HS Tarm owners, tell us if you like the units!!

[lowcostheat]

With no responses for owners with problems, it led me to believe either there are no owners or no problems.

Hence the question has been asked.

Thanks in advance for your reply/replies.
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Using corn for low cost heat!!
Dealer for FPI & Paromax DellPoint, Ecoteck, & Lennox Stoves, PSG wood and pellet furnaces. Traeger Pellet and Corn furnaces. Fahrenheit furnace.
FPI Sim-Tech training, 2006, 2007

[whippingwater]

It's my first year burning the Multi-heat 4.0 which I purchased used. Burning pellets only cause I can get them cheaper than corn. Only issues I had were overheating at idle due to carry over heat, but I also have a boiler reset controlling the Tarm circ instead of letting it run constantly in a loop. I reduced the set point 2 degrees celcius and cured it. The overheat cooling coil is a great safety device. The other problem was my fault when I knocked in a BUNCH of fines into the auger when I filled it and I also didn't check behind the plate that holds the lid open when filling where a few pellets were hiding and breaking the hopper seal. When the boiler went to idle it must have been when all the fines were just entering the burn pot because I got a burn back in the auger which set off the built in fire suppression in the auger section. The fines and pellets swelled and jammed the auger (which has a 1/2 hp worm gear) with a full 500 pound hopper. Took about an hour to clean and relight. I lost less than a bag of pellets. Dumb mistake but nice to know the safety devices work. In the future I'll shut it down after 5 ton and clean out the fines instead of trying to burn them and check the seal on the hopper lid every time I fill it. Those were the only issues so far. I fill the hopper and empty the ashes every fourth day and once a week I spin the turbulators with a slotted socket attached to a speed wrench and empty a cup of flyash out of the smoke box. Once a month I use the brush attached to a drill on the tubes and I don't even shut it down to the point of having to relight. I love it so far and think it is the easiest way I have ever burnt wood. I leave it in the automatic mode that switches from 100% - 30% and idle and I have the output adjusted to the requirements of my home. I'm in Michigan's upper peninsula dare eh. I lit it Sept 15 and have burnt 5 1/4 tons so far heating 1800 sqft baseboard with a full walkout basement (2/3 exposed) using infloor radiant and DHW. I have 6 sliding glass doors on the north side of my house 2 of which are 9 footers and according to the light bill it has been 33% colder than last year when I used 1500 gallons of propane. I had a bit of a learning curve balancing my system which would have cut my consumption. We don't like a hot house so the thermostats have stayed the same and was the reason for the investment in a boiler instead of a space heater burning hot in one room trying to get heat to the rest of the house and we didn't want to give up the silence of hot water heat. Sorry if I went on too long but this has been my experience with a Tarm and I would even buy new if I had too because of the ease of use, all the safety features and SOLID construction. Even my wife has lit it and filled the hopper which is what I needed if I go on the road.
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Tarm multi-heat 4.0

[lowcostheat]

Thanks ww, I think I know how you picked your user name. I only went fly fishing once, that was last year near Bend OR and it rained for three days.

Your post RE: the Tarm was the perfect length. Giving us readers something real instead of the glossy brochure info or a sales pitch.

We have been thinking about trying to sell the Tarm units and have generally heard good things about them although they are quite pricey.
I did get reminded again recently that the bad taste of poor quality lasts much longer than the "shock" of a higher price.

Keep warm!
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Using corn for low cost heat!!
Dealer for FPI & Paromax DellPoint, Ecoteck, & Lennox Stoves, PSG wood and pellet furnaces. Traeger Pellet and Corn furnaces. Fahrenheit furnace.
FPI Sim-Tech training, 2006, 2007

[waterboils]

Whippingwater thanks for the information, any chance you are willing to post some pictures? I would like to see some pictures of the firebox and fire tubes to see how dirty they get, especially with you burning pellets.

Also did the fire suppression system make a mess?

Do you use a natural draft chimney or power vent the boiler?

Not that I would but do you think or do they say whether or not you could burn coal?

Wish there was a dealer in South East Minnesota; I would be over there checking these things out. My LDJ 100k Btu boiler works, but I wish it had a few more safety features.

Thanks,

WB
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LDJ 100k Btu Boiler
Installed Nov, 2006

[sting]

Its not that difficult or nearly as expensive to add the features and benefits you desire to your current appliance!
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When you turn your boiler on -- Does it return the favor?
I am sorry - My responses are limited - You must ask the right question!

[whippingwater]

[sting]

Morning WB,

With your skills at building those fine nets -- it shouldn't be a stretch to reverse engineer the stir thing for your appliance.

As to burning all those free chips you could pick up -- let me submit they really wouldn't be free. First there is the simple time and equipment necessary to "pick it up" economically. That word - Economically - what would the cost of fuel for a small loader and haul dump trailer? or maybe you already have those but they will take fuel. -then once you have the chips home they will turn to compost very quickly if not dried down to below 15% moisture or less - now we need a large storage silo or hi and dry shed to keep them dry - and a very easy way to transfer a large amount of bulky fuel to the Tarm - in a fault tolerant way - the fuel cannot bridge during the night and starve the burner -- Wish I still had an old Harvester Silo with the crop augers still in place!!!

You could dry the fuel with chips the you already dried with one of the big SAR air scorchers meant to dry seeds -- but there would also then be some screening or grading equipment necessary to keep the whole business flowing.

Yes -- I too wish for free fuel - but its not so free unless you need a huge amount to support and get a payback on the infrastructure to handle the free fuel.

I surmise you might be closer to free cherry pits -- but how free are raw pits -- first you need to truck them home - then small operations can simply spread them in the sun on black plastic and dry and store -- but I sure wouldn't want to do that -- or wouldn't have the shear time to do that to tons ( once dry ) of fuel. You could burn dry pits in a SAR crop dryer and dry more - now you need a huge supply of pits to get a payback and can you trust that supply to be available for a few years.

Nothing is really free is it?
_________________
When you turn your boiler on -- Does it return the favor?
I am sorry - My responses are limited - You must ask the right question!

[whippingwater]

Morning Sting, I wish I could burn the sawdust and shavings from my woodshop. I know "no free lunch". I do keep the cutoffs to burn in the stoves in our blinds.

Interesting new process that is starting soon. They will be bundling up the branches from harvested trees which will then be stored for 6 months or more before grinding or chipping in order to dry a while. The mill claims higher BTU when burning them mixed in to the coal and ground up tires that they use to fire there boilers as opposed to the current green chips. Yes, I said ground up tires, who knows what else they are incinerating there.
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Tarm multi-heat 4.0

[sting]

Interesting how that "stuff" left over from pulp and woods process used to be left to rot --now has enough value to harvest and haul out.

Great idea to dry that material for a while - less likely to decompose to mulch like chips.

In the correct industrial boiler -- shredded tire waste is consumed with no environmental damage and is a great way to use up something that other wise is costly to reprocess!
_________________
When you turn your boiler on -- Does it return the favor?
I am sorry - My responses are limited - You must ask the right question!

[waterboils]

Maybe a silly question but could you burn small wood logs in the Tarm Multi-Heat 4.0?

I could not find the brochure that showed the adapter for wood chips, but I did read in the Multi-Heat brochure that an adapter was used on the end of the auger when burning corn. The brochure said “Corn can form clinkers which must be removed from the combustion chamber as required. The auger extension must be fitted to help break up the corn clinker.� That statement now makes me wonder how well this unit burns corn. I wonder if corn clinkers cause lots of problems or is just a nuisance ever few days. Could this be the same extension used for wood chips? May not hurt to call and ask about it.
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LDJ 100k Btu Boiler
Installed Nov, 2006

[whippingwater]

If you go here: http://www.woodboilers.com/product-photos.aspx?product=54
You will see the stirrer in the hopper and notice the ceramic arch where combustion occurs and your question about round wood will be answered. The arch is only about 10 inches deep. There is an attachment for the end of the auger which is for when burning corn. It is cast iron, triangular and tapered to the end about 10 inches long. It will bust up the clinker as the auger rotates. I purchased my unit from a dealer in southern Iowa who used it to heat their warehouse for one year till corn sky rocketed. The woman I spoke with said she has burned one for 4 years using corn only and loved it. The only problem she said she had was a cracked refractory because she didn't have it setup right and was burning it too hot. They threw in an extra set of refractories for me to seal the deal. I haven't burnt corn because it is $200 a ton and so are wood pellets. All the farmers put up high moisture this year and are feeding it.
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Tarm multi-heat 4.0

[waterboils]

OK I see what you are talking about now. I miss read what you had wrote earlier. When I originally seen that picture I assumed that part was standard equipment. Do you really think it is necessary?
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LDJ 100k Btu Boiler
Installed Nov, 2006

[whippingwater]

I'd say it's necessary to burn chips because they won't flow like corn or pellets and will end up bridging in the hopper.
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Tarm multi-heat 4.0

[skymarc]

I have been using the tarm 4.0 heating my 5000 sq ft house for the 3rd season. no problems or issue, verry good unit and trouble free.

Burn about 10 ton per year. Mostly corn, tried wheat but wont burn as good. Soybean is good with more ashes but too expansive.

Expensive but worth every dollar.
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GSI Maxi-Comfort 110 000 btu furnace.
Empire 650 SS OUTSIDE WOOD BOILER
HS Tarm Multi-Heat 4.0 boiler
CB Maxim 250 Boiler

Burning perfect good corn since Nov 2006.
We can grow it, might as well burn it !

[tommy]

5 tons 10 tons