opened. The hot water from the wood boiler flows through the fuel oil fired boiler and apparently the Gates safety valve didn't like the water so hot. Do those Watts safety valves get weak or go bad? What temp should the safety valve hold till? I don't have a clue, myself. The MEMCO MW100 has a big knob on the wood fill door to adjust air flow, and there is also a thumb screw on the bottom door to adjust airflow (the ash pan is located behind this door). The problem is, I do not have a clue how I am supposed to be adjusting these two airflow controls. There is also a damper located in the flue pipe that connects to the chimney. The fuel oil fired boiler has it's own flue pipe (and damper) going to the same chimney, but the two flue pipes enter the chimney separately. Both dampers are the old type with the adjustable counterbalance weight. Any advice on how to correctly run this MEMCO MW100 wood boiler would be greatly appreciated. I am frustrated over flooding my basement with steaming hot water numerous times. A manual would certainly help, but I do not have one. Advice from any MEMCO MW100 wood boiler owners would be even better.
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