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

[dstig1]

+1
The only reason it can leak is if there is a hole, ergo that means you melted through it if it leaks at the end of a new weld. Not sure why the welder Doug used could not get them to seal up but perhaps it was stopping short on the weld. I don't know that MIG or stick is going to matter as much as keeping the amps in check, don't sit in one spot at all, and run the welds long.

 

[aczlan]

Pulled out the DHW (Domestic Hot Water) coil to look at the inside of the vessel last night, this is looking across above the top of the firebox, the two cylinders on the far side are thermowells:

Looking down the sidewall of the firebox from the DHW opening:

Looking over and toward the back/chimney from the DHW opening

The DHW coil

All in all, it looks pretty clean inside, I think the leaks are just from the welds cracking.


Aaron Z

 

[aczlan]

I had an HS Tarm with natural gas backup. I bought it in 1993 and replaced it with a Woodgun in 2016. I also started springing leaks on the reinforcing stays. If you look, you can tell that they were robotically welded. I had several that started weeping, all in the same place. They leak where the weld starts and finishes. I hired a welder to attempt to fix them. He also worked on commercial boilers so he wasn't a stranger to boilers. He had a very difficult time and as I remember he had better luck with stick welding rather that wire feed. He would make the welds and then it would leak around the new weld. He chased it for quite a while.

One word of caution. As you know it is very difficult to access the place you need to weld. You have to squeeze upper body in through the door to have a good view of what you are doing. He had issues with his self darkening helmet going back to clear because the sensor would get blocked.

I would have replaced with an HS Tarm, but at the time they were not offering a dual fuel option anymore. The WoodGun is a better fit for me as it has a forced draft, and I need that it my situation.

I am heating over 2500 square feet with radiant floor and love it. I plumbed in and additional water storage tank. As I recall it is 119 gallons. If I recall correctly, if you go over 120 gallons then they have to meet pressure standards and the price goes up astromomically. As you know radiant flooring systems are not running much pressure.

Good luck,

Doug in SW IA

Thanks for the information, my brother has a AHS Woodgun that he is working on restoring to full functionality, it was in a similar condition to this one as one as far as a lack of maintenance.


Aaron Z

 

[aczlan]

Looking at this picture and discussing the boiler with the "old timers" at work:

We are thinking that the root cause of the cracks is stress risers coming off of the corners of the square holes punched in the walls that the stays go through.
My plan is to clean up all the points where the risers are welded in, drill all 4 corners with a 3/16" drill bit and weld around each one.
If it works, great. If not, it will either get migrated to the scrapyard, or make a trip to MI (if @5030 still wants it at that point)
Related to heat cycling, these are all in the bottom half of the firebox where it would change temperature more when the boiler cycles on and off as the "flame" goes down to get to the exhaust.

Aaron Z

 

[walnutman]

Burning a lot if pine and not raising the burner area enough to burn off the creosote on a regular basis loads a woodstove and chimney up pretty quickly. Since this unit is said to run the firebox at 2000 degrees I'm not sure why there would be a buildup.

 

[Beaver Cove Deere]

Burning a lot if pine and not raising the burner area enough to burn off the creosote on a regular basis loads a woodstove and chimney up pretty quickly. Since this unit is said to run the firebox at 2000 degrees I'm not sure why there would be a buildup.

I’m running a TARM biomass boiler. Creosote build it in the wood chamber is normal. Build up in the gasification chamber is a whole different problem. I’ve been on the wood boiler almost 99% of the tome from 11-1-22. House is 08 construction, 2500 sqft and maintained at 70. I have not burned 5 cords yet this year.

What a shame somebody beat that boiler like a rented mule.

I took my domestic hot water off the TARM and put it back on the LP boiler. You can’t make 180 degree water if the system is averaging a loop temp of 145. The newer boilers must use storage tanks. I’m using 2 300 gallon tanks in a heavily insulated box in a corner of my basement. All heat loss is within the building.

Radiant floor heat and cast iron work great for these boilers. So will panel radiators. Baseboard heat is not so great but it will do it.

If my boiler died today I’d be calling Chris at TARM and setting up a road trip for the replacement.

 

[aczlan]

Burning a lot if pine and not raising the burner area enough to burn off the creosote on a regular basis loads a woodstove and chimney up pretty quickly. Since this unit is said to run the firebox at 2000 degrees I'm not sure why there would be a buildup.

It runs the burn chamber (below the firebox) at 2000F, not the firebox itself. As I understand it, creosote in the firebox is normal.
It also had the air passages in the nozzle bricks blocked off due to them being installed backwards and it appears that it rarely had the ashes cleaned out.

Aaron Z

 

[beenthere]

Wish you well with this boiler.

 

[5030]

If it works, great. If not, it will either get migrated to the scrapyard, or make a trip to MI (if @5030 still wants it at that point)

I will take it and I'll pick it up as well. Because I own and operate a fab shop, I can take it completely apart and 'fix' it, hopefully. Cannot be any worse that repairing wonky loader buckets or broken from abuse excavator buckets....... I get some doozies. Sounds like a 'project' for me...

 

[dkmc]

It runs the burn chamber (below the firebox) at 2000F, not the firebox itself. As I understand it, creosote in the firebox is normal.
It also had the air passages in the nozzle bricks blocked off due to them being installed backwards and it appears that it rarely had the ashes cleaned out.

Aaron Z

Where are you in upstate? I'm near Corning,NY Years ago I bought a Switzer boiler that the operator ran without the forced draft blower. It plugged up to the point he couldn't use it anymore but was convinced the blower running continuously was not needed. It was quite a clean out project.