Thinking Wood Gun...any advice or experience?

[avc8130]

Mike,

That looks great. I plan to do similar with my exhaust hood once I build one. I will bring it into the control panel and mount a matching switch to make the install look a lot less of an afterthought.

My chimney connection sections have arrived. I hope I can convince my boiler guy to get onto my project soon!

ac

 

[infinitymike]

Mike,


My chimney connection sections have arrived. I hope I can convince my boiler guy to get onto my project soon!

ac

Thats good news. You are on the schedule I was last year. I lit my first fire on 11/18/11.
You be up and running in no time. And its still pretty mild out. I'm still sleeping with a window cracked open!

 

[avc8130]

Thats good news. You are on the schedule I was last year. I lit my first fire on 11/18/11.
You be up and running in no time. And its still pretty mild out. I'm still sleeping with a window cracked open!

Right now I am concentrating on splitting and stacking wood for the out years. We have no central heat right now and it isn't a problem. We normally didn't use the oil heat until November anyways.

ac

 

[avc8130]

SMALL chance I'll be installing the WG tomorrow under generator powered lighting. My boiler guy still hasn't gotten called back to real work, so if the supply house is open we will be plumbing tomorrow!

ac

 

[avc8130]

I'm working through the controls for my circulator pumps and I'm getting confused digging through Honeywell's aquastat offerings.

I want an aquastat the "Makes on Rise" so my circulator will only pump when the boiler temps are high enough for the water to be useful in my hydronic baseboards. There is little sense running the circulator pump with water <~140F as it will just cool the boiler and provide little heat to the house.

I THINK that means I want a L4006B aquastat, but there are 4 or 5 offerings in that range. What are the differences and which do I want?

ac

 

[avc8130]

TODAY is a big day. I have the old boiler just about cut-out. Placing new boiler will be done today. If I am feeling motivated we might start plumbing/wiring. Pics to follow.

ac

 

[avc8130]

In the spirits of "pics or it didn't happen":

That should bring some life back to this thread!

ac

 

[Woodsrover]

Nice!

 

[muncybob]

Nice! The rear of this boiler looks different than mine but then agn I don't know what the back of the 140 looked like to begin with. My rear clean out door is square where your's is curved...and what is the round plate just above the fan? Looks like you'll be running soon.

 

[avc8130]

Nice! The rear of this boiler looks different than mine but then agn I don't know what the back of the 140 looked like to begin with. My rear clean out door is square where your's is curved...and what is the round plate just above the fan? Looks like you'll be running soon.

This is actually an E180.

The cleanout doesn't have a quick handle, instead it uses a nut. That is the main reason the install is 90 degrees off from "normal. I figured I would maximize my rear access to make life easier for maintenance.

If you are referring to the round plate to the 10 o'clock position, that is where the oil burner goes. I tried to mount my Beckett, but the bolt pattern didn't line up, the hole for the burner was too small and the burner hit the draft fan. I have a call in to AHS to discuss. They usually supply the units with Riello burners, but I was told I could use the Beckett I had on hand.

ac

 

[711mhw]

I only open the rear door at the end of season cleaning, and even then I doubt it is necessary. Looking good! Remember to add a short legnth of pipe to that elbo on the intake air. When I insatlled mine I had to know why and their explanation made sence. (extend it down close to the floor)

 

[avc8130]

I only open the rear door at the end of season cleaning, and even then I doubt it is necessary. Looking good! Remember to add a short legnth of pipe to that elbo on the intake air. When I insatlled mine I had to know why and their explanation made sence. (extend it down close to the floor)

I figure I won't need to be in the rear door too often, but if I put it up against the chimney it would have been annoying. That, coupled with the oil burner being on the back and needing service access made me orient it the way I did.

I have a 5' piece of 7" (only size I could find). I plan to cut it down and bring the intake within a few inches of the floor. I assume it needs to be extended to prevent it from ever turning into a 2nd "chimney".

ac

 

[711mhw]

Exactly. I was not commentating on your 1/4 turn twist, acess is always a plus! Just on the fact that I find opening the back door is unnecessary for the normal cleaning. Cold front coming in thru in a few days, I betcha cant wait to light 'er up.

 

[avc8130]

It looks like you can rake the tubes out with the tool they provide to the front pretty decent. It looks like some will fall into the door area in the back, but once that space is "full" it shouldn't really matter? I figure I'll probably be accessing that area a lot in the first winter to get a feel for it. Then I'll take it from there.

Yeah, I am quite excited. I have done pretty much everything I am comfortable doing without supervision. My boiler guy has developed shingles, so I'm hoping he has a quick recovery!

I'm not too scared of the cold front. We can handle the temps they are showing with the wood stove and some box fans. Once we have 30s during the day is when my wood stove is out-classed.

ac

 

[avc8130]

Just spoke to my boiler guy. He says he is feeling better and hopes to be able to tackle the plumbing one evening this week!

Looks like the weather gets warm again next week...

ac

 

[avc8130]

Plumbing is DONE. It took us about 5 hours to button everything up and wire her in.

It took close to 40 minutes to fill the boiler! 1/2" boiler fill took its sweet time to put 80 gallons in this monster.

I used high temp silicone and metal tape to seal up the chimney connection joints. I let it cure overnight.

I plan to put the match to her tonight!

I'll post pictures when I get home tonight.

ac

 

[avc8130]

I figured out how to get the pics from my phone to photobucket.

Here is my control panel in its current state. I had to bring power in and add a relay for the circ pump. Pay no attention to the ugly circ pump neutral, that is just temporary as I was waiting for my L4006B aquastat to come in to keep the circ pump from running until there is warm water. I also added a knockout in the bottom for the cycle timer I plan to wire in once it arrives.

Side shot showing the supply side of the boiler. Yes, I did not plumb the blow-off to the floor yet.

This shot shows the chimney connection prior to metal tape. I can already tell sealing this is going to be "fun". This is prior to applying metal tape. I may change the double wall to masonry connection. I am not 100% satisfied with the security at the moment.

This shot shows the "supply" connections. It is a bit wonky, but it was as neat as we could be working with the existing boiler hookups.

This is the "return". Again, a bit wonky but the best we could do with what was existing.

An overall pic of the rear. This shows the intake pipe (I went 30" instead of 24" since it just looked better). You can see I added a well for the aquastat in the top left tapping. Lowes didn't have the right aquastat, but this let me fill the boiler while I wait.

I still need to figure out my oil burner install. The WG is designed for the Riello, and I want to run a Beckett since it is more commonly understood in my area. I need to modify the adapter plate. That is what is blocked off in the lower left rear and the wire hanging. I also need to bring the copper oil lines over.

This evening will be full of bringing wood in and putting the torch to her to start it up. Wish me luck!

ac

 

[Gasifier]

Very nice ac! Nice job on the boiler and the pics! Thanks for sharing them! I did not read the entire thread. How much are you heating with that monster? Are you thinking storage at a later date or no? I see the shut off on the return and was thinking future return from storage?

 

[avc8130]

Very nice ac! Nice job on the boiler and the pics! Thanks for sharing them! I did not read the entire thread. How much are you heating with that monster? Are you thinking storage at a later date or no? I see the shut off on the return and was thinking future return from storage?

Ranch House:
2500 sq-ft 1st floor with vaulted ceilings and big windows.
1000 sq-ft finished basement
41 Gallon Indirect DHW

Storage is TBD. I am watching for propane tanks, and I want to experience the boiler without storage for a season.

Those are 1-1/4" full port ball valves before the circulator pump. They were originally intended to heat my 30x50 insulated pole barn in a future project. If storage is in the future, it will be Tee'd in on that loop.

ac

 

[maple1]

What kind of circ is that up there? I think I see it's mounted with the shaft vertical - I think most I've seen spec the shaft to be mounted horizontal.

 

[Gasifier]

Ranch House:
2500 sq-ft 1st floor with vaulted ceilings and big windows.
1000 sq-ft finished basement
41 Gallon Indirect DHW

Storage is TBD. I am watching for propane tanks, and I want to experience the boiler without storage for a season.

Those are 1-1/4" full port ball valves before the circulator pump. They were originally intended to heat my 30x50 insulated pole barn in a future project. If storage is in the future, it will be Tee'd in on that loop.

ac

Very cool. I will read the entire thread in the future when I have time. You may end up getting a lot of idle time with that size unit heating that sq.ft. But if you plan on heating that 30x50 then you will need that size unit. Is the heat in the 30x50 radiant slab or forced air or .... ? Hopefully it works out well for you. I am sure it will. Maybe when it is milder temps out you can do what I do and run it flat out twice a day and warm your basement up nice and warm and then shut the boiler right off for 6-8 hours. Depends on how much you or someone is going to be around to tend it, and when you get that cycle timer installed to keep those embers lit up for when it is idling. As you say, you will get experience this season without the storage. Nice set up.

 

[avc8130]

What kind of circ is that up there? I think I see it's mounted with the shaft vertical - I think most I've seen spec the shaft to be mounted horizontal.

Uh-oh. It's a typical Taco 007. Now you have me worried.

ac

 

[avc8130]

Very cool. I will read the entire thread in the future when I have time. You may end up getting a lot of idle time with that size unit heating that sq.ft. But if you plan on heating that 30x50 then you will need that size unit. Is the heat in the 30x50 radiant slab or forced air or .... ? Hopefully it works out well for you. I am sure it will. Maybe when it is milder temps out you can do what I do and run it flat out twice a day and warm your basement up nice and warm and then shut the boiler right off for 6-8 hours. Depends on how much you or someone is going to be around to tend it, and when you get that cycle timer installed to keep those embers lit up for when it is idling. As you say, you will get experience this season without the storage. Nice set up.

Yeah, I'm not sure. My house solar heats a bit during the days too as we have a large Southern exposure.

I don't plan on filling the wood chamber to the brim. Enough wood for 12 hours is the goal I was told by AHS.

There is no heat in the 30x50 yet. It will be forced air over a heat exchanger supplied by insulated piping like an OWB with a dedicated circ pump.

Cycle timer is a priority. I KNOW I will be needing it.

ac

 

[velvetfoot]

Looking good!

 

[maple1]

Uh-oh. It's a typical Taco 007. Now you have me worried.

ac

I just took a quick look at an install manual via. Pex Supply website. It specs horizontal only, but can do vertical with motor above if pressure is above 20psi. Maybe double check with your plumber or who you bought the pump from or someone else who would know for sure.