Tarm install underway

[Bad Wolf]

I finally pulled the trigger on this project. I turned off the oil furnace at midnight Friday. Saturday I cut out the old furnace and winched it up the bulkhead steps into the back yard. Then I cleaned up the basement and got ready for the Tarm. Sunday I rented a UHaul trailer and picked it up.

It is possible for one man to unload and position one of these beasties. I backed to trailer up to the bulkhead, turned the truck around and put a strap around the boiler and hooked up the winch. Then I put another strap around the boiler and used a come a long to inch it off the pallet and down the bulkhead steps. It was many repetition's of: pull the boiler down 6 inches run up to the truck and play out another 6 inches of cable. It was harder getting it flat on the basement floor from the step than it was getting it off the trailer and down the steps. After that it was the tried an true "Stonehenge" method of putting it on planks on pieces of pipe and rolling it around the basement.

Then came the fun part of putting it together!! It is now sitting proudly in the basement a nice shiny blue!

It is now Monday night and I'm beat.
Next I get to finish the plumbing, not my favourite thing to do. Lots of head scratching and running back out to the plumbing store for parts I didn't know I needed.

The wife is asking when we will get hot water and heat back and I have to tell her it will be a few more days. At least the weather is warming up, Saturday and Sunday nights it was in the 20's.

Greg H
Tarm Excel 2000 (in progress)
1100 gallon storage
6 solar panels (next month?)

 

[stee6043]

I'm impressed you unloaded your boiler single handed. I thought three guys weren't going to be enough when I did mine. Nicely done....

 

[8nrider]

good work greg you saved yourself some change in beer alone. i put my used 55 in my basement last month took 2 30 packs and almost a 1/4 of a pig. what are you using for storage?

 

[Bad Wolf]

Mostly it was stare at the situation for 20 minutes then do something, then stare at it again while noodling out a solution. More people would have been in the way most of the time.

My storage is my own version of the STSS tank. Only I built mine out of a swimming pool, some EPDM liner and Styrofoam. I actually came out pretty good if I do say so. Of course I haven't put any water in it yet. I wound my own coils out of 3/4 tubing base on Kevin's set up.

(broken link removed to http://picasaweb.google.com/pittman.jim/KevinSBoilerWorks?authkey=apvdOuoreyAdMc9MtlxgAJy5Yk8#)

I've taken pictures of most of the process which I'll post while sitting in front of my soon to be working boiler. Of course now at 11:00 at night I find they left out a critical valve for the heat dump zone. I'll have to call the dealer in the morning. I should be able to work around it until it gets here.

Once I get the boiler up and running I'll tackle the solar panels.

Oh well its back to work for me.

Greg H

 

[sweetheat]

good job! never let anything intimidate you. where there is a will there is a way. you will not regret it. sweetheat

 

[rickh1001]

Greg,

Congratulations. When my son and I unloaded our EKO 60 (what - 2100 lbs or something?) off the pickup truck, I had no idea how to really do it. It turns out it is all just " 1 inch at a time". Jack, block, roll a little, and start again. I think the Egyptians beat us to it - or perhaps Stonehege was first. But it is amazing what some patience and lack of intimidation (also called ignorance) will accomplish. As for the plumbing, it was the same thing on a different plane. I just sat and stared at the boiler for hours, and kept going over in my imagination how I thought I wanted the pipes to run. It took me weekends and weekends of thinking, and plumbing in one piece at a time. I have total respect for plumbers (Joe not included). It is a time consuming job. However, after having almost completed my first and hopefully last installation, in my next lifetime, if I am ever reincarnated as a plumber, my life will be much easier! Just hang in there, read, and ask for help. Eventually, it slowly gets done, and whatever is wrong in the system can be fixed. I also tried to anticipate future changes, and put in shut off valves and unions liberally throughout the system, in anticipation of probably changing the location of the circulator, changing the boiler, etc.

 

[Jim in CT]

Way to go Greg. I got mine in the basement on sat, using the same stonehedge method, planks and roller pipes, and a good rope to hold her back. I am lucky to have a walk-in basement tho. Now I am waiting for my very expensive Tarm tanks.
You shoulda called, I told you before I'd be glad to lend a hand. Keep it in mind.
Jim

 

[Bad Wolf]

Thanks Jim, but as I mentioned mostly you would be standing around. With the inch at a time method it wasn't particularly exciting but I got 'er done.

My tanks are done, coils in place, just waiting to pressurize the system to do one last leak test then fill 'er up

I'm going to try to take Friday off for one last push and maybe fire it up by the end of the day!! Thankfully it’s been warm but that’s going to change this weekend I think.

Once I get everything cleaned up (the basement is kind of embarrassing) you can come up for a look and a celebratory beer!!

Greg

 

[Jim in CT]

You're on!