I had a New Yorker WC130 recently installed by a professional. It is running in parallel with a New Yorker oil furnace, each on a separate chimney flue. I was happy with its operation during the month of November and the beginning of December, but then the troubles began. It nearly smoked us out of house and home at Christmas time, with smoke coming out of the stove pipe and boiler jacket. After extensive research and trouble shooting, I determined (right or wrong, I'm not sure) that I had a negative draft on the boiler flue. I vented my basement, lit a fire, and watched it like a child for several hours without a smoking problem. Not trusting it overnight, I let it die out. The next day, I checked my chimney and it was plugged solid with creosote. Now remember, I ran this for 6 weeks with no issues at all, and now suddenly all of these problems. I did notice that after 2/3 hours of burn time, I could not keep the stack temp at more than 150-175 degrees. I am at the point of trying to resell and suffer the $$$$ losses. I'm also kicking myself for not biting the bullet and paying for an OWB. Please respond if you have any ideas, questions, etc...
Trouble with New Yorker WC130
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My good friend had the same boiler, the same problem but ended with two chimney fires in one day, and the same solution...a new OWB. His firewood was bone dry and it didn't matter. Not much feels worse than spending good money on a new system with hopes you'll save money only to find a problem like you've got with the creosote buildup.
You might want to look for a MEMCO before jumping into an OWB. You will probably see similar burn times, maybe a bit longer, similar wood consumption, but much less creosote. It'll probably run you about the same money you can get for your New Yorker, so all you're out is installation costs if it didn't work.
I hooked mine up over the summer so this is my first winter burning it. I burned for three months and inspected my chimney but didn't see anything. I finally got impatient and cleaned it anyway. I couldn't fill a shot glass with what came out of my chimney.
Good luck
You might want to look for a MEMCO before jumping into an OWB. You will probably see similar burn times, maybe a bit longer, similar wood consumption, but much less creosote. It'll probably run you about the same money you can get for your New Yorker, so all you're out is installation costs if it didn't work.
I hooked mine up over the summer so this is my first winter burning it. I burned for three months and inspected my chimney but didn't see anything. I finally got impatient and cleaned it anyway. I couldn't fill a shot glass with what came out of my chimney.
Good luck
Eric Johnson
Mod Emeritus
Creosote formation with indoor boilers can be a frustrating problem. My guess is that you need to insulate your chimney. What may be happening is that with the cold weather we've been having, your chimney has a cold spot or two that's causing creosote to form and to grow. If it worked OK for the six weeks prior to this, then you know it's possible. You just have to figure out how to use it in very cold temps.
I also found in my years of operating an indoor conventional wood boiler that creosote formation can be unpredictable. I got around that by cleaning my chimney once a week. Since it had a stainless steel liner that I could clean out from the basement, it was no big deal--a 15 minute job at most--and I always slept easier knowing that there could never be more than one week's worth of creosote in the chimney.
If I were you, I'd see about getting some insulation around your chimney or liner. And I'd give it a good cleaning and then keep an eye on it.
Be a shame to replace this boiler with one that did the same thing.
I also found in my years of operating an indoor conventional wood boiler that creosote formation can be unpredictable. I got around that by cleaning my chimney once a week. Since it had a stainless steel liner that I could clean out from the basement, it was no big deal--a 15 minute job at most--and I always slept easier knowing that there could never be more than one week's worth of creosote in the chimney.
If I were you, I'd see about getting some insulation around your chimney or liner. And I'd give it a good cleaning and then keep an eye on it.
Be a shame to replace this boiler with one that did the same thing.
steam man
Minister of Fire
Sounds like your unit has spent a lot of time idling/smoldering. Did you notice that much? My experience with the older WC120 (which looks like the current line) is that you should probably open up the unit and check/clean the internal flue passages weekly. Its not hard on the 120 model. I think a cursory check of the chimney monthly would be a good idea along with possibly using soot release sticks when burning once or twice a week. Note that it did run fine for 6 weeks. Your wood should be dry and without storage you should only be burning when it gets below about 35F to prevent smoldering/idling. I am not sure where/how you are measuring the stack temp but I almost think lack of draft was keeping the fire from burning thus low temp. Get everything cleaned and maybe consider storage eventually to get a hard/fast burn.
Mike
Mike
Once my house and its heating needs were met, the units did idle more, but started up every 15 minutes or so. The temp I was measuring was on the stove pipe with one of those magnetic thermometers. Maybe not that accurate, but a good indication of what was happening. It just seems that after the intial start up, where I reached temperature nnear 400 degree, the temp slowly declines with each passing cycle.
LeonMSPT
Minister of Fire
Been burning my WC90 since latter part of November... some coal, some wood... I have checked the chimney weekly... so far not much. I do peek once in awhile with a mirror... was clean as a whistle last time.
Just installed a barometric damper, and it will be interesting to see difference...
Some say, "colder flu = more creosote"...
I am tending toward, "cleaner, hotter fire - less creosote". Think about it... nothing burns great in a vacuum. With no barometric damper, fire was always in a vacuum. Hell, the chimney had such a draft it would actually spin the fan motor... belched thick smoke out the chimney the whole time it was lit. Used to puff and snort like a dragon with a head cold. No more puffing and blowing, nothing. Light it and open the over fire draft and watch the thing burn, not a single puff. Pops up to temperature faster and seems like drastically extended burn times compared to no barometric damper.
I'll post more when I know more, week or two.
Just installed a barometric damper, and it will be interesting to see difference...
Some say, "colder flu = more creosote"...
I am tending toward, "cleaner, hotter fire - less creosote". Think about it... nothing burns great in a vacuum. With no barometric damper, fire was always in a vacuum. Hell, the chimney had such a draft it would actually spin the fan motor... belched thick smoke out the chimney the whole time it was lit. Used to puff and snort like a dragon with a head cold. No more puffing and blowing, nothing. Light it and open the over fire draft and watch the thing burn, not a single puff. Pops up to temperature faster and seems like drastically extended burn times compared to no barometric damper.
I'll post more when I know more, week or two.
LeonMSPT
Minister of Fire
Better with the barometric damper installed... was around 3-5 hrs, depending on load. I am heating a house rated at 130K BTU for heat loss... so on really cold night, like tonight (15 below currently and dropping fast), I light the insert in the fireplace in the living room. The other night, I burned wood all night, and was about 5-6 hours between loading... got cold enough at 6 hours, the oil burner started and woke me up...
It runs a whole lot better on coal. I buy my wood all cut and split, so the difference in cost isn't exponential at all. Between reduced mess and labor, I think coal is the better deal. Yesterday morning, I loaded it with coal at 7:30 am, and returned home at about 5:45 pm. There was still fire in the box, and the water was hot enough that the oil burner was cycling on and off with demand, but only running for a couple minutes out of about 20-30. Raked and shook, added coal, and it took an hour and a half for it to come up to full blast... 185 degrees at the water, 500 on the door, and 450 on the stack. Idle temperatures are about 300 on the door, 150 on the stack.
It runs a whole lot better on coal. I buy my wood all cut and split, so the difference in cost isn't exponential at all. Between reduced mess and labor, I think coal is the better deal. Yesterday morning, I loaded it with coal at 7:30 am, and returned home at about 5:45 pm. There was still fire in the box, and the water was hot enough that the oil burner was cycling on and off with demand, but only running for a couple minutes out of about 20-30. Raked and shook, added coal, and it took an hour and a half for it to come up to full blast... 185 degrees at the water, 500 on the door, and 450 on the stack. Idle temperatures are about 300 on the door, 150 on the stack.
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