Newbie... start up procedures

 
Commish
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Posts: 14
Joined: Sun. Dec. 31, 2017 3:18 pm
Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Kodiak stoker ii

Post by Commish » Tue. Jan. 09, 2018 8:46 pm

Thanks guys. I cleaned the fines out under grate(there was a lot....) And poked all the holes clean on the grate.
Seems to be working much better and more heat.

Now I can’t seem to get an even burn. It peaks in the middle....

 
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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. Jan. 09, 2018 11:22 pm

That pattern, "peaked in the middle" is an indicator of your air pressures coming from under the grate.

Seems strange...strong air on both sides but weaker in the middle. Or are you describing a "smiley face"...which is just the opposite. Sagging in the middle.

 
titleist1
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Joined: Wed. Nov. 14, 2007 4:06 pm

Post by titleist1 » Wed. Jan. 10, 2018 10:58 am

StokerDon wrote:
Tue. Jan. 09, 2018 6:51 pm
That is an Alaska with a TriBurner type stoker in it. The knob is attached to a rheostat. The rheostat controls the speed of the single motor that runs the fan and feeder. here is a thread that describes how it works.
Alaska Kodiak Stoker...

-Don
Since he mentioned he has a second rheostat it would be good to know/confirm from the existing wiring which one controls which fan, if either. I think he mentioned turning the dial did not seem to have an effect on fan speed. Maybe the previous owner wired one rheostat to control feed motor and the other to control one or both fans? Or maybe the rheostat is bad and isn't controlling what it is wired to do or it was wired incorrectly? It can be 'fun' trying to determine what somebody else had in mind.

 
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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 » Wed. Jan. 10, 2018 11:32 am

Commish wrote:
Tue. Jan. 09, 2018 8:46 pm
Thanks guys. I cleaned the fines out under grate(there was a lot....) And poked all the holes clean on the grate.
Seems to be working muc

Now I can’t seem to get an even burn. It peaks in the middle....

Should of mentioned also that since you had grate removed to clean under and now it is clean w/ burn pattern not right, that is also a indicator of grate gaskets and more specificlly, the "strong-back gasket" is leaking air.

Learning curve can be steep till stove is set-up correct and controls are understood. ;)


 
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StokerDon
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Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Wed. Jan. 10, 2018 7:51 pm

titleist1 wrote:
Wed. Jan. 10, 2018 10:58 am
Since he mentioned he has a second rheostat it would be good to know/confirm from the existing wiring which one controls which fan, if either. I think he mentioned turning the dial did not seem to have an effect on fan speed. Maybe the previous owner wired one rheostat to control feed motor and the other to control one or both fans? Or maybe the rheostat is bad and isn't controlling what it is wired to do or it was wired incorrectly? It can be 'fun' trying to determine what somebody else had in mind.
There is one single motor running the combustion blower and the feeder. Normally, that is what the rheostat controls. If there is another rheostat it will not effect how the stove is burning.

A quick test would be to unplug the stoker from the rheostat and plug it directly into the wall. Alaska's aren't hard wired, they use AC plugs and sockets for everything.

In my opinion, you should just leave the rheostat turned all the way up, if you use it.

-Don

 
csstoker
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Posts: 143
Joined: Wed. Aug. 27, 2008 2:18 pm
Location: North Central MD
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Alaska Kast Console II
Coal Size/Type: Rice

Post by csstoker » Thu. Jan. 11, 2018 8:49 am

Commish, in your first pic, that is the convection or distribution blower knob. That is what distributes the heat from your stove in the room. Keep that on high once the stove is lit- you will know when/if you want to turn it down. You should notice the fan speed increasing/decreasing as you turn the knob. The "click" would be when you turn it off/on.

In your second pic, and reading Stoker Don's reference postings is that you should find a hole and then a fan if you feel underneath the bottom of what looks like a semi-circle at the bottom of the box. If so, that fan controls the air blowing up under the coal that flows on the grate/carpet. It sounds like whatever controls that fan also controls the feed rate. The grate is heavy but can be lifted up from the front and pulled away- you want to make sure that it is clear of coal fines so that you can air through there to burn the coal. Then in reverse when you put the grate back on, I use a rubber mallet to seat the grate making sure the gasket under the grate is on correctly first. As was said, make small adjustments over hour(s) to the feed rate until you figure out where you want the adjustment to get the heat that you want.

 
csstoker
Member
Posts: 143
Joined: Wed. Aug. 27, 2008 2:18 pm
Location: North Central MD
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Alaska Kast Console II
Coal Size/Type: Rice

Post by csstoker » Thu. Jan. 11, 2018 10:22 am

sorry for repetition on my above post. I totally missed several replies- more coffee needed...

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