Putting my AA130 to use

 
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Retro_Origin
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Post by Retro_Origin » Mon. Mar. 06, 2023 5:49 pm

Don't apologize for being a copy cat! Volunteer to put the glass fan plate on your 260! Stop fooooling around!


 
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Post by swyman » Tue. Mar. 07, 2023 1:13 am

Retro_Origin wrote:
Mon. Mar. 06, 2023 5:49 pm
Don't apologize for being a copy cat! Volunteer to put the glass fan plate on your 260! Stop fooooling around!
I would love to do it but I have a lot of fines in my coal and it would sand blast it the first day.

 
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Post by Retro_Origin » Tue. Mar. 07, 2023 5:57 pm

The 106Rh says it's battery operated?

 
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Post by Retro_Origin » Tue. Mar. 14, 2023 5:55 pm

Got my inkbird! Anyone want to spare me the time reading this little pamphlet and tell me the best way to wire it? It is the rh with the internal relay

 
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Post by Lightning » Tue. Mar. 14, 2023 7:40 pm

Ok... What do you want it to control? The ashing or the combustion fan?

 
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Post by Retro_Origin » Tue. Mar. 14, 2023 7:49 pm

Lightning wrote:
Tue. Mar. 14, 2023 7:40 pm
Ok... What do you want it to control? The ashing or the combustion fan?
Just the ashing for now, still need to get the other inkbird and external relay for the fan. Sorry I thought you could read my mind in that very specific question 8-)

 
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Post by Lightning » Tue. Mar. 14, 2023 8:38 pm

Ok, it's easy. You need to drill a hole close to the anthrastat to mount the K type probe. Disconnect the wires that run to the anthrastat and run them thru the internal relay of the Inkbird. That should do the trick.


 
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Post by Retro_Origin » Tue. Mar. 14, 2023 8:52 pm

That is pretty straightforward but doesn't it need juice all the time as well? My main question revolved around whether the whole thing is wired in series with the fan to where it only lights up and displays temp during combustion- also wasn't sure if that relay had the hot supplied separate or if it was all internal. Anyway- seems to me what your saying is wire the supply in as hot always (temp will now always be displayed) and then the rest as per normal anthra.

 
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Post by Lightning » Wed. Mar. 15, 2023 6:28 am

Retro_Origin wrote:
Tue. Mar. 14, 2023 8:52 pm
doesn't it need juice all the time as well?
It has a diagram for what contacts are needed for power, the probe, and internal relay.

Yep, wire it so the Inkbird always has power so you can see the display full time. The internal relay will act as an on/off switch just like the anthrastat did.

 
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Post by Retro_Origin » Tue. Apr. 04, 2023 8:08 pm

Long time no update! Now that winter is virtually over I realized I either need to install a timer or just hope my fire stays alive! I did neither! I've been really excited to try Lee's setup using the inkbird to hold a very tight differential and hence force the boiler to run regularly just like a timer would. I also switched to buck. Without any domestic usage it seems to run four or five minutes every two hours, pretty much ashing the whole time. So at minimum about twelve pounds a day without usage- im sure it will be much more than that. I really like how quiet the buckwheat is in the tube! It almost sounds empty! Overshoots are only about ten degrees too! I topped off the barrel last night but the tube had run dry and who knows how much pea was still in the transfer head. Topped it off again today and it took about thirty lbs, but the wife did four loads of laundry today! So I'm hoping to end up around the twenty pound mark. Well see at the end of the week what the numbers say! Also I can't believe how much less heat there is in the basement, I really should have had covers on that keystoker! I didn't realize how much warmer my house was in the summer! Sorry fellas, no pics, phone camera is busted

 
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Post by Lightning » Tue. Apr. 04, 2023 8:59 pm

Thanks for the update Retro! So you did in fact install the Inkbird? What's you boiler set point and differential? I think the buckwheat is a little easier on the equipment too. I'm planning to switch over to buck permanently.

 
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Post by Retro_Origin » Tue. Apr. 04, 2023 9:08 pm

Lightning wrote:
Tue. Apr. 04, 2023 8:59 pm
Thanks for the update Retro! So you did in fact install the Inkbird? What's you boiler set point and differential? I think the buckwheat is a little easier on the equipment too. I'm planning to switch over to buck permanently.
Currently 170 with 1.5 diff. Basically just to start to see how it reacts. I don't like the slight delay since the k probe is in the immersion well- kind of works against the tight differential. And yes have the inkbird with an external relay to fire the motor. My only fear is a puffback. I'm for sure going to keep buying buck as long as I can get some feedback from someone who's run it thru the winter in one of these. Seems like everyone runs pea, although that may be supply related, for me it's all available and the same price

 
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Post by Lightning » Tue. Apr. 04, 2023 9:33 pm

You'll wanna use thermal grease in the well that you have the K probe in... and if it's not sealed pack some fiberglass insulation around any gaps at the surface of the well to prevent any air convection that could be possibly occuring in the well.

 
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Post by Retro_Origin » Wed. Apr. 05, 2023 6:40 pm

Lightning wrote:
Tue. Apr. 04, 2023 9:33 pm
You'll wanna use thermal grease in the well that you have the K probe in... and if it's not sealed pack some fiberglass insulation around any gaps at the surface of the well to prevent any air convection that could be possibly occuring in the well.
But the probe is pretty small in diameter and thermal grease is more for a small amount of clearance right? It's not terribly off, but I believe if I really want it to be right I'd have to do what you did and get a probe with the proper threads and install it directly into the boiler. I also still have the original anthrastat setup, although I have the proper inkbird and probe to switch all that out, to me that doesn't seem necessary, since it's probably going to always ash during a light summer run, right? I really need to get a clear draft plate so I can watch that pretty blue! It's amazing there will be no fire in site and flue temp right about 160. Then combustion call, in four minutes the fire has roared to the surface with a bit of raw around the transfer outlet, flue temp up to over three hundred. All that after laying dormant two hours. Now that's crazy. In the following days I may drop the setpoint down five degrees but any less than that I don't think would be smart, what's your thoughts?

 
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Post by Lightning » Thu. Apr. 06, 2023 3:13 pm

Retro_Origin wrote:
Wed. Apr. 05, 2023 6:40 pm
But the probe is pretty small in diameter and thermal grease is more for a small amount of clearance right?
I just figured it would help heat transfer to the probe a lot more effectively than an air space. And if that air space isn't sealed there undoubtedly is convection currents going into the well and cooling the probe.
Retro_Origin wrote:
Wed. Apr. 05, 2023 6:40 pm
n the following days I may drop the setpoint down five degrees but any less than that I don't think would be smart, what's your thoughts?
Your set point is only 5 degrees higher than mine. You could take it down to 165 without much impact on anything, I would think.


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