My Windhager BioWin 100/150 Install Thread

[velvetfoot]

Yeah. Your weather finally came this-a-way. We played golf today.

We're also using it for dhw at this point, but mostly testing, and getting the air out of the lines, lol.

 

[velvetfoot]

Today I restored the original dual tank temp. sensor setup. I think it will be more flexible.
I noticed that if I set the tank temp., down 1/3, to 179, it would actually get there without shutting down, and not too much modulation at minimum.
I set the top and bottom sensors this evening to 150/175. Naturally, I fell asleep on the couch, but when I went down there, it did appear that 175 was indeed achieved in the bottom with 179 at the top. I'll have to monitor a cycle more closely to see if it can be tweaked more.

 

[velvetfoot]

Watching a cycle this morning it looks like the max it'll get to is 182/171 before the boiler shuts itself off while the call for heat (and pump) is still on. The running pump acts to remove heat as well, and the tank temp goes up while it runs, so it could maybe have been used instead of the ten minute timer. I wll try to set the bottom at 168.

 

[velvetfoot]

Put up a pellet storage box for the bagged pellets:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/built-a-pellet-storage-box.134840/

Have to figure out timing of reload.

 

[velvetfoot]

I have abandoned the installation of the 3 ton bag silo. I drilled a couple of pilot holes through the rim joist, and apparently the concrete for the porch floor is up against it, because the holes came out very close to the floor. I took it as a sign and gave up. Silo, flexible pipe, cam lock fill fittings, and clamps are now for sale.

 

[Deering]

Are you just going to stick with the box system? Or come up with some other form of bulk storage/delivery?

 

[velvetfoot]

I think I'm just going to stick with the box for now.
I've thought about taking a shop vac and grafting in to the top lid, so that the box becomes a big shop vac. I still have to string hoses though.

I think I'll just get the 8 tons, or whatever ultimately I'd need for pellets only plus reserve, into the basement the old fashioned way: garden tractor and trailor, restack on pallets, move with pallet jack.

 

[Deering]

My similar bin works well, but possibly in the future I'll construct a much larger bin, maybe 4-5 tons, along the exterior of my garage, then tie it into the boiler in the same fashion. This would make it simpler to have several pallets of pellets delivered right next to the bin, which I could then hand-load with minimum hassle, and it would hold an entire winter's supply. And I'd be well positioned if we ever have commercial bulk delivery here.

 

[velvetfoot]

It'd have to look good since it'd be visible from the front of the house.

 

[Deering]

Sure. Side it and trim it to match your house. Slope the top of it at the same pitch as your house roof. It'll look like it belonged there.

 

[velvetfoot]

Well, I turned it down to 10 kw just now with the dip switch, realizing that the switch likely only has x number of operations in it, lol.
Interesting that the hours to clean increased from 1259 to 1839. Things happen more slowly, which on low load use is what I'm shooting for I guess.
Also interesting that the vacuum unit kicked on during startup; it's done that several times when starting up from power off.

 

[velvetfoot]

I modified the controls so that either boiler is started by a two stage Ranco controller and made to continue to operate until either boiler ceases to operate as evidenced by the oil burner for the oil boiler, and the induced draft fan for the pellet boiler. It's the cat's meow!
More here:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/tweaking-the-biowins-buffer-tank.134134/page-3#post-1849355

 

[velvetfoot]

The burnout time is 13 minutes. The pellet boiler pump is running during that time.

 

[velvetfoot]

The tank regularly gets to 179 now.

 

[velvetfoot]

I just topped up the pellet box because the suction terminal was exposed: it took 41 bags. The pellets were not disturbed. So 41 bags is the usable capacity, without disturbing the pellets, divided by a total capacity of 55 = 75%

 

[NE Poultry Supply]

I know my plumber won't go to the Keen area because he is in eastern NH.

I am looking for a local installer. Would you give me the name/number of the plumber you liked?

 

[Sparky978]

The sensor for that Ranco controller is located in the thermowell, which I've sealed with a little electrical penetration sealer putty (clay), but I might change that.

Velvet
I used this heat conductive compound from Honeywell. I put the Ranco probe inside the well and packed this compound so that there was no air space. I was told it would give me more accurate readings. Just thought I would mention it.

 

[velvetfoot]

I considered that, but the mfr. didn't do it with its sensor which is in the same thermowell. Plus, it might make it easier to take stuff out of it without the glop. My reasoning, anyway.

 

[velvetfoot]

For this season I am trying it at the 10 KW setting. That's a little weak for the real cold days, but looking at last year's testing (no wood, -2F temps) on the Ecobee thermostat data, it seems that the boiler might hold the temperature, if not too much recovery from a setback was required. With the insert running, keeping up shouldn't be a problem.

I have the oil boiler set up to be switched on by thermostat as stage 2 when there is a three degree difference between actual and set temp, AND, if a Ranco controller sensing outside temperature says it's cold enough for it: 5F currently. So, the oil boiler will run until actual room temp gets to within setpoint differential, currently .5F or its aquastat is satisfied.

Testing has shown that even with stage 2 still calling, the oil boiler will drop out before the pellet boiler, so that's a good thing since the pellet boiler will continue to run to supply heat. If, room temp drops to 3F below setpoint, and it's still cold, the oil boiler will fire up again.

 

[velvetfoot]

For my own benefit, mostly I guess, here are the current settings:

Max Pellet Boiler Output 10kW
Max Set Temp 176
Ext Htg Rqt 170
Tank,1/3 From Top-Pellet Boiler Start 135
Tank, 1/3 From Top-Oil Boiler Start 133
PB Circ Pump Min Temp 130
Tank, Top-Zone Pumps Min Temp 130
Thermostat Differential .5
Stage 2 Delta T 3

 

[velvetfoot]

A friend took this panoramic image:

 

[velvetfoot]

Recent changes:
-closed off autofill since boilers get isolated from tank by the protection valve, leading to incremental addition of makeup water which led to a relief valve actuation.
-approx 6 minutes run of oil boiler pump after shutdown to scavenge heat.
-added ranco with sensor on oil supply line to allow heat to be removed from tank to zones while boiler is warming up
-moved honeywell sensor for 3 way mixing valve to right after the valve rather than downstream of the zone returns.
--- This is working quite well. No more oscillations after a short-lived slug of cool water gets introduced. Finer control. Doesn't take into account the returns, but close enough. Currently have return at 165.