Vigas 25 cast iron nozzle

[jon 2701]

Hello all,
I have a Vigas 25 boiler now going on 9 years. It has worked flawless. I replaced the original nozzle with a cast iron one on the suggestion of the dealer that it would last almost indefinitely. 3 years later and 18 cords of dry hardwood, it appears in terrible condition. Any thoughts on the condition and what are my best options with a replacement?

 

[Brialin]

I have a vigas 40 and used the cast iron insert for 11 years now and there is no sign of deteriorating. I burn year round and have 1000 gallons of storage. I use about 15 cord of wood a year. It is a combination of pine, hemlock. birch, maple and a little oak.

 

[jon 2701]

I have a vigas 40 and used the cast iron insert for 11 years now and there is no sign of deteriorating. I burn year round and have 1000 gallons of storage. I use about 15 cord of wood a year. It is a combination of pine, hemlock. birch, maple and a little oak.

I assume you looked at my pictures? I would imagine yours doesn't look like mine? Maybe mine was not cast properly.

 

[Brialin]

Mine still looks like when it was new. I clean the ash out every two days. I use a small flat shovel and push the ash and coals across the grate a few times letting the ash fall down. Then clean out the lower chamber.

 

[jon 2701]

Mine still looks like when it was new. I clean the ash out every two days. I use a small flat shovel and push the ash and coals across the grate a few times letting the ash fall down. Then clean out the lower chamber.

Mine must be a defective casting since it is in such poor shape after 3 seasons. I think I am going to try and cast one in place and see what happens.

 

[SpaceBus]

Do you use storage? What's the age of your firewood?

 

[jon 2701]

Do you use storage? What's the age of your firewood?

Yes with 550 gallons and the wood is mostly beech and maple with some hemlock. Around 15 to 25 percentage moisture .

 

[salecker]

Mine must be a defective casting since it is in such poor shape after 3 seasons. I think I am going to try and cast one in place and see what happens.

Post pictures of you casting one in place...
for others to see how it's done

 

[jon 2701]

I have not attempted to cast one yet since I was hoping to buy one from Mark at AHONA. Unfortunately, he doesn't respond to numerous calls and emails. That was my concern purchasing the Vigas was dealer support. That concern has materialized. I since removed the cast iron nozzle and it is worse than I thought. In addition, the casting in the firebox is crumbling pretty bad. It looks like I will have to begin the process of casting in place since the dealer is of no service. Any thoughts on casting this in one piece or do you foresee a problem as one piece?

 

[jon 2701]

The dealer finally got back to me, However, I was already in the process of casting my own. It turned out well. I used a castable from Sheffield in Massachusetts with a 3000f rating. I added 2 lbs of 304 stainless needles for strength. I hope this makes it indestructible. One 50 lb bag was enough for the nozzle, a new bed and two firebricks at the pan below the nozzle. The material used in the original nozzle is only rated for 1400f according to Vigas. This seems quite low. I will post pics in order. The first is the base all chopped out. The second is that I used the old cast iron nozzle as a form. I covered it in grease, but it still was a challenge to remove. The rest of the pics should be self-explanatory. At the end I burned out the wood and the pvc tubing. The nozzle edges are rough but it does not matter. I should be able to buy a factory nozzle and have it drop right in if needed.

3000 Loucast : 50Lbs Castable Refractory

Designed to withstand high Sulphur fuel, the Loucast 3000 degree castable refractory reduces deposits, erosion, and abrasion. Get your refractory cement today.

www.sheffield-pottery.com

 

[jon 2701]

Here we are again. Three seasons and the cast in place nozzle is worn. I expected longer life but I believe the issue is proper curing. The product has a very specific curing process which is impossible to do properly in the in boiler. This definitely caused it's short lifespan. I guess it's back to buying a factory nozzle. Now the trick is to get AHONA to actually get back to me. Multiple emails and voicemails with nothing returned. They must be out of business.

 

[hobbyheater]

Could you get a machine shop to make you one out of stainless steel ?

 

[jon 2701]

Could you get a machine shop to make you one out of stainless steel ?

Probably but it's quite complex. I would imagine the cost would be astronomical. I contacted Vigas in Europe. They got back to me within 24 hrs and contacted AHONA for me. Ahona is shipping me a new nozzle.

 

[hobbyheater]

Probably but it's quite complex. I would imagine the cost would be astronomical. I contacted Vigas in Europe. They got back to me within 24 hrs and contacted AHONA for me. Ahona is shipping me a new nozzle.

Great news !!

 

[brenndatomu]

Just FYI, I know some brands use stainless steel to fabricate their nozzles...1/4" thick material...maybe a bit more? Seems to work fine though.
Also, some people use firebrick on top of their nozzle, to act as a sacrificial surface.

 

[jon 2701]

That's good to know. Thank you