Combustion Make-up Air

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jebatty

Minister of Fire
Jan 1, 2008
5,796
Northern MN
A little late for this season. I installed an easy combustion make-up air system for my Tarm. On Saturday I went to a surplus store and found a 6" linear actuator, 24vdc. My shop windows (2' x 4') are sliders, so I installed the actuator on one window and have a relay wired up to the flue temperature sensor so that when the flue is above the set point the actuator is "on" and opens the window, and when the temperature drops below the set point the actuator is "off" and closes the window. Really slick. The actuator also works fine on 12vdc.
 

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Is there a reason why you didn't hook it up to the fan circuit?
 
That was my first idea, but when I reload the Tarm I shut the fan-off, and I didn't want the window opening and closing unnecessarily. I made an error when I said the actuator would open when the flue temp set point was reached. The actuator opens when the Tarm is turned on; but when the Tarm temp controller shuts the Tarm down based on low flue temp, that's when the actuator will close the window.
 
Very slick. I need one of those someday. I turn the fan on to load the biomass. It sucks the fly ash up the chiminey
instead of coming out the door at me. I wouldn't want it hooked to the fan becouse if it went into idle the window could do a lot of opening and closing as the fan turned on and off. I usually dont idle but once in a while over estimate the amount of wood I need.
 
A little late for this season. I installed an easy combustion make-up air system for my Tarm. On Saturday I went to a surplus store and found a 6" linear actuator, 24vdc. My shop windows (2' x 4') are sliders, so I installed the actuator on one window and have a relay wired up to the flue temperature sensor so that when the flue is above the set point the actuator is "on" and opens the window, and when the temperature drops below the set point the actuator is "off" and closes the window. Really slick. The actuator also works fine on 12vdc.

Nice.
That fits under the catagory of "Why didn't I think of that?"
 
Nice Jim! I seriously think you have too much time on your hands though ;)
 
I had the idea on the linear actuator about a year ago, searched e^ay, but didn't like the prices. So when I saw the actuator at the surplus store at a good price, I couldn't resist. Too much time on my hands? Ha! Deep Portage is keeping me busy right now debugging its 300 evacuated tube solar domestic hot water system. It works too well, and that is the problem. With 10 DS18b20 sensors now installed and data logging, we're beginning to understand exactly what is going on. And the problems will be solved. There never is another option but to make things work like they should. Anybody have any extra time to spare?
 
That is exactly what I have been looking for to automate my system a little more. I use a timer to shut off fan but we need to go out and shut the window that we leave open for make up air.

I was thinking that I messed up by installing slider windows.

When you get time could you post the length when open and closed? My window is much smaller, I hope one of these will still work.

gg
 
I kind of impressed myself on this one. But I have a bad memory. The window is nominally 3' x 4', the inside frame of the window is 34" x 46". The actuator extended is 18" (or slightly more) and is somewhat adjustable to a longer, but not shorter, length. The actuator contracted is 12.25". You can see where I attached it to the window. It would be possible to attach it any point along the bottom (or top) frame that holds the glass, so I doubt you would have much trouble attaching it to a smaller slider window. As mentioned in my post, this actuator opens the window 6".
 
Thanks Jim!

I will be looking to do this project for next winter.

gg
 
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