Refractory life

[karri0n]

So, we all know that recently, ceramics and refractory technology has come a long way in terms of both efficiency and durability. However, the fact remains that these refractory packages are exposed to 2000 degrees of heat, sometimes on a near-constant basis. With that level of heat and moving air, these components WILL wear out.


Has anyone had to replace their refractory packages in their boiler?

How long did you have it before you needed to replace it and what type of service did the boiler provide(year round for DHW, 50% of heat only in winter, etc.)


If you have, was this covered by warranty either partially or in full?


What was out of pocket cost if the parts were not covered, or you had to pay labor for the replacement?



What type of warranty is offered by some of the leading brands in regard to the refractory packages?

 

[Singed Eyebrows]

So, we all know that recently, ceramics and refractory technology has come a long way in terms of both efficiency and durability. However, the fact remains that these refractory packages are exposed to 2000 degrees of heat, sometimes on a near-constant basis. With that level of heat and moving air, these components WILL wear out.


Has anyone had to replace their refractory packages in their boiler?

How long did you have it before you needed to replace it and what type of service did the boiler provide(year round for DHW, 50% of heat only in winter, etc.)


If you have, was this covered by warranty either partially or in full?


What was out of pocket cost if the parts were not covered, or you had to pay labor for the replacement?



What type of warranty is offered by some of the leading brands in regard to the refractory packages?

I have an Atmos that has been in service about 2 months. My center nozzle is already wearing with about 2 cords through it. The rest of the ceramic looks very good. I will not get a warrantee for this & probably most others won't either. I believe Tarm is an exception & will prorate. I am building up the nozzle with HDW store high temp morter & this is working so far. I understand your concern as ceramic can be very expensive Randy

 

[Reggie Dunlap]

I'm on the third winter with my Tarm and the refractory looks like new. I've probably burned 16-18 cords since new. For all I know it could crack tomorrow, but I think a new one is only around 100 bucks.

 

[webie]

I am still on my original , Lets see its now my 9th year . My boiler cycles on about 10 minutes and off for about 30 minutes . I am really kinda glad I cant keep it in gasification as I have heard some are chewing these up yearly or even every 3 years , I burn wood to save money , I cant afford 500 every year on new refactory even every other year , I am hopeing to make it 10 years and so far I only have acrack in the door , the rest is getting worn but is in pretty good shape . I figure at 10 years thats only 50 a year thats not to bad even 5 years could be ok but any thing less I think you have issues you need to address thats getting costly in my mind .
Webie
For anyone interested , the last time I cleaned my chimney was when I installed the tarm . I have checked it , it is nearly as clean as my gas boiler ,only a little black inside .

 

[pybyr]

No detectable signs of degradation so far in either the nozzle or the lower refractory 'target' in the lower chamber of my Econoburn 150, which has been in use as my sole space heat source since 1-15-09.

 

[killick]

Trevor,not to get off topic but is that what the flat,rectangular piece of ceramic is for in the EB-150,a 'target' for the high temperature nozzel?

Earl

 

[jebatty]

3rd year also on my Tarm, no evidence of any significant wear. About 4-5 cords/winter.

 

[JayDogg]

Tarm owners, you say your chimeny is still as clean as when you installed your boiler? What type of chimney's do you have? I have a solo 40 and have put around 4-5 cord through it so far and wanted to check my flu from on top of the chimeny but mine is about 40 feet tall and havent been able to get up there yet. It is also and external brick chimeny so Im sure its cooling the flue temp down quite a bit by the time it gets to the top. My chimney and flue also taper about 8 feet off the ground so i cant just look up the chimeny with a mirror in the cellar. I was hoping for some input on your chimney situation. Ive been told that interior chimneys that arent exposed the outside cold air do not cool down flue gases nearly as much as mine would so they shouldnt have any creosote but Im just hoping that Im not making any either.

 

[pybyr]

Trevor,not to get off topic but is that what the flat,rectangular piece of ceramic is for in the EB-150,a 'target' for the high temperature nozzel?

Earl

I guess that's my own term ("target") that I came up with for it at some point-- it's rectangular, has a slight, but definite, slope towards the front, and it has a deliberately textured upper surface.

 

[jebatty]

Tarm owners, you say your chimeny is still as clean as when you installed your boiler? What type of chimney’s do you have?

I have a double wall, insulated, SS, Class A chimney; 22' + 5' black steel stove pipe from boiler to ceiling. Clean its once per year, after the burning season. The entire SS chimney passes through an unheated attic and then exterior to the roof. A fine coat of dusty ash on the inside wall of the chimney, no creosote or other buildup. About a quart or so of dusty material each cleaning. Since I clean once/year, I don't know if there would be any greater buildup over a longer period.

 

[muncybob]

The Wood Gun warrants the refractory materials for 1 year. Too soon for me to say how mine will hold up but I've burned a little over 2 cords so far and no visible problems. The "nozzle" looks fairly straight forward in design and I may look into making my own if it's cost effective.

 

[Nofossil]

I'm on my fifth season with the EKO, and the nozzle shows some erosion. It's a bit uneven, but I'd say it's about 1/8" in the most worn areas. In the EKO, the nozzle is embedded in a larger casting that's coarser material. In the bottom chamber, this coarser material has flaked away around the nozzle. I don't know how much wear you need before you have a problem, but I'm thinking I'll build it up with castable ceramic in another few years. It seems unlikely that the nozzle would last 10 years without some intervention.

The EKO came with a massive U channel block for the lower chamber, and a thinner curved arc that went in the back of the lower chamber. The curved arc cracked after three years, but I was already experimenting with different refractory configurations. At present I'm using a simple baffle channel made of firebrick splits.

 

[Birdman]

I have a Tarm Solo 40. This is my second year burning. Looks like this year I will do 5 cord for 6 months. No degradation of the ceramic

 

[EricV]

I'm on the third winter with my Tarm and the refractory looks like new. I've probably burned 16-18 cords since new. For all I know it could crack tomorrow, but I think a new one is only around 100 bucks.

Me too, but $125 was the last number I heard

 

[karri0n]

This thread is going pretty good so far. It sounds like most people, if they are experiencing refractory wear, it's on the nozzle more than the channel. I hope we can get some more input from long-time owners, and from people with a wide range of boilers. For instance, no one has mentioned anything about a something like a Garn with a different style of gasification than the models we have listed here.

 

[karri0n]

Shameless bump, but I'm hoping to get a good amount of replies from owners on this issue, as I think it's an important factor in choosing a new boiler or for people looking to upgrade.

 

[ChiefChicken]

I'm on the 6th heating season with my Tarm. I go through on average about 5+ cords per year. Refractory is showing a little erosion around the edges of the fire slot, but nothing significant. No cracks. I go easy loading the wood, and I go easy with the cleaning tools. As for a chimney, I have a standard masonry chimney with the usual tile liner. The house is a 2 story saltbox, center chimney. Boiler located in the basement. I'm not sure of the exact height, but it's pretty substantial. I ran a brush through it after the first 2 seasons of heating, nothing but a light coating of dust. Recent visual inspections show again, just a light coating of dust. Stay warm!

 

[webie]

I'm on the 6th heating season with my Tarm. I go through on average about 5+ cords per year. Refractory is showing a little erosion around the edges of the fire slot, but nothing significant. No cracks. I go easy loading the wood, and I go easy with the cleaning tools. As for a chimney, I have a standard masonry chimney with the usual tile liner. The house is a 2 story saltbox, center chimney. Boiler located in the basement. I'm not sure of the exact height, but it's pretty substantial. I ran a brush through it after the first 2 seasons of heating, nothing but a light coating of dust. Recent visual inspections show again, just a light coating of dust. Stay warm!

+1
what can I say

 

[Blevesque]

My uncle replaced his last year on his Solo Plus 40. His lasted 8 years, burning 6 cords per year.