Nature's Comfort NCB-120 Installation and operation instructions manual - page 21
Page 21 of 25
V. Maintenance
A. Cleaning Out Ash
Moisture combined with ash will eat through a boiler in short order and ash corrosion is NOT covered
under warranty.
With our grate and ash pan, ashes can be removed while the fire is still burning. Use a hoe or other tool to pull
ashes away from the chimney. Make sure to turn off power to the blower before removing ash pan or opening
firebox door and wear heavy gloves and safety glasses.
B. Creosote - Formation and Need for Removal
1. When wood is burned slowly (smoldering) it produces tar and other organic vapors which combine with
expelled moisture to form creosote. This occurs on a larger scale when there is too much moisture content in the
wood being used, is corrosive and can shorten the life of your boiler. The creosote vapors condense in the cooler
chimney flue of a slow-burning fire. As a result, creosote residue accumulates on the flue lining. When ignited, this
creosote makes an extremely hot fire. Dry, seasoned wood is the best practice.
2. The chimney must be inspected at least twice a year during the heating season to determine if a creosote
buildup has occurred. If creosote has accumulated it must be removed to reduce the risk of a chimney fire.
3. All creosote and ash must be cleaned from the firebox twice a year, preferably halfway through the heating
season and immediately after the heating season using a scraper and wire brush.
C. Door Seals
Check rope seals on the loading door and ash pan periodically during the heating season as they will compress.
Loosen the bolts on the hinge and/or latch to re-position the main door for tightening the seal if necessary. If the
latch has no remaining adjustment, add washers behind the door handle to further tighten the latch side. If there is
no more adjustment available and the door is not sealing properly, the rope seal must be removed, cleaned &
loosened up, reversed and re-installed or replaced with new rope. For installation, re-position the door hinge and
latch as far out as possible and install the rope seal with a liberal amount of high temperature caulk behind it for
maximum adjustment. Make sure to push the rope to the outside of the corners to mate properly with the jamb (do
not stretch the rope). Bounce the door closed a couple times to custom fit the seal to the jamb, then leave door
open until the caulk behind the rope is fully cured (ensure there are no raised portions that will leave gaps!). Re-
adjust door to properly seal. Contact your dealer or Nature’s Comfort for new rope or caulk if needed. This is a
normal maintenance item and not a warranty issue.
D. Pump
It is highly recommended that a customer purchase an additional pump to have as a spare.
Inspection: Before installing, inspect the pump shaft by removing the large silver screw to expose the top of the
shaft and turn back and forth with a screw driver to make sure the shaft was not broken during shipping. Broken
shafts are not covered under warranty unless found and noted before installation and startup.
Startup: Make sure the lines are filled and prime the pump by cracking the upper pump flange to bleed the air out
of the impeller and volute. IMPORTANT: The large, silver bleeder screw must also be removed from the
pump before running for the first time to bleed all air from the bearings or the pump warranty will be void.
After priming the pump, remove and leave the bleeder screw out, start the pump to finish bleeding all air out of the
bearings, shut off the pump and re-install bleeder screw. You may now run your pump.
Inspection & Maintenance: Loosen the bleeder screw once a week (less often as experience shows otherwise)
to flush the bearings to maximize pump life, especially for those with poor water quality. It is highly recommended
that a customer have their own test kit to monitor treatment levels once a month and add if needed. If when
getting a sample for a test the water is not clear the boiler needs to be shutdown, drained, flushed, re-filled &
treated. Customers must still have a test done by their dealer or Wood Boiler Solutions per the warranty with full
details on our website:
http://www.naturescomfortllc.com/boiler-warranty/
To inspect the upper bearing and shaft, unplug the pump, close the valves on either side of the pump to isolate
(one should always be field installed right before the return line enters the water jacket to be able to fully isolate
the pump, lines and HX’s) and remove the bleeder screw to look at the upper bearing to make sure it’s not worn
out causing the rotor to scrub on one side of the canister housing.