Central Boiler EC2400 - FireStar Burn Time

[Bob Lentz]

Have the automated boiler software that allows me to see boiler statistics etc. from my PC/Phone.  I noticed that in a 12 hour period, my burn time is about 6 hours - or 50% of the time since the door was last opened, it is in either pulse, low, mid or high mode.  Does this right?

[doctorb]

I have no way of knowing.  I would think it would depend on how much heat demand you had on a particular day.

[boilerman101]

Hey Bob, I have the wifi XP on my E2400 too. It's the greatest! The burn time you are referring to is an accumulation of minutes that the fan runs. So it counts stage 1,2,3 and pulse time. I've got my fan time figured out to about 10 hours on my typical size loading. So actual clock time varies depending on outdoor temps which affects how many burn cycles are called for. But when my burn time reached 10 hours I know I need to reload. I'm sure every ones would be different. I think the burn time counter resets any time the loading door has been open for longer than 60 seconds or so.

[sam-tip]

Not sure of the question.  The burn time is anytime the fan is running.

I normally refill by boiler at 3.5 to 4 hours burn time twice a day.  But I only run a 25 sec pulse once every hour.  If you pulse your boiler for a longer period.   Your burn time could be longer by the timer.

I also run a 20 to 25 deg differential with high temp cut off at 193.   These are only winter numbers.  Summer is completely different.    In summer I run a 4.5 min pulse because the boiler only calls for demand heat twice a day for about 30 min each.

[Bob Lentz]

wow - a 25 degree differential - seems rather large.  I am just trying to figure out the best config.  i think in a 12 hour period, 50% burn time just seems high to me. The problem w/ such a large differential would be the amount of BTUs it would would take to bring boiler back up to 193.  I don't know for sure, just one big experiment i guess.

[sam-tip]

Yes one very big experiment.  Took me 3 1/2 years to get my settings to where I like them.  Lots of moving of the solenoid cover plates to adjust air flow.  Raising and lowering.  I found by limiting the air flow to the secondary (low and high) and opening up the primary air flow I get my best and hottest burns.  Hottest temp so far is 1784 F. Normal good burn is in the 1400 to 1600 F.  Only burns for 30-35 minutes with 25 degree differential.  With little heat load I can increase the water temp at a rate of 1 degree per minute with 500 gallon water capacity.  Once the boiler is burning efficient and clean I keep it burning.  My wood usage is down now that I have the boiler burning efficient.  Quality of wood is everything.  Split and seasoned for multiple years is a must!  2+ years minimum.

The wireless firestar has been a great tool in figuring out what works best for my setup.
 

[Bob Lentz]

i am struggling with wood usage.  I am heating 4500 sqft house, Domestic Hot water and keeping small swimming pool at 88 degrees.  At night, we have thermostats set at 62 in sleeping quarters, 72 in lower part of house and swimming pool heat is turned off. This is the lowest heat draw time and the over night burn times puzzle me.  Like last night, i noticed that with my set point at 185 and 10 degree differential, that the water temp was getting down to 168 degrees while the fire heated up.  It took 45 minutes to bring temp from 169 to 185 with very little heat load.  That is why i am considering changing settings. 

we are burning pinion pine which has almost same BTU as oak. I don't think my furnace is burning efficiently. I cleaned it out the other day.  How often do you clean your furnace and what exactly do you do when you clean it?

[beenthere]

I've found with my smaller setup, that turning thermostats on and off, and up and down, is the achilles heel when trying to maintain boiler temps and when/how to load wood.

It may not be what is throwing you a curve, but wish you the best figuring it out. ;)

[Bob Lentz]

i have the boiler figured out to the point that i load it 2 times a day - morning and bed time. What i am trying to tweak is the amount of wood we are burning.  This has been a very warm February and we are on pace to burn 2 full cords.  Seems kind of crazy, but maybe not. I just feel that over night 12 hours, w/ low demand, having a burn time of 6 hours seems high.

[sam-tip]

How often do you pulse the air and how long.   I keep mine as low as possible.  Just enough to keep a ember and so the rest of the wood charcoals because of the lack of oxygen.  Charcoal is your friend!   I am run air pulse for 25 seconds once an hour.  Charcoal restarts fast.  If I give it two much air I have no charcoal because it burn up.  Play with the settings until you get a fire out email from the firestar.

PS what is your altitude?  If my barometric pressure drops mine burns different.

[Bob Lentz]

we are at 8800ft.
I pulse 50 seconds every 15 minutes.
I was considering going to 195 set point w/ 6 degrees differential.
I find it puzzling that with a 10 degree set point, that once 175 is hit, i loose another 6 degrees in water temp before the fire is started enough to stop the "bleeding".   Maybe i need more frequent and shorter pulses?

[boilerman101]

Bob, I don't think you have anything wrong. I pulse my 2400 for 50 sec every 20 minutes.
Dropping 6 degrees after a new burn cycle starts with your heavier load does not sound that wrong either. Just tells me you are returning a lot of cold water. A pool is a larger heat load than most realize, unless they are paying the electric or gas bill to do so and you have quite a few sq. ft. too. How many degrees does your pool loose when you have it turned off at night? Sounds like you would have to play a lot of catch up during the day to bring it back up to temp. Actually, you should burn more wood over night as those are your coldest temps of the day and you receive no benefit from any warm solar sun heat on house or coming in through windows as you do during daylight hours.  I also think a more frequent pulse would just burn up your coal bed and would not result in burning less wood as the bed would never rest. Regular reaction chamber temps over 1,000+ degrees during burn cycles would mean you are burning good wood and efficiently.

[Bob Lentz]

pool is indoor and covered - we drop about 3 degrees overnight 88 to 85.  I turn it off at night knowing the heat load is higher for the rest of the house at night. During the day, sun is out and it's reversed so it made sense to heat pool during the daylight hours.  I have tried leaving on all night and it really didn't make much of a difference but that was before i got the tool to monitor via network.

You mention a 6 degree drop with high load seems normal - however, at night, the load is lighter since the pool is off. I can understand during the morning hours high demand, warming up the house, pool heat turns on at 9:00am, domestic hot water re-heated after showers - big demand. But at night? I don't get it.