The Varm Lives!

[Clarkbug]

Its a good day.

My installer finished sweating pipes yesterday (the configuration is still up for debate....) but the system was sealed. Filled most of it yesterday, and the rest tonight.

Dean Zook from Smokeless Heat came up to NY and was here for the startup. He checked things out, verified the install, and helped me with my smoke pipe problem to get things to fit.

Built a small starter fire, got a bunch of water out of the chimney, but we were up and running within a few minutes.

My first burn is dying down right now, and my bare tanks are maybe halfway charged with water at 160 or so, and only one leak in my overheat loop.

Ill post pics of the install and the sweet flame over the weekend, but I had to share.

My sincere thanks to everyone here on the forums. Otherwise I would have gone crazy (OK, more crazy) figuring all this out on my own. The knowledge shared here has been invaluable to me, and I owe you all an adult beverage.

Also, my hat is off to Dean Z., since his shop is an easy 8 hours from my house. Top notch service, to say the least.

 

[Singed Eyebrows]

Its a good day.

My installer finished sweating pipes yesterday (the configuration is still up for debate....) but the system was sealed. Filled most of it yesterday, and the rest tonight.

Dean Zook from Smokeless Heat came up to NY and was here for the startup. He checked things out, verified the install, and helped me with my smoke pipe problem to get things to fit.

Built a small starter fire, got a bunch of water out of the chimney, but we were up and running within a few minutes.

My first burn is dying down right now, and my bare tanks are maybe halfway charged with water at 160 or so, and only one leak in my overheat loop.

Ill post pics of the install and the sweet flame over the weekend, but I had to share.

My sincere thanks to everyone here on the forums. Otherwise I would have gone crazy (OK, more crazy) figuring all this out on my own. The knowledge shared here has been invaluable to me, and I owe you all an adult beverage.

Also, my hat is off to Dean Z., since his shop is an easy 8 hours from my house. Top notch service, to say the least.

It's about time Clarkbug, lol. Good going, a bunch of pics will be nice. Enjoy the heat, Randy

 

[Clarkbug]

It's about time Clarkbug, lol. Good going, a bunch of pics will be nice. Enjoy the heat, Randy

You arent kidding!

Fire went out before bed last night, and the bare tanks in my unheated basement are still too hot to touch at the top, which bodes well for them actually holding heat when I need them to.

Overheat loop is still leaking, which tells me that the AutoMag valve is also leaking. Not fun. But glad to catch it now instead of later in the season.

Ill clean up some, then post pics this weekend. Time to do some more insulating.

 

[woodsmaster]

Good deal !

 

[maple1]

Sounds great! I wish I was closer to PA than I am - would make things a lot simpler.

What did you end up having to do on the smoke pipe fitting?

Looking forward to more info & PICS.

 

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

Congrats!! And though I know you purchased a classy unit and sounds like you had classy assistance, expect at least some problems along the way.

As everyone else has said,POST SOME DAYUMMM Pics already :coolsmirk:

What part of 'Upstate' are you in?Possibly I'll stop in and take a look at your setup. If I were an adult,I'd take ya up on the adult bev offer. Just make mine a cappuccino.

Jimbo

 

[mikefrommaine]

Congratulations

Pic or it didn't happen! (Hey, Tennman how are your pics coming?)

One question though, are you using the STSS EMC controller in place of the BLT controller from Tarm? (I believe you were following the PT1 schematic?)

Thanks

 

[Clarkbug]

Sounds great! I wish I was closer to PA than I am - would make things a lot simpler.

What did you end up having to do on the smoke pipe fitting?

Looking forward to more info & PICS.

Well, you are welcome to make the trek to NY to see it at my place if you want to, or if you did get one you can ship it here and it can live in my garage. Saves on your travel time at least.

I ended up using the band clamp here that one of the other users had recommended. I havent ever seen one before, but that worked pretty well. I also see that Englander (who makes wood stoves) makes a stove pipe adapter that is meant to connect regular 6" pipe to the welded collar on a wood stove, and it offers about a 1/8" reduction. I couldnt find one locally in the few days I have looked, but it seems like it would work.

 

[Clarkbug]

Congrats!! And though I know you purchased a classy unit and sounds like you had classy assistance, expect at least some problems along the way.

As everyone else has said,POST SOME DAYUMMM Pics already cool smirk

What part of ‘Upstate’ are you in?Possibly I’ll stop in and take a look at your setup. If I were an adult,I’d take ya up on the adult bev offer. Just make mine a cappuccino.

Jimbo

Im anticipating the problems for sure. The unit works pretty well, but there is already one leak, probably more to be found, and Im probably going to have to chase some air around. Plus the connection to my existing system is going to give me some fits, and Im not sure I can actually move my heat to the house yet. I was just excited that my tanks started to fill up.

Dean had a nice moisture meter with him, and my wood measured around 12% on the outside, 22% or so in the middle of several different splits. Seemed to be burning just fine, but Ill know more once I actually get the tanks entirely warm and put some system load on it.

Feel free to shoot me a PM to discuss location, but Im North of Albany by an hour or so, near the VT border.

And sorry, I dont have a cappuccino machine. Folgers OK instead?

Congratulations

Pic or it didn’t happen! (Hey, Tennman how are your pics coming?)

One question though, are you using the STSS EMC controller in place of the BLT controller from Tarm? (I believe you were following the PT1 schematic?)

Thanks

I believe the EMC controller is the exact same thing as the BLT controller. Actually, another member here provided me the Tarm schematic for the controller, and thats how I have it hooked up. The only difference is that I think the newest version has a three-position switch that does backup only, wood only, and an auto-backup mode. Mine has an oil only and an auto mode, no way to lock out the oil entirely.

Ill get some pics up of the bare system and maybe some flames if I can get the leak in my overheat loop fixed.

Im also going to be working on my temperature sensor mounting system, and Ill make a separate thread for that if I can get my crazy scheme to work out for me.

 

[huffdawg]

Sweeeet Clarkbug, glad to here your making heat now . Now watch it pay you back. might take a few years , but after that its money in the bank.
Better change your signature. :lol:

Huff

 

[Gasifier]

Congratulations Clarkbug! I am happy to see you have it up and running. Good luck with it. I googled it and checked them out at smokelessheat. Nice. What were you burning in before? Can't wait to see the pics.

 

[bpirger]

Woohoo! You can hear the smiles through your words! Enjoy..... You might want to wait a bit before insulating everything...make sure nothing starts to leak after a few thermal cycles....

 

[Clarkbug]

Before I was burning oil, and I still am at this point. My guy is coming back tomorrow to fix the leak in the overheat loop, and to check on the automag to make sure its closing properly. I spent tonight cleaning up some and installing my temp probes. Hopefully tomorrow I can get her filled back up, purged, and fired.

 

[Singed Eyebrows]

You should be on wood soon, free wood. I thought I would need to alternatly use gas & wood for awhile. Once the Atmos was dialed in that was it for the heating gas use. Hopefully you will be there soon, Randy

 

[Clarkbug]

Getting some stuff set up still, have a fire burning now.

My flue gas temps are hovering somewhere in between 150 and 175 C. Seems a bit low. Is that just because things are still chilly? Or should I tweak?

 

[woodsmaster]

That seems a little low, but it is new with no ash on the hx so it will take a while for flue to get warm especially if your heating room temp water. It's so efficient it's taking all the heat and putting it in the water. After cleaning mine it takes it a while get over 300 F at startup.

 

[Clarkbug]

Just went and stirred the coals. I think I was away from the nozzle, and the flue temp shot up about 30 degrees C or so. Just me getting used to the thing is probably a big part of it

 

[woodsmaster]

In the united states we usually use Fahrenheit. ;-)

 

[huffdawg]

Us Canadians speak centigrade °C :coolsmile: and I wish my EKO did too.

 

[woodsmaster]

Us Canadians speak centigrade °C :coolsmile: and I wish my EKO did too.

Maybe we can swap gauges my biomass speaks that foreign crap. Totaly useless to me.

 

[huffdawg]

Us Canadians speak centigrade °C :coolsmile: and I wish my EKO did too.

Maybe we can swap gauges my biomass speaks that foreign crap. Totaly useless to me.

100 °C boiling 0 °C freezing.

212 °F boiling 32 °F freezing.

I don't know about crap but I guess its all in what your used to.

I would trade you if it would work.

 

[Clarkbug]

In the united states we usually use Fahrenheit. ;-)

Yeah yeah yeah.

My boiler gauges are in Fahrenheit, but the stack temp one is Celsius.

 

[Singed Eyebrows]

Us Canadians speak centigrade °C :coolsmile: and I wish my EKO did too.

Maybe we can swap gauges my biomass speaks that foreign crap. Totaly useless to me.

100 °C boiling 0 °C freezing.

212 °F boiling 32 °F freezing.

I don't know about crap but I guess its all in what your used to.

I would trade you if it would work.

I've gotten so used to centigrade as everything on my boiler & Laddomat is in that, I actually prefer it now, Randy

 

[jebatty]

Makes little difference to me anymore whether in C or F. The brain as it figured out, and very little need to do any figuring. Who knows what 70F is anyway except by feeling. Same thing with 21C.

 

[woodsmaster]

I just don't use centigrade enough to (Know) It. If someone tells me it 60 C I have to look at a conversion table to compare to
Fahrenheit. I have the ru2001 controller with centigrade gauge. I dont use the gauge I have a Fahrenheit gauge at the
inlet and outlet of the boiler.