let the fun begin

[doug]

 

An update to the 2012/2013 heating season. Total hours the burner fired was 2957 hours and used a total of 950 gallons of oil for the season. That's 3.11 gph. I turn up the heat in the boiler this year. Last years use was 2.17 gph.

 It's getting time to think heating again.

[doug]

With over 6000 hours run time on the burner I had some trouble today. When the aquastat would call for heat the digital temp controller came on, but the temp only raised to 120*. Replaced the heat cartridge and now everything is working again. Also got to clean the nozzle while it was down.

[Russ]

Not too bad of a fix.  Did the old cartridge come out allright?

[doug]

Once you get the blast tube off it's easy to get at. The cartridge just pulled out.

Just checked the burner out and it's back doing what it did before. Tomarrow I'll have to find a relay and change that.

[doug]

 A little update on my 2013/2014 heating season. Here in Southern Michigan it was the coldest winter I ever knew living here all my life and it seemed like spring was long in getting here also. This season the burner ran for 3547 hours an used a new high of burning 1100 gallons. Hoping for a milder up coming season.

[doug]

Get your free heat where ever you can. Scored 550 gallons of free fuel oil this weekend. All I had to do was pump it from their tank. Looks like some of next season we'll be heating with fuel oil.

[Russ]

Hello Doug.  Good to hear from you again!

Wow, nice score!  It isnt quite cool as burning oil, but I guess free heat is free heat 

Hope all is well!

Russ

[doug]

Russ,
It's getting tougher to find the volume of waste oil that I use. The fuel oil will help me get a head on the amount waste oil I'll have on hand. Burners got 11,000 hours and has been clicking them off with no problems.

[superduty_59]

Doug you have the almost exact setup that I'm trying to build. Very nice! You were already ahead of the game reusing probably a lot of the existing Wood boiler system. I couldn't tell from you pics your suppy and return lines. You probaby have the buried insulated 1" pex lines going from your boiler to your house. I priced 50' and it will be close to $500. Do you have any more pics of you setup (expansion tank, aquastats, valves, ect)? Thanks

[superduty_59]

How about an update on the 2016/2017 heating season? Thanks Doug!


James

[doug]

james,
 my set up is a blend of a lot of other peoples hard work. the buried 1" is from a shelled corn fed boiler (similar to a wood boiler). supply lines are on top with the expansion tank and air bleeder valve, supply on lower side. I have 2 more air bleeder in the basement where the line has high spots and one bleeder in the shop at the heat exchanger. sorry I don't have any more pictures of the set up.
one thing I would do different would be to raise the boiler higher off the floor at least 8" or more. that would make it easier to clean.

[doug]

How about an update on the 2016/2017 heating season? Thanks Doug!


James

14201 hours of run time on the system and still going strong.

[superduty_59]

Good to hear Doug! I am just a curious person by nature and have lots of questions.  Just tell me when you've had enough with my questions! Speaking of how many hours yours has produced heat, what kind of hour meter do you have installed? I assume it only clicks off when the burner is called for with the relay?  Thanks

[doug]

timer was an ebay find. when the burner runs so does the clock.

[superduty_59]

I have a few analog hour meters from some generators that was updated. I could use those but would not start at 0 unless I could figure out how to roll them back to 0. Thanks Doug