Deep freeze trumps PB105

[Mr._Graybeard]

Well, it got down to 16 below last night with 15-25 mph winds. I got up this morning and the temperature downstairs was 61. The boiler was going great guns but was managing only about 155 degrees. I shut down the heat to the second floor to let the downstairs warm up.

The wind was just too much in this leaky old farmhouse. Time to get the energy auditor out here.

 

[Greg Omagh]

My home is 10 years old and I noticed that last Friday morning in the middle of the Nor'easter the house had become unacceptably cold. My office on the second floor was 51F and the room with the stove was 70F. Friday night it was as cold, or perhaps colder and Sat Morning the upstairs was low to mid 60s and downstairs 70s, stove room 75F. I conclude the same thing: leaky NEW house.

EDIT: Fri - Sat was a clear night with no wind.

 

[sinnian]

Been negative at night here until today, wind off and on ~ PB150 didn't skip a beat.

 

[joescho]

There's probably lots of little cheap things you can do right off to help. Like put a towel at the bottom of the outside door, and get some of that plastic to put around your windows.

Both should help (at least they can't hurt)

 

[AndrewChurchill]

Well, it got down to 16 below last night with 15-25 mph winds. I got up this morning and the temperature downstairs was 61. The boiler was going great guns but was managing only about 155 degrees. I shut down the heat to the second floor to let the downstairs warm up.

The wind was just too much in this leaky old farmhouse. Time to get the energy auditor out here.

What is your feed rate set at?

 

[harttj]

What is your feed rate set at?

X2 need to have more throughput.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

As of noon, it's 17 below with west winds gusting to over 20 mph.

Windows are all double-glazed thermopane, but no double-hungs are completely windproof. I have some casements on the west side of the house that are bearing up pretty well.

By shutting down heat to the second floor I gave the boiler a chance to warm the lower floor up to the mid-60s. It's getting a bit chilly upstairs, though, so I'll have to turn up the heat to the second floor in an hour or two. The boiler and circ pumps have been running without interruption for at least 18 hours.

Feed rate is at 4.5. Think I should crank it up? The burnpot looks full of embers.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Boiling water freezes in midair

 

[wil lanfear]

Feed rate is at 4.5. Think I should crank it up? The burnpot looks full of embers.

To get the max heat from the boiler the feed rate should be adjusted so as no unburned pellets are forced over the burnpot lip into the ashpan. This will result in burning more pellets but it will result in a larger fire in the burnpot wrapping the flame around the horizontal tubes heating the water quicker. I run my boiler in manual when temps are below +25*

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Thanks Wil,

I turned the feed up to 5 and cranked up the max temperature to 180. That got the water temperature up. It escaped me that I might not have been eking out every available BTU -- and we need them all! Fortunately the temperature has risen a bit this afternoon -- we're at 11 below now. If only that blasted wind would die down.

I'll try the boiler in manual as well.

 

[AndrewChurchill]

What I did to calibrate my PB105 was to turn the hot water on in one of my tubs. Then I turned the feed rate up to 6 and watched. Once I saw unburned pellets start to fall into the ash bin I backed off the feed rate to 5 1/2 and watched again. Repeat this procedure until the ash starts to form about 1" from the end of the burn pot.

For the pellets I was using a feed rate of 5 1/2 was perfect. Perform the test if you change the brand of pellets or type but other than that I quote Ron Popeil "Set it, and forget it!"

Assuming you are using the PB105 for DHW.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

No hot water, Andrew. Just space heat. I may bump the rate up a bit more, though, just to see what happens. It's roaring pretty good now.

Thanks for the advice, guys. The boiler was really handling the place without much strain until this record-setting cold snap. So I've been letting it laze along until now.

 

[AndrewChurchill]

Alternatively, you can turn all your thermostats all the way up and that would put a similar load on the boiler.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

It's working under that kind of load right now! The temp's headed back down too. Grr. At least the wind's let up a little bit.

 

[iceguy4]

Thanks Wil,

I turned the feed up to 5 and cranked up the max temperature to 180. That got the water temperature up. It escaped me that I might not have been eking out every available BTU -- and we need them all! Fortunately the temperature has risen a bit this afternoon -- we're at 11 below now. If only that blasted wind would die down.

I'll try the boiler in manual as well.

At a 5 you will need to keep our eye on it. Mine couldn't handle 5 (it was a lil dirty too ...clean it will handle 5)and I ended up with pellets in ashpan ...then they want to burn...a mess. 185° is max...where I run mine with outside temp hooked up. Mine would have kept up but I let my oil help for 2 tenths of an hour (intelladyne HW3250) I burned a lil over 2 1/2 cups of fuel. I think its better to have the temps up to minimize wear and tear ...

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Ice, I will do that. It seems to be handling the feed pretty well, but I'm checking on it every couple hours. I cleaned the trap under the burnpot late last week and used a leaf blower on the vent late last month. So I'm hoping everything is breathing freely. A smart guy woulda let the oil burner do the heavy lifting, but I do think the boiler is gradually getting the upper hand now that the wind has died down a bit.