In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

Outdoor Wood Boiler Plan & Install

Discussion in 'OWB's and Gasification Boilers' started by VOLKEVIN, Sep 8, 2018.

  1. VOLKEVIN

    VOLKEVIN

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    Like lukem , I’m starting my OWB project. I am going with a Portage & Main boiler, and got 165’ of Thermopex supply+return insulated line.
    I got the project started last week, and took pics. I’ll post as the project goes along. There are a few wrinkles thrown in the mix that are making it interesting.

    For starters, there is about 35 feet of brick patio that I was not excited about tearing up, since it would never go down the same way it lays now. The basement had two, 2 inch flexible lines that I was pretty sure ran straight out the back of the house- the House came with an old hot tub that had been boarded over with plywood. I took the plywood off and hooked up straps, and pulled the
    hot tub up. The two lines were indeed hooked up to the hot tub, as supply and drain lines. I had the idea to run the Thermopex line to the hot tub area, and I’ll make a connection and have some sort of access box for any future maintenance needs. The next step is to run PEX line through the old lines under the patio and into the basement. So, doesn’t look like I have to tear up the brick and the footers for the raised bed...sometimes you just get lucky.

    4C722BB9-3220-4307-85FD-A90C8103AB8F.jpeg 57BE94F0-5524-4383-BA08-8512ACEAF1AA.jpeg 1DB9B40E-6A58-44B8-865C-3C38D12D5BAF.jpeg
     
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  2. Chaz

    Chaz

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  3. VOLKEVIN

    VOLKEVIN

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    FA7841F1-7CD9-400C-8E59-AED4C1D1DAE5.jpeg BB7222E0-A7C0-463D-87EF-5C648CAF37DC.jpeg 5DDA490A-DB3E-4AD2-83CC-7A48D4B31B8B.jpeg AB74DB42-6039-4B25-AF3F-77B7178C716F.jpeg 70311388-FEDE-4CFC-A986-1ABD2F12929C.jpeg Next was running the PEX line through the existing lines. It wasn’t too bad, except every 10 feet there was a connector on the existing line, and of course the new line would catch it and be a pain to get over it. As soon as the PEX passed the connector, it easily slid the next 10 feet til’ we hit the next one. After a lot of backing it up and advancing, it finally emerged on the other side. One small victory!
     
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  4. Chaz

    Chaz

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    I take it the lines are being routed out through the garden area?

    Hate to ask too many questions, as you may address them in due time.

    Ok, back to my corner with beer and popcorn.
    :coldone::popcorn:
     
  5. VOLKEVIN

    VOLKEVIN

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    The next 10hours (yes, 10 freaking hours) was spent on the fun task of digging the trench line for the Thermopex to be buried. I called the utility company and had pre-marking done, and then subsequently had to call a private contractor to do the back yard. The public utility would only mark from the road to the meter box, an refused to do anything more. I pointed out the detached garage and the barn, and the response was a shrug of the shoulders and a “not our problem.” That’s your lines, if you cut them it’s not on us.” Some service, thanks a bunch! That’s where the private electrician came in, at additional expense. He marked the power line to the garage and the barn, along with a couple of unknown lines that sounded on the meter. This is the start of the fun of an extremely old 1800’s house that has had several owners- you don’t know who ran lines what for what purpose, and how deep. We started to dig the trench, and for the most part did okay and made great progress until we hit the 40 feet that had markings- those would have to be dug by hand. Normally, it wouldn’t be so bad except it meant careful scraping while trying to find unknown wire at unknown depth- and the thermometer was showing 92 degrees. It set us up for an uncomfortable digging session.
    The man that is helping me brought a great tool- an 8 foot piece of steel pipe cut on one end at a 45 degree angle that we could help make the tunnel hole under the footer and brick patio into the hot tub hole. So he dug the trench and we dropped the pipe, and he banged it forward, with me hand digging from the hot tub hole back toward him, we met in the middle, and we had win # 2! 2829DA6E-200F-4CED-BB44-486D545F0E70.jpeg F2F0E765-BA43-4A08-80E5-26A3F1FBDECD.jpeg FBFE70B7-029B-4A70-81C8-F42568348F13.jpeg
     
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  6. VOLKEVIN

    VOLKEVIN

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    From the depth of where the lines are in the basement and where they came in at the hot tub area, I believe the lines are about 18-20” under the patio, which would put them about 36” under the surface of the raised garden.
     
  7. VOLKEVIN

    VOLKEVIN

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    One of the unknowns involved the sprinklers- had no idea if they were installed as a loop, or a U shape or an H shape. Soooo, of course we hit and kinked a section of irrigation line....twice. Not too big of a repair, I think that goes with the territory- cost of doin business. I also dug into and cut through some unknown wire- looks like 14 gauge. It’s so small it hadn’t registered on the meter. I have absolutely no idea what it was for, seemed to be the wire to nowhere and serve no current purpose. No circuits tripped, so I’m not bothering with repairing it. I have a feeling it was for long-gone landscape lights.
    The only “oh sh**” moment came after about 7 hours, when we knicked and shattered some very old irrigation pipe that was the main line for the sprinklers in back. Work was halted til’ my plumber buddy came by and replaced that section of pipe. The only complex part was having to bale about 10-12 gallons of water out of the hole and deal with the subsequent mud.

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  8. lukem

    lukem

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  9. VOLKEVIN

    VOLKEVIN

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    00740B0F-915E-41BC-B204-32FF8A2B13AD.jpeg 7909A920-4F89-4941-8575-ECC9EE8F4279.jpeg 99F89BDC-3D8F-4509-BE42-321C63DE14B5.jpeg 6A1E941E-F49E-4F6C-A347-16134526232C.jpeg 7206CC05-05FF-4110-9830-6E229D2CCFDB.jpeg BCCE8B01-8DA2-4BD0-9276-56CD67ED8E23.jpeg Finished the main trench, and dug the second trench that will connect from the boiler to the garage and above-garage apartment. That one was a bear, due to a substantial amount of tree roots. I used a sawzall to cut through those, and the rest of the trench went pretty uneventful. Then we drilled through the outer wall and into the garage to be able to pass the line in, where I’ll make a 90 degree connector and run PEX straight up to the furnace in the attic of the apartment. We had an interesting curve when we drilled in through the wall when an extremely fine, granular wall insulation began pouring out of the wall. There was no stopping it- I stuffed a whole newspaper in the hole, and the insulation was so fine it just kept coming until it felt like stopping. Ultimately it was the volume of four 5-gallon buckets. That was an unknown that I don’t really know how I could have prevented, unless I had known and possibly pre-drilled several quarter inch holes and put spray foam insulation in to act as a ceiling of sorts.
    The insulated line is EXTREMELY stiff, and gave me a good idea of what the guys on National Geographic went through when they wrestle an anaconda in the Amazon. Getting it unrolled, straightened out and then maneuvered into place in the trenches was no joke. It was stiff in the heat, I can’t imagine trying to do it if the temps were cold.
    The photos are of the two trenches, main and secondary; the Thermopex line coiled up and then after it was unrolled, drilling the access hole into the garage, and the interior hole with the piled up insulation that spilled out.
    All in all, I think some good progress was made. Next, I’m framing out and pouring a concrete slab to accommodate the boiler but also to have a dry, flat place to hold about a cord and a half of wood. I’m planning 10 feet by 25 feet for that. Then I’ll set the boiler in place and we’ll fight the anaconda again to connect the lines to the rear of the boiler. I also have the HVAC guy to handle the interior part- connecting the PEX lines to the water-to-air heat exchangers; and then have a water-to-water heat exchanger and circulating pump done so I can heat my domestic hot water, also.
    With the rain we’re expecting over the next week, the concrete pad will have to wait. I’ll update again when the project starts again.
     
    Last edited: Sep 9, 2018
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  10. VOLKEVIN

    VOLKEVIN

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    If anyone has any tips or additional advice for things I may not have thought of, please suggest them! I’m all ears, and grateful for advice.
     
  11. lukem

    lukem

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    When you go to feed that thermopex up into the boiler, remove as much of the outer casing as you can while still leaving enough so the casing makes it a few inches through the bottom of the boiler. After the casing is removed take a regular hand saw and cut between the two lines for 6 inches or so...then pull the lines apart by hand. Once the casing is off and the lines are separated the stiffness factor is greatly reduced.

    To remove the casing get a brand new blade in your utility knife and make a cut around the circumference, then two cuts on opposite sides along the length. Grab a corner with a pair of pliers to get it started then it will peel right off. Leave the spray foam on the lines....its good insulation.
     
  12. brenndatomu

    brenndatomu

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    Looks like vermiculite...insulating a block wall with it is not unusual...some people try to use it to insulate chimney liners...can you imagine the mess in your living room if you messed with the stove and got that stuff started flowing?!
     
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  13. nsmaple

    nsmaple

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    Do you have enough room to make your slab big enough for your entire winters wood? Or even put a structure around the whole business? Keeping it out of the weather the whole winter would be a big plus - if possible.
     
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  14. Canadian border VT

    Canadian border VT

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    Nice progress..
     
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  15. VOLKEVIN

    VOLKEVIN

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    I actually repurposed the old hog shed for wood storage. It’s huge and covered, and I have about 8 cords in it with room for about 20+ more. This pad would be for immediate use, and I can transport the wood from the shed (about 100 yards away, behind the barn) via tractor. I also plan to do some sort of roof over the pad. Good suggestion!
     
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  16. AJtree88

    AJtree88

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    That thermopex is a major PITA. Use a heat gun to soften up the line before you insert your brass barb. I actually used a chainsaw to cut off my excess pipe and it left a very smooth cut. When I poured my pad, I used a five gallon bucket to give a half circle cut out to feed my pipe through. If I could do it again, I'd make it a tad bigger. I have a Hardy H4 and it wasn't easy to fit two lines in and snake it around the blower motor. I actually made a couple recess cuts in the boiler hood to make it work. I'm pretty happy with how my setup came out and I did it in December with a combination of frozen ground, snow, and mud. Take your time and do it right the first time.
     
  17. VOLKEVIN

    VOLKEVIN

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    image.jpg image.jpg image.jpg Got the area (8’x 24’) framed out for the pad, next is rebar and concrete. I’m doing a 5” thick slab so I won’t have any weight issues with wood later. I had the corrugated pipe already, so put it down in the ground and fed the Thermopex lines up through it, and will cut it off flush once the concrete is poured. That should give me a nice clean area to work if I need to change out a fitting or something down the road. The reason I oriented the boiler lines on that end of the pad is the direction of the boiler door (opens right to left). That’ll give me more working space.

    I was hoping to get poured this week but I don’t think the forecast is going to cooperate. Supposed to rain til’ next Saturday.
     
    Last edited: Sep 23, 2018
  18. VOLKEVIN

    VOLKEVIN

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    image.jpg Rain lasted a heck of a lot longer than thought, but finally got the pad poured. The interior work is wrapping up too, just have the get the fittings on the water-to-air heat exchangers and install them in the duct work, and have the HVAC guy make the connections and hook up the aquastat. I’m in the home stretch! Hoping to get the boiler in place next week.
     
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  19. lukem

    lukem

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    Why do you need an aquastat?
     
  20. VOLKEVIN

    VOLKEVIN

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    Unless I’m wrong, don’t I need one to control the forced air heat in case the boiler fire goes out or dies down?
     
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