The Varm Lives!

[Clarkbug]

Im the same way woodsmaster. I know 0 and 100 C, and thats about it right now....

 

[jebatty]

One way I found easy to start thinking C is to remember just a few conversions: 0=32, 20=50, and of course 100=212, and then in the wood boiler arena 85=185, a good boiler water high temp and storage temp, and 170=370, an OK internal flue temp. Then consider each 10C=18F. So, 30=68, and 180=398, etc.

In addition, it's a good brain exercise to think in different paradigms. Keeps the brain nimble.

 

[Clarkbug]

So while the Varm "lives", its not really doing much for my house yet.

My wife just called me, and said that the house was down to about 58 or so. The temp gauge on the oil boiler (that my water has to flow through to get to the house) was down at 80. The tank temp was up over 150. So there is no way that it should be this cold. My guess is that it must be air trapped somewhere in the piping run between my tanks and the oil boiler, but I welcome anyone elses suggestions.....

The piping dips slightly, and then has an uphill slope before it runs to the oil boiler. There is a zone valve, a three-way diverting valve, and the circulator in the mix too. I have an isolator/purge flange on the circ, so thats where I bled it this morning. I got some air, but then a lot of water.

Unless I have my diverting valve installed backwards.... Oh would that suck.

 

[jebatty]

Brain freeze on my part. Some corrections and additions, thanks to a kind forum member who PM'd me.

60=140 min return, 85=185 supply good and hot, 170=338 flue hot enough 200=392 flue good and hot.

 

[Floydian]

I like this conversion chart, its a little different than most I have seen but it wont get you into flue temps.

(broken link removed to http://www.ditzndat.co.uk/Tables/table_conversions_004.htm)

Noah

 

[Clarkbug]

I like this conversion chart, its a little different than most I have seen but it wont get you into flue temps.

(broken link removed to http://www.ditzndat.co.uk/Tables/table_conversions_004.htm)

Noah

Pretty slick Noah. I liked it so much I made one that would handle flue temps!

I was working in Excel anyway....

 

[Floydian]

Nice. I'm printing several of these. Can't wait to see my wife roll her eyes when she sees them tacked up in various places.

A true Pyro Geek she'll probably say.

Noah

 

[Clarkbug]

Nice. I'm printing several of these. Can't wait to see my wife roll her eyes when she sees them tacked up in various places.

A true Pyro Geek she'll probably say.

Noah

If you PM me your e-mail, Ill send you the raw file so you can make it bigger if you want. I would post it up online, but I cant get to my normal file store from my work, so no dice just yet. Ill post a link in a new thread once I get that taken care of.

 

[Clarkbug]

So while the Varm "lives", its not really doing much for my house yet.

My wife just called me, and said that the house was down to about 58 or so. The temp gauge on the oil boiler (that my water has to flow through to get to the house) was down at 80. The tank temp was up over 150. So there is no way that it should be this cold. My guess is that it must be air trapped somewhere in the piping run between my tanks and the oil boiler, but I welcome anyone elses suggestions.....

The piping dips slightly, and then has an uphill slope before it runs to the oil boiler. There is a zone valve, a three-way diverting valve, and the circulator in the mix too. I have an isolator/purge flange on the circ, so thats where I bled it this morning. I got some air, but then a lot of water.

Unless I have my diverting valve installed backwards.... Oh would that suck.

I of course am thinking about my heat not working right instead of working like I should be today, and Im almost positive it means that my thermic valve is installed backwards. Its an LK 821, and they can be installed any which way, and its probably not uncommon for them to be incorrect, since the direction plate pops of and lets you change it.

The cold water from the house is hitting my valve, and instead of hitting storage, is pumped back around the loop into the oil boiler. It worked for me last night because the temps in the first floor loop of my house were fairly warm, so it kept the flow open from storage. Now to figure out how big of a deal it will be to flip that thermostat back around.....

 

[mikefrommaine]

So while the Varm "lives", its not really doing much for my house yet.

My wife just called me, and said that the house was down to about 58 or so. The temp gauge on the oil boiler (that my water has to flow through to get to the house) was down at 80. The tank temp was up over 150. So there is no way that it should be this cold. My guess is that it must be air trapped somewhere in the piping run between my tanks and the oil boiler, but I welcome anyone elses suggestions.....

The piping dips slightly, and then has an uphill slope before it runs to the oil boiler. There is a zone valve, a three-way diverting valve, and the circulator in the mix too. I have an isolator/purge flange on the circ, so thats where I bled it this morning. I got some air, but then a lot of water.

Unless I have my diverting valve installed backwards.... Oh would that suck.

I of course am thinking about my heat not working right instead of working like I should be today, and Im almost positive it means that my thermic valve is installed backwards. Its an LK 821, and they can be installed any which way, and its probably not uncommon for them to be incorrect, since the direction plate pops of and lets
The cold water from the house is hitting my valve, and instead of hitting storage, is pumped back around the loop into the oil boiler. It worked for me last night because the temps in the first floor loop of my house were fairly warm, so it kept the flow open from storage. Now to figure out how big of a deal it will be to flip that thermostat back around.....

Have you tried closing the valve in the bypass loop to about 25%?

Just a guess.

 

[Clarkbug]

Have you tried closing the valve in the bypass loop to about 25%?

Just a guess.

I havent.

And the reason I didnt is that the boiler seems to heat the tanks just fine, but the issue is when I try to move from the tanks to the house. It works when the house first calls for heat, but then as the water in the OB cools, it seems as if I lose flow. This morning when I checked it, the top of my tanks were hot, the boiler was out, but the pipes near my storage circ were cold. I purged the line, thinking it was air.

Ill check the thermostat and see how that goes. If not, Ill be back!

 

[mikefrommaine]

Have you tried closing the valve in the bypass loop to about 25%?

Just a guess.

I havent.

And the reason I didnt is that the boiler seems to heat the tanks just fine, but the issue is when I try to move from the tanks to the house. It works when the house first calls for heat, but then as the water in the OB cools, it seems as if I lose flow. This morning when I checked it, the top of my tanks were hot, the boiler was out, but the pipes near my storage circ were cold. I purged the line, thinking it was air.

Ill check the thermostat and see how that goes. If not, Ill be back!

I followed the PT1 diagram but I don't have the storage hooked up yet. So not sure if the bypass valve would have the same effect. But when I had the valve open too much I found that the hot water was circulating through the wood boiler but I didn't have enough heat going to the distribution system. I went through the same thoughts as you -- air, installed backwards etc. Once I closed the valve to 25% I found the system much more responsive -- and I was able to get enough hot water to the zones.

The system also seems to work better when I have the woodboiler circulator set to a lower speed, again I think when the speed is to high it pulls too much hot water out of the supply and through the bypass loop.

Good luck

 

[woodsmaster]

Just watched a video of your brand boiler. Looks very easy to clean. Nice set-up.

 

[Clarkbug]

I followed the PT1 diagram but I don't have the storage hooked up yet. So not sure if the bypass valve would have the same effect. But when I had the valve open too much I found that the hot water was circulating through the wood boiler but I didn't have enough heat going to the distribution system. I went through the same thoughts as you -- air, installed backwards etc. Once I closed the valve to 25% I found the system much more responsive -- and I was able to get enough hot water to the zones.

The system also seems to work better when I have the woodboiler circulator set to a lower speed, again I think when the speed is to high it pulls too much hot water out of the supply and through the bypass loop.

Good luck

Well, I have part of the PT1, I didnt end up getting to keep it that way unfortunately.

I actually dont have a valve in my bypass line, since there wasnt one on the diagram originally. I sorta figured that would be needed with a loading valve, but not with the loading unit. Hmmmm.

My circ is currently on the slowest speed. Ill wait and see how the tanks do once I get them insulated, and if Im getting too hot at the top before the bottom gets there Ill speed it up a level to try and even things out some.

Just watched a video of your brand boiler. Looks very easy to clean. Nice set-up.

Thanks woodsmaster. The cleaning is one of the things I really liked about it. I have a limited overhead height in my basement, so getting a brush into the tubes would have been a pain. This way Ill keep it fairly clean since its easy to do. Im not sure how much ash to leave on the ceramic and in the combustion tunnel, but I havent scraped any out yet.

 

[skfire]

This is a nice conversion table, bold in middle corresponds to both scales(left or right), or pick individually.

Btw Scott(Clarkbug)...nice work on the boiler..looking good. Congrats.
Scott

 

[Clarkbug]

This is a nice conversion table, bold in middle corresponds to both scales(left or right), or pick individually.

Btw Scott(Clarkbug)...nice work on the boiler..looking good. Congrats.
Scott

Thanks Scott! I appreciate the kind words. I took inspiration from your schematic, and I thank you for that!

I swapped my diverting valve around, and things are humming along smoothly. Seems like we are finally getting somewhere!