Central Boiler HDX 560

[firebug82]

I recently had a Central Boiler 560HDX installed, and was looking to compare to other users, I know there are a number of variables such as demand/zones/wood quality/etc.  This stove is so far awesome!  I am looking to compare others that have the HDX and their Firestar history.  I am burning seasoned oak, and find I get very long times in between refills, yesterday I went 30 hours.  I see this stove burns more wood after the outdoor temperature is 15 and under.  I do wonder why my water temperature drops 5 degrees roughly every time the pulse kicks on.  I have my pulse set to every 15 minutes for 50 seconds as my dealer recommended that as much chunks are a bit bigger.  My reaction chamber hits 100%, most I've seen is maybe 105% and the temps in the 800-900 range, rarely over 1000 degrees.

Here is a history of the last 24 hours:
Just looking to compare other 360/560/760/960 HDX.


Thanks!

[sublime68charger]

oh I'll join this thread. last graph on my 760hdx and i'm burning some small rounds and then 4 big chunks of round that is not the best wood I save my good stuff for when its colder outside.


 

[sublime68charger]

I have been pretty happy with the 760HDX and my settings are all still factory level's I think.

I did bump the water temp back to 180 last fall when I started it up as I was burning all small rounds and at 185 I was getting to 190 due to Hot fires and having over run when the fans kicked off.  once it got colder I went back to the 185 and this fall I'm burning more big chunk wood that is fair to poor at the moment but it burns and makes heat.

best of luck and keep us updated on how things are working for you.

[firebug82]

Sublime, can you look at your FireStar Furnace settings and tell me what yours are set at:
2: Idle Pule Timeout Minutes
3: Minimum Idle Pulse Duration Seconds
4: Idle Pulse Temp Target Degrees

My load is about 1900 sq ft of in floor heat (Basement & Attached Garage) / Water Heater / Forced Air Coil in Furnance.  New home and insulated well!  I hope the 560HDX covers me.  I don't seem to have much demand for wood until about 15 degrees outside.  I also updated my controller to the latest firmware.

I don't see the drops in you water temp like I am seeing, it seems like something is a bit wonky when my Idle Pulse kicks in (each little green line is Pulse).

Thanks!

[sublime68charger]

Sublime, can you look at your FireStar Furnace settings and tell me what yours are set at:
2: Idle Pule Timeout Minutes   30
3: Minimum Idle Pulse Duration Seconds 50
4: Idle Pulse Temp Target Degrees 225

answers above.

Pretty sure those are factory.

[firebug82]

Mine are the same except 4: My Target Temp is 250.

I will follow up with my findings, I just don't think that water temp drop is normal!

Hopefully I can get some other images of others HDX stoves to compare.

Thanks,
Jeff

[sublime68charger]

my heat load is 2500 2 story house with temp at 72.  Foraced air.
1100 workshop with a 100BTU Mounted heater set at 55,
24x26 garage with a 50 BTU Mounted heater that I plug in when I want heat in the garage.
Though the garage has 80 feet of exposed pex line that up the walls and across ceiling that heat escapes from and garage stays above freeezing down to 10 degrees just from the heat from that exposed PEX,  Garage is insulted but not the best and has Gravel for a base so there's air seepage under the doors.  Its on my list to put insulation on the Pex in the garage to help with heat loss but thats a cold day project as I can due that when I don't want to be working outside on stuff. 

so far so good on stuff.

[sublime68charger]

Jeff are you on Face Book there is a Central Boilers group there that you can get good information from.

I like forums better as you can look your question back up for reference and such vs the FB which is here today and then darn hard to find tomorrow or next week when you need it again.

Best of luck 

[firebug82]

I am not currently, perhaps I will take a look.  Thanks!

Stay tuned.
Jeff

[sublime68charger]

the face book group is pretty active and lots of questions all but I like the forum better as you can look up other peoples problems that are like yours and find solutions instead of waiting for somebody to give you a answer.  

[firebug82]

Sublime I have an update:
I switched my Pulse Temp Degree to what you have an no change.

I was wondering if you could stand at your boiler when the Pulse kicks in and tell me what lights turn on.  When mine runs pulse the Fan, Primary, Secondary all turn Red.  What does yours do?

Thanks in advance.

Jeff

[sublime68charger]

thinking mine all due as well I'll have time over the weekend and be near the stove and will try and catch in during a pulse and report back.

I wish there was a way to change the Reaction to the temp vs the % on the display as I filled mine tonight had some embers and chunks left from the day's burn and not able to get a good stir of the coal bed added in some little rounds and 1 big chunk and had to hang around for a few minutes to make sure my reaction % was going up.  It did and I doulbe checked the fire box and had good flame in there.  This moring it ran the fan for 40 minutes before it went back up on the %.  Was at 15% at loading at 7.20am water at 167.  at 7.50am was at 8% and water at 162 was just about to leave work and go home and restir the fire box but at 8.00am it was at 8% and water at 162,  8.05am 22% and water at 163 and from there it behaved fine.  Thinking I might make the pulse longer to flame it back up better on the long idle times?  This weather of 25-40 degrees the stoves idle to long between burns and take a bit to get fire going again but then its not a huge deal to relight when temp is 25 or so. Its a bigger pain to relight when its 10 outside and windy and dark and cold.  Stove is tuned to run better in the colder weather and just sort of chugs its way threw on the milder temps.  At least that is how I think about it.
Wish was able to adjust setting via the web interface I'd be goofing with them alot more vs have to us the controller input is pain to make changes.
Maybe the new software lets you due that I'm not for sure I should look into that I suppose.

[firebug82]

Sounds great, I have the latest software and you can't modify the settings, it must be done at the controller.  You can enable the reaction temp in the firestar graph but not on the controller.  The reaction temp is all the way to the left mine displays as a little dash -.  I never have mine burn out which is good!  You are right this 40 degree weather does no good for our burning hobby.     Happy Thanksgiving!

Jeff

[Tim Crowley]

On the topic of the Fire Star.  My 560 is re-firing when the water temp gets down to 160-165.  Shouldn't it be re-firing at a higher temp, like 170-175?

[sublime68charger]

On the topic of the Fire Star.  My 560 is re-firing when the water temp gets down to 160-165.  Shouldn't it be re-firing at a higher temp, like 170-175?

From your Firestar web Page at the main dashborad click on the settings button on the left and look at what your water temp diff is at?  the what is your water temp set point that will tell you when the fan will kick back on?  My Water temp diff is 20,  Water set point is 185.  
You can change your water temp diff but have to due that at the furnance I wish you could make changes on the internet interface.

[Tim Crowley]

Hi, sublime . . . 

So, if your boiler's set-point is at 185, with a differential of 20 degrees, then your boiler is also re-firing at 165.  Does that differential work for you, or have your changed the differential to, say, 10 degrees, allowing your boiler to re-fire at, say, 175?  Is this something I would do using the menu on the Firestar to adjust the differential?

Thanks.

Tim

[PoginyHill]

During colder months I have my setpoint at 190. (185 in spring and fall) If nothing happens to be calling in the house at the end of the cycle, the temp might spike to 193 or so. But I have never had an issue with over temp. Currently I use a differential of 13. Had been using 10. But noticed that with only a 10 deg differential, the fire was just getting going when the 190 setpoint was reached and it shut off. I may further increase that to 15 or 20. Fun to play around with such things.

[sublime68charger]

Hi, sublime . . .

So, if your boiler's set-point is at 185, with a differential of 20 degrees, then your boiler is also re-firing at 165.  Does that differential work for you, or have your changed the differential to, say, 10 degrees, allowing your boiler to re-fire at, say, 175?  Is this something I would do using the menu on the Firestar to adjust the differential?

Thanks.

Tim

I pretty sure you have to go threw the menu options on the boiler panel if you want to change your settings.  
I wish you could adjust via the web interface that would be great.
There was a Bios Update this year for the firestar I think which gives you a smoke free reload option you can click that like 5 min before your going to reload and it kicks the fan on so the fire box is clear of smoke when you open the door.
  I usually open the bypass then open the door on the boiler and go and fill my wheel barrow with wood to clear the smoke out before I stack the firebox with wood.  

[sublime68charger]

I want to say at the startup last year I was running 180-160 and read someplace to try and keep water above 160 and some times on my low I'd get to 155 or so.  I bumped it to the 185-165 and am happy with that.  

If I could adjust it via the web I for sure would always be messing with the settings.

Changing via the control panel is not hard or really complactied its just cumbersome compared to if you could make changes from a web page computer screen.

[WI Fire]

I just fired the 560 titanium HDX on Oct 31, 2021. Very Impressed so far. Bit of learning curve adjusting how deep to leave the coal bed before adding larger, slightly less seasoned wood. Luckily, I have some very very dry pine and can mix with red oak...

Regarding temperature set point differential, before I purchased, talking to CB people, I was advised that part of the efficiency- that is-- longer loading intervals and less wood usage, is calculated on a wider temp differential, for example, 20 degrees. Titanium jacket combined with proper corrosion inhibitor levels makes condensation less of an issue regarding risk of rust--- hence wood savings.

My experience was to decrease that gap to 15 degree differential when warmer, and also have more frequent and perhaps longer pulse intervals in warmer , (30 DEGREE  F.  AND ABOVE) temperatures. I agree with above earlier comments that colder is better for efficient burns. I'm also learning that the 3 main contributors to 100% BURN CYCLES is : Air Flow, Air Flow and Air Flow- the coal bed, the air side channels and the turbulators. I Find that the wire brush from Central boiler, SKU #390, originally for the E-2400, is a PERFECT fit for brushing the rear heat exchangers once the turbulators are removed.

Hope this helps. In fact, I dread that I will soon go outside to do that today, with snow and blowing wind