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Taking a winter vacation when you have an OWB

Started by redgator, February 01, 2009, 01:09:44 PM

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redgator

Well, I've looked around through this site and only found a little information on shutting down a CB e-classic.  In general, what do you guys do with your OWB when you need to go away for a long weekend (or a week) during the winter heating season?  Assume that the OWB is connected to a central forced-hot-air furnace (LP) so there's the backup heat.

OK, so the first choice is to call in a favor and have someone come over and fill the furnace once or twice a day.  So, the question really relates to the situation where that's not going to work.

From what I have been able to piece together, the general approach would be to let the fire die down, turn the blower(s) off, leave the pump running, let the backup furnace heat provide the heat for the house, and then the stored heat in the OWB plus the backup furnace heating the OWB water via the heat exchanger keeps everything from freezing. 

Is this about all there is to it?  Will this really keep everything from freezing up and damaging things?  Using glycol when you have a 450 gal water jacket just doesn't seem practical.  Thanks.

cb6048

I was told from my dealer to shut the pump off on the house boiler side of the heat exchanger and leave the pump on the owb on. Therefore your not heating the owb with your house boiler. As long as the owb is circulating its own water it won't freeze.
when hell freezes over I'll snowmobile there too

cb6048

It also helped that 2 cases of Sam Adams got my brother in law next door to stuff it for a 7 day snowmobile trip. While my wife (his sister was home) as she will not "have anything to do with this stove"! ::)
when hell freezes over I'll snowmobile there too

terra8186

<she will not "have anything to do with this stove"! >

I would remind her that the 6048 is big enough to fit her in it.

rowerwet

I have a OPB, when I shut it off (day temps above 60* for a week) I left the OPB pump on and shut off the wrap around pump, the water transfers enough heat to keep the OPB from freezing at night.
Husky 460, Fiskars x27, X7

cb6048

Quote from: terra8186 on February 01, 2009, 09:19:07 PM
<she will not "have anything to do with this stove"! >

I would remind her that the 6048 is big enough to fit her in it.
lol! those words may have been said a time or two 'round here. My best friend married my wife's sister he has a 7260 we thought a two for one sale!
when hell freezes over I'll snowmobile there too

muckamuck

This is what I did for a 3 day weekend, but it should work for a longer vacation as well.  I have insulated the back panel section so the pipes stay warm even during power failure (see previous post and picture).  In my setup I have a heat exchanger with a selonoid on the return line to the OWB.  The selonoid is adjustable for temperature and above the setpoint the OWB (which pumps continously to the exchanger) is obviously hot and the selonoid runs the other pump from the oil boiler to the exhanger with no electricy to the oil burner.  Below the set point the selonoid switches off the pump and runs electricity to the oil burner itself (and it will bring the house up to full temperature on oil alone).  Before going on vacation (make sure you have cleaned ashes etc) load the e classic up with wood and get the fire going etc, then use the menu to turn the classic set temp down to 155F. Push the button on dual fuel to provide autorelight (and program the air pulse and/or paperclip trick see previous posts).  Go back to the house and turn the selonoid setpoint up to about 160 or higher.  When the OWB cools to 155 or less the selonoid will turn on the oil boiler to keep house warm.  The e classic now just idles for days to keep itself at 155 with no heat load to house and uses hardly any wood. It will relight itself with propane.  I think it would keep itself warm for week or two before wood gives out then it would still take days to cool off further.  You can also use the propane backup option but I have not done this.  For those without dual fuel it may be hard to idle that low; maybe you could play with the size of the paper clip but I think that might be a dangerous way to idle (it would either go out or overheat).

firefreak47

i have a 5036 hooked direct to furnace no exchanger,planning ongoing away i put a tee in it before the indoor furnace, so i shut the valves off going into and out of indoor furnace and open the valve on the tee,i have a circulating pump at the owf so it circulates up tp the indoor furnace and back out with out going in the furnace,after two weeks with weather in the 20s during the day and single digits at night water temp was at 40 still above freezing plus as stated above circulating water wont freeze

woodmills1

James Mills,Lovely wife,collect old tools,vacuuming fool,36 bdft/hr,oak paper cutter,ebonic yooper rapper nauga seller, Blue Ox? its not fast, 2 cat family, LT70,edger, 375 bd ft/hr, we like Bob,free heat,no oil 12 years,big splitter, baked stuffed lobster, still cuttin the logs dere IAM

stumper

Muckamuck - not heating the OWB may work down south (MASS.) but at 20 below I think things would freeze if you just left the pump circulating. 

muckamuck

Well, my weekend was cold by balmy Massachusett's standard (about 15 degress) and my classic only burned about 12 logs over the weekend just keeping itself warm and I guess it could go a week before the wood ran out in the firebox.  It may not work at 20 below, but if you have dual fuel then you could try the propane backup option or you could run both pumps and heat the classic with the heat from the oil burner.  I would hate to go the antifreeze option as it is costly and I'm told with open systems it can cause corrosion after awhile.  Draining sounds like a pain and I'm not sure draining would work unless you are sure your underground pipes are frost free.  I guess you need good neighbors to help you out.

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