Help with Northland Boiler W 1010

[wrightk20]

Maybe somewhere along the way the pump was taken out to be serviced or replaced and got installed the wrong way? If he had it that way the whole time I can only assume that the poor guy worked hard to cut wood and pay the oil man or he paid way too much buying both at the same time. There might be a way that it could work, but the way i'm seeing it is the pump either got flopped around or the guy burned alot of oil and wood. Kevin

 

[wrightk20]

But if the pump would have been flopped then the air scoop doesn't make sense! I just don't know. Kevin

 

[DogDoc]

Can water move in either direction through air scoop?

But if the pump would have been flopped then the air scoop doesn't make sense! I just don't know. Kevin

 

[wrightk20]

I don't see why not. You have plenty of devices to bleed air out of. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just flip that pump and see what happens. Kevin

 

[wrightk20]

Looking at the pump if one were to just flip it then the oil caps would be pointing down. Might have to unbolt from the pump body and flip the pump body around. If it were me though i would just get a smaller more efficient pump. Kevin

 

[DogDoc]

I was hoping I could find someone who has one of these in service, or has the literature from Northland.

 

[wrightk20]

I would think it would be pretty tough to find an owner of one of those still in operation that would be on here, but you never know. If i were you i would do a search and see if anyone has talked about them before. Maybe look up some boiler plumbing schematics that others have used to try and get a sense for how that system should function. Theres alot of good information. Even if you just look in past threads. By the way Welcome to the forum. Kevin

 

[BoilerBob]

Before you get the pipe wrench out. I would try to find out if the system can heat with wood as it is hooked up.

Could you just shut off oil burner and try it on wood only?

 

[DogDoc]

Technically by turning the hi/low limits on the oil burner relay I am doing this. The issue becomes that I need the oil burner to kick on if I am not home and fire goes out, or overnight.

Before you get the pipe wrench out. I would try to find out if the system can heat with wood as it is hooked up.

Could you just shut off oil burner and try it on wood only?

 

[BoilerBob]

Just re-read entire post again,

Pipe wrench might be the only fix, good luck..

 

[DogDoc]

Taking a look at this post shows some other options.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/connecting-wood-boiler-to-oil-boiler.65261/

I do have my DHW coil within my oil boiler.

 

[wrightk20]

So if you flipped your pump around then it would be just like the option 2 but could possibly run out of hot water if all of the zones were calling for heat. I would think that with your big pumpon the wood boiler that it would feed the zones plus flow enough through the boiler to keep that coil hot. That pump will flow alot of water. Just might need to increase the pipe size inbetween the wood boiler air scoop and pressure tank to the supply side of the oil boiler. It looks a little small, and since your right there just spin around the air scoop to flow the correct way and everything should work out fine. Kevin

 

[heaterman]

Can water move in either direction through air scoop?

Yes it can move either way..........but........the scoop is designed with a baffle that directs any air upward toward the vent. If your flow is reversed the efficiency of that is going to be greatly reduced.

 

[wrightk20]

Hi dogdoc. Any update on the system?

 

[DogDoc]

One of the forum members from the thread I linked above was nice enough to offer to come out and take a look at my system next week. Then I will make the appropriate changes. I have a feeling I will be switching the direction of the wood boiler circulator pump and air scoop.

 

[JohnC]

I have a DF1010-K, Northland Boiler, which looks like an earlier model with same dimensions as your W1010. I've run mine for 5 years. Each year I have discovered improvements that I could make. If anyone is interested in the details, please drop me an email [email protected] and I will come back on and post all the pictures and details of my experiences.

I am in the process of converting part of this model boiler's huge fire box space into a separate firebox. I drive the wood fire by fan motor. I took out the ash grate and place the wood on the bottom of the ash pit. I use either three or six pieces of wood when I start the fire.

In the future this 12" high space will be covered with a plate of poured insulating firebrick, except for a port that lets the fire into the next double chamber. At the outlet of this last part of this last chamber, the temperature reaches aproximately twice the temperature range as in the first chamber, which typically is 900º at best, 600º normal. Now, if I put in three pieces of wood, I get 1200º, with six pieces of wood I get 1800º, ie, I've created a gasification boiler...for cheap.

 

[maple1]

You've done this - or plan to?