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Did I make the right decision by buying a used 2011 E-Classic 2400

Started by Clubfed, March 13, 2015, 07:57:46 PM

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Clubfed

         Hello All.  I live in the good ole EPA regulated state of Indiana.  I live out in the boonies, where I have to pipe in sunlight, on 75 acres of land.  It is mostly wooded with various species of hardwoods.   My house is a 2020 sf ranch on a full unfinished basement, built in 2008.  The house is total electric with a heat pump.  Yeah, I know what a joke with Indiana weather.  I curse the previous owners every winter.  The past three months my electric bills have been $475, $525 and $595.  They are normally $125 during normal months.  The bad part is my thermostat stays at 63 and I practically freeze inside my own house.  I tell myself every winter that this is the last winter I will be uncomfortable in my own home.  I have finally reached my breaking or shall i say freezing point.  Needless to say, for the past several months I have been vigorously searching for the best Phase II OWB for my needs.
         In the late 80's I had a Taylor 450 installed in a previous home. This served me well for nine years until it developed pin hole leaks in the fire box.  I spent $1000 dollars to get it reworked and it barely lasted another year. I then bought a Taylor 750 which was a more efficient and a better all-around OWB than the earlier Taylor. I have since sold that property and left the OWB there.  I have talked myself out of buying a third Taylor and besides I don't think their current OWB meet the new EPA guidelines.
         There are limited options for OWB around my area, so after extensive reading and research, mostly from contributors on this forum, Thanks to all, I decided to contact the Central Boiler dealers in my vicinity.  The closest dealer to me is 50 miles away so all of the info i have gathered about CB has been through phone conversations with different dealers.  After talking to several dealers, the conclusion i have come to is that the only options for Indiana are the Classic 6048 and the E-Classic series.  I was seriously considering the Classic 6048 for its ease of operation and familiarity with a similar OWB.  I decided against the 6048 mainly due to the fact that I think it would be overkill for just a house, attached garage and hot water needs.  I also don't have much faith with any Federal agency telling me what I can and can not have on my own property, so I erred on the side of caution. My decision was made to research and look for the best prices for the E-Classic 2400.
         I am the type of person that will over research on a major purchase before pulling the trigger. After extensive searches on classifieds, local papers and some Guys list, nothing was available. Shocking that no-one wants to get rid of their primary heat source in the dead of the winter. Just for giggles, this past week I went to a famous online auction site and lo and behold there was a No Reserve listing for a 2011 E-Classic 2400.  The OWB was in Wilmington, DE and had been used for two winters.  The person had it listed for free shipping with the USPS.  I notified them of the error in their listing and was told that a friend would deliver it to the winner of the auction. Long story short I religiously watched the auction for 3 days and in the end I was the proud owner, at least I hope it turns out that way, of a CB 2400.  The OWB has not been delivered yet but I don"t think I got hurt too bad for $6200 with no sales tax or shipping fees.
         Now onto the many questions I have for all you OWB experts.  What do I need to look at with regard to a used OWB before it is hooked up and operational, to make sure I didn't buy a lemon?  It will probably be a couple months before I get all the parts and pieces together, so if there are any issues with it I need to find them now rather than later.  Is the Warranty transferable from the previous owner?  Where can I procure an operators, owners manual and installation guide?   I'm sure it will not come with either of these manuals and I doubt Central Boiler will be very accommodating since I didn't purchase it from them.  Where can I get schematics, diagrams and other information on the best and most efficient ways to plumb the inside of the house?  Does my existing fan in the air plenum have to push air over the heat exchanger or can it pull it over it?  The reason I ask this question is the plenum above the fan is substantially smaller than below it.  How do I figure out what size lines, heat exchangers and what valves I need?  Any recommendations for places to shop for all the valves, fittings, pipes and exchangers I am going to need?  I have previous OWB experience but it was basically throw your wood in, rake the coals, occasional cleaning and water treatment, nothing of the magnitude that this OWB seems to require.  Now the most important question!  Am I going to be over my head with the attention this OWB requires?  Will I be better off trading it for the more simpler 6048 model.
         Thanks to all for listening to my long winded story.  I will greatly appreciate any advice, information or critiques I can get.  This is a new beginning for me and i just hope that I haven't bitten off more that I can chew
                                                                                                   

landscraper

I know nothing about CB units or their operation, but I applaud you for taking control of your situation.  I am baffled by the people I talk to who just endure it year after year rather than doing something about it, although I realize some are trapped in their situation.   The tipping point for me was years ago, propane went through the roof right at fill up time.  My wife called me with concern in her voice as she read a bill that was triple our normal amount. 

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable about your 2400 will come along shortly, there are so many people and so much knowledge on this forum it's amazing.

Welcome to the forum!
Firewood is energy independence on a personal scale.

AsaG

Welcome aboard!

Now on the the business....

A good, through visual inspection of of the entire unit is the first order of business. If everything looks sound, connect power and enter testing mode on the controller.  This will cycle the fan and solenoids for proper function.  Empty and with no fire, the water temperature and reaction chamber temps should read very close.  If not, you may need to replace a thermocouple.  A failure would be rare but the do fail.  If all looks and checks out good, you're ready to water test and connect the plumbing.  If you fill (even before plumbing), it's a good idea to go ahead and fire the unit.  In addition to verifying proper operation, heating the water above 150°F will greatly speed removal of dissolved oxygen in the source water; minimizing corrosion in the water jacket.  You will need two gallons of CB water treatment and a CB water testing kit. 

The warranty isn't transferable.  In all honesty, it's hasn't proven to be too useful even for the original owner.  Doesn't seem to matter what fails, it's not covered.  Getting educated about your boiler and knowing how to troubleshoot a problem is golden.

A CB dealer can get you a manual.  CB is actually pretty responsive about dealing with the end users.  A call to them may land you a manual.  At worst, all they'll say is contact a dealer.  A wiring schematic is permanently attached to the inside of the air box door.  If it's been stained with smoke/creosote CB or a CB dealer can get you a replacement.

Many of your other questions are location and installation specific.  Aside from advising to place your heat exchanger in the supply plenum, I have little else to offer up.  Placing the heat exchanger in the return plenum exposes the blower motor to significantly more heat than what it's exposed to by being upstream of the refrigeration coil.  The strip heaters are on the supply side of the blower.  Also, if, for whatever reason, the heatpump were to run while you are heating with the OWB, the result will be very high refrigeration pressures in the system - VERY, VERY high if the system uses R-410A.  Compressor damage would be likely if the system lacks a high-pressure cut off switch.

I had a 6048 before my E-Classic and, quite frankly, the maintenance isn't that much more time consuming.  The routine is a little different but time-wise it's about the same.  The ticket to a happy life is dry fuel.  If your fuel is dry, life is good.  Wet wood and you'll be cussing it.  At the end of the day, no two of these will behave exactly the same.  How yours works and the requirements to make it happy will be nearly as unique as your fingerprints.  After a short time, you'll be able to walk by it and know exactly what to do.  In fact, you'll know what to do and when to do it before you even walk out the door.   ;)


boilerman101

Clubfed good to hear you have turned your back on high energy bills and a cold house! I have a 2010 E2400 and love it! If the unit you just purchased has been maintained and taken care of, you'll be off and running. I feel it is the best gasser on the market. Yes, put 2 jugs of corrosion inhibitor in when you fill it. They do operate different than the traditional models, but really not that much more work and you save a lot of wood with their efficiency. I would try to call CB for direction on an owners manual. I would also recommend you visit their website www.centralboiler.com they have great install illustrations under the "How it works" tab and I would highly recommend you look under the "Brochures and Video's" tab and watch the Eclassic videos. Eclassic Advantage, Initial Start up and Refueling tips videos will cut your "learning curve" time immensely. Should be people here that can help as well.

Clubfed

Thanks for the advice AsaG and boilerman101.  I cant wait to finally see the OWB on my property so I'm no longer at the mercy of the utility companies.  Is it worth it to burn the boiler year round or will this shorten the lifespan of the OWB.  Wood is not an issue, I have plenty of it.

boilerman101

I personally don't burn year round. Gassers seem to prefer to work than idle. If I had a pool maybe, but just a water heater nah.

Logging logginglogging

If you are out in the boonies, on 75 acres of land, Use whatever you like for a stove EPA or not and tell no one!!

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