Keystoker Kb-8 Install Questions

 
User avatar
Rob R.
Site Moderator
Posts: 17980
Joined: Fri. Dec. 28, 2007 4:26 pm
Location: Chazy, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr

Post by Rob R. » Fri. Nov. 01, 2013 10:21 pm

When considering a coal boiler, we all try to calculate how much coal we will need based on past fuel consumption...but we often don't account for heating extra space around the boiler, taking longer showers, or keeping the house warmer. In this case, the effective heating load is probably double for the coal unit due to the garage and heat loss from the piping. Even if the Modine in the garage isn't being used, there is still a fair amount of heat coming off the boiler. Keystokers usually don't come with any insulation on the top of the boiler...I would insulate the top and any exposed piping.

A KB-8 is a serious boiler; nearly 75 gallons of water in the pressure vessel. I would reduce the timer to 3 or 4 pins every 15 minutes, and set it up to circulate on demand. If your piping is a couple feet below the surface, it should be fine. Remember, the colder it is outside the more the boiler will be running/circulating.

Do you have any pictures of the boiler and piping?


 
User avatar
Carbon12
Member
Posts: 2226
Joined: Tue. Oct. 11, 2011 6:53 pm
Location: Harrisburg, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA-6
Coal Size/Type: Rice/Anthracite
Other Heating: Heat Pump/Forced Hot Air Oil Furnace

Post by Carbon12 » Fri. Nov. 01, 2013 10:26 pm

Antifreeze, insulate ALL the exposed piping and wire the circulator for demand. Cheap and easy to do and might help quite a bit. Start with the simple stuff first. You should have at least a 20 degree difference between the high and low aqua stat temps. Mine is currently set at 180 Hi, 160 Low with a differential of 10. I'll bump the temps up over the winter if I need to.

 
tnt600
New Member
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri. Nov. 01, 2013 5:24 pm
Location: sidney center ny
Stoker Coal Boiler: keystoker kb-8
Coal Size/Type: rice

Post by tnt600 » Fri. Nov. 01, 2013 10:42 pm

keystoker 018.JPG
.JPG | 99.5KB | keystoker 018.JPG
keystoker2 004.JPG
.JPG | 126.5KB | keystoker2 004.JPG
keystoker 020.JPG
.JPG | 93.8KB | keystoker 020.JPG
this is in my 12x12 boiler room off my 32x40 garage

 
User avatar
Carbon12
Member
Posts: 2226
Joined: Tue. Oct. 11, 2011 6:53 pm
Location: Harrisburg, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA-6
Coal Size/Type: Rice/Anthracite
Other Heating: Heat Pump/Forced Hot Air Oil Furnace

Post by Carbon12 » Fri. Nov. 01, 2013 11:16 pm

Is the pictured circulator for the garage heater? If so, where is the circulator for the hot air coil?

 
oilman
Member
Posts: 214
Joined: Sat. Feb. 04, 2006 6:19 pm
Location: Central New York

Post by oilman » Fri. Nov. 01, 2013 11:40 pm

Where's the by-pass? Where is the 6006 for the dump zone? The boiler is not piped to the instructions. The piping looks way small too.
I install alot of Keystokers so I kind of know these things. :)
There's no sense of having an K-8 with 3/4" piping.
Or are my eyes failing me??

 
tnt600
New Member
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri. Nov. 01, 2013 5:24 pm
Location: sidney center ny
Stoker Coal Boiler: keystoker kb-8
Coal Size/Type: rice

Post by tnt600 » Sat. Nov. 02, 2013 8:07 am

the picture iof the circulator is for the modine in the garage and yes it is run with 3/4 pexs the rest is 11/4 black iron then 1 inch going into the house the house circulator is on the return side of the boiler like 2 foot from the bottom port

 
User avatar
McGiever
Member
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 » Sat. Nov. 02, 2013 8:20 am

Is the grey pex the oxygen barrier type?
Is there an air scoop or spirovent piped in?
You wouldn't want internal rusting of this installation. ;)


 
User avatar
Carbon12
Member
Posts: 2226
Joined: Tue. Oct. 11, 2011 6:53 pm
Location: Harrisburg, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA-6
Coal Size/Type: Rice/Anthracite
Other Heating: Heat Pump/Forced Hot Air Oil Furnace

Post by Carbon12 » Sat. Nov. 02, 2013 8:25 am

Expansion tank? Maybe some more photos showing the whole boiler and piping would help.

 
tnt600
New Member
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri. Nov. 01, 2013 5:24 pm
Location: sidney center ny
Stoker Coal Boiler: keystoker kb-8
Coal Size/Type: rice

Post by tnt600 » Sat. Nov. 02, 2013 9:09 am

here is the house circulator and expansion tank.
keystoker2 001.JPG
.JPG | 86.9KB | keystoker2 001.JPG
keystoker 025.JPG
.JPG | 78.5KB | keystoker 025.JPG

 
User avatar
Carbon12
Member
Posts: 2226
Joined: Tue. Oct. 11, 2011 6:53 pm
Location: Harrisburg, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA-6
Coal Size/Type: Rice/Anthracite
Other Heating: Heat Pump/Forced Hot Air Oil Furnace

Post by Carbon12 » Sat. Nov. 02, 2013 9:17 am

Circulator for the house zone should be above tie in for bypass loop to help mix cooler return water with hot supply water to avoid thermal shock to the boiler. It allows for mixing of return water with supply water.

 
tnt600
New Member
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri. Nov. 01, 2013 5:24 pm
Location: sidney center ny
Stoker Coal Boiler: keystoker kb-8
Coal Size/Type: rice

Post by tnt600 » Sat. Nov. 02, 2013 9:27 am

what kind of antifreeze would I need and how much? I 'going to try to run this on demand but don't want my pipes to freeze

 
User avatar
McGiever
Member
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 » Sat. Nov. 02, 2013 9:33 am

Even running on demand...when freeze danger is high, boiler is circulating the most anyway .
Is anti-freeze really needed?
Unnessesay anti-freeze only hurts a boiler system's heating performance.

 
User avatar
Carbon12
Member
Posts: 2226
Joined: Tue. Oct. 11, 2011 6:53 pm
Location: Harrisburg, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA-6
Coal Size/Type: Rice/Anthracite
Other Heating: Heat Pump/Forced Hot Air Oil Furnace

Post by Carbon12 » Sat. Nov. 02, 2013 9:50 am


 
User avatar
Wiz
Member
Posts: 926
Joined: Sun. Nov. 27, 2011 8:45 pm
Location: Tannersville Pa
Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker Ka 6
Coal Size/Type: Casey Junk Coal :(

Post by Wiz » Sat. Nov. 02, 2013 9:51 am

FYI.... my setup... Boiler in shop with approx 45 ft of underground thermo pex. No antifreeze in system and circulator is on demand only,haven't had issue with pipes freezing. As mention you need by pass loop it's a must have per Keystoker. Have you check the draft with a manometer? 3 ton of coal is not going to cut it. I burn 365 days 24-7 besides shutting down for cleaning, 10 tons later. I'm looking to get coal consumption below 8 ton do to added insulation on piping and the knowledge learn from last yr. Insulate top of boiler like Rob mention.

 
tnt600
New Member
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri. Nov. 01, 2013 5:24 pm
Location: sidney center ny
Stoker Coal Boiler: keystoker kb-8
Coal Size/Type: rice

Post by tnt600 » Sat. Nov. 02, 2013 10:15 am

the reason I want to use antifreeze is I'm not sure water lines are below frost level. boy this sucks! never easy! is there a easy way to wire this thing so both my house and garage heat on demand.


Post Reply

Return to “Stoker Coal Furnaces & Stoves Using Anthracite (Hot Air)”