Garn Stratification

[jebatty]

It would be an enlightening test to weigh the amount of wood burned in your Garns over a typical winter period, depending on where you are located, perhaps lows in the mid single digits and highs in the mid-20's, and then do a calculation of how many btu's you're burning to achieve your desired heat results in your dwelling. I have done that during all of November and intend to do so through February with my Tarm and my 1500 sq ft shop. My calculations are based on well seasoned wood (20% MC) and 6050 btu/lb of wood available energy. The results may not be too comparable from dwelling to dwelling, but each user would obtain a very good idea of how the Garn actually is performing, and reported results would start to present an objective picture for both users of the Garn and users of other gasification boilers. I know it was true for me, and it may be true for others, that actual facts change perceptions of system performance.

Right now we are in a pretty good cold snap for December in MN. Lows for last night, tonight and tomorrow will be down as far as -18F with the highs not even clearing +10F.

 

[Como]

Would it make sense to tie in the oil boiler so that it tops up the DHW and provides emergency heat cover if you are away, automatically?

 

[Rick Stanley]

Ya, probably. I can manually switch it back to oil very simply if I were going away. I get much satisfaction from turning the oil burner OFF. Guess I'm a prick that way :coolsmile:

 

[bigburner]

I still hear my water heater running at times. A real mood breaker. Mine warms the floors " comi-cor" with built in HX which means there is always some kind of load. Sounds like a hot water loop in the burn chamber might be the ticket for the low temp set ups, a third line to charge a preheat tank for DHW then dump in to the return line??

 

[RowCropRenegade]

I don't have the DHW issue as you fella's because my unit hasn't dropped below 165 water temperature since fall. Baseboard radiators really challenge my unit when it was 5 degrees and wind blowing 20 mph. Another day like that tomorrow. 6 hours standby was all I could get.

It would be a monster job to get radiant installed. Maybe a 2 year old can get through my crawlspace. Floors would have to come up. Yikes!

Rick, I was thinking of going to 30 inch pieces but how do you split em?

 

[Rick Stanley]

[ Rick, I was thinking of going to 30 inch pieces but how do you split em? ]

My splitter takes up to four foot wood.

 

[RowCropRenegade]

That deserves a picture.

 

[Rick Stanley]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35952839@N08/4052385911/in/set-72157622482165687/

 

[Como]

Home made?

That is a big puppy.

 

[Rick Stanley]

Nope. Not homemade. It's a stock rig made by a company called American M. S. R. Inc. The log carriage is something I welded up but the rest is store boughten

 

[bpirger]

I've been mentioning to my wife that a bigger splitter would be nice to make food for the Garn. 4' is huge! Next I'd need a mini excavastor to pick up the rounds onto the splitter....LOL.

Jim, I will weigh my wood for a period sometime. First I want to get all my sensors (PC sensor, thanks!) up and running...then I need a scale...and I'd like to get my plumbing switched over to the better lines I burried to replace the old. I can determine how much I lose of course with the sensors....but might as well get rid of that waste first. What do you use for a wood scale?

 

[Como]

Thanks for the reference. I had not come across them before.

They comment on it being for the OWB market, the OWB's Owners round here just chuck them in whole!