greenwood 100 wall thermostat install

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edog

New Member
Hearth Supporter
Feb 7, 2009
23
timmins ontario
I installed my greenwood 100 without a thermostat instead i put thermostatic valves on each cast iron rads and i am having a hard time getting to operating temp 140 f .I checked my draft and it read .10 spec is .05-.07 so i i stalled a barometric damper but i am still having trouble getting to temp.I was thinking if i installed a wall thermostat would this help , would it not shut the pump off once it reaches the thermostst temp and maybe allow the boiler to retain the heat and get to temp
 
Are you saying your boiler does not get up to operating temp? If so I have a few other questions. What does the temp gauge read on the boiler supply line?
 
it takes a long time to get to temp last night over 3 hours at the supply line it reads 115-125f opertaing temp is 140f plus
 
Since you have more then proper draft let me ask you a few questions.

1. How long have you had the unit in service?

2. What are the exhaust temps?

3. What kind of wood are you burning?
 
i have had this unit in service this year, i dont know the flue temp and i am burning yellow birch that is 2-3 years old and seasoned
 
Do you have some kind of thermostatic mixing valve on your install, or some other arrangement to prevent whopping amounts of cold water from coming back to the water jacket unless/ until it is up to temperature?

Without some arrangement like that, if you surround a fire with darn cold water, you'll have a hard time ever getting the thing off the ground and into an efficient burn, that, once achieved, will net a lot more heat from a given amount of wood over a particular interval of time.
 
yes i have a mixing valve on the return line that mixes with the supply line so that cold water doesnt go in the boiler to cold
 
With out knowing your exhaust temp I can not say this with 100% certainty. I think your Hx is dirty and may possibly have alot of creosote build up/ If you have a stove pipe thermometer that will do the trick! High exhaust temps usually mean dirty Hx. Especially is you ever ran your unit with a bad draft or dont use primarily rounds...
I run 100% hardwood rounds less then perfectly seasoned . I get VERY little if any creosote!
 
DO you run your boiler at 140* water temps? I just noticed you said you are having a hard time getting it to 140*
 
what does hx mean and what temp sould my exhast be, also what about the wall thermostat would that help by stopping the pump when there is no call for heat and letting the boiler gain more heat and raise the temp
 
We need to back up for a bit. Do you have an aqua-stat controlling your boiler temp (controls temp by opening and closing your combustion air damper). What is it set ?
Hx means heat exchanger.
 
My guess is this: Because you have your boiler temp. set so low I doubt it ever gets hot enough to gasify. This is creating alot of creosote. I think you should shut the boiler down and clean the heat exchanger. This should be done twice a year for maximum efficiency on a normal running boiler. I clean mine twice a year. Even though I dont get creosote - the Hx gets a thick lair of gray fly ash that insulates the HX. Most of the Seton style boilers now come with clean out/access doors. Since you dont have them, this is what you need to do:

http://www.thiswarmhouse.com/_files/ManifoldInspectionAndCleaningServiceBulletin.pdf


You don't need all the special tools but make an effort to get off all of the creosote. You have to look closely because you may think you are down to the pipe when you really have another lair of creosote to remove. Make sure you can see steel.
 
wow iam surprised no one told me about this, looks like quite the job. i will have to speak to the sales person about this .Can you give me your advise on a wall thermostat ,i currently have rad thermostat controls and the pump never stops would a wall thermostat help
 
i posted yesterday on your "greenwood burn times" i also agree your boiler isnt getting the refractory up to temp. turn your aquastat up to 180* and get it over with.
 
I agree , you are asking for trouble running the boiler at 140* Turn it up to 180*. Regardless you still need to clean your Hx a few times a year! I hate to see what yours is going to look like. I bet you never reach gasification stage. Turn up to 180* then see if your pumps go off...

Of coarse your salesman didnt tell you. He might not have made the sale!

Also, Greenwood is known on these forums for poor technical advise. If you want to know everything there is to know about Greenwoods, I suggest you look up Iseedeadbtu's posts.
 
edog

What pump are you using? Do you guys think it is possible to circulate the water to fast .Not giving it enough time to heat up
 
When I came home today water temp was 116* after 9.5 hrs. I raked coals and through in 4 rounds and a couple large splits temp was up to 195* in about 45 min. I am heating a 2200 sq ft house and the basement and hot water. I also think you need to raise your aquastat up to 180*. your GW is not getting up to a hot enough temp to be efficient.

djblech
Greenwood 100
 
I do have a 3 sp pump that I run on the lowest speed. My GW will cool down faster if I run the pump faster.

djblech
Greenwood 100
 
i run a taco 011 from my boiler to my storage tanks/house which is 250 away with 1" pex. if i run a smaller pump say a 007 the water heats up faster but you cant deliver the btu's as quick. did you turn your aquastat up to 180 yet? you really need to. that will fix your problems.
 
i am running a 3 speed pump on the lowest setting .this pump is on the house side of the 30 plate heat exchanger .last night i put so wood in the boiler and shut of the 3 speed pump on the house side and the boiler temp shot to 150f .i will raise the aquastat temp to 180f and install a wall stat so the 3 speed pump will turn off once it reaches the wall stat temp 70 degrees .I think this will give me the 180f temp
 
if you turn your aquastat to 180* thats what your boiler will cycle the draft door at. there is no reason for your house circulator to be running if there is no call for heat. does your three speed pump run all the time?
 
yes and with the wall stat once there is no call for heat it will turn the pump off and keep the boiler at 180f. i am refuring to the pump on the house side not the pump on the boiler
 
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