Outdoor wood boiler circulator question

[Biglurr54]

I have a woodmaster 4400 that came with my house. I am in my 5th season with it and I love it. I am replacing the cartridge in my taco 0011 circulator because it sounds like it may have a bad bearing. I I have noticed that the circulator is attached to the lower port on the boiler and it is pushing water up to the house. My limited knowledge of circulator is that they typically pull water. I also know that the supply port is typically the higher port and the return is the lower port. Can you guys let me know how you have your boilers set up? We're the heated water comes from and where it returns and if you circ pumps push or pull? I am only getting Temps at my oil boiler of 160. And the woodmaster is set to turn off at 185 so I should be getting higher Temps. I tested the temp after the pump and it was 162. I think I need to be pulling off the top.

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[Oldmaple]

My pump pushes. Would need to bleed the air out of the lines to get it to pull. It's my understanding the pumps don't like air.

 

[NSMaple1]

Should be easy to flip the circ around and try it. But what does your boiler manual say?

 

[NSMaple1]

OK, I found the manual and seems like its pumping the right way.

 

[Biglurr54]

Yea u just read through the manual too. Seems odd.

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[NSMaple1]

We don't know how the water is flowing thru the boiler though. Or at least I don't. Could be some kind of cross flow thing going on inside?

 

[Oldmaple]

Where does the outflow and return lines go into the tank? My outflow comes out of the top and returns to the bottom. Keeps it pretty well stirred up I would think.

 

[Deleted member 117362]

I have a woodmaster 4400 that came with my house. I am in my 5th season with it and I love it. I am replacing the cartridge in my taco 0011 circulator because it sounds like it may have a bad bearing. I I have noticed that the circulator is attached to the lower port on the boiler and it is pushing water up to the house. My limited knowledge of circulator is that they typically pull water. I also know that the supply port is typically the higher port and the return is the lower port. Can you guys let me know how you have your boilers set up? We're the heated water comes from and where it returns and if you circ pumps push or pull? I am only getting Temps at my oil boiler of 160. And the woodmaster is set to turn off at 185 so I should be getting higher Temps. I tested the temp after the pump and it was 162. I think I need to be pulling off the top.

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I would pull the pump and check to see it is not plugged by scale and rust, my line had a good sized plug. This made my pump sound loud and heat exchanger was producing limited heat. You may want to add a filter. I have owned a 434 and now have a 3300, your stove draws from the bottom and water return is the top. Pumps will push more than they will draw. A friend of mine called me and said, his was not heating domestic water, come to find out his by-pass valve was open.

 

[Deleted member 117362]

My pump pushes. Would need to bleed the air out of the lines to get it to pull. It's my understanding the pumps don't like air.

There should be an air bleed off valve on his system.

 

[Biglurr54]

I will pull the pump tomorrow when I have the new cartridge and I will snake the lines to see if there is a plug or obstruction.

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[Deleted member 117362]

I will pull the pump tomorrow when I have the new cartridge and I will snake the lines to see if there is a plug or obstruction.

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Please let me know what you find. Many Woodmaster owners in my area and added information helps us all. Simple system, but everything has problems.

 

[Biglurr54]

Please let me know what you find. Many Woodmaster owners in my area and added information helps us all. Simple system, but everything has problems.

Have you guys worked out blower issues. I have three blowers in rotation because the bushing gum up with ash and they slow down to nothing. My newest blower doesn't have serviceable bushings so I'm hoping for sealed bearings. Just wondering what everyone else is doing to combat the blowers

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[Deleted member 117362]

Have you guys worked out blower issues. I have three blowers in rotation because the bushing gum up with ash and they slow down to nothing. My newest blower doesn't have serviceable bushings so I'm hoping for sealed bearings. Just wondering what everyone else is doing to combat the blowers

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Maybe your fan cover (flapper) is not getting a good seal and allowing tar to build in your fan, by a slight back draft around your cover. Saw this on a friends stove and replaced blower and cleaned fan cover seal (thick with tar). Looked like spring going from solenoid to fan cover was not adjusted correctly and cover was not getting a good seal. Clean my solenoid and flapper rubber edge with WD-40 (be careful it is flammable). Solenoid did stick once and held cover open, producing a runaway burn. Lucky I saw the water boiling out of fill pipe.

 

[Timbercreek]

heatmor does the same, pulls hot from bottom and returns to top. they Claim better MIXING inside the water jacket, i myself think its more insurance that the pump never runs dry.
if pump is up top and water goes below inlet, no water movement, she will boil over.
if pump is down bottom, it will still have water till the very end, and the water being returned will shower over a good portion of the water jacket on its fall back to the bottom to be pumped again.
no boil over, and less risk of boiler damage.

 

[Amylonnie]

I have a woodmaster 4400 that came with my house. I am in my 5th season with it and I love it. I am replacing the cartridge in my taco 0011 circulator because it sounds like it may have a bad bearing. I I have noticed that the circulator is attached to the lower port on the boiler and it is pushing water up to the house. My limited knowledge of circulator is that they typically pull water. I also know that the supply port is typically the higher port and the return is the lower port. Can you guys let me know how you have your boilers set up? We're the heated water comes from and where it returns and if you circ pumps push or pull? I am only getting Temps at my oil boiler of 160. And the woodmaster is set to turn off at 185 so I should be getting higher Temps. I tested the temp after the pump and it was 162. I think I need to be pulling off the top.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

I have a woodmaster 4400 that came with my house. I am in my 5th season with it and I love it. I am replacing the cartridge in my taco 0011 circulator because it sounds like it may have a bad bearing. I I have noticed that the circulator is attached to the lower port on the boiler and it is pushing water up to the house. My limited knowledge of circulator is that they typically pull water. I also know that the supply port is typically the higher port and the return is the lower port. Can you guys let me know how you have your boilers set up? We're the heated water comes from and where it returns and if you circ pumps push or pull? I am only getting Temps at my oil boiler of 160. And the woodmaster is set to turn off at 185 so I should be getting higher Temps. I tested the temp after the pump and it was 162. I think I need to be pulling off the top.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

Helllp!!! I’m new and had no idea how to post a question - sorry !
I seen you are using a boiler for 5th season we just purchased a house and haveNO idea how to use them. Our burner temp is at 180 but the inside house temperature will NOT go past 65 Any suggestions ideas ? There’s plenty of wood - but when we switch to propane temp goes to 70 no problem in house ...
Everyone is telling us we will LOVE the burner but so far his experience is not proving them right .......

Thanks in advance for any ideas on how to fix this freezing cold house lol

 

[bowtechmadman]

Lots of questions for you you will need to give some details to help us troubleshoot with you:
- what type boiler
- how long of a run to the house, how deep, insulation of the pex etc...
- what type heat exchanger in the house? water to water or water to air?
- what are the water temps coming from the boiler and returning to the boiler, at the exchanger? (purchase a small infrared thermometer...they are pretty cheap) to test temps
Several things could be happening...losing heat (uninsulated Pex from stove to home), pump not pushing the volume of water you need, water to water heat exchanger old and lots of buildup not allowing good exchange of heat...etc...etc...

Where in Michigan?

 

[Amylonnie]

Lots of questions for you you will need to give some details to help us troubleshoot with you:
- what type boiler
- how long of a run to the house, how deep, insulation of the pex etc...
- what type heat exchanger in the house? water to water or water to air?
- what are the water temps coming from the boiler and returning to the boiler, at the exchanger? (purchase a small infrared thermometer...they are pretty cheap) to test temps
Several things could be happening...losing heat (uninsulated Pex from stove to home), pump not pushing the volume of water you need, water to water heat exchanger old and lots of buildup not allowing good exchange of heat...etc...etc...

Where in Michigan?

Yikes!! Ok I can answer some but I’ll have to figure out the rest of answers We are In Gaines, Mi
The boiler is a global hydronics 2000 I’m pretty sure we were told. We have well water and it’s about 35-40 feet from house . I’ll try to get the rest of answers ASAP . Thank you

 

[panolo]

Big unit. Should be able to heat a small stadium.

How does it heat? Forced air through ducts or boiler type with radiators/in floor?

 

[Amylonnie]

Big unit. Should be able to heat a small stadium.

How does it heat? Forced air through ducts or boiler type with radiators/in floor?

Forced air through ducts
My husband called global hydronics and actually got a person on phone and even though discontinued he used to own Company in Canada and said it sounds like busted or cracked water reservoir so we are “screwed” it sounds like .....

 

[NSMaple1]

Forced air through ducts
My husband called global hydronics and actually got a person on phone and even though discontinued he used to own Company in Canada and said it sounds like busted or cracked water reservoir so we are “screwed” it sounds like .....

That does not sound right - even though I don't really know what he was trying to say. If something is busted or cracked you should see water leaking somewhere, and the water level in the boiler should be slowly dropping.

It is pretty hard to offer much accurate help over the internets, without actually being there. And we don't know anything about your system besides. It could be a control issue not turning a circ on, could be a bad circ, there could be a valve that needs opened somewhere, could be an airlock, could be a dirty heat exchanger. Can you get the previous owner to come have a look? Or is this a new install with no prior owner? Or one of those people who are telling you that you will love it. Find some experineced eyes who can come look. Lots of pics of everything may or may not help - but none certainly doesn't.