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450 Empyre Facelift

Started by J 5, October 26, 2018, 05:54:43 AM

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J 5

        I picked up another 450 Empyre OWB this summer to have as a backup for my 2005  450. In the dead of February, is no time to go shopping for a furnace replacement, even tho I can't think of what could happen, short  of boiling dry and burning out. After  helping repair my neighbors tubes in his 1/2 stainless and regular steel outer water jacket 2001  empyre, I have new respect for the all stainless empyre's . They all have a tendency to crack at the tubes regardless , but the mild steel outer jacket on his , showed some heavy pitting.
       This 2001 that I bought is all stainless , like my current one. I replaced the tin on the front and left side , new inner door skin, door pins,

 

 

   light , thermometer , float ball, and a general spit shine. The ash pan was mint, so no current leaks from the tubes , although it looks like somebody with a mirror ( not easy ) welded one tube years ago.
            So wrapped it up , dumped in a couple gallons of RV prestone , and put it on standby. Hope I don't need it this winter, but I feel better having it.
                                           J 5
       

curved-wood


maple flats

I was a dealer for OWB's before much SS was used. The biggest thing to realize is that electrolysis is a big issue, but it can be minimized if you ground the unit well. Just a ground back to the power source is not enough. You want 2 8' copper ground rods driven into the ground and#4 copper ground wire attaching the OWB to the rods. Grind the frame bare before you attach the bare ground, then paint it to keep the elements out.
These things will not completely stop electrolysis but they will reduce it significantly and help the OWB last longer.
My brother has one we installed in 1990 and we used the ground rods, he still uses it full time.
logging small time for years but just learning how,  2012 36 HP Mahindra tractor, 3point log arch, 8000# class excavator, lifts 2500# and sets logs on mill precisely where needed, Woodland Mills HM130Max , maple syrup a hobby that consumes my time. looking to learn blacksmithing.

hedgerow

Looks like you got a nice back up plan. Mine is kick the propane furnace if the Garn has a major fail. I hoping this isn't the year for burning propane. It's been 10 years and no propane.  

ButchC

Hi, Id like to find a back up unit myself as the wood master 4400 is entering season 13, looks like you found a good one. Nice looking fab work too ;)

Slightly off topic but back when I was OWB shopping I almost bought a 450 Empire, I thought they were made entirely of  304 SS?  Back then a Profab furnace could be had constructed of 304, 409  or mild steel and each had it's own name, 304 were called Empire, one of the others was called a Cozyburn, cant remember the other one.
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Antique tractors and engines, machine shop,wife, dog,,,,,that's about it.

J 5

      Somebody more knowledgeable can fill us in. As far as I know they started with mild steel ( I owned a 1998 one ), mild water jacket /stainless firebox ( my neighbor has a 2001 ) and then stainless ( my 2001 and 2005 ).
          Before they shut down over the gasifier furnace problems, the 250 and 450's were offered in both stainless or heavy mild steel.
             I believe a dealer in Picton Ontario  bought their remaining furnaces and parts, a 1/2 dozen 250's are all that's left, with bricks or grates.
     Sorry that there not produced anymore.
                                                       J 5

iced1124

Well...My 2005 450 developed a leak between two tubes...PIA...after trying to weld where I thought was the leak three times, I'm saving it for the spring.
Found a replacement...hope this one treats me better!

J 5

     Wait for spring or a warm garage , are the options, lucky you found another. Cutting both ends of the water jacket and sliding mild steel tube into the existing tubes, isn't a  job to be rushed .
                                               J 5

J 5

                  Picked up 2005 ,  450 Empyre stainless, natural draft to add to the collection. The  8" rings which are butted together and tacked , let go on one side due to the insulated chimney leaning ( in a wind probably ). Creosote bled through the crack ,the insulated box and down the back water jacket tank , an easy fix just hard to get to.
            Put on new tin ,front and back, still have to convert the door to forced draft, fab an ash pan, paint and finish cleaning inside. Yes , this should be the last one .........maybe.
                                           J 5

 

 

 

hedgerow

Looks like you got it fixed up. Winter is just around the corner. 

GRANITEstateMP

J5, are you still using the Original and this is just the backups, backup?
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J 5

                 Ya , this one is the back up for the back up. lol  It will move to the front of the line , though as I like the digital control for adjusting the temp , sometimes I need to get the manual or the nearest 12 year old to do it .
                                               J 5

maple flats

My brother and I were with Taylor Waterstoves, out of North Carolina. Actually they were the first of many companies to spring up. We started with them in 1988, and sold the business the end of 1999. In that time we sold and installed hundreds in central and northern NY and some down to near the Pa border.
When we started they were all mild steel, they gradually went to SS tubes.
We sold out when we just got tired of so much travel. We had taken on too large of a territory. On some the farthest away we took 4-5 hrs to just drive to the job, hauling the unit and everything we needed to install it. We then stayed at a motel one or 2 night to finish the install (most of those were just 1 night, just a few took 2). We then went on to other endeavors, I started driving school bus, my brother went back in airplane mechanics.
We did have a few major repairs but most were very minor. We likely re-tubed a few partially. For that we used a hole saw that barely fit onto the tube, cutting away about half of the outer edge of the tube then thru the wall it was welded to. We did that on both ends and then slid the old out, ground the wall steel clean then inserted a new tube and welded it in. Out of maybe 400 units I think we had to do that on maybe 12-15 tubes total. The smallest unit had 4 tubes, the biggest we ever installed had 8. My brother, after over 30 years has welded on his 3-4 times. He now punches some holes in the old tube, inserts a new one that is tight enough that he needs to drive it in, then he welds the liner in.
Many of the simpler installs that were close to home were finished in one day.
I baffled us when we were ready to fire up a new install, how many had no wood ready to burn. One comes to mind, where they were building a new house. We hooked up the unit, installed baseboard heat thru the entire 2 bedroom house. Then we asked for the wood to fire it, he took his tractor out across the large field, cut a big dead tree down, pulled it whole tree back to the OWB. Then bucked off just enough to fire it up.
logging small time for years but just learning how,  2012 36 HP Mahindra tractor, 3point log arch, 8000# class excavator, lifts 2500# and sets logs on mill precisely where needed, Woodland Mills HM130Max , maple syrup a hobby that consumes my time. looking to learn blacksmithing.

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