Above 1200 Sq/FT 86's 20HP shop

[86turbodsl]

It's been burning all day and for some reason hasn't gotten above 130F, even though the flow rate is quite healthy. I don't know if the stainless pot was somehow boosting the burn or what. Not much ash buildup right now though. I've moved onto a couple other tasks but i'll keep it going for now. Probably won't get much burn time tomorrow. Need to go visit my dad in the nursing home. Won't be long now probably.

 

[86turbodsl]

Not such a great weekend. The chinesium solenoid valve i was using for the inlet to the preheat tank started leaking, likely a result of overtemp when i tried to run the veggie oil for 5 minutes. So now automatic running is off the table, and i have to monitor.

The oil burner pump i'm using is showing signs of failing. It's flow rate is way way down.

On the way into work this morning i hit a construction barrel at 50+ mph, it was sitting right in the middle of my lane on the freeway, and i was sandwiched in between a concrete wall and a semi truck. No where to go. One of the oldest stretches of freeway in the USA. No shoulders and rough pavement. It was icy too. With a guy behind me i was screwed. I drive an Audi B6 ultrasport, so the bodywork isn't any sort of cheap.

And lastly, visited my dad on Sunday afternoon, and we'll probably be burying him in a month.

Some days....

 

[Perrorojo]

There's nothing good in that post.

I will say that a lot of people would have swerved and cause a 50 car pile up.

Sorry to hear about your dad.

 

[86turbodsl]

Thanks. It's glioblastoma. He's gotten more time than many, but it's getting close.



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[Strouty]

Death *****, I still can''t figure out which is worse, not knowing and not being able to say your goodbyes or seeing the decline of someone you love to a shadow of the person you knew. I have had it happen both ways and neither is pleasant. We are currently dealing with wills and trusts and all the stuff that makes everyone uneasy, humans do not like to think of themselves as having a shelf life. Make the most of the time you have.

The car is repairable, *****, but it could have been worse and it sounds like you are fine otherwise.

I am beginning to think that this heating system is some sort of test for you, I can say for sure, your tenacity is strong.

 

[86turbodsl]

Death does ****. I do not think he's doing well. He was very unresponsive yesterday and has been for several days. My brother is going to fly in from out of town this week. He was drifting in and out of the room as we were all gathered. He did say my son's name so that was nice. I hope he has made his peace with his maker.

I can fix the car. I think for about $500. Looks like i can get the real special part of the bumper separate. It's just paint and body and nobody was hurt.

This heating is a tough one for sure. I want to do a good job and free myself up for other things though. I told the wife last night i could have just bought a natural gas furnace and been stress free. She said we can't afford to heat that barn if it's isn't free. i said what do you think all these parts cost??

I have been told i'm a tenacious b*stard. I'll figure it out. Probably cost more than i wanted though.

 

[Strouty]

You can't always look at the time and money invested, it *****, but I go through this too. I have all these irrational thoughts of how much money I will save, how much value the project will hold when I am done, in reality.......... I think they call it sunk cost, I know it brings out the crazy in me and I have plenty of projects that are still like that, so I can't say anything.

 

[86turbodsl]

i think this is part of the cost of being a tinkerer. i can't help myself. normal folks just figure the cost out, buy the furnace or whatever and enjoy a cold one in front of the fireplace. i have to tinker... sigh.

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[bimmer1980]

It is challenging to see a parent or other family member on the down hill side of things... Went thru that with my dad when my brother and I were 14. Dad was 50 when we buried him. I will say that had he lived thru some of the challenges, his quality of life would have been poor, so I don't necessarily think death is the worst thing for a person.....

It does keep things in perspective.

I've been surprised at how long you've kept at the boiler system...... I know it's tough to pull back out of the rabbit hole. I hope you can get it working, but if you end up changing plans, that's not the most horrible thing either....

 

[86turbodsl]

Well, to be honest, dad and i haven't been on the best of terms the last few years. He went through some challenges at a young age, and as a result had a lot of behavioral issues. Mom tried to shield us as much as she could but he never matured as much as he should have. He took it out on me some and never learned to treat me as an adult peer. I'm 49. As recently as a couple of years ago, he was screaming at me for something as if i was a child. I walked away. Have held him at a distance for a while. Mom had to bring him home over the holidays to wait for an opening at the nursing home, and my family gave up our christmas break to help her. I was there for her, not for him. I don't really feel too much at this time, maybe i will grieve, i don't know. I'm somewhat damaged but not as bad as him. My faith demands i forgive him, which i suppose i have done as much as i know how. But i don't think i have to go ask for more helpings. I feel sorry for him in a lot of ways. I never had the father i needed. But we aren't promised all things in this life.

As far as heat, i have a vested interest in making it work, i have several thousand gallons of oil on site that would be a shame to throw out.



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[Strouty]

I bet you could sell the oil, there are plenty of people around here that will pay about a buck a gallon.

My Mom is estranged to me, when I was growing up she was an alcoholic, a hypochondriac, and she had issues with men, lots of them, if you get my drift. I do not talk to her anymore, she has moved away and that makes things easier, but she tries to make contact every so often and it stresses me out. In fact, my blood pressure is going up just typing this. Sometimes things happen between people and you just can't recover from them, se and I had several, I tried, but after a while it was clear she would take me down with her, so I stopped trying.

 

[86turbodsl]

I could sell the oil but then I'm back to no heat or paying for heat. Neither is appealing.

Sorry to hear about your mom. I definitely get it.


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[Strouty]

I understand about paying for the oil, this year has cost me almost $2k in oil, hopefully the last fill up, but you never know.

 

[86turbodsl]

Ouch. That's a chunk. Fuel oil used to be the cheap way. Now it's the $$$ way.
I'm on propane here. 1600 so far this year.

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[86turbodsl]

Well a little good news. The fuel pump was ok. Pulled the cover to find an inlet strainer that was completely plugged. Cleaned out and pumping like a champ.

Also I have solved the oil inlet solenoid problem. The 20lb sledgehammer hitting a fly method. Ordered a pneumatic actuated ball valve. Basically impossible to leak.

Hitting it bit by bit. ..

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[86turbodsl]

And i couldn't end the day without some more problem... the drive tangs on the waste transfer oil pump (SBC oil pump) sheared off. It's toast. Guess i need to get the new hydro pump made up... sigh. always something.

 

[86turbodsl]

Making some small progress on burner 2.0. Been wanting to move to a variable oil delivery system so I bought a vfd and 1/4hp motor off eBay. Then added this 56c pump mount from surpluscenter. And then bored the pilot for the oil burner pumps. Since that's a standard, I can put any pump I want on this setup. The vfd will allow me to vary oil flow and thus heat output via plc control.



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[86turbodsl]

Pneumatic actuator showed up today. The square is bigger than expected. I will need an adapter of some sort.

Also assembling the new pump.

Coming together.



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[matt_i]

And i couldn't end the day without some more problem... the drive tangs on the waste transfer oil pump (SBC oil pump) sheared off. It's toast. Guess i need to get the new hydro pump made up... sigh. always something.

I didn't see your setup before but if the fit of slot to the tang isn't tight (closely fitted) its likely the eventual impact will break it off because the torque of the gearing is kind of spiky and not always smooth. Also a round sleeve to hold the shafts in alignment would help...but....I see you have a more industrial setup there already Some heavy duty components and the ability to tweak them in I think are going to help you a lot.

 

[86turbodsl]

The tangs were fairly close fit to the bolt. It worked fine for several hundred gallons. I'm ready to move on to a new system though. Picked up a hydreco pump with big ports for 20 bucks.
Adapting it now.

The oil feed pump is done. I will swap for the suntec pump though. Looking forward to vfd oil feed.



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[86turbodsl]

Ugh. I frikken hate Michigan. **** roads, high taxes, blah blah. Some jackass left a construction barrel in the middle of the freeway. I hit it and it started a Cascade failure of plastic bits on my car. Ripped off a hunk yesterday and this hunk today as it was dragging on the road. Grrr.

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[rmalkow2]

Ugh. I frikken hate Michigan. **** roads, high taxes, blah blah. Some jackass left a construction barrel in the middle of the freeway. I hit it and it started a Cascade failure of plastic bits on my car. Ripped off a hunk yesterday and this hunk today as it was dragging on the road. Grrr.

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I'm getting to that same state of mind as well. Our new Governor will likely make it even more expensive to live here. Every once in awhile I look at warmer and cheaper states to live in. I hate to think of moving all my treasures but also not sure if I can afford to live here much longer.

 

[86turbodsl]

Ugh, tell me about it. Seems like every time we start to make progress on making the state nicer to live in, we get hammered with another pork spigot. I think we're about one election cycle away from never coming back from the abyss.

On another note, my leaky oil solenoid is really causing heartburn. I forgot to turn it on last time i burned and exposed the element, and then forgot to shut it OFF last time i shut down, so i have a big mess again. I think i'm about out of my alloted kitty litter for the year...

I adapted the pneumatic actuator to the ball valve, but there's too much slop on the adapter, so it doesn't close fully. i need to address that before i can get it installed. THEN after that i have plumbing and controls to get it operational. AND i have to get a compressor setup. Gonna be a busy month.

 

[Strouty]

We gain almost two hours of daylight in the next month.

 

[rmalkow2]

Thanks Strouty, for given us some positive thinking in our winter doldrums. You are right and hopefully warmer temps to go with that extra daylight.

86, hopefully the outside temps rise soon so you can take a step back and figure out the heater problems without trying to stay warm.

 

[86turbodsl]

That is good news. I am anxiously waiting.

I would love to spend time in the shop without working ON the boiler. Seems like that's all i'm doing these days. 43F tonight, set it burning and came inside and watched tv. it was 48f when i shut it off just now. There's no way to leave it burning on a timer anymore.

I have a ton of pneumatic valves, but none of them are correct for the valve. I need an exhaust/dump. And i have to get the compressor running too.

 

[86turbodsl]

Went and saw dad yesterday. Everyone in the family made it. He was drifting in and out most of the day, but he did join us for a moment, and he had a look of joy on his face that he saw us all. He mumbled that he was happy we were there. It was worth it.

Won't be very long now.

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[Strouty]

That was what happened with my Grandmother, all her kids came to see her and she was so happy, she actually said goodbye and that was it. Very glad you got the family together, it probably meant more to your Dad than anything.

 

[86turbodsl]

I'm sure it did. It meant a lot to us too.

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[86turbodsl]

Got back out to the shop yesterday, it was 40F after a couple days not running the heat. I managed to get it up to 52 by the time i shut down. The boiler wasn't heating up as well as usual. I tracked it down to not enough combustion air. Not sure what i'm going to do there.

I also setup the scaffolding on the garage door so i can work from one side to the other. And the pneumatic actuator is assembled and ready to go. I need to order a solenoid to run it though. Can't find one on ebay worth a darn. Probably go new there. We just got another snow storm dumped 4 to 6 inches. I'm tired of winter.

 

[Strouty]

I was tired of winter the first time it snowed back in November.

 

[86turbodsl]

Tell me about it. 8F out there tonight. Should be warming up by now. Boiler quit too. I thought it was the filter screen plugging. Found the shutoff valve off. I'm ordering the valve i need now... grrrr. getting old *****.

 

[86turbodsl]

Dad passed in his sleep last night. Probably won't be on here much for a bit. Everyone take care.

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[Perrorojo]

Sorry for your loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

 

[Strouty]

That is how I want to go. Sorry for the loss, if you need to talk, call or text.

 

[jbmatth]

Sorry to hear of the loss of your dad, wishing the best for you and your family.

JB

 

[1Garageman]

Sorry for your families loss.

 

[rmalkow2]

Sorry to hear of your loss. Peace to you and your family.

 

[Duker]

I am sorry to read about your father. I am glad your family was able to spend some time with him near the end.


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[86turbodsl]

Thank you guys. This is a good bunch of people.