# My Central Boiler CL6048 OWB Installation Thread!



## OH_Varmntr (Oct 20, 2012)

Well I finally did it. I broke down and brought home a Central Boiler 6048 today. I'm planning on heating my attached garage and putting in a shop in the future, as well as putting in-floor heating in the master bath once we remodel it so I bought bigger than I currently need, but it's all good. :hmm3grin2orange:

I'll be pumping hot water to a heat exchanger on my water heater, then up to the attic of my 2 story house. That's where an air handler with a 100k btu exchanger will be located to handle the second floor, which is where all 4 of our bedrooms are located as well as the regular bathroom and our master. I was set up with a Taco 009 pump that can handle 30' of head, although I should be at 22' max head with my setup. 

Anyways, from there it will go to another air handler with a 100k btu exchanger that will be located underneath the basement staircase, and that one will take care of the basement and first floor. After that, it's going to head back out to the OWB. Eventually I'd like to heat the attached garage, so when I get that put in, it will run through that exchanger too before returning to the OWB.

So enough of my plan. I picked up my 6048 today, with 80' of ThermoPEX underground pipe and everything except my 2nd air handler setup and the pump flange kit (on order). I've got the concrete block foundation laid out where I want it and will be leveling the ground tomorrow and setting the unit on the block. 

I chose not to pour a concrete slab at this time. I'm not 100% sure this will be the permanent location, so for now it will be set on 8"x16" solid concrete blocks that are 4" thick. I've got an 80' trench to dig, and will be renting an trencher tomorrow to do that task. The neighbor is bringing down his loader to see if it will pick up the OWB. 

I've got a lot of work to do tomorrow. Oh, did I mention that the dealer I bought it from is also a Jonsored saw dealer and gave me a FREE chainsaw? They had a deal going on now that when you buy a Central Boiler OWB they throw in a FREE chainsaw!  It's a CS2250S. 50.2ccs, 16" B&C, dealer brought it out for me full of gas and mix, and said she's already been broke in and ready to cut. Starts right up and seems very smooth from what I could tell without putting it in wood. I've got enough work to do before I can play anymore right now. :hmm3grin2orange:

Anyways, here's the only pics you get for tonight. I'll be taking many more throughout this process and will be sharing them with everyone here. 

Unit on my trailer, with the little Jonsored next to it.






My Stihls with the black sheep. Back to front: 088, 028AV Super, 026, MS180, Jonsored CS2250S.


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## Fifelaker (Oct 20, 2012)

You will like the C.B. I have had mine for 9 years now and love it and didn't get a free saw. I would rep you but I am out of bullets.


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## junkman 0407 (Oct 21, 2012)

Good luck with the install on the CB. Just purchased the same model a week ago finally got it all installed today and fired it up so far so good. Good luck and congrats


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## Blazin (Oct 21, 2012)

Good choice! I'm going on 7 years with my CB, wished I would got it a long time ago!


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## russhd1997 (Oct 21, 2012)

When I bought my Central 6048 I didn't get a chainsaw but I did get something just as good. My Central dealer didn't charge me the $600 shipping fee that all of the other Central dealers in the area were charging. I had to drive a little farther to pick it up but the spiff made it worth it. You're going to like that OWB by the way. 

Here's a pic of mine.


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## OH_Varmntr (Oct 21, 2012)

My dealer charged me $300 for freight, but CB has a $300 rebate right now so it cancels it out I guess. The saw was "free", but I ultimately paid for it one way or another. :msp_razz:


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## atlarge54 (Oct 21, 2012)

Nice looking boiler!

Do you really think 1" pex will feed a pair of 100K BTU HX in series? Those HX ratings are usually for optimal conditions. I think a little resarch or help from a pro would be good before you dive in. Probably a primary secondary setup is best. 

GPM x 8.33(lb/gal) x temp delta(temp in-temp out) x 60(min/hr)= heat removed/hr

Maybe someone will come along a tell you what kind of temp drops they have on their HX's. I haven't looked it up for a long time but just guessing a Taco 009 is in the 10GPM or less area. To get higher flows it takes a more powerful pump and gets the piping out of it's comfort zone. That's why a larger diameter (lower head) primary loop is desirable, you then pull your heat loads off that loop.


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## AdamG (Oct 21, 2012)

Congrats! Didn't get a saw with mine- but the dealer did deliver and set it for free. 
I too went with the 6048 Last year- planning ahead for future garages- And I don't think I could've made a better choice. My brother has a 5036 and It feeds his house nicely. Between the two, we both agree the roomy firebox of the 6048 is nicer for clean outs and raking.

Adam


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## OH_Varmntr (Oct 21, 2012)

Today was quite productive!

Laid out and leveled the concrete block perimeter-foundation. The neighbor brought down his skid loader and picked the 6048 up off the trailer and set it down on the foundation for me. That's really all I wanted to get done today, but it was so very nice out I decided to keep going.

I started to dig 80' of trench, with nothing but a pick-axe and a spade. :hmm3grin2orange:

I didn't know that the local John Deere dealer quit renting equipment so I was unable to secure a mini-excavator for today (overkill for a trench, I know, but I had some more earth to move than that). So I figure I'll just save $250 for a day rental and I'd dig it myself. Wasn't too bad until I hit hard clay about 10" down. Either way, I'm 16" down now, with only a few feet left to dig where the ThermoPex enters the house. 

I also have to try to bend the pipe where it comes up under the unit. I'm thinking if I warm it up enough I can get it to bend a little tighter radius than the 3' radius they say it can go. Worse comes to worse, I'll strip the shell off the ThermoPex and go from there.

As far as the pump flow goes and the HX efficiency here's what I've found in the data tables in the "Hydronic Component Selection Guide" provided by Central Boiler. 

The 009 pump is rated to flow 5gpm at 25' of head, which is about where I'll be. So after the first brazed plate hx on the hot water tank (haven't found any data on it), the water will flow through the first 100k btu hx. 

The blower I have is the 1/4hp 3-speed blower. I'm _assuming_ the data tables are built around the 3-spd blower I have, as there are 3 sets of cfm specs: 1000, 1200, and 1400 cfm. I'm going to base my information off of the 1000cfm as a worst-case scenario given the fact I don't know how many cfm my blower runs since I can't find data on it.

So at 5gpm the 100k btu hx will offer up to 70,400 btus with an air flow of 1000cfm over the fins. That is based on an entering water temp of 185* (assuming zero temp drop across the plate exchanger for the domestic hot water), which will drop the water temp down so it leaves at 156.2*F. That will heat 60*F incoming air so that it leaves the hx at 124.6*F. My basement stays 69*F quite steadily, so those air temp numbers should be slightly higher given I am pulling air from the basement. 

The same 100k btu hx is rated at 58,900 btus if everything above applies except for a 165*F entering water temp. The data table only goes down to 165*F entering water temp so keep in mind the numbers will be lower given a lower entering water temp I should have (156.2*F). At 165*F entering water temp, the hx pulls 58,900 btus of heat off and brings the leaving water temp down to 141.1*F. That will heat 60*F incoming air so that it leaves the hx at 114*F. 

Until I get this system plumbed and running where I can take accurate measurements, I won't know for _sure_.

Anywho, here's a few pics from today. 

All set and level for install.





Set down.





Trench location.





ThermoPex in the trench, chimney installed, way ahead of schedule just the way I like it.


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## AdamG (Oct 21, 2012)

OH_Varmntr said:


> I didn't know that the local John Deere dealer quit renting equipment so I was unable to secure a mini-excavator for today (overkill for a trench, I know, but I had some more earth to move than that).


Bull####! I had 80' of Hard as hell clay. Tried by hand- gave up in 3ft. Rented a Dingo trencher- not only did it do a piss poor job in the clay, we also got it stuck and almost overturned it trying to make a curve. 
FINALLY rented a small bobcat mini excavator- had 80' trench 2.5-3ft deep in less than hr and a half. Next time, I'll just start with the big toys.


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## owbguy (Oct 22, 2012)

I installed my CB6048 in November 2003, so I'm in my 10th season now. LOVE it! Mine is connected to my gfa furnace and 2 water heaters. I paid $8700 for everything, including installation. Excellent investment.


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## owbguy (Oct 22, 2012)

OH_Varmntr said:


> ThermoPex in the trench, chimney installed, way ahead of schedule just the way I like it.





It doesn't look like your line is in very deep. How deep are they suggesting you put it in these days? When I put mine in they said something like 36" deep, or below the frost line, something like that iirc. I put mine through a heavily travelled gravel drive so i went down close to 40" through there, then ripped 8" sewer pipe in half lengthways and placed the halves over top of the insulated pex system. Overkill, I know, but I could not imagine having to dig it out to repair/redo it....


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## Aaron441 (Oct 22, 2012)

OH_Varmntr said:


> I started to dig 80' of trench, with nothing but a pick-axe and a spade. :hmm3grin2orange:
> 
> I didn't know that the local John Deere dealer quit renting equipment so I was unable to secure a mini-excavator for today (overkill for a trench, I know, but I had some more earth to move than that).



How Northwest in Ohio are you? DP Equipment in Camden MI right across the line rents excavators. Too late for this job, but you might need one for something else later.


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## russhd1997 (Oct 22, 2012)

owbguy said:


> It doesn't look like your line is in very deep. How deep are they suggesting you put it in these days? When I put mine in they said something like 36" deep, or below the frost line, something like that iirc. I put mine through a heavily travelled gravel drive so i went down close to 40" through there, then ripped 8" sewer pipe in half lengthways and placed the halves over top of the insulated pex system. Overkill, I know, but I could not imagine having to dig it out to repair/redo it....



I was told to put the thermo pex no more than 1.5 feet deep. They said it was to keep the pipe above the water table to minimize heat loss. The first winter with the OWB we ran pipes to my daughters house 180 feet away and laid it on top of the ground. We buried it in the spring. There was no way we were digging through the frost to bury the pipe at the time that we hooked it up. Not much heat loss either way.


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## OH_Varmntr (Oct 22, 2012)

Aaron441 said:


> How Northwest in Ohio are you? DP Equipment in Camden MI right across the line rents excavators. Too late for this job, but you might need one for something else later.



I'm right up in the corner. I know about DP but just didn't think about them knowing I had a John Deere dealership that rents just 2 miles from my place. I just wasn't aware they quit renting. :mad2: 



owbguy said:


> It doesn't look like your line is in very deep. How deep are they suggesting you put it in these days? When I put mine in they said something like 36" deep, or below the frost line, something like that iirc. I put mine through a heavily travelled gravel drive so i went down close to 40" through there, then ripped 8" sewer pipe in half lengthways and placed the halves over top of the insulated pex system. Overkill, I know, but I could not imagine having to dig it out to repair/redo it....



They are recommending ThermoPex to have 6-24 inches of _cover_, so a trench anywhere from 10-28 inches deep will suffice. Mine is 16-18 inches deep.


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## morewood (Oct 22, 2012)

OH_Varmntr said:


> I'll be pumping hot water to a heat exchanger on my water heater, then up to the attic of my 2 story house. That's where an air handler with a 100k btu exchanger will be located to handle the second floor, which is where all 4 of our bedrooms are located as well as the regular bathroom and our master. I was set up with a Taco 009 pump that can handle 30' of head, although I should be at 22' max head with my setup.
> 
> Anyways, from there it will go to another air handler with a 100k btu exchanger that will be located underneath the basement staircase, and that one will take care of the basement and first floor. After that, it's going to head back out to the OWB. Eventually I'd like to heat the attached garage, so when I get that put in, it will run through that exchanger too before returning to the OWB.



You do know that there is more than one outlet...use another pump on the other outlet for the garage. Yes, there is another return also:biggrin:.



russhd1997 said:


> When I bought my Central 6048 I didn't get a chainsaw but I did get something just as good. My Central dealer didn't charge me the $600 shipping fee that all of the other Central dealers in the area were charging. I had to drive a little farther to pick it up but the spiff made it worth it. You're going to like that OWB by the way.
> 
> Here's a pic of mine.




I just went outside to make sure you didn't steal mine!!



OH_Varmntr said:


> I also have to try to bend the pipe where it comes up under the unit. I'm thinking if I warm it up enough I can get it to bend a little tighter radius than the 3' radius they say it can go. Worse comes to worse, I'll strip the shell off the ThermoPex and go from there.




Exactly what I had to do, couldn't get the bend with the insulation and pipe around the two 1" pex.




russhd1997 said:


> I was told to put the thermo pex no more than 1.5 feet deep. They said it was to keep the pipe above the water table to minimize heat loss. The first winter with the OWB we ran pipes to my daughters house 180 feet away and laid it on top of the ground. We buried it in the spring. There was no way we were digging through the frost to bury the pipe at the time that we hooked it up. Not much heat loss either way.



What I was told also. Got to 16" and called it a day

You will love it. I have had mine for 8 years with no issues to speak of. My dad has the OLD version with the side draft and the cast door. It is probably close to 20 yrs old. I think it is called the 5448. Anyway, enjoy it.

Shea


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## OH_Varmntr (Oct 22, 2012)

Haha yea I completely forgot I can throw multiple pumps on this thing. :msp_w00t:

I got the hole cut in the house today and the pipe is in the house. I applied silicone to the rubber termination cap just under the foundation of the unit and stripped the black cover and insulation off of 3' of the internal pipe where it exits the ground up to the water hookups. After I get everything up and going I'm covering the exposed pipe with spray foam.

I also ran to the hardware and got non-metallic conduit (PVC conduit) and ran 80' of it and 12/2 wire with ground from the house to the unit. Where the wires exit the conduit, I installed liquid-tight flexible conduit to the j-box on the unit so the mice won't be able to directly access the wires, they'll have to work hard for it. :msp_tongue:

I ran 12g wire so I could run some wiring to my carport that houses some wood storage and my truck. That way I can have more lights than the unit came with.


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## Turkeyslayer (Oct 22, 2012)

Nice!! Buy a Jonsered, get a free OWB


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## OH_Varmntr (Oct 22, 2012)

Turkeyslayer said:


> Nice!! Buy a Jonsered, get a free OWB



If they're all this expensive, it's the last Jonsered I'll be purchasing!


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## czar800 (Oct 22, 2012)

You will love you 6048, I love mine.


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## Jon B. (Oct 23, 2012)

Noob here - first post.

I'm in the installation phase, myself. Just bought a 5036 to heat the house (~1700sf), domestic hot water, and attached garage (~700sf). I hope the boiler is big enough! It'll have the 125k hx, the side-arm w-w hx and a 100k hx in the garage. Neither of the water-to-air exchangers will come near their rated output but I think that's OK. I have a propane, forced-air furnace and electric (105 gallon) water heater.

My trench was about 65 feet but 40 feet was pick & shovel work. We haven't seen any rain in two months, and the clay is rock-hard. I went 18 inches, as that's what the electrical code requires for unprotected wire. Since nothing else will be wired to this, I just used a 12-2 UF wire.

I'm using the ThermoPEX, too. The bend into the boiler ought to be fun. I pick up the PEX this afternoon. Basement block wall has a hole and the wire is run from a new breaker out to the boiler site.

The dealer will deliver the boiler and set it on the base. I also went with a dug perimeter trench, crushed rock, and patio block on top. Inside the house, we plan to use all 10-foot sections of PEX. The dealer hates the coiled stuff, as it doesn't like to be straightened out. I'll do the plumbing myself, as well.

One of my neighbors runs a tree service, and will let me scavenge as much wood from his burn piles as I want. It's a mile and a half from my house!

Jon


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## OH_Varmntr (Oct 25, 2012)

Well all my trenching and burial work is done. Still waiting on the pump flange kit and I have to hook up power to the unit then that end is all done.

Inside the house, is a different story. Coiled PEX is a PITA to work with alone. With my wife uncoiling the PEX for me, what took me 4 hours by myself took both of us about 20 minutes to do. I learned the hard way for sure. I was quoted $1.14/ft for PEX from the Central Boiler dealer, but went to the orange depot and got Sharkbike PEX for $.57/ft. Exactly half price.

My first 100k btu airhandler is assembled, set in place, and plumbed up. Still waiting on a thermostatic valve to come it for the main supply/return lines, so until then I'm going to tackle plumbing the water heater side of the plate hx tomorrow and installing the thermostatic mixing valve for the output side of the water heater. Also waiting for my other air handler unit to come in for the attic, but all the PEX is ran so I'm at a waiting game there as well.

Will try to take some pics tomorrow of my setup.


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## giXXer (Oct 26, 2012)

Jon B. said:


> Noob here - first post.
> 
> I'm in the installation phase, myself. Just bought a 5036 to heat the house (~1700sf), domestic hot water, and attached garage (~700sf). I hope the boiler is big enough! It'll have the 125k hx, the side-arm w-w hx and a 100k hx in the garage. Neither of the water-to-air exchangers will come near their rated output but I think that's OK. I have a propane, forced-air furnace and electric (105 gallon) water heater.
> 
> ...



The pex I used in my install has aluminum sandwiched in-between the plastic, basically an aluminum pipe with a layer of plastic on the outside and a layer on the inside. It was very easy to install because it bends pretty easy and holds it's shape. If I had to do the install again I would pay the extra for that pipe because of the ease of installation.


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## OH_Varmntr (Oct 27, 2012)

First fire tonight! Water is 77 degrees and fire box is full!


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## OH_Varmntr (Oct 28, 2012)

Interesting day today.

Woke up to 197* water (setpoint is 195*), but no heat coming off of my air handler hx. I have no ductwork installed right now so the air handler is open to the basement. Realized I forgot to purge air from the lines, so I shut the pump off and headed to the attic to open up the lines at the highest point. I used an elbow, drilled and tapped a 10-24 hole to accept a small socket head bolt to purge with, and installed it in the line where my future 2nd air handler will be. 

Once the pump was turned back on I loosened the purge screw and the air came rushing out, followed by a trickle of hot water. All purged now and everything is receiving nice hot water. After about an hour I turned on the hot water at the kitchen sink to test the function of the mixing valve. Water warmed up and got nice and hot, but not too hot where you couldn't hold your hand under it. Really glad that works and the wife is taking a shower right now.

I wired up the 3-speed blower in the air handler on high speed and am currently using the breaker to switch it on and off since no one carries a fan center relay for a blower motor, and those who do are not open on Sundays. 

Hopefully the CB dealer has a few in stock. The fan center relays and thermostats were two of those items I forgot to inquire about when I ordered everything. No biggie, I have it functioning for now.

I got to thinking today and figured I've got close to 62 hours of labor so far in installing everything. That only includes MY time, and I've had quite a bit of help. 

There's a few things I wish they'd have elaborated more clearly in the instructions, and once I have a month or so run time I'll make a thread about what I've found with it.

Here she sits with the damper open heating up the water to the setpoint again. It used a bit of wood for the initial heat up from 53* well water to get to the 195* setpoint, but now it hasn't burned much of the pile I have in the box. I still have the side panel off cause I'm going to spray foam the exposed Pex lines and make sure everything is insulated before winter hits.


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## Encore (Oct 28, 2012)

Nice work man. you'll love that thing


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## STLfirewood (Oct 28, 2012)

My CL40 burns a lot of wood when I fire it up. Mine holds 400 gallons of water. That's a lot to heat. Also there iks no coal base to get a lot of heat from. Your install looks great. Watch running your water at that high of a temp. On a warm day when it hits 195 and the door closes the heat can creep up to 200 plus if nothing is pull heat from the water. Is there a reason you run it so high for home heating? Most people run it lower then that.

Scott


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## DDALE (Oct 28, 2012)

*Set temp*



STLfirewood said:


> My CL40 burns a lot of wood when I fire it up. Mine holds 400 gallons of water. That's a lot to heat. Also there iks no coal base to get a lot of heat from. Your install looks great. Watch running your water at that high of a temp. On a warm day when it hits 195 and the door closes the heat can creep up to 200 plus if nothing is pull heat from the water. Is there a reason you run it so high for home heating? Most people run it lower then that.
> 
> Scott



I agree with you Scott keep that water at 185,which,is preset on 6048 cb.View attachment 259767


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## owbguy (Oct 29, 2012)

mine is set for a 175 to 185 degree window. I have 9 full seasons with that setting. Unless you have a specific need for a higher setting, I would consider lowering your high set point.

Your photo of wood in the box is your startup fire, to get the system up to temperature. I would suggest loading firewood so it looks like spaghetti noodles in a box. Place the wood close to the door opening right in front of the damper, rather than deeper into the firebox. You can stack the wood tightly. Air entering through the damper will travel directly through the wood, and your fire will burn strong. The is a photo of mine from last season as an example (ash level was high at the time).


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## czar800 (Oct 29, 2012)

"I still have the side panel off cause I'm going to spray foam the exposed Pex lines and make sure everything is insulated before winter hits. "




I tryed to spray foam my line after they where hot, it didn't work out so well the foam just ran off. Had to do it when they were cold. 








.


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## OH_Varmntr (Oct 29, 2012)

STLfirewood said:


> My CL40 burns a lot of wood when I fire it up. Mine holds 400 gallons of water. That's a lot to heat. Also there iks no coal base to get a lot of heat from. Your install looks great. Watch running your water at that high of a temp. On a warm day when it hits 195 and the door closes the heat can creep up to 200 plus if nothing is pull heat from the water. Is there a reason you run it so high for home heating? Most people run it lower then that.
> 
> Scott



Just trying to pull more BTUs from my hx is all. Higher input water temps equal higher output air temp, given intake air temp is the same. I have no ductwork installed yet, so I'm blowing the hot air into the basement atmosphere like my old wood burner did. Warmer air from the hx will rise throughout the house quicker. I'm getting around to laying out ductwork for the basement and first floor of my house so I can get that going. Once that's in I'll monitor pre and post heat exchanger air temps in the ductwork and go from there. Once that's done and I'm happy with it I'll be installing ductwork in the attic for the second floor.

The thermostatic mixing valve on my hot water heater has a max temp of 200* but the hx's are rated for atleast 205*. 



czar800 said:


> "I still have the side panel off cause I'm going to spray foam the exposed Pex lines and make sure everything is insulated before winter hits. "
> 
> I tryed to spray foam my line after they where hot, it didn't work out so well the foam just ran off. Had to do it when they were cold.
> .



That makes sense, thanks for that! 



owbguy said:


> mine is set for a 175 to 185 degree window. I have 9 full seasons with that setting. Unless you have a specific need for a higher setting, I would consider lowering your high set point.
> 
> Your photo of wood in the box is your startup fire, to get the system up to temperature. I would suggest loading firewood so it looks like spaghetti noodles in a box. Place the wood close to the door opening right in front of the damper, rather than deeper into the firebox. You can stack the wood tightly. Air entering through the damper will travel directly through the wood, and your fire will burn strong. The is a photo of mine from last season as an example (ash level was high at the time).



Yes, that is my startup fire. I lined the bottom of the box with ash noodles and log cabin stacked wood over them to get a good fire going fast. Worked great! My current box is stacked much like yours. 

The digital control on my 6048 can be adjusted between 185 and 195 degrees. If 195 degrees was too high for normal operation, they wouldn't allow you to use it as a setpoint. :msp_wink:


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## owbguy (Oct 30, 2012)

OH_Varmntr said:


> The digital control on my 6048 can be adjusted between 185 and 195 degrees. If 195 degrees was too high for normal operation, they wouldn't allow you to use it as a setpoint. :msp_wink:



Yep totally understand. You didn't ask for it, but I was just offering advice based on experience.

On a separate but related note, the speedometer on my minivan goes up to 160 mph but that doesn't mean I should drive it that fast. 120 mph is sufficient.


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## STLfirewood (Oct 30, 2012)

The digital control on my 6048 can be adjusted between 185 and 195 degrees. If 195 degrees was too high for normal operation, they wouldn't allow you to use it as a setpoint. :msp_wink:[/QUOTE]


I run my CL40 at 195 degrees. I only run it that hot because I am using it to heat a kiln. My blower is running constant across a 235k btu exchanger. When the boiler closes the door at 195 I have seen temps creep to 198-199 with the blower and exchanger still pulling heat. I have seen it creep over 200 on warmer days when I am loading and unloading the kiln and the blower is shut off. I'm not saying your doing it wrong just becareful with that high of a setting. It's not a good feeling when you see water and steam puking out of the top.

Scott


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## owbguy (Nov 11, 2012)

How's the CL6048 treating you so far?


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## OH_Varmntr (Nov 11, 2012)

owbguy said:


> How's the CL6048 treating you so far?



Very well so far! Hasn't been too terribly cold around these parts lately so it hasn't really ran a lot. Considering the warm weather and not much burn time, the fire hasn't gone out in 3 weeks. 

Very impressed and happy with it so far!


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## AdamG (Nov 11, 2012)

OH_Varmntr said:


> Very well so far! Hasn't been too terribly cold around these parts lately so it hasn't really ran a lot. Considering the warm weather and not much burn time, the fire hasn't gone out in 3 weeks.
> 
> Very impressed and happy with it so far!


 it shouldn't ever go out until the end of the season.
Seriously though, mine has been "out" to the tune of 135 before- but never really goes out. Just rake the coals out, throw in some sticks, and wha-lah- got fire again. Might have to wait 5-10 min for the kindling to catch, but I've never had a problem.
I've only lit mine twice. At the beginning of both heating seasons

Adam


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## Jon B. (Nov 12, 2012)

I hope to not derail your thread...

I fired up the 5036 on Saturday morning - its maiden fire. With a water heater exchanger, a 125K BTU coil in the furnace plenum and a 100K BTU space heater in teh garage, the water stays between 174 and 188 degrees. Lots of hot domestic water! Oddly - or maybe not - the furnace fan hasn't run since the water got hot. The circulation through the coil and the hot PEX in the basement keeps the house (1700 ft^2 rambler/ranch) at 68-70 degrees. The fan thermostat is set at 66, I think.

It was 19F overnight, with yesterday's high around 28F, and it was 67F in the house at 06:00 today.

I'm liking the boiler a lot. I'll have to figure out the feeding schedule, as I over-fed it Saturday and Sunday. It burns less than I figured it would.

Good luck with your 6042.

Jon


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## idahohay (Nov 12, 2012)

OH_, I read over your install with much interest as I hope to be getting mine installed in a month or so.(still building) You mentioned that after your water heater you went up to the attic heat exchanger . Since the boiler is not pressurized, what keeps the boiler from running over at the top due to the height of the second floor water? I plan to heat a second floor and was told I need a brazed plate heat exchanger to separate the boiler loop from the inside zones that will be slightly pressurized.


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## Woodomaker (Nov 12, 2012)

OH_Varmntr said:


> Well I finally did it. I broke down and brought home a Central Boiler 6048 today. I'm planning on heating my attached garage and putting in a shop in the future, as well as putting in-floor heating in the master bath once we remodel it so I bought bigger than I currently need, but it's all good. :hmm3grin2orange:
> 
> I'll be pumping hot water to a heat exchanger on my water heater, then up to the attic of my 2 story house. That's where an air handler with a 100k btu exchanger will be located to handle the second floor, which is where all 4 of our bedrooms are located as well as the regular bathroom and our master. I was set up with a Taco 009 pump that can handle 30' of head, although I should be at 22' max head with my setup.
> 
> ...



I have owned my 6048 since 2007....I also purchased dual fuel propane unit and it works great for backup. Good luck to you.


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## OH_Varmntr (Nov 12, 2012)

Jon B. said:


> I hope to not derail your thread...
> 
> I fired up the 5036 on Saturday morning - its maiden fire. With a water heater exchanger, a 125K BTU coil in the furnace plenum and a 100K BTU space heater in teh garage, the water stays between 174 and 188 degrees. Lots of hot domestic water! Oddly - or maybe not - the furnace fan hasn't run since the water got hot. The circulation through the coil and the hot PEX in the basement keeps the house (1700 ft^2 rambler/ranch) at 68-70 degrees. The fan thermostat is set at 66, I think.
> 
> ...



Jon, glad to hear you like yours as well! I purchased insulation for my interior PEX for about $0.20 per foot. I like the radiant heat feel but I want to control heat with my air handlers and not have hotspots with the radiant from the tubing.

With air handler heat exchangers it's vital to keep your water temps as high as possible for max BTU outputs, expecially when using 2 heat exchangers on the same circuit as I am. I believe you are doing the same. My first air handler heat exchanger pulls almost 40 degrees from the water temp so I need to keep my water temps as high as possible.




idahohay said:


> OH_, I read over your install with much interest as I hope to be getting mine installed in a month or so.(still building) You mentioned that after your water heater you went up to the attic heat exchanger . Since the boiler is not pressurized, what keeps the boiler from running over at the top due to the height of the second floor water? I plan to heat a second floor and was told I need a brazed plate heat exchanger to separate the boiler loop from the inside zones that will be slightly pressurized.



If you need anything at all feel free to ask! I know I had a bunch of questions that were answered when I had everything and started the install. I can take pics of anything you need and try to explain anything you need so again, just ask if you need anything! :msp_smile:

My system is setup all in one loop (series loop). When running a series loop, the brazed plate hx for the domestic hot water must be the first hx the water flows through. My water comes from the boiler and passes through a thermostatic valve that sends the water back to the boiler if it's not over 155 degrees. At 155 degrees, the thermostat begins to open and allows boiler water to start flowing throught the heat exchangers. At 170 degrees (I think that's the number), the thermostat is fully open and sends all the boiler water through the heat exchangers. 

From the thermostatic valve, the boiler water goes to a brazed plate hx for domestic hot water, then through a 100k btu hx in the basement then up about 30 feet to another 100k btu hx. Then it goes back to the boiler. 

I'm running a Taco 009 that can handle 34 feet of head. Since it can flow 34 feet above the pump, and I'm at 30 feet in the attic, the pump's flow keeps the water from backflowing into the boiler. Even if I was at 40 feet of head, I don't believe the pump would allow backflow, it just wouldn't flow any water that high (known as pump deadheading).


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## OH_Varmntr (Nov 12, 2012)

Okay, so I took some pics of my plumbing. Now keep in mind I'm 24 years old, know a little about electrical and plumbing, but am in no way an expert in any of them. So be kind in your criticism. :msp_wink: Also want to add that in the future, I plan on installing bypass lines and 3-way valves in so I can bypass heat exchangers in the event of a leak or need to remove it, also for summer operation where I only want flow through my brazed plate hx for my domestic hot water heat. 

Boiler hookups. The pump is flanged with valves so if it goes bad I can easily shut off the water and remove it if needed. The return side has a union and valve.






Here's where the ThermoPEX enters the house with the 120v supply for boiler operation.





Then it goes to my Thermostatic Valve. Notice my little drawing on the wall for hookup reference.





Brazed plate HX for domestic hot water. Hot boiler water enters bottom left, exits top left and heads to air handler hx. The basement staircase is behind the wall that the hx is mounted on so the boiler water doesn't travel far to get to the air handler. Right side hookups are plumbed directly to hot water tank. Convection has the cooler water entering at the bottom right, and rises to the top of the hot water tank at the top right. I tried not to use Sharkbite push lock fittings but for time constraint reasons that only made Sharkbite fitting available at that time, I used some. But only where they were easily accessible. I didn't use them if a ladder or ceiling panel removal was needed to access them.





At the top of the hot water tank is a thermostatic mixing valve that mixes cold water with the 190ish degree water inside the hot water tank. The left side is hot water and the right side is cold water. That's why the plumbing forms an "H" which is where the cold water supply enters the mixing valve so it can be mixed with the hot water. Obviously you do not want 190 degree water coming out of your faucets or shower head, so the thermostatic mixing valve's job is to maintain about 115 degree water MAX coming from the hot water heater. It is adjustable so you can adjust the temp level. I believe code says 120 is max.





Now the boiler hot water comes underneath the staircase where my first air handler hx is awaiting hot water.





My other air handler awaiting install in the attic.


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## morewood (Nov 12, 2012)

It looks like you are well on your way to being happy with your set-up. Your work looks professional compared to what I had to work with. Of course, my house wouldn't be considered worth much....if you saw it you would understand.:msp_biggrin: The mixing valves and hot water would be nice but we use so little of it I didn't want to deal with it. Great looking work so far.

Shea


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## OH_Varmntr (Nov 13, 2012)

Thank you! My house wasn't much to look at on the inside when we bought it. It was a foreclosure and in rough shape inside. 

Anyways, the next project is running ductwork off the air handlers. Should be interesting.


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## idahohay (Nov 13, 2012)

OH_, thanks for posting the pictures, I like checking out stuff like that. Im still a ways off from my installation as my building doesn't have a roof yet and it is snowing. 

It looks like you depend on a thermosyphon through your brazed plate heat exchanger and I was wondering how well that worked? From looking at images on various sites I was thinking that fluid needed to be pumped through both sides of these.


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## Jon B. (Nov 13, 2012)

Let's see if I can post photos...

Here's the incoming/outgoing point. I went through the block wall, coming out ~18 inches below ground (electrical code says bury line that deep).

View attachment 262118


Thermostatic valve, attached to the floor joists.

(Remote file is too large, it says. Making smaller no workie)

I used a "sidearm" exchanger for domestic hot water. This is the first exchanger in the series.

View attachment 262120


(And, yes, that's a Dillon 550B reloading press on the bench)

Furnace plenum exchanger (poor photo).

View attachment 262121


Garage space heater - the last in the series.

View attachment 262122


I probably spent lots more on fittings but I think it turned out well. The 'shark bite' things are nice but way too 'spensive for my taste. I bought the indoor PEX in 10-foot 'sticks', as the rolled stuff is nearly impossible for one person to unroll and install. I used lots of elbows and couplers. 

Jon


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## OH_Varmntr (Nov 13, 2012)

idahohay said:


> OH_, thanks for posting the pictures, I like checking out stuff like that. Im still a ways off from my installation as my building doesn't have a roof yet and it is snowing.
> 
> It looks like you depend on a thermosyphon through your brazed plate heat exchanger and I was wondering how well that worked? From looking at images on various sites I was thinking that fluid needed to be pumped through both sides of these.



I like pics too.  Yes, I am using the brazed plate hx and am depending on thermosyphon to do the work on the domestic hot water side. I was also under the assumption that a circulation pump was needed on the domestic hot water side. But I talked it over with my Central Boiler dealer and they said it's not needed, and they were correct as I've not ran out of hot water. My hot water heater tank is 82 gallons, so it's quite large and that may contribute to not running out of hot water.

The side-arm domestic hot water heat exchangers work well, but I'm told brazed plate exchangers do a more efficient job of transferring heat.



Jon B. said:


> Let's see if I can post photos...
> 
> Here's the incoming/outgoing point. I went through the block wall, coming out ~18 inches below ground (electrical code says bury line that deep).
> 
> ...



Nice Jon! Very nice and neat plumbing! 

I bought my PEX in 100' rolls and although it's a PAIN IN THE RUMP to handle, once I figured out how to handle it it went pretty well. I was trying to use as few elbows (I used zero) and couplers (I used 3) as possible. With my high head application I wanted very few flow restrictions to help the pump out in any way possible.

The Sharkbite fittings I bought were nearly $15 a piece. :msp_scared:


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## upsnake (Nov 15, 2012)

Nope you should never run out of hot water with the plate. I just have a 40 gal tank, and you can run it until the owb is out of wood and will stay hot.

Did you buy or make the housing for your squirrel cage fan under the stairs?


Look good.


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## OH_Varmntr (Nov 16, 2012)

I purchased the air handler boxes from Central Boiler.


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## _CROW (Apr 5, 2013)

Jon B. said:


> Let's see if I can post photos...
> 
> Here's the incoming/outgoing point. I went through the block wall, coming out ~18 inches below ground (electrical code says bury line that deep).
> 
> ...



I have a setup similar to what you show in your third pic, is it possible to add cetral air to this setup?


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## Jon B. (Apr 5, 2013)

_CROW said:


> I have a setup similar to what you show in your third pic, is it possible to add cetral air to this setup?



Yup. There's an A-coil for central air in the plenum, too. In fact, I had to have a new plenum made to raise the A-coil enough to fit the heat exchanger below it. The A-coil has to be above, or you run the chance of freezing the exchanger when the AC is running.

Jon


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## upsnake (Apr 5, 2013)

My heat exchanger is directly on top of my A coil. I have not had any problems with it.


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