Woodmaster Fuel Flex owners are you out there?

[GS7]

Where are the Woodmaster Fuel Flex owners? If you are out there, could you share your experiences, set up, photos? Feedback?

 

[Pologuy9906]

I too would love to hear some feedback on this unit. Are there any in operation to date? I did hear in another forum people were having issues with the igniter switch. i dont know if thats been resolved or not. They said the igniter wasnt burning as high as advertised. I believed i read the issue was the igniter worked at 325 degrees rather tghan the 600-700 advertised. Dual fuel and american made?

SOMEONE shine some light on the matter.

 

[Pologuy9906]

I've come to the following conclusions:

1. American Made
2. Licensed Solar Focus Therminator
3. Igniter
4. Multi fuel Pellet/wood/chip
5. Dealer Installed
6. Customer support from a proven company
7. Able to set times for burns.
8. Automatic cleaning.
9. 1700lbs
10. Lamda sensor
11. Not much more than other brands.
12. Highest efficiency rating according to the EPA
13. UL Listed
14. Large firebox
15. Replacement parts readily available.

 

[Obadiah]

Greetings my name is Woody Chain I am a "Official Authorized Online" Flex Fuel factory trained Woodmaster dealer. I made this video about the Flex and other innovative products Woodmaster is introducing to the American market. I hope it helps folks here understand the Flex Fuel Wood/Pellet/Chip Biomass Gasification Boiler/Furnace. The Flex is an American made boiler that is built in Red Lake MN under licence from SolarFocus in Austria where it is one of the top Biomass Gasiification Boilers in Europe and is well proven and respected. The Woodmaster Flex Fuel has been Americanized and is built heavier and has a different control system. Americans are not like Europeans when it comes to our boilers. I have met many Germans, Swiss, and Austrians who literally wax their boilers, you can eat of the floor in their boiler rooms, they are very proud of their boilers and will show off their boiler rooms as Americans show off their "MAN CAVES" and muscle cars. Few Americans would ever think to wax their boiler, we like to load and go. Our electrical grid system is also a lot dirtier, they use 220 volts and they have far less fluctuation in the Hertz than we do, which is why some European Control systems don't hold up well here. Most N. Americans lead very busy lives and just want to "Load and Go". This why outdoor boilers are so popular here. You would never see such a thing in Europe, when they come here and see our outdoor boilers many of them laugh at how inefficient they are and that anyone would "ever burn such a thing." Those days are coming to an end here in America, just like cheap gas.....In many countries it is illegal to own and burn a boiler that does not incorporate water storage and batch burn, idling a solid fueled boiler is unthinkable. Just like you would never start a generator and let it idle all day, letting it speed up and slow down as the electrical consumption varies, but instead you would run it at its optimal efficiency and put the electricity into a battery bank drawing it back out as needed and running the generator when the batteries ran down. European boilers use Thermal Batteries to store BTU s efficiently using far less wood and making far less particulates than our Outdoor Smudge Pots.
Woodmaster owner Chuck Gagner could see the handwriting on the wall with future EPA regulations and wanted to offer Americans a state of the art, top of the line biomass gasifier with Lambda technology that would be built in his facility by Americans. He toured Europe and met with many manufactures before settling on the Flex Fuel. It took many years of negotiations to work out the details to make this happen. Rather than start from scratch, Chuck figured it would make more sense to partner with the best. The Europeans have had the edge on us in this field for many years. With the Flex Fuel Chuck has the leap on his competition here in America and is offering many other innovative biomass products that are cutting edge and will convert a old outdated boiler into a high tech clean burning, high efficiency biomass burning boiler or forced air furnace. I have been involved in the Hearth/HVAC industry over 33 yrs and I also have shared Chucks vision for American made products that can stand toe to toe with the imports. I have traveled all over this country and met with various manufactures looking for the best products I could offer my clients. We are extremely proud to have been chosen to represent the Flex Fuel online as Woodmaster only wants professionals who know and understand the product representing it. They have a lot invested in this venture and have backed the product with the best warranty on the market. "For a period of one year from the purchase of your Flex Fuel furnace, if you can find another proven, reliable furnace brand that offers a hydronic heater and the same fuel options in one unit cleaner and more efficient than the Flex Fuel line, we will give you your money back for the furnace". That is what we call in Montana, "Put up or shut up". So far my experience as a Woodmaster dealer has been very positive, they have proven to be my best supplier in terms of dealer support. They provide more training and tools than any other manufacture out there. A dealer is only as good as their suppliers, that is a fact. I am the type that cares about my customer and believes service begins with the sale, we can offer full radiant design services and complete parts and repair services through the support system that Woodmaster has built, they even have a online university to help their dealers get educated on the product line and hydronic heating systems, as far as I know, they are the only ones that go to that level. When we have a question, we get an answer within 24 hrs! No longer do I need to make excuses for my supplier. We can even offer financing and leasing packages as well as residential and commercial and even industrial boilers and control systems. They have one of the most knowledgeable staffs in this country and the happiest dealer base I have ever met. Together with Obadiahs network of professionals and engineers, we can offer one stop shopping for just about any boiler need out there. I will see if we cant round up some folks to post their experiences here. Otherwise I will do my best to help anyone with any questions they might have.

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[Obadiah]

Greetings, me again, here is another really interesting video that folks might find helpful

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[thealaskan63]

Just bought mine February, for the same reasons mentioned above.

1. American Made
2. Licensed Solar Focus Therminator
3. Igniter
4. Multi fuel Pellet/wood/chip
5. Dealer Installed
6. Customer support from a proven company
7. Able to set times for burns.
8. Automatic cleaning.
9. 1700lbs
10. Lamda sensor
11. Not much more than other brands.
12. Highest efficiency rating according to the EPA
13. UL Listed
14. Large firebox
15. Replacement parts readily available.

I will have it hooked up here in a month. I did do something different, do to the location I had a local shop build me a mass tank so I could get it through my doors. There was a miss understanding on the placement of tapping's but it will work. Piping is all at one end, top left is supply from boiler and has a pipe internally to the back of the tank. bottom left is the return to the boiler, and I did put a magnet particulate/filter trap on it. Top tapping right is supply to my plate since this unit is atmosphereique, and my heating system is pressurized. I paced the return from the plate in the middle so I would not loose my mass. The tapping's on the right were to be evenly spaced so I could move the return if need be. The tank will be modified with a coil in the bottom for future solar hot water plate I'm building, at that time I will modify the tapings if need be.

 

[stewi5]

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/my-two-little-brown-baby-dhw-update.80824/#post-1073878

Very satisfy of my unit!!

 

[thealaskan63]

Got mine done running on pellets, very satisfied less than 10 bags in a week., this is the EGT I built for in the house.

 

[thealaskan63]

This is the Toyo that I have on back up in case I'm not home to start a fire

 

[thealaskan63]

Here is the woodmaster

 

[thealaskan63]

The pellet hopper

 

[thealaskan63]

The back up power supply, to keep the unit from having issues during a run. I apparently average 3 a month, for at least 5 minutes

 

[thealaskan63]

My buffer tank, which what I found I need to make some tweaks to

 

[thealaskan63]

This is my manifold, the hot water is a zone on the right, got to get some wiring cleaned up.

 

[thealaskan63]

Just bought mine February, for the same reasons mentioned above. But

1. American Made
2. Licensed Solar Focus Therminator
3. Igniter
4. Multi fuel Pellet/wood/chip
5. Dealer Installed
6. Customer support from a proven company
7. Able to set times for burns.
8. Automatic cleaning.
9. 1700lbs
10. Lamda sensor
11. Not much more than other brands.
12. Highest efficiency rating according to the EPA
13. UL Listed
14. Large firebox
15. Replacement parts readily available

I don't think it is American made, not unless........
Mine is not dealer installed, but by the manual.
Having a problem with customer support, maybe I will receive a response from Germany.
Today was the first time for the auto cleaning in a month, but I have had to turn it on and off.
Its 1400 lbs for the 30.
Fashioned a sensor for my buffer tank, to turn the unit off and on, the control wont do it automatically.
Their is no knowledge or support for the solar side of the control, if you want to go that way too.
The Plus is that is very efficient.
As far as parts, the web site for the flex fuel, disappeared a week ago, the woodmaster web site has nothing.

Made some changes to my mass tank, went to the bottom, for the plate return, found I was a foot off, going back up 1.

 

[GS7]

Not sure what you bought or where but the woodmaster flex fuel kw 30 is absolutely American made in MN. Support has been completely there for my instalation as well as any questions. Parts are also a phone call away. Looks like theyre taking long to update their website, but the phone has never failed me. This technology is licensed from Austria, its the american version of the solar focus therminator 2.

 

[thealaskan63]

Interesting picture, why is your control open. Fired mine up for the first time, and it had over 65k on the hour meter. did you have that?

 

[thealaskan63]

Any ways like I said, it is efficient, I will get the control problem straightened out. there is a difference in between manufactured in the usa, and assembled. Got to go to the source. Kind of wish'd I spent the extra 3k to deal with the source.

 

[GS7]

Any ways like I said, it is efficient, I will get the control problem straightened out. there is a difference in between manufactured in the usa, and assembled. Got to go to the source. Kind of wish'd I spent the extra 3k to deal with the source.

Lololololol, my control is open as well as a bunch of other things because this is a self installation in progress. I'm no woodmaster employee, I'm someone who did their due diligence for 2 years before buying. I'm one of 2 fuel flex kw 30 owners in CT. The boiler itself is manufactured here. Components like the electronics are assembled here. Visit the facility or pick up the phone. Press yourself for first hand info. Its worth it. To me anyway. I've extensively, directly communicated with both solar focus in Austria, and woodmaster in MN, usa. Guess you can say I really like what I've discovered in this process.

 

[thealaskan63]

Like I said it is a very eff. product, stack temp. of 280 on pellets when I get it close to temperature. The reason I asked about the control, My control and housing was assembled when purchased. GS7
Did you have any hours in your control like the 65K in mine?

I'm just trying to get some help. I researched for over 2 years, bought because it was in the state, and I'm just trying to get it to do what it is supposed to. Maybe my problem is I looked at the other brand first, and found I could not get it in the usa.

 

[GS7]

I'm not quite as far along as you are. I'm plumbing still. Have installed the pellet arm and auto igniter but have not yet powered up. I'll let you know what the control display has logged once I get that far. Who/where did you buy from. You've got some interesting issues to resolve. Contact the manufacturer. I'd take care of even the smallest issue/concern immediately. Your heat exchangers doing an auto clean every 24 hours is important. Did you buy new or used?

 

[thealaskan63]

Bought new from dealer, contacted the company, was supposed to get anew one the next day, its been almost 2 months, so turned the problem over to the dealer. As far as the solar, haven't got anything, that's why I contacted Europe, it could be the USA version of the control does not cover solar. I don't know if it is control issues or if it is the way it is, but I can not adjust the temp or differential of the boiler per the manual. The buffer tank minimum and maximum temps don't turn the boiler on and off like I thought it would if I read the manual correctly. I have added a aquastat to the buffer on the call side of the control to turn the unit on and off, I don't need my buffer at 190 degrees. Differential is to small so I have this new one coming.




This will give me the differential I want, and replace the aquastat I installed. It is a thermocouple temperature switch.

 

[GS7]

Wow, seems our experiences are like night and day. Your dealer should've immediately resolved your issues since your dealer would have done your installation? Setting the high and low Temps is a one time adjustment process done at the diverting valve and by reading your Temps on your display. There should be no need to add any parts? Your dealer would perform this for you at first firing? Any questions I've ever had were immediately answered by Woodmaster? Hope you resolve your issues. If I bought a new unit from a dealer and my display already logged hours of use, hmmmm new? What did you mean when you said you wish you spent the extra 3k to deal with the source? Something just doesn't add up?

 

[thealaskan63]

My Dealer does not do installs. The diverting valve is for temp return trying to maintain a minimum of 140 degrees for condensing purposes. it has been set per the manual. The temp and differential that I was talking about is in the eco manager and is non adjustable, If I have read the manual correctly it should be. I agree I should not have to add any further controls, but I am having to. The boiler is factory set at 185 degrees, with a 18 deg. differential, I want my buffer tank at 160 degrees. I have set the eco manager to Minimum buffer temp top 126 deg., and Maximum buffer temp bottom of 140 deg. with the release type always on. The tank went to 174 deg. on the bottom when I finally turned it off. I have been having to bring the tank to temp once a day and turn the unit off. The aquastat I installed is making the unit automatic, where I can leave it on, and it does its auto clean, but only has a 20 deg. differential where I want 40. basically it runs twice as much.

I don't understand what you asked, "Something just doesn't add up?"

 

[GS7]

Again, I hope you get all your issues resolved soon. What doesn't add up? Lots... Your dealer doesn't install or support? New product with hours logged on it at time of purchase? Your wishing you spent another 3k to go to the source? Again, what source?The company's tech support a phone call away which for me I've easily always gotten any issues resolved? Hope you get it all worked out.