I am new to the Eko so new in fact I will be lighting my 25 off for the first time this weekend. What has been peoples experience with the longevity of the refractory? The refractory that forms the nozzle and the base of the primary burn chamber looks like it would be fun to change. If anyone has done it recently, ball park what are we talking for cost?
Eko Refractory
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I've never heard of one of those failing, though the boilers have only been on the U.S. market for a few years. I believe nofossil has one of the first. I do know that you can replace it. But it's not something I worry about.
BTW, the ceramic troughs at the bottom of the secondary combustion chamber will fail long before the main refractory does. I'm not sure if you can buy replacements, but you can cast your own pretty easily, which sounds like a fun summer project. Again, nofossil has done most of the research on that, but with alumina board, not ceramic. Personally, I'd go with the ceramic.
BTW, the ceramic troughs at the bottom of the secondary combustion chamber will fail long before the main refractory does. I'm not sure if you can buy replacements, but you can cast your own pretty easily, which sounds like a fun summer project. Again, nofossil has done most of the research on that, but with alumina board, not ceramic. Personally, I'd go with the ceramic.
I'm hoping the cast-in-place floor and nozzle last forever. I've replaced the loose pieces with a variety of short-lived variations that tend to become gravel pretty quickly. The original curved piece has failed, but the big U channel is still fine although I'm not using it any more.
nofossil said:
Nofo - do I have this right you are running with no u channel bricks in the firing chamber? There must be a reason they are their but I have thought of pulling them out to see if hx would be faster.
Why is everyone concerned about components on their EKO wearing out and having to roll up their sleeves and build new ones? Did we purchase a boiler that we cannot get spare parts for. If that's the case, I would be calling an attorney and not a refractory supply house.
I've poured refractory in the past for kilns, ovens, etc. and I never achieved the durability of the ceramics in the EKO. I also tried fabricating the lousy center bricks for the Wood Gun. I can't build a reliable one and neither can they!
I've poured refractory in the past for kilns, ovens, etc. and I never achieved the durability of the ceramics in the EKO. I also tried fabricating the lousy center bricks for the Wood Gun. I can't build a reliable one and neither can they!
I think Kemer or Sizzler posted some pictures showing problems with some refractory deterioration. I think the nozzle was still in good condition. sometimes you read a lot of stuff in this forum and then you can't remember who said what exactly so things being what they are EKO supposedly sells bags of refractory mix. New Horizon is also supposed to have new U blocks in stock and supposedly nozzles can be ordered. I have a problem with the metal guards that protect the upper edges of the refractory in the primary gasification chamber but I know I can make those.
What's up with those metal plates? I don't have them in my '07 Super. What purpose do they serve (or not), other than hanging up the wood in the firebox?
Tree farmer said:
I'm running with a more complex labyrinth with the intent of lengthening the flame path and keeping the secondary combustion away from the cold steel side walls. Seems to help me get more reliable secondary combustion.
I don't think you'd want to remove the U block unless you have something else to protect the bottom floor.
That's a good question Eric. I can't rightly say but when they are taken out I find heavy carbonized creosote behind them. I wonder if it has something to do with the ceramics coming out if they need to or corrosion from creosote on the boiler where the ceramic meets the boiler plate. The metal parts that lay over the ceramics are really deteriorated. The metal is a bout 1/4" when new and where they are deteriorated they are now less that 1/16" and warped big time. The corrsion might just be from moist wood burning or maybe because I burn all year long??? Maybe they aren't needed but I am hesitant to go with out them. I wanted to build a smoke fence/gate for the primary chamber so it looks like I get to start two projects with one trip. HOOrah
I wonder if the U shape of the refractories is due to optimization of the design, or ease of construction? What would happen if we re-arranged the U troughs sideways? I wonder if some other shape - some type of buttercup design, might hold the gases a little longer for more efficiency? How about some type of tubular construction, that directed the gases through catalyst-lined channels?
All of this gets me thinking of how much more optimization might potentially be achieved, or if what we have is the most efficient possible design after much (or little?) experimentation?
All of this gets me thinking of how much more optimization might potentially be achieved, or if what we have is the most efficient possible design after much (or little?) experimentation?
boilerman said:
Here is what is supposed to be a European configuration to look at ((broken link removed to http://64.233.187.102/translate_c?hl=sv&sl=sv&tl=en&u=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpbUUGYbv8M&usg=ALkJrhgN2ru4E9y0KEp_Fy_kJ65m256L7Q)). Shows there are people all around are thinking along those lines.
For an experiment I put some regular fire brick under my U block to put the U blocks closer to the nozzle. That forced a kind of vortex in the U blocks. I normally have to rung my blower opening at 1/2" but with the U blocks raised I had to open to 5/8" on the blower. That did alright with the bl. walnut I burn but didn't do so well with some catalpa I am test burning. The catalpa did a lot of bridging with or with out the U blocks raised. With the U blocks back down and blower settings back down I find if I mix spruce in with the catalpa 50/50 it stops the bridging but not otherwise.
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