Solo Plus Instructions 1-800-782-9927 Version 12-13
Tarm Biomass · 4 Britton Lane · Lyme, NH 03768
CAUTION
CAUTION
☼
RISK OF WOOD GAS EXPLOSION as explosive gases may be present. When burning a
Solo Plus boiler, the operating thermostat turns off the draft fan when the boiler gets up to
temperature. This cuts the supply of oxygen to the fire and the flame goes out. This re-
mains, however lots of hot coals and a red hot refractory which will continue to bake the
wood creating a build up of hot gas in the firebox. Any person dealing with a Solo Plus
boiler needs to keep in mind that hot explosive gases may be present. These gasses are hot
enough to burn, but without a source of oxygen they can’t burn. After the draft fan has
been off for 15-20 minutes when the gases are hot and explosive, opening the door may pro-
vide enough oxygen for a sudden back flash or puff (wood gas explosion) to occur. This is
the reason behind the safety precaution of NEVER OPENING THE LOAD DOOR
UNLESS THE FAN HAS BEEN RUNNING IN THE LAST FEW MINUTES to vent hot
explosive gasses from the firebox first.
4.5 Daily Firing
The following firing procedures should be followed, especially when the boiler has excess capacity (as
it will have during milder weather).
1.
Load the boiler with wood at least 3 times a day.
2.
Only load the boiler with the amount of wood needed for approximately 8 hours of burn-
ing to cover the heating load caused by the weather and the heat loss of the house.
The
wood should be totally burned and reduced to low coals so that the slot in the refractory is ex-
posed before reloading the firebox with wood. The ability to judge the correct amount of
wood for each installation is somewhat unique. Your goal should be to keep the firebox as dry
as possible by not overloading the boiler with wood in periods of lower heat demand.
3. If steps 1 & 2 above are followed, the heating surfaces of the wood firebox will have a chance
to dry out as it will burn down to charcoal at the end of each load of wood.
4. If steps 1 & 2 above are followed there will be no problems with smoke spilling out of the
load door because only coals will be present when reloading. The next batch of wood will ig-
nite easily and quickly because of the presence of the coals remaining from the previous load.
5. If steps 1 & 2 above are followed, the by-pass damper will open easily and won’t be stuck
shut with creosote.
6. Maintain a high boiler temperature of at least 180-190 ºF (82-88 ºC).
7. Clean the boiler frequently as per the instructions elsewhere in this manual
(see section 5)
.
Routine cleaning will help maintain boiler efficiency. Accumulated ash and soot act as an in-
sulator and reduce boiler combustion and heat exchange efficiency.
8. Due to greatly reduced heat demand, it is not wise to fire the wood in the summer. Smoke and
odors are more noticeable during the warmer months. Therefore, we do not recommend burn-
ing wood in the summertime. Save your wood fuel for colder weather, or equip your boiler
with a thermal storage tank system. Contact Tarm Biomass or your local dealer for more in-
formation.
The refractory tunnel must be kept free of ashes and charcoal so that there enough room for the gasifi-
cation flame. Use the ash rake to pull the ashes and coals out of the tunnel. Leave the coals on the
boiler floor and they will burn up with the next fire.
Boiler Operation, Maintenance, and Service > Daily Firing
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