Windhager Biowin 260 install with photos
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That's exactly what I was paying for the MWP blend when buying them by the ton from Benson's Lumber in Londonderry. I just passed five tons burned last week so I'm guessing I'll be at max six tons when it's all said and done for this season.
Now that I have my external combustion/draft issues all sorted out I think I may try burning the Home Depot pellets again to see how that works out. They're only $219 a ton.
One other thing I forgot to ask. Is your dip switch set for 21kw or 26kw? Mine is set to 21kw and it hasn't had any issues keeping up at all during this terrible winter. Marc told me that you gain efficiency at the lower setting. That's nice to know.
sinnian
Minister of Fire
Well I wrote about it on some other thread but I'll give you the back story in case you didn't see it there. I started using the Biowin in mid October last year and everything was going great until the end of the year. I still remember the day. it was the Sunday morning before New Year's. I went down to check on the pellets in the morning and the LCD was red w/ "Shaker grate/ash removal defective," error message on the screen and the boiler had went into a standby state where it was cooling down.
Marc and I thought it might be the pellets but I tried a number of different pellets over the next two months but the problem would recur intermittently. One thing we overlooked was the fact that right before the issue happened for the first time I had had my rim joists in the basement spray foamed professionally. I had also foamed all the air leaks in the basement ceiling myself with Great Stuff. The basement was made significantly tighter after this. In discussing this with Marc and observing the behavior of the barometric damper on the unit we were able to determine that the boiler was pretty much getting choked. I've had the basement window ajar several inches for the past week. The issue has not recurred and the barometric damper is operating more smoothly and consistently whereas before it would swing forcefully and erratically. So I'm fairly certain that I can say problem solved.
It was not due to any fault or defect in the boiler but rather the physics of my basement. I plan on drilling through the basement joist and bringing a 6" pipe down toward the floor to provide a uniform, consistent source of combustion air. Once this is done I'm hoping that I can again try some of the Home Depot pellets and if they prove to be cost effective without hindering the boilers performance I might burn a lot of them next year as it would be additional cost savings.
sinnian
Minister of Fire
Yeah it's not a huge issue. The piping and actual work for the external air should be fairly cheap and quick. I'm an IT guy by trade and switching to the pellet boiler has been a very enjoyable learning experience for me not only about the boiler itself but also about the construction and physics of homes. I'm going to get the airway done this summer and have six tons in my basement come October so next year should be smooth sailing.
velvetfoot
Minister of Fire
Will you just have the pipe discharge in the area of the boiler, or is there a some kind of positive connection?
oops-read previous post. Sound like in vicinity.
Do you have an oil boiler? Has it been operating normally?
oops-read previous post. Sound like in vicinity.
Do you have an oil boiler? Has it been operating normally?
I will do the work myself but I spoke to the plumber who installed it to get his advice. I am going to bring it in through the joist into an elbow and then down behind the back of the boiler.
I have an oil boiler that I left in place but I haven't run it since the rim joists were spray foamed. Prior to having the rim joists spray foamed I had no issues with the pellet or oil boiler though.
I used HD pellets when we first got up and running. They worked just as well as the bulk MWP in the Biowin; we noticed no difference. Buy cheap and stack them deep.
Yes, we're set to 21kw and, like you, we haven't had any issues with keeping up with demand. My wife had her family Christmas here and we had the house at 78 degrees for the older people. The biowin worked great.
Paste,
I don't know if you remember, but earlier, I asked you how your feed system was working, etc. Another question-- do the feed and air pipes hold up with 3 tons of pellets pressing down on them? I'm in the process of installing mine, much like your setup and thought I would check.
Thanks, Trout
I don't know if you remember, but earlier, I asked you how your feed system was working, etc. Another question-- do the feed and air pipes hold up with 3 tons of pellets pressing down on them? I'm in the process of installing mine, much like your setup and thought I would check.
Thanks, Trout
velvetfoot
Minister of Fire
Paste,
Do you think the concrete blocks are necessary under the bag? I am thinking of just using some xps foam sheet.
Thanks.
Do you think the concrete blocks are necessary under the bag? I am thinking of just using some xps foam sheet.
Thanks.
I'm not sure if the xps foam sheets will hold up to 3+ tons of compression or prevent the bag straps from sliding as the bag weight shifts. I'd use 4x8x16 blocks and some scrap plywood for a base.
velvetfoot
Minister of Fire
Ah yes, I forgot about those straps. Do you hang it from the ceiling? There are no straps for that.
There are 2 loops on top of the bag to hang it. I use 2 bicycle wheel hooks becuase they make it easy to unhook the bag and gain access to the door on top.
velvetfoot
Minister of Fire
velvetfoot
Minister of Fire
Paste,
Is that your hose and curved metal fitting in the photos, or MES'?
I might be able to use a fitting like that
You don't ever load pellets from bags into that top door, do you?
Is that your hose and curved metal fitting in the photos, or MES'?
I might be able to use a fitting like that
You don't ever load pellets from bags into that top door, do you?
The hose and attachment are from Mes delivery. In the past, I've filled the bag through the top door with 40 lb bags. I prefer bulk because it's cheaper, time effective, and I don't have to carry a single bag.
velvetfoot
Minister of Fire
Are you keeping warm? My boiler system is running great, far as I can tell anyway.
I put together a 4x4x4 box, put the vacuum pickup in there, and loaded it up with bagged pellets. It runs great! Next up: set up the bag.
Paste, what do you think of securing the straps down with screws into the concrete floor, maybe with a plywood washer for each strap?
Edit: Answered my own question, again, lol. I called MES and they said my plan was good. I like the idea of more uniform support under the bag. The foam I put under the box is holding up.
I put together a 4x4x4 box, put the vacuum pickup in there, and loaded it up with bagged pellets. It runs great! Next up: set up the bag.
Paste, what do you think of securing the straps down with screws into the concrete floor, maybe with a plywood washer for each strap?
Edit: Answered my own question, again, lol. I called MES and they said my plan was good. I like the idea of more uniform support under the bag. The foam I put under the box is holding up.
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Velvetfoot, glad your system is running well. Because of dampness in my basement, my bag is on plywood and 3 in blocks. The straps are screwed to the plywood.
Good luck!
Good luck!
Your box looks nice; great work. I agree with raising the bag off the floor if water may be an issue.
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