Taking winter vacation with OWB e classic

muckamuck · January 08, 2010, 12:21:09 PM

Hi to all,
This topic was discussed last Feb. 1, 2009 and this is an update. I went on vacation for 7 days. I filled firebox nearly full (careful to stack very dry wood with some small round logs to act as ball bearings in to prevent bridging). The reason I say very dry is that I think some of the bridging problem is due to creosote glue forming on the unburnt logs and gluing them together in a bridge if the wood is slightly wet. Then I turned the set temp down to 150, (so my house will switch to oil immediately and not try to draw heat from the boiler). After 7 days with temps in the teens the fire was out with the water at 82F. The pump was running continuously to the heat exchanger in the house but the other side of the heat exchanger was not running to the oil furnace.
I guess I would not want to go much longer than a week at those temps.
-Muckamuck

renegadecj · January 08, 2010, 12:49:31 PM

Due to an injury, I couldn't load my e-classic for 10 days. Unlike you, I turned it to 150 just switched my bypass valve at my heat exchanger when I couldn't load anymore, and let it burn out. After running for 5 days, the water temp was at 50, and after 10 days, only dropped to 49. I'm guessing since the tubing all runs below frost line, that is the ground temp. I actually propped the door slightly open to shut the fans off.

I'd be curious if it would drop any lower....I was a little worried about something freezing on the e-classic, but it was fine.

firefreak47 · January 08, 2010, 11:45:25 PM

i have a 5036 not an e classic but last year had to shut mine down in jan. and didnt get it going the rest of the winter i have a circulator pump on the furnace and valves inside next to oil furnace so i can stop it from going to oil furnace but continue to circulate and temp stayed 40 or above and my lines are only about 18 inches in ground, but circulating water can not freeze

stumper · January 09, 2010, 08:23:27 AM

I had this issue last year (I think I started that thread). CB was no help. What I did was installed an outlet in back before the connection to the boiler. This allowed the circulator pump to run but not the fan. The oil furnace kept the water above freezing. With temp at 10 below when we left freezing was a strong concern. Worked fine. Next time I will likely turn my circulator pump down to medium.

I bumped the temp control to 195 to leave the warmest water possible, and filled the boiler with wood. I hoped that the paper clip would be enough to allow the boiler to smolder for a while and help keep the water warm. I also had no luck with that thought. When I came back I had to unload the wood to add kindling and build a fire. If I ever have a vacation again I may add something to prop the flap up a 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch instead of the 1/16 to 1/8 the paper clip allowes.

I have thought about adding a timer in back that would turn the power to the boiler on for 15 minutes every hour but that would only be good for a weekend away. 12 hour run time divided by 1/4 hour equals 48 hours. Those of you in warmer climes or with smaller heat loads could get more time away.

I understand that the newest eclassic have a more elaborate control that may be able to be programmed as such.

ken999 · January 09, 2010, 08:58:50 AM

Add me to the list of people that would like to see a controller that was programmable. I'd like to have different settings for differentials etc.

I'll likely add in an outlet to keep the fan from running too as I'm going to try using the e-Classic for domestic hot water this summer. My thinking is run the water up to 195, then shut the fan down and circulate until another fire is needed.

stumper · January 09, 2010, 06:02:18 PM

The new controler would be nice, but I understand it is very expensive and more prone to issues.

ken999 · January 10, 2010, 10:43:22 AM

How expensive and what issues?

JJ · January 10, 2010, 03:02:59 PM

Last year, I run out of seasoned wood in end of Feburary.
I just left both pump running on each side of my heat exchanger, and e-classic water temp stayed at 150F. My oil furnace did not seem to work harder than usual, but did not need to burn as long, as water temp was pre-heated by heat stored in the e-classic.

JJ