Heating Help Website

Mark M · December 01, 2003, 02:24:54 PM

I found a really good site for information about boilers and heating help, it's called Heating Help.com.
They have a Hot Tech Topic section that has just about everything you need to know about hot water boilers, radiators, etc. There is also a forum called The Wall where you can ask questions.

Mark

Wes · December 01, 2003, 06:48:03 PM

Mark,
I read two of Dan Holohan,s books.
The lost art of steam heating & howcome. from heating help.com.He is truely an expert in the field and his writing is easily read and interesting.
Wes.

Mark M · December 02, 2003, 06:44:59 AM

I ordered a couple of his books, I think Howcome was one of them. I spent a bunch of time at that site reading all about boilers and radiators since I am in the process of installing a wood boiler now and want to learn as much as I can.

IndyIan · December 02, 2003, 11:54:16 AM

Good site Mark!
Did you decide on a wood gasification boiler? I'm looking at outdoor wood boilers and trying to decide which one would be best for us.
Ian

Wes · December 02, 2003, 03:25:56 PM

Mark,
A friend of mine recently installed a wood boiler,[central boiler] it works great.I may install one myself someday and its a good way to get rid of slab wood and cutoff's.
The book HowCome should cover everything you need to know about hot water systems.
Wes

Mark M · December 02, 2003, 03:46:03 PM

I got an AHS wood gasification boiler, and it was delivered personally by the owner of the company on Thanksgiving day! I'll post some pictures as soon as I take some and while I'm setting it up. I'm really impressed with the quality and build. It is about as tall and wide as a refrigerator and about 4 feet deep. Weighs 2500 lbs and a good portion of it is 1/4" stainless steel. Right now I'm shopping for chimneys, tubing, and the like. Hope to get it up and running in the next couple of weeks but I have a lot of work to do and am nervous about taping into the existing system in case I don't have something I need. It can get pretty cold this time of the year.

Wes · December 02, 2003, 04:32:40 PM

I dont want to sound ignorant but what is wood gasification?

Mark M · December 02, 2003, 05:56:35 PM

Hi Wes

Well basically you heat the wood up until it gives off combustable gases and then you burn the gas. The stove has a wood chamber and the combustion takes place below it in a refractory chamber.. A lot of air is sucked through the refractory so the flame burns like a jet engine at about 2000F degrees. Heat from the refractory is used to cook the wood. The ash pan is about the size of a cake pan and located in a cyclonic seperator at the side of the boiler, the stack hooks to the cyclone. It burns so completely that there is little ash or smoke. The hot burning gas is then routed through a stainless steel heat exchanger surronded by water. The temperature is then reduced to about 300F and up the chimney it goes.

Hope this helps.

Mark

IndyIan · December 02, 2003, 06:11:25 PM

Is the furnance inside the thurdy room house? Wood gasification sounds very cool, what's the efficiency like on yours? I think they are way up there. Lack of efficiency is my only worry about the outdoor boiler. A 2000 degF burn would be a dream in an outdoor boiler. I think they are doing well to get 1000F. Anyways, we're building the tree room house so I think we'll be ok with the regular boiler.

Let us know when you've the gasifier going!
Ian

Mark M · December 02, 2003, 06:38:36 PM

Hi Ian

I don't know but I think it would be too heavy for da tree house. :D

I can't remember the efficency but I think it was something like 85%???? We are putting the boiler in the garage for now. I would like to have a little building for it but it's too late to start one now and besides that it will be nice to have a little heat in the garage. We have a 2 car garage and the fellow who delivered it said it should keep it around 50 or so. I'm not sure he realizes how DanG'd nasty it can get out here on the prairie though but I'll be happy if it keeps the garage above freezing.

I'll try to get some pictures soon.

Mark

Minnesota_boy · December 02, 2003, 07:24:50 PM

Hey Mark,
I think he meant 50 below. :D

I have a good idea how cold it can get out there. I've been thinking of how to put up a fence to keep that cold air out there. :

Mark M · December 03, 2003, 06:17:53 AM

Maybe we should build that fence west of here a little then we'd both be warm

Wes · December 03, 2003, 05:24:23 PM

Mark,
That boiler sounds very interesting, Id like to find out more about this gasification stuff. Do they have a web site?
85% efficiency sounds perty good for a big wood stove.
Wes.