Not the best wood: need more air for better results with a Tarm solo II?

[Thom Griffin]

So...The beech was great last year, but the biggest rounds sat in a pile for another year and anything near the ground is fairly punky. Hard to get exhaust temps above 400, if that. Boiler is cleaned regularly. however, I've never cleaned the pathway from intake fan to fire.

Either I clean that, or the other alternative might be to try a larger fan. I realize that I'll burn wood faster, but at least it would be hotter, and thus, a bit cleaner.

of course, the true solution is better wood; properly stored.

Anyone else try a larger fan.

 

[ohbie1]

So...The beech was great last year, but the biggest rounds sat in a pile for another year and anything near the ground is fairly punky. Hard to get exhaust temps above 400, if that. Boiler is cleaned regularly. however, I've never cleaned the pathway from intake fan to fire.

Either I clean that, or the other alternative might be to try a larger fan. I realize that I'll burn wood faster, but at least it would be hotter, and thus, a bit cleaner.

of course, the true solution is better wood; properly stored.

Anyone else try a larger fan.

Thom, my post above might interest you.

 

[jebatty]

Punky wood is not a friend for heat. In the extreme, punky wood is mostly air and has a mass like marshmallow. And due to all the air space it collects and holds moisture very well.

As to increasing the draft fan air to achieve faster burn, consider this: bring a pot of water to boil, put in a thermometer (if accurate, it will read 212F). Now turn up the heat to the maximum to get the most vigorous boil you can achieve. Measure the temperature again, and what is the result: _____F? The same is true with punky, wet wood. You can't get more heat until you boil off the water, and what's left is exceptionally low mass fuel with little heat value per volume. You do get, however, a smoldering pot, low heat, creosote, and other unburned emissions and crud; in short, you have a mess.

Your solution is well seasoned wood, and if you can't get that, you ought to consider mothballing your boiler until you can get good wood. Otherwise, you run the risk of mucking up your boiler even to the extent of permanently wrecking its performance, absent a very difficult and messy job to clean out the creosote and crud which will have collected in many close spaces and passage ways.

You probably heard the phrase: you can't make a silk purse out of pig's ear. Similarly, you can't get heat out of burning air and water.

Think it through, and use your boiler properly to get the benefits you paid good money for; else risk losing your investment.

 

[Thom Griffin]

Punky wood is not a friend for heat. In the extreme, punky wood is mostly air and has a mass like marshmallow. And due to all the air space it collects and holds moisture very well.

As to increasing the draft fan air to achieve faster burn, consider this: bring a pot of water to boil, put in a thermometer (if accurate, it will read 212F). Now turn up the heat to the maximum to get the most vigorous boil you can achieve. Measure the temperature again, and what is the result: _____F? The same is true with punky, wet wood. You can't get more heat until you boil off the water, and what's left is exceptionally low mass fuel with little heat value per volume. You do get, however, a smoldering pot, low heat, creosote, and other unburned emissions and crud; in short, you have a mess.

Your solution is well seasoned wood, and if you can't get that, you ought to consider mothballing your boiler until you can get good wood. Otherwise, you run the risk of mucking up your boiler even to the extent of permanently wrecking its performance, absent a very difficult and messy job to clean out the creosote and crud which will have collected in many close spaces and passage ways.

You probably heard the phrase: you can't make a silk purse out of pig's ear. Similarly, you can't get heat out of burning air and water.

Think it through, and use your boiler properly to get the benefits you paid good money for; else risk losing your investment.