Reading Susquehanna and Coal-Trol

ejkuehner · Post by **ejkuehner** » Sun. Jan. 26, 2014 7:57 pm

Two Issues:

1. My convection blower is on all the time. My old Keystoker would have the convection blower come on when the inside air was hot enough and then turn off when the inside air cooled. What should my new stove do?

2. We are having a difficult time getting the fire to go full blast. We had this a few weeks ago but can't get it back.

Are there settings I need to use for both the above issues?

blrman07 · Post by **blrman07** » Sun. Jan. 26, 2014 8:40 pm

Welcome to the forum!!! It sounds like your settings may have "slipped" a bit? I don't have your unit but be patient. Some members who are will chime in soon.

Rev Larry
New Beginning Church
Ashland Pa

Post by **pvolcko** » Tue. Jan. 28, 2014 5:01 pm

1) It is normal, especially in higher demand days like we've been having, for the convection blower to be running all the time (or at least pretty frequently). Are you running the convection blower(s) off the coal-trol or are they wired through a limit switch? If the former then you can try adjusting the CFT setting a little higher. This will increase the FR at which the blower start to run, effectively increasing the temperature of the air they will move at minimum blower speed. If using a limit switch, you can only adjsut things on that limit switch.

2) The Coal-trol will automatically dial up the amount of heat needed in order to satisfy the temperature you have set on the thermostat. If the day calls for full blast it will do it, if it only needs 50% it will dial it back to that, etc. The unit will not operate like a oil or gas furnace (or older on/idle type thermostat control on a stoker) where it is full blast or nothing. The coal-trol varies the heat output as needed, like a cruise control on a car, to meet the demand to satisfy the temperature you have set. Is it maintaining temperature?

ejkuehner · Post by **ejkuehner** » Tue. Jan. 28, 2014 9:29 pm

Thanks..

Two weeks ago with wind chills in the minus 30 range our furnace was roaring. Something changed as we are back in the minus wind chill area but the furnace has two small fires. We are asking for 72 and it is providing 54...

2001Sierra · Post by **2001Sierra** » Tue. Jan. 28, 2014 9:49 pm

If you have a call for heat what is FR showing?

ejkuehner · Post by **ejkuehner** » Tue. Jan. 28, 2014 9:53 pm

2001Sierra · Post by **2001Sierra** » Tue. Jan. 28, 2014 10:03 pm

That is maximum feed for the settings the stove is set for. How many inches of ash on the end of the grate do you have?

ejkuehner · Post by **ejkuehner** » Tue. Jan. 28, 2014 10:10 pm

3 or so

2001Sierra · Post by **2001Sierra** » Tue. Jan. 28, 2014 10:35 pm

Is there a manual feed adjustment for your stove? Is the Coal-trol a factory install? The Coal-trol can be tweaked to feed more, you just do not want burning coal to be falling of the grate into the ash pan, on a max feed which is where you are at with a FR of 99.

ejkuehner · Post by **ejkuehner** » Wed. Jan. 29, 2014 10:39 am

Not sure about a manual feed adjustment. Coal-trol came with my furnace so I figure it was designed to go with it. It was filling up the entire grate a few weeks ago but isn't now..

lewis · Post by **lewis** » Wed. Jan. 29, 2014 6:33 pm

Friend of mine that runs one of these with a Coal Trol had some problems last week with heat output turns out the Plenum box that connects the flue pipe was filled with fly ash. Took off the pipe cleaned it out and its back to 100% we were both surprised it needed cleaning already.

The fact you haven't changed anything as far as the manual feeder adj indicates its prolly not the trouble same with the electronic controller the gradual build up of ash could have reduced the stoves draft and efficiency,, my buddy was getting some sulfur stink from the hopper too cause the stove was getting pressurized from the combustion blowers,, he has the dual burner model and the trouble surfaced when the cold rolled in and he fired the second shoe.

Post by **pvolcko** » Wed. Jan. 29, 2014 7:58 pm

What is your MIN and MAX settings, ejkuehner? Did you change them at any point since you had it blazing?

IF FR is 99 I would expect those burners to be going full flame. Only thing that would account for it not would be MAX set to something too low. I believe 24 is the default on Reading stoves for MAX. If it is lower, set it back to 24 and see what happens.

If it is at 24 or higher already: It would be best to give us a call at 315-299-3589 so we can do some troubleshooting over the phone with you and hopefully get this squared away quickly.

ejkuehner · Post by **ejkuehner** » Wed. Jan. 29, 2014 10:11 pm

Lewis - thanks - we took the pipe off and the plenum was full of ash - we just installed the furnace in late September so I didn't expect that yet.

pvolcko - we will see how we make out with a clean plenum and will call you if this doesn't work

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far..

ejkuehner · Post by **ejkuehner** » Tue. Feb. 04, 2014 4:31 pm

Turns out we had coal building up under both pusher plates. Once we cleaned that out the fires got as hot as they ever have.

lsayre · Post by **lsayre** » Tue. Feb. 04, 2014 8:25 pm

ejkuehner wrote:Turns out we had coal building up under both pusher plates. Once we cleaned that out the fires got as hot as they ever have.

Good to hear that its back to normal!