The new WoodGun has arrived!!! Pics

[68dodgeramman]

I posted this in it's own thread but I figured I post it here too, just in case.....


Well we got the Wood Gun install completed. We fired it up and eventually brought the water temp up to 170-175, switched it to “Run”, the boiler closed the fresh air intake and shut off the draft fan. Then went into the house and called for heat. I set the thermostat at 70. The heat got up to 69 and didn’t go up any more and obviously the furnace fan kept running. So I went out to check the boiler and it’s still in the shutdown phase but the water temp is at 125-130. So I guess I’m trying to find out why it isn’t firing back up? I would think that that it has something to do with one of the limit switches. Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

[68dodgeramman]

A quick call to Carl at Alternate Heating and the problem was remedied. Which was just a couple settings on the operating limit and the high temp limit. So now it's working perfect!

 

[rowerwet]

I personally think you should have used crimp fittings instead of sharkbites.

what is wrong with sharkbites?
they are the only thing I used when hooking up my OPB, nice thing about them is if you hook it up and change your mind or add on they quickly disconnect without to much fuss, also the fact they swivel after being connected is great.
I wondered about them but after reading about them at the ridgid tools forum in the plumbers section I found that they all think they will end up out of work from them and none of them can cite a failure, one guy has been using them for I think he said 10 years and he dates them with a marker to see if the seal will fail, so far no leaks.

 

[Gooserider]

I personally think you should have used crimp fittings instead of sharkbites.

what is wrong with sharkbites?
they are the only thing I used when hooking up my OPB, nice thing about them is if you hook it up and change your mind or add on they quickly disconnect without to much fuss, also the fact they swivel after being connected is great.
I wondered about them but after reading about them at the ridgid tools forum in the plumbers section I found that they all think they will end up out of work from them and none of them can cite a failure, one guy has been using them for I think he said 10 years and he dates them with a marker to see if the seal will fail, so far no leaks.

From a purely mechanical standpoint, i.e. do they make a leak free connection, probably nothing wrong with the sharkbites, but I do see two issues with them...

First is that they are VERY expensive on a cost per fitting basis, though that can be argued for a small job when looking at the cost for PEX tooling for some of the other systems...

Second, and IMHO more significant is that they seem to give you a greatly increased fitting count... Looking at your pictures, I see 3-4 times as many fittings as I would probably have used to do the same job, especially where you have an adapter to metal pipe, an inch or two of PEX and then an elbow - as opposed to just having a PEX elbow fitting... Given that every fitting adds several feet to your equivalent run length when figuring pump heads and the like, I'm wondering how much extra energy all those surplus fittings are eating up...

Gooserider

 

[rombi]

Old thread but anyone know where to buy one these hanging heaters, looks like it would work better than the one I have at the moment.

 

[goosegunner]

Old thread but anyone know where to buy one these hanging heaters, looks like it would work better than the one I have at the moment.

Andersons wood boiler supply, also know as freeheat4u on ebay.

gg

 

[sparke]

LAR-BUD Can you explain the way your unit exhausts and the black device on the side. I assume it is like a cyclonic separator for dust/debris etc... Is that correct?

 

[68dodgeramman]

Yep, that's the cyclone. It's supposed to separate the ash, dust and any particulates. On mine, some ash and small charcoal(size of pencil eraser) gets by the cyclone and and lays in the elbow of the stack. So I have to clean that out every time I do the regular boiler cleaning once a week. I put some stainless steel wire screen in the "T" it seems to help a little but it still gets by it.

 

[sparke]

Thats a nice feature. I bet the exhaust pipe hardly ever needs to get cleaned... I have never seen that type of feature on any other wood boiler...

 

[68dodgeramman]

Well, they need to address the fact that particulates get past the cyclone. I was told by Carl, before this new company took over that they acknowledged that they had that problem. The new management came in and I was told they are not working on anything like that and they have no problems.
What happens is the elbow gets this charcoal in it and when the fire is burning it heats them. Picture blowing on embers in a fire, that's what's happening. It got so hot the first time I noticed it that the high heat caulking I put around the seems of the pipe turned to powder, the stainless pipe was discolored and the metallic label on one of the pipes burned! I'm just glad I was home at the time and awake. I can take pictures of the screen, if I remember, the next time I clean it out.

 

[muncybob]

LR, since we are cleaning in the same apprx time interval, I was wondeing how much ash you normally get in the "drawer" of the cyclone? After 1 week of cold weather I get just under 1/3 full.

 

[68dodgeramman]

I would say in a weeks time I get about 3/4 to a full drawer. When I clean it I'll take pictures of how much wood I use too. I'm burning ash, oak, beech and maple.

 

[BENAHSMAN]

Congrats on your new Woodgun Actually there is a new line dedicated to Tech Service from 8:00 am -9:00 pm. The number is 717-360-6828. Also we have a second line for Tech support. It is 717-369-3369 and his name is Darren. Feel free to give us a call here at Alternate Heating Systems for any installation advice or any other questions you may have. We just purchased a larger manufacturing Facility and Showroom and are in the middle of moving this week. We are now located on Wayne Avenue in Chambersburg.

 

[MNBobcat]

And the last one of the heat unit for the garage.

Hi Lar,

That's a nicer looking unit heater than most that I have seen. Can I ask if you built it or bought it? Most of the heaters I've seen that have a squirrel cage blower get to be really long because of the transition between the blower and the heat exchanger. Not so with yours. It looks like that blower was designed to match with the heat exchanger!

If you can share any info on where you bought or where you got the parts to build it I'd sure appreciate it.

Thanks!

 

[68dodgeramman]

And the last one of the heat unit for the garage.

Hi Lar,

That's a nicer looking unit heater than most that I have seen. Can I ask if you built it or bought it? Most of the heaters I've seen that have a squirrel cage blower get to be really long because of the transition between the blower and the heat exchanger. Not so with yours. It looks like that blower was designed to match with the heat exchanger!

If you can share any info on where you bought or where you got the parts to build it I'd sure appreciate it.

Thanks!

Bob, I bought the heat unit for the garage from a place in Wisconsin I believe. I found them on Ebay. I also bought the side arm water to water exchanger from them. I'll see if I can find the paperwork for it when I get home either tonight or tomorrow.

 

[MNBobcat]

Lar,

That would be great. Thanks!