Is there a simpler way...

[smileypete]

 

Well the header tank is one of the safety devices. Its not a sealed system so it should just cause the header tank to overflow at worst. There are two pumps as well in the system - both are adequate but I wanted the water circulating a bit faster so if one fails the other will keep plodding away.

Fair enough...

 

 

Plus I intend to fit a little circuit to monitor the water temperature to increase efficiency. I'm thinking about feeding a thermistor into the pipes in the fire then using a picaxe chip to monitor the temperature and control the speed of the pump effectively. At the moment the water is traveling full speed round the system but the fire is not giving out much heat. The pipes coming out the fire are therefore lukewarm.

 

Maybe have a another pipe thermostat that starts the pump on reduced voltage when the water is say 60-65°C then if the temperature reaches 75-80°C the main themostat comes in and switches the pump to full speed.

 

Just a simple small value light bulb may be good enough to drop the voltage and power to the pump, experiment with different wattages to find what's best.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

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[Doodlebug]

Thanks Martin - but maybe that member knew something we don't? Maybe viagra is what my stoves been after?!

Fair enough...

 

 

Maybe have a another pipe thermostat that starts the pump on reduced voltage when the water is say 60-65°C then if the temperature reaches 75-80°C the main themostat comes in and switches the pump to full speed.

 

Just a simple small value light bulb may be good enough to drop the voltage and power to the pump, experiment with different wattages to find what's best.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

 

Yes thats a good idea. Irritatingly the pump I have someone has tried to be clever with. Its designed to be connected to a solar panel and so has some electronics inside that allow it to start under a low current.

 

As a result I can't use PWM (pulse width modulation to slow down the motor) so I was thinking I might take it apart to simplify it. There must be a standard motor in there somewhere.

 

Thanks

 

Doodle

[smileypete]

Thinking about it a bit, if the seal around the ash door is poor yet it goes out when the vent is closed, that MAY indicate poor sealing around the main door, and other places.

 

A poor seal round the main door might allow extra 'secondary air' which you don't need or want with smokeless fuel, it'll make for cooler chimney gases which reduce the overall draw, plus offer a much easier path for air to get drawn into the stove, greatly reducing the draw through the bottom vent.

 

A symptom of a poorly sealed stove it that it'll either roar away too hot or just go out, it's hard to get it to just tick over nicely.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

Edited December 23, 2013 by smileypete