Munkul
Jack of some trades, Master of none
- Messages
- 7,635
- Location
- Cumbria
blast from the past.
We have a Thermobile atm, was very useful last winter, but it's old, worn out, and needs a whole load of TLC. The ash pan is a PITA to clean every time, and it takes at least 1/2 an hour to get up to working temperature, plus the installation with a short flue isn't ideal. I absolutely hate cleaning the thing, it generates an entire panful of mucky ash over every 8-10 hour period.
I'm wondring if a new build babington type would be a better idea. We have a great compressed air system already.
How long a flue is optimal for one of these? I'm guessing it doesn't matter as much as it does with a Thermobile.
The Thermobile principle is that it drips oil onto a hot pan, vapourises and burns off... they have a weak fan to start the combustion process, but a long flue for a decent updraft is really needed for better combustion.
With the Babington, am I correct in saying the compressed air jet does the entire combustion process?
Lastly, would a sideways mounted cylinder be a better way to get heat transfer? I have an old unregistered 47kg propane cylinder that i'd love to put to some use.
I'm thinking a horizontal cylinder, burner at one end, chimney flue at the other, possibly coming back on itself a bit in an S shape first to maximise the heat transfer.
Possibly fins welded to the cylinder to enhance primary transfer too, plus a fan for distribution.
We have a Thermobile atm, was very useful last winter, but it's old, worn out, and needs a whole load of TLC. The ash pan is a PITA to clean every time, and it takes at least 1/2 an hour to get up to working temperature, plus the installation with a short flue isn't ideal. I absolutely hate cleaning the thing, it generates an entire panful of mucky ash over every 8-10 hour period.
I'm wondring if a new build babington type would be a better idea. We have a great compressed air system already.
How long a flue is optimal for one of these? I'm guessing it doesn't matter as much as it does with a Thermobile.
The Thermobile principle is that it drips oil onto a hot pan, vapourises and burns off... they have a weak fan to start the combustion process, but a long flue for a decent updraft is really needed for better combustion.
With the Babington, am I correct in saying the compressed air jet does the entire combustion process?
Lastly, would a sideways mounted cylinder be a better way to get heat transfer? I have an old unregistered 47kg propane cylinder that i'd love to put to some use.
I'm thinking a horizontal cylinder, burner at one end, chimney flue at the other, possibly coming back on itself a bit in an S shape first to maximise the heat transfer.
Possibly fins welded to the cylinder to enhance primary transfer too, plus a fan for distribution.
