Thinking Wood Gun...any advice or experience?

[Fred61]

Either way. It doesn't matter. The boiler works, the house is warm, I still have all of my "oil money".

Now yer talkin!!

 

[CTFIRE]

Feel free to use the thread. This has definitely turned into a WG owners party!

I went with the timer. It was an easy install and works. I'd rather have the timer running than risk losing a fire and taking a cold shower. It really depends just how much demand your house has.

I'd be surprised if WG couldn't have put a timer function in that PCB. When you ordered, did you specify the PCB controls?

ac

From Darren at AHS - "The timer you are referring to is the 4 hour cycle timer. If the boiler does not run for 4 hours, it automatically comes on and runs for 10 minutes. The high limit control will shut the boiler down if reaches that point. This timer is already incorporated in the control box that you have." Looks like mine is built in

 

[avc8130]

From Darren at AHS - "The timer you are referring to is the 4 hour cycle timer. If the boiler does not run for 4 hours, it automatically comes on and runs for 10 minutes. The high limit control will shut the boiler down if reaches that point. This timer is already incorporated in the control box that you have." Looks like mine is built in

Awesome! I figured they might have put the option in since it would have been easy when they were programming the PCB.

ac

 

[CTFIRE]

I guess my only real concern with the holidays approaching is whether or not I have to tip the fire gremlins. Are they house guests or employees. What's customary. I don't want to seem cheap, but those who seek out alternatives to oil would have a tendency to be on the frugal side. So they really shouldn't expect much, right?

 

[avc8130]

I guess my only real concern with the holidays approaching is whether or not I have to tip the fire gremlins. Are they house guests or employees. What's customary. I don't want to seem cheap, but those who seek out alternatives to oil would have a tendency to be on the frugal side. So they really shouldn't expect much, right?

I figured you throw a $20 in the wood chamber to tip the gremlins for Christmas. You don't want them getting lazy.

ac

 

[Gasifier]

I just wouldn't tip them like the guy in your avatar is.

 

[Woodsrover]

From Darren at AHS - "The timer you are referring to is the 4 hour cycle timer. If the boiler does not run for 4 hours, it automatically comes on and runs for 10 minutes....

Wonder if that 4-hours can be changed. I know my gremlins pack their bags and bug-out if I let them alone for too long. I've got mine set to fire for 6 minutes every 80 minutes.

 

[avc8130]

Wonder if that 4-hours can be changed. I know my gremlins pack their bags and bug-out if I let them alone for too long. I've got mine set to fire for 6 minutes every 80 minutes.

I'm rocking 2 mins ever 60. I've been thinking about trying 2 every 80 since I haven't lost a fire with the timer, but the boiler is at the high limit often when I go to load.

ac

 

[Woodsrover]

My boiler never calls for fire but simply maintains temperature off the cycle timer. Ugh. When are we going to get some cold weather so we can see these things really work????

 

[Gasifier]

My boiler never calls for fire but simply maintains temperature off the cycle timer. Ugh. When are we going to get some cold weather so we can see these things really work????

You could turn it off until your house is down to about 60 and the boiler is cold. It should run for a while then. Of course then you would have to lite a piece of paper and throw it in there. Oh. Like. Gag me with a purple twinkie! Or should that be spoon. Whatever.

 

[Woodsrover]

Ok, fired it for 10+ minutes when I got home and raised the boiler temperature to 190 degrees. Got the following results:

Top of refractory: 888 (above limit of thermometer)
Refractory plug: 888
Refractory just outside plug: 550 degrees
Gasification tunnels: 600 degrees
Fire tube: 200 degrees

Turned the cycle timer off and I'll check everything again at 7:00.
Stay tuned.....

 

[mikefrommaine]

Ok, I'll set the over under at 400 for the temp of the refractory.

I say it will be under.

 

[Woodsrover]

Ok, after exactly an hour of sitting idle the water temperature was at 170 (bathed the wee boy) but the boiler didn't call for heat and fire. Here are the readings:

Top of refractory: 435 right at the edge of the nozzle bricks
Refractory plug: 250 on the outside of the plug inside the handle.
Refractory just outside plug: 275
Gasification tunnels: 450
Fire tube: 170

Still had a large amount of embers in the firebox.

 

[infinitymike]

WOW! MAN DID I DROP A HAND GRENADE AND RUN.
Sorry guys.
Mike from Maine, I meant no ill harm. i just saw your signature and started laughing so I thought that wiki def would be fun.

To beat the horse a little further, I don't know how other units are built, but the bottom of WG firebox is all refractory including the gasification tube and heat exchange tubes, so it will hold a lot of heat for a long time and that heat will be able to "auto ignite" a piece of charcoal. Thats what the AHS claims and thats what I have seen with my own eyes.

Anyway, all this stuff does is fill use with more information that may or may not be useful. Bottom line is that all of our units heat all of our homes and save us all a lot of money on oil.

But I still love the banter so I will post a few more links with some more arguable tidbits of info

 

[infinitymike]

More info.
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/fuels-ignition-temperatures-d_171.html

 

[infinitymike]

too much for brain to digest but a lengthy discussion
http://cdn.intechopen.com/pdfs/9301/InTech-An_experimental_study_on_autoignition_of_wood.pdf

 

[avc8130]

Well...this is interesting. The autoignition temp of charcoal (is that what we would call "out" wood in the WG after a fire?) is 660F. Woodsrover has already found that his refractory is well BELOW this temp.

Science is proving a falsehood! Back to the gremlins!

ac

 

[mikefrommaine]

Ok, after exactly an hour of sitting idle the water temperature was at 170 (bathed the wee boy) but the boiler didn't call for heat and fire. Here are the readings:

Top of refractory: 435 right at the edge of the nozzle bricks
Refractory plug: 250 on the outside of the plug inside the handle.
Refractory just outside plug: 275
Gasification tunnels: 450
Fire tube: 170

Still had a large amount of embers in the firebox.

Well that settles the debate. The fire was never out or "off". The temps in the refractory would not have supported auto ignition.

Guess the woodgun follows the laws of physics after all

 

[avc8130]

Well that settles the debate. The fire was never out or "off". The temps in the refractory would not have supported auto ignition.

Guess the woodgun follows the laws of physics after all

IF the refractory was above the autoignition point...it would have followed the laws of physics also...

 

[Woodsrover]

What someone needs to do is run their Gun for a good long time, get everything as hot as possible, shut it off and then pull all the logs out, vacuum all the ash and embers until it is completely clean and then throw three fresh logs in and start it back up. Who's gonna be the guinea pig?

 

[avc8130]

What someone needs to do is run their Gun for a good long time, get everything as hot as possible, shut it off and then pull all the logs out, vacuum all the ash and embers until it is completely clean and then throw three fresh logs in and start it back up. Who's gonna be the guinea pig?

Ha! I could do that, if I could just catch the moment I run out of wood. The worst part of my learning curve has been making sure I have enough wood in this monster. I have opened up an empty boiler all too often. Not good for gassification.

ac

 

[Gasifier]

What someone needs to do is run their Gun for a good long time, get everything as hot as possible, shut it off and then pull all the logs out, vacuum all the ash and embers until it is completely clean and then throw three fresh logs in and start it back up. Who's gonna be the guinea pig?

Ohhhhhh. That is no big deal. Mike will do it. Personally, I don't see the point. The wood gun can go a long time by keeping the coals hot when it closes off the fire chamber. Then, get the fire going again in a hurry by blowing a lot of air on those embers. Even if there is only one. Works great. For those who do not have storage, or that do, it works great.

 

[infinitymike]

What someone needs to do is run their Gun for a good long time, get everything as hot as possible, shut it off and then pull all the logs out, vacuum all the ash and embers until it is completely clean and then throw three fresh logs in and start it back up. Who's gonna be the guinea pig?

That won't be a true comparison since that is not what happens typically.
What might be better would be to let a fire burn for a while then let it sit "off" for a few hours.
Then turn the unit on and take a heat gun to the coals to see if they starting glowing red, than we will know if the radiant heat from the refractory will light the coals.

Are we having fun yet?!

 

[avc8130]

Are we having fun yet?!

Sort of...it's getting cooler here!

 

[infinitymike]

Just to mix it up a bit and since you guys said you like my videos here is another one.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies