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

[TimberFarm]

I had a Tarm in my previous house. It was not duel fuel, just wood.
I replaced all the firebrick lining in it once in 20 years. It cost about $400 back then.
I can't believe somebody let that thing get so blocked up.
I used mine to heat my radiant.
It was two zones, a total of about 1,500 sq. ft. One zone was under ceramic tile in the kitchen and the other was dining living room under carpet.
The kitchen zone I used a 40 gallon Boilermate that the Tarm heated. Then the Boilermate would send the hotwater to that zone.
The livingroom zone ran straight from the Tarm. The Tarm I had held about 40 gallons of water in it.
Best heat. That thing really burned clean too. After the initial lighting of the fire, smoke out of the chimney was next to nothing.

They are odd to get use to since they burn downwards. Learning curve to not get smoked when you are adding wood.

 

[5030]

At one time (not now), I considered building a European style round bale furnace but never did it. You only have to load them about once a month. I always have round bales in the barn. Popular in Europe, not here.

I'll stick with my biomass corn burners in as much as I get free corn.

 

[aczlan]

Took the top cover off of the exhaust area, 1-2" of fine silty ash went right into the vacuum cleaner:

Oil side was a little better:

All nice and clean (still need to clean inside the tubes):

Will need to figure out why this damper sits open a little and replace the lid gasket as it's shot:

All in all, still happy with it, need to get the lower section rinsed out and finish vacuuming out the firebox, but I haven't found any showstoppers yet.

Aaron Z

 

[mike0000]

Interesting project you have going on there, thanks for sharing

Mike

 

[TimberFarm]

Tarm gave three different cleaning brushes for those tubes and to clean the firebox.
Since this is so bad a shape, I imagine the original owners lost them or threw them out.

 

[aczlan]

Tarm gave three different cleaning brushes for those tubes and to clean the firebox.
Since this is so bad a shape, I imagine the original owners lost them or threw them out.

It came with one rectangular brush, haven't tried it yet.

Aaron Z

 

[TimberFarm]

Too bad it wasn't the round one for the tubes.

 

[5030]

Too bad it wasn't the round one for the tubes.

You can purchase the round ones on Amazon I believe. The original owner is or was an idiot.

 

[aczlan]

You can purchase the round ones on Amazon I believe.

Once I get it cleaned out and the leak fixed, I will look at that.

The original owner is or was an idiot.

More clueless about how it worked than an idiot IMO.

Aaron Z

 

[5030]

More clueless about how it worked than an idiot IMO.

Lots of that out there which is why there are actually people that come into homes and clean them (biomass stoves and such) for owners. On the other forum there are some gruesome pictures of clogged up units where the owners cannot figure out why they don't work properly. When I look at them I think... duh.

Have a buddy up your way (New York) that all he does is service biomass and multifuel boilers and he makes a bundle and is booked solid all season.

Think his minimum charge is 125 bucks for a simple service call.

If you are going to have a solid fuel appliance no matter what it is, you need to understand and practice the maintenance part.

With my 2, they get regular cleanings and that includes the exhaust and flue.

Unlike a typical gas or propane furnace, they are not a forget about it appliance, but then neither is a typical conventional furnace, especially a high efficiency unit. Ours get's serviced annually if we use it or not and a filter change at least twice a year on the rentals) on ours it has a Honeywell electrostatic filter and it too needs washed regularly.

People tend to 'forget' about heating appliance (cooling ones too) until they crap out.