Empyre Elite boiler corrosion

[Woodfarmer1]

So mustash you've been talking like an experienced empyre owner and I have just realized you have never even fired one yet?

 

[mustash29]

No, I have not fired mine yet.

I have spent the last year studying and re-studying every Empyre thread, video, corrosion discussion, etc. that I have been able to find on the net. I have been researching gassers for about 3 years now. I just took a supervisory position, but for the last 14 years I have been a control room operator at a trash to energy facility with two 500 ton/day updraft gassification boilers. My first year at the plant was as a field operator, roving watch if you will. And the 10 years before that I was an electronics technician / control room operator on a nuclear powered aircraft carrier. I've been a stove burner for 17 years.

I am not a hydronics professional like a few others on this board, however, I am not exactly a novice when it comes to combustion technology, heat transfer, fluid flow, corrosion, metallurgy, fracture mechanics and failure analysis.

I can tell you that burning wet & frozen snow covered garbage in two of these is VERY similar to burning green wood.

 

[mustash29]

And this 17 megawatt turbine likes 830 deg steam at 855 psi.



[URL=http://s23.photobucket.com/user/Mustash29/media/Misc/DSC01238.jpg.html][/URL]

 

[mustash29]

 

[Woodfarmer1]

That's what i can't understand, with all you've learned, why choose the Empyre?

 

[mustash29]

I have a very limited basement area, 14 x 16 and only 7.5 tall. I can't knock out any walls to get big tanks in there because they are all load bearing with many things causing interference.

CT is Nazi like with OWB's. My town building inspector absolutely refused to wrap his hands around the idea of an indoor gasser installed in an outbuilding next to or attached to the outside the house. All he could understand is the OWB concept, which would have required a 4th flue approaching 45 feet high to clear the neighbor's roof peak. When I discussed a Garn Jr installed inside of a shed / alcove addition to the house on a concrete slab, all he could understand is "you can't direct vent an OWB, you can't put and OWB next to or attached to the house, you can't put a wood burner in a garage." The guy was soooo close minded.

When it is all said and done I should have:
- 400 gal of thermal volume with an ok boiler, that is simple enough for my other half to operate.
- be way better off than with a stove or hot air furnace.
- come in at 1/4 the cost of a full blown Froling 20/30 system with 400-800 gal.
- come in at 1/3 the cost of a Garn Jr.

Is it a risk? Yes, but I am hoping with the improved design of the refurbished unit, proper plumbing & operation it will serve us well.

Maybe we don't hear about all the ones that work good, only the owners with issues that come to Hearth looking for answers? Heck, even the dealer who I allmost bought a new one from, ran a 1st gen 100 in his pellet warehouse for 2 years with no issues. I could of bought his unit for 500 less, but I chose the refurb unit with stainless liner instead. Why did he have his unit for sale? Not positive but maybe it had something to do with him disolving his business relationship with Pro-Fab. My understanding is that his pellet and hot tub business is just dandy.

 

[mikedbrrew]

Just got involved with my installer over an internal leak in the boiler. Seem to be getting a good response so far from Profab, but I am wondering what sort of prorated cost others have had to pay to get their leaking boiler replaced with the newer model? They are looking for $3000 from me to get it shipped and installed.

Hi my name is Glen I also Have an Elite 100 which leaks and there is no way of fixing them like every one else I'm still trying to get satisfaction on a replacement they have an enhancement witch is half common steel and the bottom half is stainless steel now the new ones are all 304 stainless steel another change in less than 2 years. the product was great when it was working, same thing it is like they want you to buy another warranty and have know how long these will last and everyone I talked too before are no longer there except for Ben I'll keep checking on line for more postings

 

[Fred61]

Period!

 

[treefrog359]

I have a very limited basement area, 14 x 16 and only 7.5 tall. I can't knock out any walls to get big tanks in there because they are all load bearing with many things causing interference.

CT is Nazi like with OWB's. My town building inspector absolutely refused to wrap his hands around the idea of an indoor gasser installed in an outbuilding next to or attached to the outside the house. All he could understand is the OWB concept, which would have required a 4th flue approaching 45 feet high to clear the neighbor's roof peak. When I discussed a Garn Jr installed inside of a shed / alcove addition to the house on a concrete slab, all he could understand is "you can't direct vent an OWB, you can't put and OWB next to or attached to the house, you can't put a wood burner in a garage." The guy was soooo close minded.

When it is all said and done I should have:
- 400 gal of thermal volume with an ok boiler, that is simple enough for my other half to operate.
- be way better off than with a stove or hot air furnace.
- come in at 1/4 the cost of a full blown Froling 20/30 system with 400-800 gal.
- come in at 1/3 the cost of a Garn Jr.

Is it a risk? Yes, but I am hoping with the improved design of the refurbished unit, proper plumbing & operation it will serve us well.

Maybe we don't hear about all the ones that work good, only the owners with issues that come to Hearth looking for answers? Heck, even the dealer who I allmost bought a new one from, ran a 1st gen 100 in his pellet warehouse for 2 years with no issues. I could of bought his unit for 500 less, but I chose the refurb unit with stainless liner instead. Why did he have his unit for sale? Not positive but maybe it had something to do with him disolving his business relationship with Pro-Fab. My understanding is that his pellet and hot tub business is just dandy.

why don't you check in on Heatmaster G100 or G200 they can be installed indoors too. my G200 is 17% more efficient then my xt 200 via the epa rating

 

[Deepwoodsman1972]

And just like that Profab who makes all the Empyre boilers goes belly up, closing their doors and leaving everyone to fend for themselves with all the problems. Don't buy one and good luck finding parts to fix any of them. I'm on my third one, still having a few problems but hoping I can limp it along.

Horrible company to have dealt with, doesn't surprise me that they went under.