# ******* boilers or heat on the cheap



## mlappin

For PaMike, grabbed a few pictures today.

Waste oil boiler for the shop, roughly the dimensions of a 55 gallon drum plus whatever water 27 feet of 2 1/2" 409 stainless pipe will displace. This will be placed in a 500 gallon fuel tank. Waste oil boiler then will be plumbed to the outdoor wood boiler using a 50 plate heat exchanger (HX). During the shoulder season when a wood boiler would smolder more than burn I'll start the waste oil burner once a day and get roughly 700 gallons of water up to temp, waste oils roughly 450 plus the 275 the wood boiler holds. Burner kit can be bought here if anybody is interested: http://www.wasteoilheater.net or<a> http://www.wasteoilheater.net/Wasteoil.pdf</a>










Top of the unit where the garden hose is will actually be the front. I'll cut the end out of the fuel tank, cut it to fit around the stainless 6"x24" piece at the garden hose where the tubes terminate. I'll be using 309LSI wire to attach the stainless to the mild steel of the fuel tank. The rest of the end piece of the fuel tank will be welded flush to the 24" diameter lower fire pot then I'll cut a door opening. Had zero leaks on the mild steel but had a few seeps on the stainless, was the first few welds before I got the welder tuned in and go the hang of using a flux cored wire with gas, the 309LSI.


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## mlappin

409SS for the heat exchanger tubes, on another forum I belong to a heating "expert" that works on waste oil burners claims waste oil is more corrosive than other fuels from the acids from the combustion process while it was still in a engine, would especially be a problem towards the end of the heat exchanger where the gases would be coolest and some condensation could take place.


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## mlappin

Not sure what this even was, bought at a consignment auction for 25 bucks, all stainless including the legs, ball valves and other fittings. Was six feet long, cut three feet out of it and welded back together, no leaks when filled with water. Of course not as this would be the easiest to fix.

Cut the screen down that came with it and flipped it over, plan on placing fiberglass window screen over it. Waste oil seems to collect an amazing amount of crud no matter how careful you are. Will also give me a place to drain oil filters completely. When the window screen is completely crudded over I'll roll it up and burn it in one boiler or the other.


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## mlappin

Convenient place for the new reservoir for the supply pump for the burner, old one was a 15 gallon drum, highest setting is a gallon and a quarter an hour which is roughly 180,000 BTU, with a 55 gallon drum shouldn't have to refill as often. Actually have another fitting to weld directly under the warning sticker, this will feed a 1/2hp waste oil pump that will pump the oil up to a 275 gallon fuel drum mounted over head and that will feed a five hundred gallon LP tank outside. Run out of oil inside and pressurize the LP tank and force some oil back inside to refill the overhead tank and the fifty five gallon drum.


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## PaMike

I am a little lost. So the waste oil burner shown is one of the kits sold on the website? The fuel tank you are welding to it will just be to store the hot water for the day?


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## mlappin

The burner kit would include a pump, pickup screen, burn pot, a piece of ceramic blanket, and down pipe.

Everything in the first picture I fabbed myself.

They will sell you a complete kit though but it's strictly an air to air heat exchanger for use in a barrel.

It will make more sense once I get farther into it.

Next I need to do the math and get enough dry ice to completely displace the oxygen in the fuel tank before I cut it.


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## PaMike

I see....

I will keep watching. Here I thought you were using a NEW fuel tank...I should have known better....


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## mlappin

PaMike said:


> I see....
> 
> I will keep watching. Here I thought you were using a NEW fuel tank...I should have known better....


LOL, you're confusing me with one of those rich farmers. Have a 500 gallon tank we bought at an auction, doesn't leak but has some really nasty stuff in the bottom. Decided 500 wasn't big enough for road fuel anyways and found a 1000 gallon tank in much better shape, It's a clamp on saddle as well so I'll rotate it 180 degrees so the good side is on bottom.


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## PaMike

So when you heat this water once a day. It will just be sitting until the house needs domestic hot water, then it will circulate through the exchanger?


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## mlappin

The water will circulate all the time, helps to prevent stratification in the tanks.


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## ARD Farm

Your auction piece is a parts washing tank, was probably used with 111 Trichloethylene. They have to be low grade stainless.

I'll just burn cheap corn. Lots easier.

Flux wire for stainless in a glue gun works, but TIG is so much nicer.

I thought the emission police came down on outdoor wood burners of any type. I remember reading about that somewhere....?


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## mlappin

Someday I'd like to own a TIG machine, not enough call for it to justify the insane prices on em.

Homemade of any kind is exempt from the new regs, some states you have to buy a gassifier type OWB, Indiana is one of those but homemade so exempt. Waste oil burner is under 350,000 BTU so also exempt.

If I had a spare $12-13K sitting around I'd just buy a Portage and Main Optimizer 250 and be done with it but I don't and am pretty sure I can come in well under that price.

http://www.portageandmainboilers.com/#!pm-optimimizer-series/c17sl


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## PaMike

I really like those P & G units, but I dont know how anyone can justify that cost. I guess if you live there its really cold and go through TONS of fuel then maybe. I gota brand new oil burner and central a/c installed for 8K. The savings over the P & G unit paid for my oil for two years....


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## mlappin

PaMike said:


> I really like those P & G units, but I dont know how anyone can justify that cost. I guess if you live there its really cold and go through TONS of fuel then maybe. I gota brand new oil burner and central a/c installed for 8K. The savings over the P & G unit paid for my oil for two years....


Well that all depends on how much free wood you have to cut, how well you are set up to process a lot of wood, and just how comfortable you are relying on others to supply your basic needs.

Buying a commercial unit made zero sense for me when I built my first one, but since I had a fraction of the cost in building compared to buying, heating with wood is practically free for me.

Only other alternative instead of cutting those trees up for free heat is shoving them in a fence row and letting them rot, being that I'm part German, part Swiss and part Dutch, letting anything goto waste is a sin.

Last winter when we almost set new records for cold, my monthly natural gas bill was the bare minimum, which is $38 for this, that, tax and pipeline charge.


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## PaMike

I guess what I left out is that I have a good market for firewood.... I sell the wood. Use the money to buy heating oil... I dont live on the farm, so I am never home.... The wife and kids can have reliable heat. Not to mention I am only heating 1400 sq ft, so I dont use that much oil. Now if we ever move to the farm, thats a different story....

Sold 20 cord last year. I get an Amish guy in with a cordking. He charges $50/hr and we can get 20 cord done in a day. Processing comes out to about $25/cord. Not a bad deal...


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## deadmoose

Thats a deal. $25 to cut and split? Where do I sign up?


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## PaMike

Yeah it is a deal. The guy makes me laugh. He is sooo worried about cost. I couldnt get him here for a month cause he was trying to find a neighbor that could haul the processor for cheap. Finally found a neighbor that would haul the 12,000 lb processor 30 min drive. Billed me 35 dollars. I told him just call one of the local haulers that can get it here when I need it, and I will pay the $100 a legit hauler will charge....


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## mlappin

Didn't get a whole lot done today, built a saddle under the barrel for more support, welded in a piece of 3/4 stainless pipe in the end for the waste oil pump to attach to, also took a piece of left over stainless screen and formed it to fit inside over the pipe just incase any foreign material that would eat the pump finds its way past the top screen.

Mainly played with my homemade forge today.

http://www.haytalk.com/forums/topic/23517-homemade-forge/


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## mlappin

Finally had time to get some dry ice, did a lot of research, couldn't find a solid answer. Some sites said ten pounds, some said fifteen pounds, I went with 20 pounds of dry ice. Ain't about to let the wife collect on the life insurance because of my own brain fart.

Rinsed the tank out first after adding a few bottles of Dollar General detergent, then stuck the steam cleaner wand in the tank and let it run for a few hours and let that drain out a 7/16ths hole I drilled in the bottom.

Dropped the 20 lbs of dry ice in thru a 2" bung hole. Wore insulated welding gloves to handle the dry ice and used a chipping hammer to break it up small enough to fit. After I had it all in I left it alone for thirty minutes to allow sufficient sublimation then cut the end out with the plasma cutter. After all this, still has the faint stink of gasoline, may get some more cheap detergent and scrub it good before doing any welding on it.


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## PaMike

I bet you were a little jumpy the first time the arc on the plasma cut through...


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## mlappin

no more so than when welding gas tanks


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## PaMike

Hahaha....Well most of us dont have the balls to weld gas tanks...


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## mlappin

PaMike said:


> Hahaha....Well most of us dont have the balls to weld gas tanks...


No big deal, stick the steam cleaner wand in the tank and let it run till the steam no longer smells like gas, no boom boom then. I'm talking like tanks off a straight truck etc. Car/pickup tanks are too thin when new to weld, if they've rusted thru forget it.


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## PaMike

oh...ok..plus your talking diesel tanks, not gas tanks. I had to give my wife a little education on the difference in diesel and gas. She was freaking out cause I dumped 3 gallons of diesel on the burn pile to get it going....silly city girls...


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## mlappin

Oh there is still gas straight trucks around here, we have one.


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## mlappin

mlappin said:


> Oh there is still gas straight trucks around here, we have one.


Speaking of which, seen a brand new dually UPS van a few weeks ago, said "unleaded only" at the fill cap.

Haven't made tremendous progress the last few weeks, made some hay, weld a little bit here and there as the back allows.

Front is finished, door frame is done, all the bungs for pumps and returns welded in, 250 foot of Logstor underground pipe sitting on my utility trailer. Gonna cheat big time, gonna stand the tank up under the hoist after I get the burn chamber/heat exchanger hanging from it. Lower the assembly into the tank and weld in position instead of mostly vertical. Standing on the step ladder to weld is gonna suck.


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## ARD Farm

Standing on the step ladder to weld is gonna suck.....

I know you can't sit so standing is the lesser of 2 evils..... Keep those Motrin handy.......


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## mlappin

ARD Farm said:


> I know you can't sit so standing is the lesser of 2 evils..... Keep those Motrin handy.......


Got more Flexiril and some Naproxen today, the wife goes in with a hangnail and gets Vicoden, go figure.

No MRI today, but more x-rays, but damn those tables are cold, going to break the long johns out next time.


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## PaMike

I know a guy that was head of the UPS garage in our area. They were actually converting diesels over to gas. They aren't allowed to let their trucks run, so the start and stop was killing the diesels. Combine all the maintenance issues with more expensive diesel fuel and it was a no win. Whenever they had a diesel truck come in with terminal problems it would be converted to gas....


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## ARD Farm

PaMike said:


> I know a guy that was head of the UPS garage in our area. They were actually converting diesels over to gas. They aren't allowed to let their trucks run, so the start and stop was killing the diesels. Combine all the maintenance issues with more expensive diesel fuel and it was a no win. Whenever they had a diesel truck come in with terminal problems it would be converted to gas....


I believe you mean LNG, not gasoline. Thats the future of the diesel, LNG., however the infrastructure (fueling) has to be worked out. You can't just stick th nozzle in the tank and fill it, plus, storage is an issue on an on-road truck. LNG tanks are heavy and bulky to contain the pressure, 3000 PSI plus and provide enough LNG to go a reasonable distance.

All the engine manufacturers have gas versions of their diesel engines and many have been in use in oilfield and stationary application for a while now.

Tier 4 final is pushing the adaptation of LNG. That will, eventually include farm tractors.

One good thing about gaseous fueling is all of the Tier 4 emissions crap will be gone.

One thing that concerns me (being in the heavy truck) business is, accidents. The flash point of diesel makes it a fairly safe fuel, in an accident, without direct ignition, chances ar a ruptured fuel tank becomes a haz mat issue. A ruptured cylinder of NG is a whole different animal. Ignition can occur just from static electricity genrated by the gas flow across a compromised metal tank and a complete failure, releasing 3000 psi of material is a big very lethal boom.

Everyone of our fleet trucks is set to automatic shutdown after 5 minutes and/or stabilization of oil pressure and engine temperature, any truck (diesel) with an onboard ECM has that capability.

We do it for fuel cost, nothing to do with engine life.


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## mlappin

Been making some headway, not as quickly as I'd like.


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## mlappin

Bought ready to fill it and leak test, then if she passes wire wheel the rough spots and repaint it.









Have definitely decided the runners are getting cut off the saddle and the legs extended at least 18".


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## ARD Farm

Thats pretty. Going to static test for leaks or dye stain it?


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## mlappin

nothing that fancy, fill with water and look for the wet spots 

Then when I'm confident I have it whipped I'll add a few bottles of dishwashing detergent and let it sit a minimum of 24 hours and see if she stays dry.


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## ARD Farm

I'm assuming it's a wire machine you are using, you lay a nice bead, even if it is a glue gun. If I lived closer, I'd bring over my pulsed MIG. It gives the speed of a MIG with th asthetic weld of a TIG.

I do a lot of TIG welding on stainless and AL., Slow but pretty.

Kicking around ordering up the same outfit you bought, but one size smaller for the shop. The Propane floor heat is a killer cost wise.


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## mlappin

Thanks, Miller CP-250TS 3 phase machine.

When I get around to start on the gassifier I'll get a big roll of .045 ER70S6 without the copper cladding to avoid all the BB's.

Just running cooper clad .035 on this since the heaviest piece is the quarter inch door flange.

Most likely won't do the spray transfer gig on the next wood boiler either as I'm sticking to 1/4" material on it instead of 5/16" like my first one. Way to easy to blow right thru 1/4" with spray transfer.


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## ARD Farm

3 phase would be great here. I have to rotary convert for my frequnency controlled machines. Power is an issue up here, always has been. Considerd a diesel 3 phase genny but cost was an issue and PTO driven 3 phase generator head wasn't a consideration either because I'm using power every day, so rotary in convienient.

So it's 240-1 and wing it. Trouble with living in the sticks....lol

Looking forward to seeing the finished product. Here's hoping the vessel don't 'wet the bed'......


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## mlappin

The only advantage of having the state park across the road, Nipsco extended the three phase past our farm to the park entrance, after that its single phase.

Someday if we expand the grain setup much more we either need to up the service, install a second service or switch to 480. I'm all for sticking to 240 and upping the amperage.


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## PaMike

You better put this project in high gear! Heating season is right around the corner and you need to leave some time for the good old "Oops, gotta change that."...


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## ARD Farm

I'd sure like to hunt elk in PA but a draw tag is hard to get, just like Mi.


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## mlappin

PaMike said:


> You better put this project in high gear! Heating season is right around the corner and you need to leave some time for the good old "Oops, gotta change that."...


Filled it with water last night to check for leaks, only had two very minor seeps. Left it full over night and hopefully it's done sweating now so I can really tell what I have.


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## mlappin

Extended the legs about 18" to avoid the bending over part of lighting. I'll find some angle iron or channel tomorrow and weld an x brace on the front and rear legs.

None of my welding on the bungs leaked however about half of them after sitting 24 hours leaked a little at the threads, I'll unscrew em all and use tape and putty on them. I'm guessing the welding distorted the bungs ever so slightly.

Pumps pull from the bottom, two return right at the back of the burn chamber and the other two return in the top near the front. Couldn't find any double tapped adapters at a reasonable cost so I used standard weld in bungs, then slid a piece of 1 1/4" pipe over the one inch and welded in place for the returns, on the pump feeds I did the same with 1 1/4" pipe but had to take a wee bit out of the 1 1/2" pipe so it would slide over the 1 1/4".


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## ARD Farm

Marty.... How much used motor oil you have? It's probably going to consume a bunch (depending on how warm you want it and how cold it gets.......

I see you used teflon pipe tape. I quit using that and switched to an anerobic paste sealant on my last PEX job on the hard lines prior to the manifold.

Are you going to regulate the heat runs via metering with temp sensing probes or just wing it?

I used a Honywell remote sensing T'Stat (Grainger) in a thermowell in the floor to cycle my system.


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## mlappin

I have several hundred gallons at the farm, once I get a truck again I also have a few people that have full barrels for me. Another guy in the next town over has five hundred gallons if I want it. I use the trailer I bought for my Polaris, drop the tailgate and use the barrel cart to roll the full barrels right up the ramp. Faster and easier than pumping it out.

I usually only burn a gallon an hour with my old setup, maybe I can capture more heat with the boiler and run a full rate of a gallon and a quarter an hour. I also plan on plumbing this to my outdoor wood boiler via a 50 plate heat exchanger in case I do run out of oil.

I don't have floor heat, will be using water to air heat exchangers and line voltage thermostats.


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## ARD Farm

What is your plan for adjusting the firing rate of the furnace/boiler when heat demand is lower than output? Keep in mind that there will be overlap in demand versus output.

I'm presuming (maybe wrongly) that your initial fill will be non-toxic glycol and not water. I run propoylene glycol myself with a corrosion inhibitor for dissimilar metals.

My concern was that if my system was offline, it could, in theory drop below the freeze point of water so I went with glycol. I realize that the heat transfer efficiency of water is superior to glycol but I didn't want a frozen system and the collaterial damage.


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## mlappin

I have a Ranco thermostat that I'll set with a cutout of 195, once it trips it will lock the circuit out so the pump and combustion fan won't restart by there selves and fill the burn chamber with oil. Reset the lock out with the push of a button, kinda like the lockout unit HECO offers for the outrageous price of around $75. Once I have 700 gallons of 195 degree water won't exactly be freezing anytime soon.

Not running glycol, not worried about it freezing, and with the additives you use to get your PH between 7 and 9 then with the nitrates to get rid of any free oxygen in the water you can make water even less corrosive than glycol. Also the higher temp you can run the water at the less free oxygen it can contain.

Had an interesting chart once with corresponding water temps and how much free oxygen it contains,, I'll see if I can find it.


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## mlappin

Oh yeah, did get the Logstor buried today between the shop and the OWB. Took longer to get across the 25' of main driveway than it did to dig the other 100'. Six inches of sand in the bottom of the trench, walked the stuff a little into the sand then another six inches of sand over it. Even slipped 25' of six inch schedule 40 PVC over it where it went under the main drive. Don't ever plan on having to replace this stuff.

Trying out the new part time hired man today, I sat in the excavator and pulled levers and gave orders. He seems pretty adept at running both a shovel and the skid steer so at least he wasn't fibbing about having experience with either of those.


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## mlappin

Stand for the overhead tank was built and erected Tuesday, cut the truck up from under an auger that the wind caught and rolled over.

Overhead tank is all plumbed, still need to run a line outside to the 500 gallon LP tank.

Have it rigged up to roll a barrel up to it, screw in a fitting into the 2" bung, then tip the whole thing on the barrel stand, hook up a hose and suck the oil out of the barrel and into the overhead tank, definitely beats transferring it with five gallon buckets.


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## ARD Farm

mlappin said:


> I have a Ranco thermostat that I'll set with a cutout of 195, once it trips it will lock the circuit out so the pump and combustion fan won't restart by there selves and fill the burn chamber with oil. Reset the lock out with the push of a button, kinda like the lockout unit HECO offers for the outrageous price of around $75. Once I have 700 gallons of 195 degree water won't exactly be freezing anytime soon.
> 
> Not running glycol, not worried about it freezing, and with the additives you use to get your PH between 7 and 9 then with the nitrates to get rid of any free oxygen in the water you can make water even less corrosive than glycol. Also the higher temp you can run the water at the less free oxygen it can contain.
> 
> Had an interesting chart once with corresponding water temps and how much free oxygen it contains,, I'll see if I can find it.


Why I run 3 oxygen seperators on the PEX system. One on the feed side and one each on the feed ans return legs. I also run an in-line strainer to pick up any foreign particles.

I keep my feedwater (propolyene) temperature as high as the HWH will dilever, about 160 degrees. The higher the temp the less entrained oxygen.

I used a 4 zone Califfi distribution manifold with on leg blanked off (for later use) I plan on adding a water to heat exchanger in the gargage side at some point, just haven't decided on whether I'll fab my own or buy a commercial unit.. The maifold has clear flow meters and adjustable feed valves for each zone.

I shot the floor temp yesterday with the IR and it's averaging around 88 over the buried tubing to 84 in the voids. Ambient is around 68 to 70 (nice toasty feet). The system cycles 2 times a day. usually in the morning and late at night.

I used a tempering circuit to mix the incoming fluid with the heat exchange fluid utilizing Watts analog gages on th hot side and cold side to determine exchange temprature and a Watts on the inlet to s the infed temperature. Modulating the ball valves on th input and tempering citcuit, I hold the input (aftr the tempering circuit at 110-120 degrees.

I start mine in early September to take advantage of surrounding ground temps. It's hard to bring a 22 x 48 slab (8" thick) up to temp if it's below zero.

Once the slab is up to temp and stablilzed, it basically runs itself. I just monitor the feed differential (which shows restriction) and clan the inline filter if necessary (usually in the summertime) beecause I run the system all year (with the HWH not heating the fluid in the summer).


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## mlappin

Can't find the original chart I had, but here is another, hotter the better.


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## mlappin

Got the door fabbed and mostly tacked together tonight before running out of wire.


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## Mike120

As always Marty, a very nice bit of work. While I admire your ingenuity and prowess with a MIG torch, I am also grateful that I don't have to go to that much effort to keep from getting frozen.


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## mlappin

Mike120 said:


> As always Marty, a very nice bit of work. While I admire your ingenuity and prowess with a MIG torch, I am also grateful that I don't have to go to that much effort to keep from getting frozen.


Thank You.


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## mlappin

ARD Farm said:


> Why I run 3 oxygen seperators on the PEX system. One on the feed side and one each on the feed ans return legs. I also run an in-line strainer to pick up any foreign particles.


What are you using for oxygen separators? I've looked at the ones that literally have a bristle brush in them and the micro bubbles collect on the bristles then move up to the vent. I've also looked at Taco air scoops with auto vents that will work on an open system.


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## mlappin

Got the door finished and hung tonight.










Not my most sophisticated hinges or latch, but it will work. Need to install the rope gasket yet, but air tight on this isn't as critical as a wood boiler with it's ample fuel supply. Little chance of overheating from an air leak given the fuel is metered into this boiler. I think the spring on the handle is a nice touch, I rescued it from the scrap bucket as one hook was broke off.










Both the hinges and latch have an 1 1/4" of slot left so I can adjust the door once the one inch rope gasket is installed. Found 7/16 nuts were perfect as spacers around the door while I was welding the boiler hinge halves in place.

I need to get a new soft wheel for the four inch grinder and clean the welds up a bit around the outside of the door. Welded on one side for a bit, then flipped it over and welded on the other to avoid warpage. So a lot of starts and stops. For the wood gassifier that's next I'll have the door and flanges formed from one piece.


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## mlappin

Inside of the door.










This turned out rather well considering I just guessed when I set the angle on the chop saw. Has 2 1/2" of Kaowool between the inner and outer skins, if I'm happy with it I'll keep using the stuff, if not I may try foil on both insides of the skin then fill the cavity with perlite and see what happens.

If somebody told me I'd still be jacking with this December 1st when I started this project I would have told em they are smoking way too much dope. Did find it most helpful though if I place three patio stones under each leg of the metal sawhorse's I have, gets em up just high enough to eliminate any bending over while welding. May be awhile before I use the welding bench again.


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## ARD Farm

mlappin said:


> What are you using for oxygen separators? I've looked at the ones that literally have a bristle brush in them and the micro bubbles collect on the bristles then move up to the vent. I've also looked at Taco air scoops with auto vents that will work on an open system.


Two Taco's and one bristle brush...lol. The Taco's are light on salsa btw. The infeed line has a labrynith seperator topped with a brush cannister....


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## mlappin

Not like we could pick corn late tonight with a busted pit drive so got the collector box done on the front.










I'll pick up some one inch rope gasket from Old Fort next time I'm in South Bend. For anybody that has a wood stove, pellet stove or corn stove that uses the fiberglass gaskets, instead of using the cement that is usually supplied with the rope, use high temp silicone instead, Smear it in the channel then place the rope in it. If you really want a air tight seal, take more of your high temp silicone and smear it over and try to work some into the exposed rope, place strips of wax paper over the fresh silicone and gently close and latch your door, will make an airtight seal everytime. Or you can buy fiber rope already impregnated with silicone, just is mucho $$$, I'll get a little dirty making my own instead.










Just have to attach a few pieces of 1/2 stainless steel all thread rod I have to the back of collector box, then drill holes in the cover to line up with the rods to hold it on. Wasn't going to tackle that tonight, is gonna be a pain in the butt no matter what. I also have some 1" U channels I bent up from scrap stainless, when I figure out where the hold down bolts will be I weld a piece of channel vertically on the inside of the cover to help reinforce it.


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## mlappin

Had to run a starter in to be rebuilt today so I stopped and picked up my rope gasket. Siliconed it in, then smeared silicone over it and used tin foil as I didn't have any waxed paper. Not sure just how much the silicone is supposed to help with air, but it will seal creosote out and that's supposedly is what makes the rope gaskets get hard and lose their sealing ability.

Got the stainless rod welded in for the hold down. Found a nice stainless wing nut, and only one. Wonder where it ever came from? Be nice to come across another so they match.


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## mlappin

Got the control circuit done tonight, created a latching circuit. Since the burner won't reignite itself once the water reaches temperature once the Ranco hits the setpoint nothing will get juice again until a normally open pushbutton is depressed, once it's depressed and if their is a call for heat the Ranco keeps the circuit latched into the on position, no juice from the Ranco and the circuit opens stopping the oil pump then incorporated a delay off relay so the fan will run up to five minutes after the oil is off to cool stuff. Also won't latch until the button is pressed if the power goes out.


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## PaMike

You should have it done just in time for spring!

Sorry, just had too...


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## mlappin

PaMike said:


> You should have it done just in time for spring!
> 
> Sorry, just had too...


Nah, just have to paint it and move the old one out.

Trying to decide at the moment whether to try to wrap it in Roxul or spray it with closed cell foam. If I go the foam route then have to decide whether to buy a kit or pay someone to come out and spray it. I've done the kit before, messy messy messy


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## mlappin

Primed it yesterday, also got the new fuel/air tube built.










Old one didn't use it, but on the new tube considering its a touch over three feet long I drilled holes 120 degrees apart and tapped for 1/4" bolts to keep the oil feed tube centered. Jammed them in place on the inside with nuts then cut the remainder off the outside and tack welded in place.


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## mlappin

Slipped on the ice awhile ago and had a wee bit of a setback, was sore for a week and did as little as possible.

Finally got in to see an orthopedist, have a CaT scan scheduled for Wednesday as he thinks I actually cracked at least one vertebrae as well. Those about have to be healed by now, but doesn't mean a spur didn't form in the process.

Staying away from the foam as even the fire rated stuff will burn.

Found a contact cement for floors that will withstand 220 degrees, but needs to cure for three days between 60 and 150 degrees, going to rewire the control to cycle the pump on and off from the heat exchanger from the wood boiler, will wrap it in either fiberglass or mineral wool insulation.

All the sweat soldering is done, that new low/no lead stuff sweats like crap. Ditched the no lead solder and flux in favor of some good stuff, not like I'm going to drink the boiler water. The no lead water soluble flux is crap, scorches way to easy and even when it doesn't it's crap. Using Oatey No. 95 self tinning flux.


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## mlappin

Heating with waste oil today, been a long time coming.

All those silly questions on the forms for the doctors and specialists office "Are you depressed because of your injury?" NO, I"M PISSED OFF BECAUSE I AIN"T GETTING JACK SH*T DONE!!! Fix it cause this is bullish*t, I have things to do.

Anyways, up and running, warmer day around 38 or so, waste oil boiler seems to be able to keep up with both the shop and house atm. Not real happy with the draft, going to get the stainless double wall vent up outside and see if that helps, just using a chunk of 14 gauge 8" auger tube thats been there for awhile. If a new vent doesn't help may have to go with a power vent. Exhaust temps are only running about 30 degrees warmer than the water temp, so around 220 when the water is at 190. Just don't think there is enough heat to get the big stack warm enough to draw properly. Old exhaust temp would burn yah if you were silly enough to put your hand on the stack.

http://vid160.photobucket.com/albums/t167/Marty_Lappin/IMG_1191_zpszdv1y26b.mp4


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## mlappin

Working better than I hoped, running at less than half capacity (about 2 1/2 quarts an hour) and its 32 here today, the house is 73, the shop is 55 and the wood boiler hasn't run all day.


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## PaMike

My buddy just bought a waste oil boiler for 9k for his new shop. I bet you dont have anywhere near that in yours. Of couse your a farmer so you cant count your labor ...


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## mlappin

PaMike said:


> My buddy just bought a waste oil boiler for 9k for his new shop. I bet you dont have anywhere near that in yours. Of couse your a farmer so you cant count your labor ...


Really hard to guesstimate the cost. I had a lot of stuff laying around already whether it be salvage or stuff left over from other projects. With my back out of whack some days that's all I could do was fart around getting this project done.


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## PaMike

Lets see some final pics! Whats your guess on how long it will last till its rots/burns through?


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## mlappin

PaMike said:


> Lets see some final pics! Whats your guess on how long it will last till its rots/burns through?


Get the water treated correctly and supposedly it's less corrosive than glycol.

Shouldn't ever burn thru as it's water cooled and even cranked all the way up I don't hear any boiling sounds.

I need to get some hoops rolled yet, gonna weld those to the legs then fasten the tin to the hoops to protect the fiberglass. I have 10 inches of fiberglass wrapped around it, doesn't seem to loose hardly any heat at all.


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## deadmoose

mlappin said:


> Working better than I hoped, running at less than half capacity (about 2 1/2 quarts an hour) and its 32 here today, the house is 73, the shop is 55 and the wood boiler hasn't run all day.


Sounds like a nice setup. How much waste oil do you end up with in a year? How much do you get from others?

That just sounds like a lot of oil to burn.


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## mlappin

I generate at least a hundred gallons of my own a year, maybe more if the hydraulic oil in a couple tractors need changed. Takes almost a 55 gallon drum of oil for each of the two White 4-210's. I have three or four other people that I gave a 55 gallon drum, might take them 18-24 months to get it filled then I take em a empty. Have about half a dozen other people that bring five gallon buckets out when they have a full one. Have another guy in the next town over that gave me five hundred gallons and will give me more as he gets it instead of letting that much collect again.


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