To the basement, or to the scrapyard? My attempt to resurrect a Tarm Excel 2200 Wood Gasification boiler

[aczlan]

Good idea but I'd use a pressure washer with a narrow tip and do it when it's warm outside so it dries out quickly.

Good idea, but I think I will start with a wide "fan" tip so as to not erode the firebrick.

I have a bunch of extensions for my pressure washer wand so I should be able to get all the way back there.

On drying it out, I have been running a 200w heater in the firebox, once I finish washing out the lower portion I will move it down there.

Started a thread on Firewood Hoarders under 'Gasifcation Boilers'. Lots of member have them on that site. Good folks too.

I will have to wander over there.

Aaron Z

 

[5030]

800 gallons of storage sounds a bit excessive for domestic hot water. 800 gallons for hydronic heating don't. We have forced air on the main furnace and utilize biomass with the forced air (Plus 95 Bryant) as the backup.

If you have forced air (like we do), I'd install a slope coil in the plenum as an HX (which is exactly what I'd do on my shop actually), though the front part is in floor PEX so I'd do a split system, which is exactly what I have now but utilizing a 50 gallon propane fired HWH as the heat source. The back shop has a high mount Reznor hot water fan forced HX on a Honeywell T'stat. Same with the in floor PEX but the front system is an in floor bulb type Honeywell T'stat acting on the feedwater pump.

 

[orezok]

well that's a dirty job

Call Mike Rowe. He’ll do it in a 30 minute show

 

[zzvyb6]

Add fire-brick liner ?

 

[aczlan]

800 gallons of storage sounds a bit excessive for domestic hot water. 800 gallons for hydronic heating don't.

That's for hydronic heating.
Supposedly the DHW coil is plugged, it's on my list to check after I get the leak in the firebox fixed.
I would probably tie it in before the current WH so we have more hot water available.

We have forced air on the main furnace and utilize biomass with the forced air (Plus 95 Bryant) as the backup.
If you have forced air (like we do), I'd install a slope coil in the plenum as an HX (which is exactly what I'd do on my shop actually), though the front part is in floor PEX so I'd do a split system, which is exactly what I have now but utilizing a 50 gallon propane fired HWH as the heat source. The back shop has a high mount Reznor hot water fan forced HX on a Honeywell T'stat. Same with the in floor PEX but the front system is an in floor bulb type Honeywell T'stat acting on the feedwater pump.

We have a mix of cast iron radiators and copper tube baseboard in the house (all in one zone).

I have enough cast iron radiators to replace all the copper tube with cast iron and hope to switch from steel pipe to a manifold and Pex-Al-Pex to split things up a little differently.

We may add floor heat in one of the bathrooms when we redo it.

The other bathroom may end up with heated towel racks (no heat there now).

We currently have a Valliant oil boiler and a Brookwood wood "boiler" (steel box with an L shaped tank on the top/side) to supplement that:

Efficient it is not.

Started a thread on Firewood Hoarders under 'Gasifcation Boilers'. Lots of member have them on that site. Good folks too.

I signed up over there, it's "waiting for admin approval"

Aaron Z

 

[5030]

If you go PEX, make sure you get the oxygen barrier type. Too bad you don't live closer, I have an almost full roll of it in the shop. Typical me, I overbought the stuff.

 

[aczlan]

Add fire-brick liner ?

Where?
The "floor" of the firebox needs some replacement parts (the two big "nozzle" bricks in the "center" are eroded and need to be replaced or have a stainless center section replacement made up).
The rest looks is ok, might need to replace a piece or two, but nothing urgent.

Aaron Z

 

[5030]

I signed up over there, it's "waiting for admin approval"

If they can put up with me, you will get approved. Lots of knowledge on that site I might add. Like this site it's privately owned.

 

[aczlan]

If you go PEX, make sure you get the oxygen barrier type. Too bad you don't live closer, I have an almost full roll of it in the shop. Typical me, I overbought the stuff.

The Al part of Pex-Al-Pex is the oxygen barrier, wouldn't use regular PEX for a heating system.
My brother bought a bunch of it to do his house, someone had 8-10 rolls and didn't want to split them, so he has enough and to spare.

Aaron Z

 

[aczlan]

If they can put up with me, you will get approved. Lots of knowledge on that site I might add. Like this site it's privately owned.

I figure it's just a matter of time until they have time to approve it.

Aaron Z