Posted By: johnnyhbut the manual does say that it should stay in the 85 - 90 degree range for best results

Where are they measuring the 85 -90 deg.?
The Laddomat will control the temp. at the return of the boiler, typically a boiler will have a 10 - 15 deg differance between return and outflow, so a Laddomat with a 73deg. thermostat should give about 83 - 88deg. outflow.

Posted By: johnnyhThe real problem is that with my slightly too wet wood, my underinsulated tank, a 7 metre long external pipe run from the boiler shed,

Damp wood is a killer for the efficiency of gasifying boilers. And as an urgent 'to do' get more insulation on the TS and the flow and return external pipes.

Posted By: Peter_in_HungaryDamp wood is a killer for the efficiency of gasifying boilers. And as an urgent 'to do' get more insulation on the TS and the flow and return external pipes.

Have you got space to store your dump wood in the same room as your TS. If so you may wish to insulation the room rather then the TS, and fit a single room MVHR. (I assume that your wood is cheep or free.)

I shifted about 2 cubic metres into the boiler shed a few days ago and each day i put as much as i can on top of the boiler to be the next load which i use and replace each day. I will read your navitron thread though as i am afraid you are right. My first few weeks with the boiler was better as i was burning wood we bought last year.
yes it's the orlanski manual. I'd be shocked if they could mistranslate that badly though....

the pipes are 35mm copper, in armaflex insulation, partially wrapped in glass fibre, boxed in ply under the roof of a covered, but open on one side, patio area 7m wide which is between the boiler shed and the house. This was all in place when i bought the house and used to serve an oil boiler.

Yes i've got the remote unit which really just tells me what temp the boiler is at and whether the pump and fan are running. It can change the boiler set temp but when charging a store i don't suppose it is really much use to change the temp.

i'm starting to think i have a problem though. The boiler worked very well in the first few weeks but when i ran out of last years wood things seemed to deteriorate. I have moved lots of wood into the boiler shed to dry a bit more and having tested some freshly split pieces it is now between 20 and 30 % which doesn't seem too bad. Having said that, i wanted to decide for sure whether it was slightly damp wood that was reducing the boiler's output and so i chopped up a big piece that had been hanging around for some time and found it to be between 16 and 19%. This was enough for 3 days burning but didn't yield better results.

i have really cleaned out the ash this time as i have only done it half-heartedly before and i have discovered that the 'nozzle' has holes inside that are for the secondary air. These seem perfectly clear as does the primary air system. Just can't understand why the boiler struggles so much now. On start up with the door open it can hit 70 in 10 minutes. Close the doors and switch fan on and it drops to maybe 65 and then takes 45 minutes to regain 70 degrees. I'm getting much less energy into the store for each burn as well.

i've read your thread about the blocked turbulators but mine seem to be ok, moving freely over a large range of movement. Only thing i would mention is that the flue flap has to be tapped with a boiler tool whilst pushing on the lever otherwise, after a burn, it is stuck closed.

Will check that out tomorrow.

another thing is that there is a surprisingly slow start to the fan, could be a built-in slow start as the controller is able to reduce fan power so therefore would be able to do this as standard. Just takes a long time for such a tiny motor to come up to speed.

there is sometimes a ting-ting-ting noise which i now believe is an anti-return flap on the fan output (i took the fan, and the cover plate it's mounted to, off this evening) flappjng open and closed. That suggests a lack of air movement as the fan should, i assume, be able to keep the flap fully open when on 100%.

i read somewhere that the primary air ducts are commonly set more open than officially recommended but don't think there was an explantion when i read it nor can i find it again.

Posted By: johnnyhI'm starting to think i have a problem though. The boiler worked very well in the first few weeks but when i ran out of last years wood things seemed to deteriorate.

This happened to me. Boiler new in August 2014 by Nov 2015 the boiler was struggling to get to 80c despite burning a full load of sub 20% m/c wood. The Turbulator seemed to be operating fine when hot but stiff when cool. That's when I discovered the blocked heat exchanger tubes. As a test when using good fuel with a decent ember layer open the combustion chamber door to see if you have a good flame when the combustion fan is on. If you there is none or it's coughing and spluttering then there is a bloackage somewhere. When the boiler has cooled drop the turbulators to the bottom (handle straight down). You should see the turbulators dropped down at the back; they should be smooth and clean. Whilst cool take off the to rear top panel, remove the insulation, unbolt the access cover and check inside where you'll see the tops of the turbulators. You'll see a fair bit of carbon which is normal but you should be able to see the heat exchanger wall as in my Navitron thread photos.

Note that the turbulator handle should move by about 180 degrees Full left max is just below 9 o'clock. Full right max is just above 3. I move handle full about 30 times!

Posted By: johnnyhi have really cleaned out the ash this time as i have only done it half-heartedly

I normally clear out the combustion chamber once a day. If batch burning I clear the loading chamber before each firing (when slumber may be once per month). Once a month I let the boiler cool and remove the concrete funnel thingy from the combustion chamber and completely clear out the ash at the rear below the turbulators. I'll also clear out the flue fan box and sweep flue and grease combustion door seal.

Posted By: johnnyh i have discovered that the 'nozzle' has holes inside that are for the secondary air.

Mmmm ... I need to take a closer look at mine. I only recall seeing a single long slit. I assume you are refering to the concrete floor of the loading chamber.

Posted By: johnnyh
... and it drops to maybe 65 and then takes 45 minutes to regain 70 degrees.

It's normal to drop to 65 or below but this is only within first 15 mins of firing when cool water flowing from return.

Posted By: johnnyh
... blocked turbulators but mine seem to be ok, moving freely over a large range of movement.

Does it move freely when cool? Mine moved freely when hot giving me a false sense of everything being okay.

Posted By: johnnyh
Only thing i would mention is that the flue flap has to be tapped with a boiler tool whilst pushing on the lever otherwise, after a burn, it is stuck closed.

This is normal. Lots of other people have experienced the same thing. Today I've had to whack it open about three times so far.

You might also want to keep an eye on the flue fan blades as these have a tendency to soften and splay out hitting the walls of the box. I've gone through two of these with the first shearing off two blades. Eco Angus recognise the design as a problem and have a new design where the blades are sandwiched with a second disc although I still ocassionally get the blades touching the walls. This happens when the loading bay door is open and flames shoot out of the flap. (I keep the flue fan off and flap closed during normal operation!)

The primary air system is adjusted by removing the fan 'plate' by undoing approx. 10 screws and behind you will see the two primary air adjusters. These are clamped by a nut on each one and were set to spec when i fired up the boiler (16mm opening if i recall). I am sure i read somewhere that it was common to open them up more but as i wrote last night, i can't find that thread again. Tomorrow i will do just that (open them up more) but at the moment i 've got an half-hour window of opportunity to mess about after i get home from work before i need to light up and get some heat into the house.

I'd give Eco Angus a call and speak to Guy Winterbourne, he's very helpful. The fan shouldn't be taking that long to spin up. I've set my primary air intake back down to an inch open from being full to see what effect it has on fuel usage.

It's unusual that you do not have a flue fan as this comes supplied as part of the Eco Angus package. It's only ever used when the bypass flap is open when loading fuel.

Johnnyh, where are you based?

One other issue that can cause lack of a gasification flame is bridging of the fuel. My logs are 40cm to 50cm long which are ideal for stacking. The problem I see regularly is when these logs produce a self supporting structure within the loading chamber so that they do not drop down and then leave a hollow void where the embers have burned away around the slit. Without that ember layer there will be no flame. The best size of logs are those for small wood burners but are a pain to stack safely.

I'm burning 24/7 now with set target temperature of 84c. I try not to let the fuel get below 25% and will give it a good stoke when refueling to make sure embers break up fill any voids.

Check the air supply nozzles inside the loading chamber. These are the vertical match-box sized boxing section in the front corners with the slopey bit at the top. Run your hand down these and you'll find the opening at the bottom. I'd stick a stiff wire up them to feel anything inside. Force the fan on and see if air is coming out.

I'd also check your flue and give it a good sweep. I sweep mine every six weeks or so. Ensure there is nothing on top of the flue that could be restricting the draft such as a close fitting cowl.

I'd start with getting a good load of test fuel of sub 20% m/c to rule out wet wood causing the issue. Finding truly good fuel is difficult as a lot of firewood suppliers idea of seasoning is a couple of months!

Ensure you get a good ember layer. In my Orligno the ember layer fills the entire concrete base area of the loading chamber. Don't rely on a huge anount of kindling at startup as this will disappear within the first ten minutes of firing. A good ember layer is noticeable when you open the bottom chamber door and there should be a nice bright orange glow into the concrete funnel. At startup I normal split the fuel logs down to one or two inch diameters and fill the concrete base of the loading chamber and ensure they are well alight. On top of that I add the normal fuel.

If after this there is still no gasification flame despite good fuel on a good ember layer then I would look the combustion fan further. If that is fine I'd pull out the turbulators and give the tubes and good clean.

I've whispered my number to you should want to call me.

Monster, i'm in France. I drove to Poland and bought the boiler from Kotly, not through Eco Angus.
I have contacted Kotly and had a response. Not as attentive and devoted to after sales as i would like but fulfilling their obligations.
They said to open up the air ducts, which i have done. I now have the primary and secondary ducts more open than the original settings.

i noticed yesterday that after lighting the boiler and leaving it to 'catch' for a while, it had a good gas flame when i switched on. I.e. i closed everything except the bottom door and pressed the red button and saw a decent flame. I looked again after 20 mins and the flame was minimal. The wood was tested at 19/20%. I'm currently still burning the wood which is too damp but each time i change a setting, i'm using the good stuff of which i have only a little to make sure the wood is not itself the problem.

All the air ducts feel clear although the lower ones output is 'feeble' but then i have no idea how strong they should be. Their ducts seem clear though.

perhaps i have too much air or it's a flue/turbulator thing. Evidence against the flue being the problem is that it can draw very well on start up. Turbulators move without problem hot or cold and look clean and dry from what i can see of them.

I thought you were in the UK and therefore bought from Eco Angus.

It sounds as though your Orligno is different to mine in that I only have one air supply: circular one on the front of the combustion fan.

Assuming you have a good ember layer, using decent fuel, it sounds as if your combustion fan is fine if you're getting the large flame. The symptoms sound exactly like mine were last year. Initially got a good strong flame in the combustion chamber. However, a few minutes later when I opened the door again the flame would be non-existent (just smoke) or it would be dying and intermittant. The only way I got the flame back was to let air in through the combustion chamber (with bypass flap open) thus creating a good orange glow from the slit. I then got a good flame, but again it would die. (Be careful in opening the combustion chamber door in this situation as built up gases\smoke are explosive as I later found out!)

At this point the turbulator handle moved smoothly when hot but was stiff at cold. Because the handle freely moved when hot, and smoke was exiting the flue, I assumed the exchanger tubes were clear when in fact they were constricted enough to prevent the forced combustion gases from exiting but clear just enough to let some smoke out giving the appearance that "it's okay". The combustion gases are not getting out quickly enough and are snuffing out the flame (a bit like breathing out with a blocked nose).

I suspect your heat exchanger tubes are constricted but not yet causing the handle to be stiff. If this is the case and you leave it the turbulators\tubes will get worse and will seize making for a hell of a day!

If I were in your place I'd bite the bullet and get those turbulators out and clean the tubes back to the metal and clean the turbulators. Assuming that the turbulators are not stuck you should be able to pull all six out together in one go whilst still attached to the horizontal axle (assuming there are no overhead pipes in the way). If this is the case you should not need to undo any split pins that hold everything together, although I'd get some spare pins in just in case you need to take anything apart. Be warned that when removing the external plate that holds the handle to the side, the four bolts are short and not fixed on the inside. Because of this the bolts can easily drop down into the boiler causing a headache in retrieving them and putting them back. I loosen the nuts and then quickly put on e-clips to stop the bolts from falling. I also replace the bolts (where possible) with longer ones as this makes remounting the handle plate easier.

For the actual cleaning I used a Bullet brush from Rodtech that is rotated using a drill. They cost and arm and a leg but are worth every penny in time and good results (brush, adaptor, two rods, spare wires totalled just short of £200).

Here's an update of instructions that I sent to Eco Angus for stuck turbulators. Some points might not concern you but gives you a gist as to what goes on ...

"“STUCK TURBULATOR REMOVAL NOTES
If the turbulators cannot be pulled up sufficiently to allow free access to the split pins then access should be gained via the flue fan box after removal of the fan. At the same time work via the upper access slot in removing the split pins starting with the two drop links. The pins might need cutting.

If the turbulators cannot be pulled up individually then rotating the turbulators back and forth will eventually cut through the pitch\ash layer and can be completely unscrewed up and out.
Recommend replacing all split pins.
Recommend caution in removing the turbulator handle mount as the short bolts can easily fall back into the boiler. Partially undo nuts and temporarily place an e-clip over bolt thread between handle mount and boiler body.
Recommend replacing the four bolts securing the turbulator handle mount with longer bolts thus easing reattaching the mount.
Turbulators can be cleaned quickly using diesel and light touches of a blow torch and a wire brush (about 10mins per turbulator).
An intermittent\weak\non-existent gasification flame in the presence of a good ember layer, when the fan is operating, is probably an indication of exchanger tube blockage.”

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