First time gasification boiler user here. I have read the tuning sticky several times. I got a flame last night using the primary 100%, shutter 100%, secondary 15-20%. I am burning into 1000 gallons storage. Can anyone give me their air setting adjustments for full bore batch burn? Looking to load the unit, shut the door, walk away, start another fire tomorrow. TIA.
Biomass 40 air settings?
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Think I got it figured out. I think I have a quick startup pretty much nailed down. Had one load bridge on me three days ago, but I know what I did wrong. Been single digits for two days. Top of storage has been as high as 185. Bottom has been as high as 175. House is warm, garage is 58 degrees, and plenty of hot water. I have never seen the boiler hotter than 186, but a load of wood lasts 6-10 hours.
Thank you so much for all the knowledge here. I have been researching this site for over two years, finally got my install in and running. Coming from an OWB, I couldn't be happier with my wood usage. Thanks again.
Thank you so much for all the knowledge here. I have been researching this site for over two years, finally got my install in and running. Coming from an OWB, I couldn't be happier with my wood usage. Thanks again.
With my original post I was just wondering if maybe I wasn't running this boiler to its capacity. I might have it working to its limit, I don't know. Just was wondering what everyone burning to storage was doing. I have a strong flame, sometimes blue. Just nothing like all the videos you see on youtube. When I open my lower door to watch the flame, most of the time it goes out. Starts right back up when I close the door. Is this a clue? In one week, even with a bridged load in there, I have only scooped out two 1/2 shovels of ash. The exchanger fins down the side have grey ash on them. I will pull the covers off and look at the tubes in a week or so, but max flue temp at the boiler output that I have observed is 222 degrees. I have icicles forming on my chimney cap. As far as I can tell everything seems to indicate proper operation.
I fooled around for a while with the fan speed and air openings, but found something very quick that works well. Primary air is set so the edge of the flapper is 1 1/8"-1 1/4" from the steel that holds the door gasket. I'm guessing the secondary is 5/16"-3/8" or more open. I didn't measure it. I waited until I had an awesome burn going, then I took the advice from the sticky and moved the flap up and down and listened to the burn. I could tell almost instantly by the heat radiating from the lower door. In my instance the sweet spot for the fan is 90. Anything less or more and it just doesn't seem to work well. The front flapper is 100% open. I am burning to storage so I just need full out burn.
The install is in my garage. I insulated the tanks, but any heat loss ( as well as the appliance running) heats my 1400sf garage well. 58 degrees with 4 degree outside temp. So far my bottom tank temp is always within 15 degrees of the top tank temp, no matter the situation. I have also seen 187 top, 182 bottom. I heated for 4 hours off of that.
I used the simplest storage design, and used cross flow through the tanks. I have experience with WTA and WTW heat exchangers as well as plumbing cast iron radiators, so I felt what I did was simple and would work well. I have a TACO Viridian pump feeding the house, that is controlled by the end switch from the existing relay control on the oil boiler. I used the Grundfos 15-58 that came with the used boiler as the boiler pump. Next year I will use a Viridian for the boiler pump as well. I will install radiant loops on the entire first floor for next year.
Overall I am very happy. The oil burner is disabled, as was with the OWB operation.
I fooled around for a while with the fan speed and air openings, but found something very quick that works well. Primary air is set so the edge of the flapper is 1 1/8"-1 1/4" from the steel that holds the door gasket. I'm guessing the secondary is 5/16"-3/8" or more open. I didn't measure it. I waited until I had an awesome burn going, then I took the advice from the sticky and moved the flap up and down and listened to the burn. I could tell almost instantly by the heat radiating from the lower door. In my instance the sweet spot for the fan is 90. Anything less or more and it just doesn't seem to work well. The front flapper is 100% open. I am burning to storage so I just need full out burn.
The install is in my garage. I insulated the tanks, but any heat loss ( as well as the appliance running) heats my 1400sf garage well. 58 degrees with 4 degree outside temp. So far my bottom tank temp is always within 15 degrees of the top tank temp, no matter the situation. I have also seen 187 top, 182 bottom. I heated for 4 hours off of that.
I used the simplest storage design, and used cross flow through the tanks. I have experience with WTA and WTW heat exchangers as well as plumbing cast iron radiators, so I felt what I did was simple and would work well. I have a TACO Viridian pump feeding the house, that is controlled by the end switch from the existing relay control on the oil boiler. I used the Grundfos 15-58 that came with the used boiler as the boiler pump. Next year I will use a Viridian for the boiler pump as well. I will install radiant loops on the entire first floor for next year.
Overall I am very happy. The oil burner is disabled, as was with the OWB operation.
Well after some closer observation, I modified the previous owners nozzle plate so it actually allowed air into the secondary chamber. Top chamber was starving for air. I drilled and cut so the openings were actually over the nozzle and closely equaled the original surface area. Now a quick start is easily achieved. I was getting a gasification flame off of my kindling and bark scraps. Flame was turning blue 3 hours into the burn. Have yet to load the upper chamber full. Got home tonight with an outside temp of 21, and the boiler was in idle mode at 190. Top tank was 185, bottom tank was 177. All zones in house were happy at 70-72 degrees.
Why didn't I learn about these boilers 10 years ago?
Why didn't I learn about these boilers 10 years ago?
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