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« on: January 08, 2011, 10:38:21 pm »
Hi all
Before the question I'll give a little history. It's cold, I'm bout broke, and I think I've gained access to a major shop's waste oil. Hopefully it will be fairly clean, but I plan "settle it out" after transport and when I get a more perminent setup I also have plans on filtering as well.
Copy of my filtering/pump idea I posted to another thread I'm thinking a pre-storage tank to hold for a good while to allow chunks, critters, grit and water to "settle out". Then scarf up an oil pump off a big block chrysler engine, fab a pick up tube to then route feed tank. The reason for the BB chrysler is it's external so if you find one junked easy to remove, filter base built on pump, and drive off a drill when I have to fuel up. I figure this way I'd get really clean oil to my heater. I'm sure there are other pumps are similar to the chrysler just can't think of any off the top of my head.
When I built my copy of the heater (sorry did not document build) I had to vary MEN spec. I only have 2 instead 3 wraps for the pre-heater but I plan on correcting this soon. I have the 6" exhaust but only 2.5-3" intake (I haven't measured it) and my funnel attempt did come out a funnel but it's probably twice as long as spec. Also my intake tube does not stop at the funnel entrance it probably extends 8" or better into the funnel. The burner itself has the top, bottom, spacers, and wholes to spec but the mid plate is closer to 1/2" instead of 1/4". On her maiden burn I got a respectable amount of heat of her outside, howling wind, and 30f but good lord amighty the thing smoked like four house fires. It was unbelievable! Of course this resulted in tremendous amount of soot inside heater and exhaust. She is burning way to rich. I only had 2 sticks of stove pipe on test run. I gave her a light shot of air from the compressor into top of intake and got a foot of dark orange fire out the stack.
My next step is going to be getting more feed tube around the stack and getting some kind of shroud around it to finish the pre-heater as close to spec as I can. Instead of over size pipe as per plans I'm fab a squarish cabinet out of the water heater skin. To this I plan to add some kind of a small blower to boost intake on it.
If/when I get it debugged I'm gonna build a reflector type shield and stick her in the corner of the shop. I plan to hang a regular fan on the wall over to blow down into the shield, across the heater to fan the heat across the shop. Oh the shop is like 24x30 no insulation in the ceiling and raw block walls. Speaking of raw block I would never have imagined how much air can flow through a block wall. I've seen the walls damp on the inside in storms with big wind and no the roof doesn't leak. It's like the wind blows the water through the block.
Hopefully after getting this one hot I want to build another put a housing it and duct it into the house to lower my gas bill...
Now then (yeah finally right lol, sorry post so long) any suggestions? What do y'all think about my super rich burn? Am I on the right track about raising oil temp and possibly boosting intake? I don't really want to scrap the burner but if push comes to shove I guess I can but I've got to cut down on the smoke!
Again sorry for the long post. And I have really enjoyed the couple hours so far reading over the sight. I love it.
Ryan
"Look where you're going not where you've been"