Any thoughts on cleaning hx on Tarm Solo 40 ..manual says every two weeks or so..other threads have said after flue temps start rising over 600 with boiler operating normally in all other respects....I have been running for about a month and have now cleaned twice....just had to see what the hx tubes were looking like they seemed good to me ...just fly ash ..I hope to post pictures before and after and wonder if anyone can comment on them...is it better to just clean every two weeks....or wait until flue temps rise beyond normal 400-600..well above 600....Also can anyone comment on the secondary air adjustments...manual has drawings but they are not very good...what should gasification flame look like, as to length.....or is it just go by the white blue color of the flame in the lower chamber...if I have flame dragons ...does that mean it needs adjusting to shorten the length of the flame showing in the lower channel? Any help appreciated... hope these pictures work....
TARM HEAT EXCHANGER CLEANING
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I go by the flue temp....my boiler typically runs around 400 when the heat exchangers are clean.
In the past I have brushed my chimney once in the middle of the season....this year (my 4th season) there was very little in the chimney so I may discontinue that mid season brush out. We are running the boiler much better than we have in the past.
stay warm,
jp
In the past I have brushed my chimney once in the middle of the season....this year (my 4th season) there was very little in the chimney so I may discontinue that mid season brush out. We are running the boiler much better than we have in the past.
stay warm,
jp
I have been cleaning mine about once a month, My HX look just like your photos do.I also watch my stack temps but about once a month seems to work for me
I watch flue temp, and during this really cold season here in MN when I'm burning every day, I just clean every two weeks. There is added burn efficiency from cleaning, and it only takes about 10 minutes. As to the chimney itself, last season (first season) I inspected several times, and no cleaning needed during the whole season. I cleaned it this past summer, and not much then, except a little up at the chimney cap. This season, started burning in Sept, checked the chimney about Dec 1, and except for a little fly ash, it was really clean. Probably will check it again about Feb 1, just to be safe. No reason to have and don't expect any issues.
so that's what it looks like. You look like your getting a real clean burn. My first fire was 10/31/08. my stack temps are close to 600 now. guess its time to clean out my tubes. sweetheat
I am a little behind you sweetheat, with a late Nov install and a check of the tubes mid Dec after it had run a few weeks. I should have let the fire die last Sunday for a look see, now I have to wait for a heat wave (20 degrees will do and yes that is another reason for some storage).
I seem to remember posting that I should check again every 3 mil BTUs. Yeah, now it has passed 18 mil. Ooops been 4 weeks. And myestunated BTUs per HHD does not seem to slanting one way or ther other. Time flys when you are having fun, watching the temp dip and posting on this forum
Will be down state tomorrow and after work I would like to find a flue probe. Installing it will be fun, trying to put it in a spot that I can read will probably take the most time.
It would be truely sweet if my Solo looked like those pictures. Sunday, gotta do it.
Stay warm
I seem to remember posting that I should check again every 3 mil BTUs. Yeah, now it has passed 18 mil. Ooops been 4 weeks. And myestunated BTUs per HHD does not seem to slanting one way or ther other. Time flys when you are having fun, watching the temp dip and posting on this forum
Will be down state tomorrow and after work I would like to find a flue probe. Installing it will be fun, trying to put it in a spot that I can read will probably take the most time.
It would be truely sweet if my Solo looked like those pictures. Sunday, gotta do it.
Stay warm
Reminder idea for Tarm owners. Check out the chain turbulators.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/13237/
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/13237/
So are turbulators the next step for tarm owners???? Ive done some reading up on them but do they really have that big of an imact on operation or is it more of a convienience item.
I installed chain turbulators (thanks jebatty). The turbulators did lower my stack temperatures and with that I assume they improved efficiency.
This is my first winter with the Tarm so I don't have very good comparisons. I did see lower stack temps with the chain turbulators.
some of the other units like my Econoburn (and maybe the deluxe EKO?) have built in corkscrew-shaped metal turbulators that both increase efficiency and allow periodic cleanings without tear-down by wracking the appropriate lever back and forth every few days
Nothing against Tarm, but this seems like such a good idea, for both efficiency and convenience, that I do not know why any serious maker is not including it.
Nothing against Tarm, but this seems like such a good idea, for both efficiency and convenience, that I do not know why any serious maker is not including it.
Soot insulates the firetubes, heat passes through the insulated tubes up the stack. Clean tubes allow the flame to loose more heat through the tubes to the boiler water.
Have you got your storage piped yet Ed?
Have you got your storage piped yet Ed?
Thanks - that makes sense.
No, no storage hooked up yet. I have everything ready to go, just need to plumb it, and just have been enjoying my tarm "as is" this winter so I figured I would just wait for warmer weather and be ready to go next year.
I am not missing having storage at all, though I predict that once I have it hooked up and I'll wonder how I made due without it!
No, no storage hooked up yet. I have everything ready to go, just need to plumb it, and just have been enjoying my tarm "as is" this winter so I figured I would just wait for warmer weather and be ready to go next year.
I am not missing having storage at all, though I predict that once I have it hooked up and I'll wonder how I made due without it!
First thanks for post on cleaning the Tarm. Decided not to come home at lunch. Tarm was out at 5 PM, house merely 55. Just ran the bruch up and down 3 times each tube. A little darker than the picture but no creosote (Duh but). Dust like. Still have a bumpy surface and I did not take the time to see if that would scrape off with a screwdriver. It is +4, a swing of 33 degrees. I am happy.
Ash deposits are like insulation. The tubes are susposed to extract heat. You do not want insulation between the hot air/gas and the metal with the water on the other side. So if the flue temp goes up, that could mean that the insulation is building up on the tube heat exchangers, so the BTUs (heat) goes up the chimney instead of being absorbed by the metal/water. So the "old tymers" look at the flue temp. The more heat going up the chimney means the less heat that goes into your house.
Now I am off to look at the link about Turbolators. Feeling very good about cleaning my tubes at 18 mil BTUs and 4 weeks and finding dust.
Stay warm.
Ash deposits are like insulation. The tubes are susposed to extract heat. You do not want insulation between the hot air/gas and the metal with the water on the other side. So if the flue temp goes up, that could mean that the insulation is building up on the tube heat exchangers, so the BTUs (heat) goes up the chimney instead of being absorbed by the metal/water. So the "old tymers" look at the flue temp. The more heat going up the chimney means the less heat that goes into your house.
Now I am off to look at the link about Turbolators. Feeling very good about cleaning my tubes at 18 mil BTUs and 4 weeks and finding dust.
Stay warm.
I bought my turbulators from Tarm when I bought the boiler.I went the first month without them,installed them after the first cleaning.I didn't have a lot of experience with the Tarm but They do seem to give a better heat exchange.I will say that they are very simple and the chain turbulators may be even simpler to build on your own. If I was to do it again I would make them with chains.There are several threads on this subject
I built a new house this summer and installed a solo plus 40. I have never burned wood in the past but have sold cord wood so figured I would burn the wood myself and save on buying oil. I check the flue box every week or so and noticed that in the box as well as where the flue collar exits the boiler and heads up towards the chimney, there seems to be ash accumulating more and more each time. Ive been burning on and off now for about 3 weeks or so and wondering if all this fly ash is also accumulating up my flue and will cause future problems come winter time. Does anyone have any input on this?? I have been brushing the heat exchange tubes, but havent brushed out the flue since I started buring because I didnt think I would have to. Any help would be great!
Based on my understanding of what you are saying, this is normal. The Tarm manual advises to clean out the smoke box (flue box?) periodically, and I clean mine each time I brush the hx tubes. My flue exits to a 90* elbow, and I vacuum that out when I vacuum out the smoke box. I would call all this stuff fly ash, and I experience very minor deposits in the flue itself; basically it goes up the flue and falls back down where it collects. I clean my flue once per year. I also burn dry wood, and maintain good flue temperatures all the time. Never any creosote in the flue.
I also use a vacuum when I clean the tubes. I have about 12" from the boiler and the chimney. I stuff the vacuum as far into the chimney as I can. I have a liner with a tee at the boiler so I can open the clean-out and clean any accumulated ash. usually only a cup full maybe. I clean the chimney once per year with about a coffee can full. I would call it flyash, light gray and real fluffy. not a hint of anything even close to creosote
learn as I go, and from you folks who have already been there, thanks to all for helping me understand. I admit I was a bit intimidated about cleaning the boiler tubes as I had never done it. but once I got into it not so bad. The fly ash came off easily with the brush supplied. The vacumm works good for the ash removal and tube cleaning. I will reinstall my purchased Tarm corkscrew turbulators very soon as temps drop here and a fire is necessary. My storage is still at 49 degrees without any fire this fall as the unit was turned off for the summer. Not so cold here yet, 32 degrees tonight, as to need heat in the shop for working porposes. sweetheat
When you say you use a vacum to suck out the ash from the smoke box and the tubes are you using a shop vac? I see you can buy a ash vac but dont really want to spend the money on one of those if I can get by with my shop vac. Suppose to get a little colder here by the weekend and all of next week. 20's at night and 30's during the day. I cant wait to get the boiler cranking again, its in the 60s here today!
I use a shop vac...just make sure you have no coals lurking anywhere. :bug:
I place a piece of cardboard with a shop vac hose sized hole cut in it over the lower chamber opening.
While I am cleaning the heat exchanger I also check and clean the seal on the bypass damper.
This year I am using the 3inch wire wheel, long rod and drill to do the xchanger tubes faster.
stay warm,
jp
I place a piece of cardboard with a shop vac hose sized hole cut in it over the lower chamber opening.
While I am cleaning the heat exchanger I also check and clean the seal on the bypass damper.
This year I am using the 3inch wire wheel, long rod and drill to do the xchanger tubes faster.
stay warm,
jp
Just as a side note, I read either here or in the manual that turbulators are not recommended without storage as it most likely will cause more idle time.
To easily clean the tunnel refractory, I tack welded a half moon shaped piece of sheet metal to the cleaning rake, leaving the other side flat. The half moon side pulls all ash out of the tunnel, and the flat side pulls the ash out of the bottom below the hx tubes. Slick and quick.
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