Aquastat Well question

[hobbyheater]

What grease or filler should be used in an Aquastat Well to give better heat transfer to the Aquastat probe?

 

[heaterman]

You can get a purpose made paste from any supplier that sells Honeywell products.
In a pinch I have found that Permatex anti seize compound is for any practical application, the same stuff. It's easy to find at any automotive store. It's like silver Vaseline and for Pete's sake!! don't get even a smidgen on yourself You will leave "deposits" on everything your touch the rest of the day.

 

[velvetfoot]

The high temp anti seize that I use is gold in color; maybe there's copper involved.

 

[hobbyheater]

.
lf You will leave "deposits" on everything your touch the rest of the day.

Thanks!
Going to retire the old Jetstream and going to install the new one. I could not remember what I used so long ago!

 

[hobbyheater]

The high temp anti seize that I use is gold in color; maybe there's copper involved.

Thanks!

 

[BoiledOver]

Thanks!
Going to retire the old Jetstream and going to install the new one. I could not remember what I used so long ago!

Wow, you sure did get your moneys worth outta the first one.

 

[hobbyheater]

The old refractory base, all 1,400 lbs of it. Other than the tunnel, it was still in fairly good shape.



Took several hours with a sledge hammer to break it up!



The new refractory base.



The gasket between the base and heat exchanger is 3/4 inch of high temp stove cement (2,700 F)



New heat exchanger being moved into position.



The heat exchanger installed on the base didn't quite line up with the chimney so it had to be moved an inch.



Ready for the first fire.



First fire!



It takes many of these small fires of burning 3lbs of wood every 2 hours to slowly cure the refractory. The black ring is an indication of being uncured so the soot can still cling to the refractory.

 

[velvetfoot]

Interesting stuff.

 

[maple1]

Yes, very interesting.

So now does the search start for a new spare?

 

[hobbyheater]

So now does the search start for a new spare?

Ha! Ha!
Only if I happen to find another new unit. I once had all the parts including a new refractory liner for a third unit, but my kids said it had to go! I'm convinced this one is going to outlast its owner!
Did a much more detailed description on the other site.

The once third unit.

Spare liner.

 

[hobbyheater]

It took 29 or 58 hours of small burns to drive all the moisture from the refractory. The black soot line is gone.

End of the first 6 hour batch burn. The line of one small stress crack is visible on the right hand side of the burn chamber.

 

[slowzuki]

Oh how I wish mine was plumbed in right now. I don't have my storage hooked up.

 

[hobbyheater]

Oh how I wish mine was plumbed in right now. I don't have my storage hooked up.

No storage? Problems?

On another subject, you once said you were using a different blower. If so what are you using?

I have remotely mounted the blower and have piped the air to the boiler. The blower gets its air from a duct that brings outside air down into the basement. What I'm finding is that not all vacuum cleaner motors are equal units. Even with the same part numbers they sometimes deliver too much air so I have included a gate valve to dump air if the fire is getting too hot. Also this small amount of excess air into the boiler room has eliminated some of the fine fly ash into the boiler room.



The hour meter lets me know when it's time to change the motor brushes. With this setup, motors go through about 3 sets of brushes and are lasting around 1,800 hours!


I also tried regulating the amount of air to the draft inducer port but it seemed to make no difference, so I've eliminated this valve on the new boiler.