Fine Tuning BioMass

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View attachment 116394 Well, toward the end of last winter, the cleanout handle broke off my Biomass 40 (this is my 5th break). so for about 2-3 weeks, I burned with out cleaning out the turbulators. Now I want to completely remove the turbulators and give the heat exchanges a good cleaning. Question 1: How do the turbulators come off the pin? I cannot seem to get it free. Question 2: what size brush should one use to clean the tubes? Please note my lift for removing the turbulators.
I've only been operating for about two months but very soon after startup I would find a "puddle" of tar accumulated around the top of the boiler tubes when cleaning the boiler. Definitely not acceptable. I also found soon after startup that the bypass gate was a poor excuse to eliminate smoke out the door. After installing a fan and smoke hood (which works 100%) I quite using the bypass flap completely and I found the tar puddle less noticeable but still there. After taking a closer look down in the dirty hole I see tar leaking out the bottom of the bypass gate. Since I don't need that anymore I disconnected the flap control and with another similiar plate bolted the two together and complete closed off the bypass hole. Voila the tar puddle is no longer there and only dry crumple soot. There are more issues to deal with on this unit but one at a time. Thanks for everyone's comments.
 
I found that bypass was not closing 100% and i get some build up around the bypass. What I did i clean the bypass and around it and rotate the bypass plate to close as tight as possible. Can you posed some pictures of your smoke hood and what fan you used. Since I open the door to check the fire in the main fire box I get smoke and my boiler in install in the basement.
Thanks
 
No problem. I'm new to this so might take a few tries. I believe the correct approach is to capture the smoke before it becomes fugitive (basically mixed in with the room air). This unit creates a narrow (about 3" x 24") high velocity air stream right in front of the boiler door. As soon as the smoke hits this it has no other place to go. Before the smoke dilutes there isn't a huge volume, so velocity is more important than flow rate. I made a prototype first out of tin and wood and it basically worked great as is and so tweaked it a bit and made a final one. Once I get these sketches to attach then I'll post some pictures.
 

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I am looking to learn how gasifiers boilers work, temperature at which wood gives off gas, temperature of gas flame when it has proper fuel air mixture , effect of too much or too little air, temperature of air injected into gas and I am sure many other questions.
 
Saves, if you post your questions on the general board you will get far more responses. Primarily owners of the BioMass brand of gasification boiler follows this sticky. BTW, many of your questions can be answered by googling wood gasification. But if you post in your questions as a general thread you'll get more information than you probably can handle!
 
I am giving up on my Biomass 40. Have used 3 winters now and have never been able to get it to run correctly. If I was in the creosote makeing business, I would be a millionare. I have broken 5 cleanout handles, have to use a 440 pound wench to unstick my turbulators. All I get from Cozyheat and New Horizons is my wood is not dry enough. Bull, I am using good wood that was cut 4 years ago, split and stacked 2 years ago, if this is not good, then nothing is. Now Cozyheat will not even return my calls, and all Zenon at New Horizons does is give me attitude and says I should have purchased from him. I will most likely remove my boiler in the spring and take in for scrap metal. I'll replace with a Central Boiler outdoor unit. If you are thinking about doing business with Cozyheat, New Horizon, or BioMass... DON'T. I cannot even get them to recommend a service tech to assist. Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] before you make the mistakes I made.
 
Sorry to hear about your difficulties. I couldn't be happier with my 60. If I were close, I'd be happy to give you better than scrap value for it.
 
I am giving up on my Biomass 40. Have used 3 winters now and have never been able to get it to run correctly. If I was in the creosote makeing business, I would be a millionare. I have broken 5 cleanout handles, have to use a 440 pound wench to unstick my turbulators. All I get from Cozyheat and New Horizons is my wood is not dry enough. Bull, I am using good wood that was cut 4 years ago, split and stacked 2 years ago, if this is not good, then nothing is. Now Cozyheat will not even return my calls, and all Zenon at New Horizons does is give me attitude and says I should have purchased from him. I will most likely remove my boiler in the spring and take in for scrap metal. I'll replace with a Central Boiler outdoor unit. If you are thinking about doing business with Cozyheat, New Horizon, or BioMass... DON'T. I cannot even get them to recommend a service tech to assist. Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] before you make the mistakes I made.


I have biomass 40 this is my first winter and it runs ok . Sometimes better sometimes worst depends on how much coals It has. I live in utica ny where you live jhunter
 
I am looking to learn how gasifiers boilers work, temperature at which wood gives off gas, temperature of gas flame when it has proper fuel air mixture , effect of too much or too little air, temperature of air injected into gas and I am sure many other questions.

Do you have a Biomass? Or something else? Or nothing yet?

Don't see many posters from our area - only aware of one other gassifier around here.
 
I am giving up on my Biomass 40. Have used 3 winters now and have never been able to get it to run correctly. If I was in the creosote makeing business, I would be a millionare. I have broken 5 cleanout handles, have to use a 440 pound wench to unstick my turbulators. All I get from Cozyheat and New Horizons is my wood is not dry enough. Bull, I am using good wood that was cut 4 years ago, split and stacked 2 years ago, if this is not good, then nothing is. Now Cozyheat will not even return my calls, and all Zenon at New Horizons does is give me attitude and says I should have purchased from him. I will most likely remove my boiler in the spring and take in for scrap metal. I'll replace with a Central Boiler outdoor unit. If you are thinking about doing business with Cozyheat, New Horizon, or BioMass... DON'T. I cannot even get them to recommend a service tech to assist. Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] before you make the mistakes I made.


I'm sure you will find lots of interested parties to buy your unit - don't scrap it, put it in the classified section.
 
Speaking of nozzles, if you're interested in longevity do not use coal despite what the owners manual suggests.
I really had no other option so I'm not upset about it but it is irresponsible of the manufacturer to suggest it as a fuel source w/o warning of the imminent damage to the nozzle.
Still, having survived the return to real winter, I love this boiler! I can hardly wait for next year and having a proper setup.
 
I think this week maybe is my last week of heating. It was long and cold winter and biomass 40 kept us warm. I learned a lot about the boiler and still not running perfect. One question i got is what is the best way to protect off season?
 
Just got my new BioMass 40 last week can't wait for it to warm up here so I can start the change over, I'm glad this thread is in here, sure will help
with the install, will be pics and progress updates and I'm sure a lot of questions along the way. Just needs to warm up a little more!!!
 
Just got my new BioMass 40 last week can't wait for it to warm up here so I can start the change over, I'm glad this thread is in here, sure will help
with the install, will be pics and progress updates and I'm sure a lot of questions along the way. Just needs to warm up a little more!!!

I hope you did not get this from CozyHeat or New Horizons. If you did, you will be very dis-satisifed with their customer service.
 
I hope you did not get this from CozyHeat or New Horizons. If you did, you will be very dis-satisifed with their customer service.

I got mine from new horizons and didn't have trouble with customer service other than Zenon can be hard to understand with his accent.
 
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I got mine from new horizons and didn't have trouble with customer service other than Zenon can be hard to understand with his accent.

Zenon asked me why I did not buy directly from him. When I told him I could buy the unit he provided to CozyHeat cheaper than what I could buy directly from him, he told me: "well, you should have bought directly from me and you would get better service." Are you kidding me!!! Zenon, you are the wholesaler, that means I did buy from you. What an arrogant SOB!
 
Zenon asked me why I did not buy directly from him. When I told him I could buy the unit he provided to CozyHeat cheaper than what I could buy directly from him, he told me: "well, you should have bought directly from me and you would get better service." Are you kidding me!!! Zenon, you are the wholesaler, that means I did buy from you. What an arrogant SOB!

Even if that's true. whoever directly sold you the unit is the one that should provide the service. Sounds like Cozy heat is the one not living up to your expectations.
 
I did get mine from Cozy heat, they were pretty stand up guys, they have a cottage about 20 mi. from my house they're there every weekend, said if I had any problems or
needed any help with anything he would be more than happy to make a trip over to give a hand. Have to see if he'll live up to that, but I'm sure he will.
 
Just scored my storage yesterday 2 500 gal. propane tanks for 300 dollars thought that was a good deal still waiting to get started 28 deg. this morning, still burning.
 
OAT's have kept me heating, too. Albeit on propane...ugh.
Good find on the tanks.
 
I'd love to be burning wood but last winter(or this winter, depending on how you look at it) ran us out.