HS TARM SOLO PLUS jacket insulation/repairs

[Blofeld69]

Hello
I need new insulation as the 20 year old old stuff started to smoke badly, does this stuff lose its heat resistance over time?

What type insulation material can I replace it with?

Many thanks.

 

[webbie]

Not usually - it doesn't really get too hot in there!

You could use either rockwool or some particular fiberglass made for relatively high temperatures. I think you can find some of this stuff at drywall supply houses, but you can also see it on McMaster-Carr

example:
http://www.mcmaster.com/#9328k41/=ppyhk9

Most of that boiler is surrounded by water - those surfaces will never pass about 250, but any single wall surfaces (maybe around the flue and cleanout area) could hit as high as 800+ degrees.

 

[Blofeld69]

I fired it up the other day without any water in it to see what else needed fixing as I thought maybe the door seals were gone, so it did get hot then without the water. I hope its not a problem to do that, to run it without water....

Anyway as suspected all doors were leaking smoke badly when the fan turned off. I did get it to start gasification but for some reason the flame cut out after about 20 minutes and then smoke came up through the fan and doors...dont know why it cut out as the fan was running

 

[Blofeld69]

also smoke came through the fan even when the bypass door was open, does that mean my chimney is too small and dont have enough draft?

 

[Blofeld69]

So I have stripped it down to find out whats up with all the smoke coming back through the fan, and there is a small flap in the air pipe that controls air flow? Should this be spring loaded or its just supposed to stay open even when the fan is off?

The whole boiler is stripped now for the necessary repairs, I will get this sucker running right in the end!

 

[webbie]

The boiler is not designed to be fired up without water in it! Not sure where you came up with that idea, but a boiler like this maintains about a 200 degree temperature in normal use (the steel), while it can be 5X that without the water...or even more.

Firing a boiler without water is like running a car engine without water.

As I remember, that flap was weighted or something like that so it would close when the fan was not running. However, none of these assemblies are really designed to be "smoke tight" to the degree you may be thinking.....so unless your chimney has some kind of a draft, you are going to get smoke.

Also, remember that these boilers are usually used with storage - in most of those cases, the boiler runs the vast majority of the time (or all the time) with the fan on.

The importer should have the new door gaskets as well as the door mounting gaskets.

 

[Blofeld69]

doh!

thanks.

 

[Blofeld69]

if I connected the hole where the fan is to an outside vent and then put the fan outside would I then avoid any chance of smoke coming into the room if the fire goes out? presumable a fresh supply of air would be better for the burn anyway wouldn't it? I am trying to avoid any chance of being gassed to death while I sleep as my bedroom is above this machine...

 

[maple1]

If the fire is out how can there be any smoke to go anywhere?

It needs to be able to breathe, yes. Personally, I just crack a basement window a tiny bit that happens to be right above the boiler. If your house isn't real tight, you might not have to do anything. Most don't. If you make sure your chimney is solid, and draft is to spec, and there shouldn't be any of the smoke or gas issues you speak of.

 

[Blofeld69]

I mean when there's no more heat demand and the fan switches off to smother the flame due to lack of oxygen

 

[maple1]

Verify your chimney draft is to spec.

 

[jebatty]

I have a recollection that the specs for the Tarm are to use inside, warm air, not cold, outside air.

To insure adequate combustion air, I have a linear actuator attached to a slider window. When the boiler is turned "on," the actuator opens the window 6". When the boiler shuts off, the actuator closes the window. There are website which give info as to how much air vent in sq inches is needed based on the size of the boiler. Because my shop is not airtight, the 6" opening is somewhat less than sq inch need.

I rarely get any smoke roll out, but as others have said, if you let the wood load burn down to low coals before opening the door, you should not have any smoke problem, assuming you then shut off the draft fan, you have adequate chimney draft, fresh air supply, and seasoned wood to start with.

 

[Blofeld69]

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So I hooked it up to the radiators, made my own door gaskets as Tarm in Europe have rubbish distributors in Hungary and couldnt get spare parts. Just wondering if this is a good gasification flame, see video...

Also wondering why when I switch the fan off and open bypass door and ash door it sounds like a kettle suddenly coming to boil...seems to take longer to heat up the water when running with the fan on/bypass door closed i.e. gasification, than it does if its used without the fan and bypass door open and ash door open i.e. like a non gasser... just wondering why that is as I dont understand.

Thanks for all your responses so far! This learning curve is getting shorter, well at least I know to run it with water now )))

Regards from Hungary!

 

[Blofeld69]

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I guess the flame is highly dependent upon the arrangement of the wood?

 

[maple1]

If you mean it actually sounds like it's boiling, or making boiling noises - I don't think that's quite right.

Hope you're keeping a good eye on temps & pressures? The more places the better, especially when you're getting things up & going the first time.

 

[Blofeld69]

with the fan on it seems to get no higher than 175F, that measurement is taken from one of the top boiler tapping, it doesnt make boiling noise until I turn the fan off and open the smoke bypass door and ash door all together...to load more wood for example, the pressure is 1.5 bar at that temperature. earlier when I first fired it up and ran it for a few hours without using the fan, the temperature went as high as 210F