Conversion of a Riteway #37 Into a Stoker Furnace

 
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DOUG
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Post by DOUG » Mon. Oct. 11, 2010 5:30 am

Impressive! :D It is coming along well.


 
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McGiever
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Joined: Sun. May. 02, 2010 11:26 pm
Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Mon. Oct. 18, 2010 7:10 am

More updates:

1). 7" Stainless Flue Collar Installed in chimney.

2). Replaced old existing plenum with new plenum with motorized damper for selecting coal stoker furnace heat source or heat pump.

3). Angle shot looking passed new plenum take offs at damper with heat pump cold air return and chimney collar in background.

Attachments

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7" Stainless Flue Collar installed in chimney

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IMG_1141.JPG

Replaced old existing plenum with new plenum with motorized damper for selecting coal stoker furnace heat source or heat pump.

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IMG_1142.JPG

Angle shot looking passed new plenum take offs at damper with heat pump cold air return and chimney collar in background.

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GeorgiePorgie
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Post by GeorgiePorgie » Mon. Oct. 18, 2010 8:07 am

When you go along seeing nothing but green lights, and everyone is cheering, you tend to overlook the small mistakes, I said : " it's not all that wonderful " , just to get your attention, but the idea is great !

Somewhere in my posts, ( I don't know how many I had ) , it was a wish list to have a stoker, that you can burn few pieces of wood in it once and a while, and this was a perfect opportunity for that idea, so why the heck " YOU WELDED THE TOP ON " ?

It would have been really nice, to keep or modify the wood burning option, most if not all of us who operate a stoker only, end up with few if not more than few extra wood logs, and we always to get them BTU's out of those as well ( fallen trees, free firewood, broken pallets ETC. ETC. )

Having both system in parallel, shouldn't have been a problem, I have designed computer circuits in the past, parallel was easier, and required less parts, however you have to apply the same theory and I am not sure about the needed parts and their availability as option or standard in this field, it may take me a day or two to visit some local duct work place and get an education as to what available, and reasonably priced.

When you get ready to have it properly controlled, let me know, I have done similar project and I have all the data, as the proper sequence of events.

 
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McGiever
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Posts: 10130
Joined: Sun. May. 02, 2010 11:26 pm
Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Sun. Oct. 31, 2010 9:31 pm

GeorgiePorgie wrote:When you go along seeing nothing but green lights, and everyone is cheering, you tend to overlook the small mistakes, I said : " it's not all that wonderful " , just to get your attention, but the idea is great !

Somewhere in my posts, ( I don't know how many I had ) , it was a wish list to have a stoker, that you can burn few pieces of wood in it once and a while, and this was a perfect opportunity for that idea, so why the heck " YOU WELDED THE TOP ON " ?

It would have been really nice, to keep or modify the wood burning option, most if not all of us who operate a stoker only, end up with few if not more than few extra wood logs, and we always to get them BTU's out of those as well ( fallen trees, free firewood, broken pallets ETC. ETC. )

Having both system in parallel, shouldn't have been a problem, I have designed computer circuits in the past, parallel was easier, and required less parts, however you have to apply the same theory and I am not sure about the needed parts and their availability as option or standard in this field, it may take me a day or two to visit some local duct work place and get an education as to what available, and reasonably priced.

When you get ready to have it properly controlled, let me know, I have done similar project and I have all the data, as the proper sequence of events.
Such unit may be on your "Wish List"...but, this unit was optimized for Coal, and that's "too big of a gap to try and do" Hand Fed Wood and Coal Stoker...one or both fuels combustion would be compromised.

 
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McGiever
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Posts: 10130
Joined: Sun. May. 02, 2010 11:26 pm
Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Sun. Oct. 31, 2010 9:47 pm

IMG_1143.JPG

Partial Duct Work

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IMG_1145.JPG

More Partial Duct Work

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Left/Hopper/Stoker Side

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Looking Straight On

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Looking On at Angle

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Here's last few photo's prior to Start-Up which occurred 10/28/2010.

It's been running for more than 3 days now...my expectations have been surpassed thus far. :D

So far a couple nights in the low 30's but, days have been in or near 50's...we'll see how it goes as winter slips it's grip on us. :!:

 
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DOUG
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Post by DOUG » Sun. Oct. 31, 2010 11:11 pm

That is totally awesome!!! I'll be looking forward to reading it's heating performance and burning efficiency results. I have a feeling that everyone is going to be amazed with the super results you receive! Great job! :idea: :)

 
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Short Bus
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Location: Cantwell Alaska
Stoker Coal Boiler: Kewanee boiler with Anchor stoker
Coal Size/Type: Chestnut / Sub-bituminous C
Other Heating: Propane wall furnace back up only

Post by Short Bus » Sun. Oct. 31, 2010 11:44 pm

My hat is off to you, that's alot of work and planning, I hope you have great results :D


 
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McGiever
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Joined: Sun. May. 02, 2010 11:26 pm
Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Sun. Oct. 31, 2010 11:58 pm

Thanks Doug :!:

You've been behind me all the way through this...I sure appreciate that. :)

Thanks for your time and advice while on the phone with me also. :D

BTW:

Will finish up my first batch of coal sometime tomorrow. It was 100# of rice I bought to have for start-up.

It was of poor quality in my opinion. Too much shale...I believe, perhaps it was re-claimed...it has plenty visible small root like twigs throughout and plenty of nonburnable in the ash.
I'll be weighing the ash to get a percentage calculation.

I have 200# from another supplier that I'll be trying next...it looks a lot nicer than that first batch.

So far, with this down-draft design firebox, I am seeing very low stack temps and I do get a decent Gravity Hot Air Flow between blower cycles.

So far, only control wiring I've done is run 2/conductor T'stat wire from Feed Controller to existing relay in H/P for the Emergency Heat...I'm using existing H/P T'stat in Emergency Heat Mode for Coal.

So far, T'stat holds steady on 70*...it works in one half degree increments...no over or under runs of set point...real tests are to come though. ;)

Will I need to make re-adjustments w/ a different quality of coal?

 
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Townsend
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Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 50-93 & Harman Mark I
Coal Size/Type: Pea / Nut

Post by Townsend » Mon. Nov. 01, 2010 12:35 pm

Great job on the rework and install. Awesome.

 
ozman
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Post by ozman » Thu. Dec. 09, 2010 7:47 pm

I have been contemplating doing this to my clayton 1600 like Doug did. What is the cost of the conversion using a single tri-burner?

 
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DOUG
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Post by DOUG » Thu. Dec. 09, 2010 8:42 pm

ozman:

I've been working on plans since my intial post of the Clayton stoker conversion for making it better and more efficient. What I have learned is that in the position that I have the stoker in my Clayton is great for ease of lighting and stoker maintance, but the overall heat exchange is really too small for the efficient operation at full fire. Possibly making some more baffles to slow the gases or to add another 20 square feet of heat exchange to the Clayton, I believe would be better for overall effieciency and heat output.

When I get further along with the updated Clayton stoker modification, I will be sure to post it in the appropriate section. Until then, feel free to Private Message me and I will explain my findinsg to help you with your modification so you won't make the same mistakes that I did. If I was to run the set up at a low fire, it is just right for doing so. The coal consuption and stack temperatures goes up with higher rates of firing in my exsisting set up.

The cost of the TRI-BURNER stoker, if you can get one, was around $550.00 at the time of this post. It may have gone up since then.

 
hokirenry
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Post by hokirenry » Tue. Dec. 28, 2010 3:25 pm

Do you have any parts left from the riteway model 37? I'm looking for the combustion flue body. It is the part that holds the sliding door that you open when re-fueling. I'd like to get the door and the housing if possible. Thanks a lot!

 
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McGiever
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Posts: 10130
Joined: Sun. May. 02, 2010 11:26 pm
Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Tue. Dec. 28, 2010 3:33 pm

Sorry, no, it is still a functioning part of the furnace currently.

 
hokirenry
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Post by hokirenry » Tue. Dec. 28, 2010 8:40 pm

Ok, thanks for responding. My old Riteway is still going after 25 years of hard use, but this part recently broke and although I still use it, I would like to fix it properly. Today I looked at a Hitzer 82 which is VERY similar to my Riteway 37. Some of the parts I'm sure would interchange, just can't be sure. Anyway, great job on your retro stoker. Happy New Year.

 
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MURDOC1
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Location: Harleysville, Pa.
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harman Mark 3 Top Flue

Post by MURDOC1 » Tue. Dec. 28, 2010 9:23 pm

McGiever, that is one nice setup you have there!!! Thats a job well done if I've ever seen one... Great work!!!

Murdoc


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