Summer Garn Burners (or all others)

[bpirger]

I have been burning for DHW for the past 7 weeks or so....and a little heat up to a few weeks ago. Today it was about 90 outside and I was burning the Garn. I noticed when I was done that my 1/2 HP blower motor was really warm....too hot to keep my hands on. Between the fire, the elevated temp in the Garn barn, and the 90F ambient, not very surprised. Anyone has any experience with motor failure or reduced lifetime due to running it this hot? I suspect it is rated for 50-60C or so, and we aren't quite there yet, but it is warm in the Garn barn....must be 100F between the outside heat and the Garn (front wall not insulated yet....but soon to change). I buring some spruce I have laying around from when I cleared some land to build the addition and garage/shop, else I don't know if I'd be burning hardwood. What a tremendous difference in heat output!

 

[ChiefChicken]

See if you can borrow an infrared temp gauge and get an accurate reading on how hot the motor is getting. For most people 140° or so is to hot to touch, but not too hot for an electric motor. My guess if if you are not noticing any burning electric or paint fumes, things are most likely just fine.

 

[Sawyer]

Bruce, I am burning exactly as you are. In fact I just dropped a standing dead spruce that will be ready to join the others. I have been burning punky white pine, spruce, and maple that I would not want to load in the winter. It still produces good heat gains without heating loads and burns clean. My boiler room is 90-100 now after firing but it is also similar in the winter with daily or twice daily firings. With 400-500 degree flue temps at startup leveling to 300-350 and a well insulated room I consider this to be expected. My motor is hot to the touch but I do not believe too hot. When I fire the next time I will use my IR gun to check motor temperature and post the results.

 

[Kemer]

When I read your post it is exactly like my setup.so all is normal.What I wonder is how much are we saving vs using oil for our DHW.Has anybody figured out how much oil for a family of three would use? I used to think I used 200 gal. during the summer months but that was just a wild guess.

 

[Sawyer]

When I read your post it is exactly like my setup.so all is normal.What I wonder is how much are we saving vs using oil for our DHW.Has anybody figured out how much oil for a family of three would use? I used to think I used 200 gal. during the summer months but that was just a wild guess.

Harry, that is the figure we used to figure for our propane usage during the summer. At current $1.799 prices I am better off burning the junk along the trails (but dry) every 6 days and saving the money.

 

[Kemer]

George
I only get about 3 days out of mine but I only run it up to about 175-180 .It seems it don,t last much longer if I run it up high so I do 1 burn every three days.

 

[JP11]

I put a meter on my furnace to measure run time. SO FAR, it looks like a little over an hour a day for DHW and just a bit of heat.

So, figure a gallon and a half a day. Roundabout.

BUT.. It's just the wife and I.. no kids.

JP

 

[Sawyer]

Harry, I have been running to higher temps and firing a full load at about 140 degrees. If I let it run lower my pump runs a lot to get the water heater satisfied. I have not checked the differential over the HX at 140* but I assume about 130* out to water heater. Pretty slow recovery at that temperature on my Weil McClain 40 gallon. fortunately it is only my wife and I so not a lot of clothes to wash.

 

[Kemer]

George
I agree it is a slow recovery at 130 but my point is that I seem to lose more degrees faster when I have temps up in the 190-195 range and I also have to burn harder to get it up there.
It just seems to take less effort to burn easy and more often then to try to get it up to the higher temps.But as always I could be wrong.

 

[bpirger]

Hi Guys:

I've always used about 200 gallons as my guesstimate for DHW as well....and I have a house full, at least two loads of laundry a day, sometimes three, dishes once a day and typically 6 showers a day on average. SO, maybe I'm grossly underestimating. I've been getting 2 to 3 days a burn, 190 down to 130-140 or so. Still haven't switched over to the better insulated burried line, and still haven't insulated the front of the Garn. Been too damned busy cutting wood for the real heating season! LMAO But those times are a changing. Burning that junky spruce/pine now. Sure burns down to very little ash.

How about lubrication of the motor? Is there a yearly maintanence to be performed? I suspect the manual will tell me....when I look. I know before the next burn I'm going to send in a water sample to have things checked out....hope all is well. I haven't cleaned my Garn HX yet, nor the cleanouts around the water/water HX. Will do all of that before the start of fall.

Any troubles getting gaskets from Dectra? Maybe I should order a set now and have them by the fall....don't think I need anythign else from them.

Thanks!

 

[Sawyer]

Harry, are you burning partial loads with a couple of hour’s burn? When I fire 3 hours, without a load, I will be at 190* +/-. I will have to give your method a try; got all summer to experiment. I know standby losses should be less at lower temps. My boiler room doesn’t seem any different now with temps in the mid 80’s as it did in the winter, but then I was firing at least once a day and every time the fan is blowing heat.