Thinking Wood Gun...any advice or experience?

[avc8130]

Mike,

I see video 2 is up. I'm LOVING it. Thank you so much for the videos!

I hear you screaming about the smoke hood. I'm working on mine. I have ordered the same fan AHS uses. Dayton states right on their specs it is only rated for 104F. I guess time will tell. I plan to wire it into the purge timer. I figure that way if the purge timer is on to reload, the smoke hood will be also. There also won't be 2 switches to fumble with and the fan will shut off when the purge timer does so no forgetting to turn it off.

How come you aren't using your smoke hood in the videos? It doesn't look like you have it plumbed yet?

ac

PS: I see an unused DHW coil too

 

[infinitymike]

Hmm. That might make it fun to get proper height/distance in my case.

ac

They make an adjustable/telescoping section.

 

[infinitymike]

Heres another video shot about an hour after the first one.
Again please have a little grace considering this the second video I evr made.

Oh and although I am saying get the smoke hood, get the smoke hood, I have NOT HOOKED mine up yet!

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[avc8130]

They make an adjustable/telescoping section.

That does NOT sound cheap! LOL I'm having trouble finding it.

I think I might try this fan for my smoke hood.
(broken link removed)

Rated to 450F. The 104F rating of the AHS fan has me wondering how reliable it will be. The high temp model is 310 cfm vs the normal model at 485 cfm.

ac

 

[infinitymike]

That does NOT sound cheap! LOL I'm having trouble finding it.

I think I might try this fan for my smoke hood.
(broken link removed)

Rated to 450F. The 104F rating of the AHS fan has me wondering how reliable it will be. The high temp model is 310 cfm vs the normal model at 485 cfm.

ac

I'm confused, it looks the model you are choosing is only rated to 104*f at 310 CMF
I'm not sure what the AHS model is rated for but quite honestly by the time you buy a motor and have someone fab a hood your really not saving a whole lot. I say buy the AHS model and it will be design properly and bolt right on in less then a minute.

How'd ya like the second video?! I make myself laugh. What a cornball.

 

[avc8130]

I'm confused, it looks the model you are choosing is only rated to 104*f at 310 CMF
I'm not sure what the AHS model is rated for but quite honestly by the time you buy a motor and have someone fab a hood your really not saving a whole lot. I say buy the AHS model and it will be design properly and bolt right on in less then a minute.

How'd ya like the second video?! I make myself laugh. What a cornball.

Mike,

The model I am considering is 450*F and 310 CFM.

From researching on Hearth (https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/my-smoke-hood.59029/#post-928765), the model that AHS supplies with their hood is 104*F and 485 CFM.

As I have said my buddy works in a sheet metal shop. He offered to fab me a hood for a case of beer if I bring him the blower I want. Since the whole objective of installing a wood boiler is to save money, saving $150 on the smoke hood is like 45 gallons oil cost saved!

I LOVE the videos. Keep them up!

ac

 

[muncybob]

Or you could do like I did and use single wall that is wrapped in high temp insulation. Burning wood, even at full burn the insulation is only slightly warm to the touch. I then wrapped the insulation in foil to contain any fibers.

 

[maple1]

Do you guys have stack temp guages? What do you see for stack temps?

 

[avc8130]

Do you guys have stack temp guages? What do you see for stack temps?

I see a thermometer in Mike's pics...

 

[muncybob]

Do you guys have stack temp guages? What do you see for stack temps?

Usually around 350-400 when burning wood, oil is way higher.

 

[avc8130]

Usually around 350-400 when burning wood, oil is way higher.

I cant' say that surprises me, although it does mean the oil isn't transfering heat nearly as well to the water as the wood. It is just a backup, so that is "ok" to me.

Are you running the draft fan with the oil?

ac

 

[maple1]

Is that F or C? Assuming F? So far with mine, I'm seeing not much more than about 150 C.

 

[muncybob]

av, no...my fine is defeated in oil mode...draft a way too high. For the price of the oil add on I wish it was more efficient but as you aid it's only a back up. We normally only burn about 15-20 gallons a year max.

maple, yes that's F. I think our temps are more often than not in the 350F area with on occassion below that and at times will hit 400or so (this is normally on a completely cold start).

 

[avc8130]

av, no...my fine is defeated in oil mode...draft a way too high. For the price of the oil add on I wish it was more efficient but as you aid it's only a back up. We normally only burn about 15-20 gallons a year max.

maple, yes that's F. I think our temps are more often than not in the 350F area with on occassion below that and at times will hit 400or so (this is normally on a completely cold start).

I'm amazed that you have crazy draft with the insane flue passage of the Woodgun. What type of chimney are you feeding?

I just got a call from my boiler buddy, we are picking up the 50 gallon electric hot water heater tomorrow. Saturday should be: install electric hot water heater, remove old oil boiler, place Wood Gun and make the shopping list. I'm STOKED!

ac

 

[infinitymike]

I have a thermometer in the flue about 24" above the fly ash collector.

I've never seen it above 400* F usually floats between 350*-400*

 

[avc8130]

I have a thermometer in the flue about 24" above the fly ash collector.

I've never seen it above 400* F usually floats between 350*-400*

Didn't you promise us a 3rd video?

 

[infinitymike]

I just got a call from my boiler buddy, we are picking up the 50 gallon electric hot water heater tomorrow. Saturday should be: install electric hot water heater, remove old oil boiler, place Wood Gun and make the shopping list. I'm STOKED!

ac

I hope you have something else to stoke.
Its not super cold out but temps are dropping!

 

[avc8130]

I hope you have something else to stoke.
Its not super cold out but temps are dropping!

I'll fire up the wood stove and if really necessary I'll fire up the insert too.

The "plan" is to plumb in the WG after work a few nights next week.

ac

 

[infinitymike]

Didn't you promise us a 3rd video?

I did, I did, but it ain't easy catching it relight.
Just tonight I lit a fire at 6pm, I came home at 9:30 and was in my home office (where I can see the boiler through the window and even hear it kick on) when I heard it kick on, I didn't go running out there, but by the time I did get out there it was all ready relit.

Monday night I tried to force it and stood there with the video running for a few minutes only to realize it wasn't hot enough to relight. Actually that might be a good one to show that the fire does actually shut off. So much so, that it is dead and won't relight. But I erased it.

I will get it out there.

 

[infinitymike]

I'll fire up the wood stove and if really necessary I'll fire up the insert too.

The "plan" is to plumb in the WG after work a few nights next week.

ac

Aaahhh a man with a plan and a back up. Nice very nice.

Take lots of progress pics.

 

[avc8130]

I did, I did, but it ain't easy catching it relight.
Just tonight I lit a fire at 6pm, I came home at 9:30 and was in my home office (where I can see the boiler through the window and even hear it kick on) when I heard it kick on, I didn't go running out there, but by the time I did get out there it was all ready relit.

Monday night I tried to force it and stood there with the video running for a few minutes only to realize it wasn't hot enough to relight. Actually that might be a good one to show that the fire does actually shut off. So much so, that it is dead and won't relight. But I erased it.

I will get it out there.

Did you ever get the cycle timer?

I plan to wire one in shortly after getting the install "done". I just don't want to mess around with any of the factory stuff until I know she functions.

ac

 

[infinitymike]

Did you ever get the cycle timer?

I plan to wire one in shortly after getting the install "done". I just don't want to mess around with any of the factory stuff until I know she functions.

ac

No I did not buy it with the unit. How ever I have the schematic and parts required to install one on my own which I may do this winter.

 

[avc8130]

No I did not buy it with the unit. How ever I have the schematic and parts required to install one on my own which I may do this winter.

Wouldn't it make more sense to get it in for fall when the heat demand is low?

I checked out the schematics, looks like tapping 3 or 4 wires. Should be very simple, maybe an hour to get it all buttoned up and pretty.

Certainly easier than plumbing in your DHW coil or running vent line for that smoke hood!

ac

 

[infinitymike]

Wouldn't it make more sense to get it in for fall when the heat demand is low? Thats kinda what I meant. In fact the fire was "off" from 10pm until 5am when the t-stats started calling and it tried to relight but couldn't because everything was to cold and the low water temp shut off eventually kicked in and I heard the oil kick on so I had to go out and put the torch on it for a few seconds to help it along.

I checked out the schematics, looks like tapping 3 or 4 wires. Should be very simple, maybe an hour to get it all buttoned up and pretty.

Certainly easier than plumbing in your DHW coil or running vent line for that smoke hood!
Gee thanks for reminding me that I'm not finished yet now I'm depressed.



ac

 

[muncybob]

I'm surprised on the draft too although I do have a 30+ foot chimney and we live in a very windy area. Draft is so strong that I have the fresh air intake damped to about 90%. Mainly did this to avoid the "chugging" but seems to also go thru less wood this way. Hope the install goes well, I plan to connect the smoke hood exhaust ducting this weekend(in between splitting another cord, loading up the woodshed, cutting the grass, etc.....shees!). Weekends just are not long enough.