Troubleshooting my A-120 and shortcycling

 
DBCoop
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Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Keystoker A-120

Post by DBCoop » Wed. Nov. 14, 2018 9:18 pm

StokerDon wrote:
Wed. Nov. 14, 2018 8:05 pm
I seriously doubt that there is anything wrong with your fan switch. In watching the video it reacted completely normal. It clicked ON, ran the blower until the temperature came down and then it shut off. Jumping at shutoff is perfectly normal, it's a big spring so yes it will jump.

The real problem is that you don't have a big enough fire to support the volume of air that the blower is moving so you get a short cycle. You need to get your feed rate up and get a little more air in that fire.

Buying a new fan switch will not solve this problem. Get it firing on all 8 cylinders first.

-Don
As far as the switch acting normal i can't say for sure.. But when its set to say 160.. It switches on blower at like 140.. And shuts off at like 130 instead of the set 120. So to me it seems a bit off but could be just fine. My first time dealing with it.

As far as getting the fire rolling bigger what would you suggest?

1) Is dampening an issue on a coal furnace like so?
2) How hot should by flue pipe be? It was nearly too hot to touch.

Tomorrow im gonna clear the ash from under tray long as i can get combustion blower off it seemed clear from vacuuming but just to be sure this isn't an issue.

 
DBCoop
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Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Keystoker A-120

Post by DBCoop » Wed. Nov. 14, 2018 9:23 pm

McGiever wrote:
Wed. Nov. 14, 2018 2:44 pm
If turned all the way already then you have linkage that is shorter than factory new...melted nylon perhaps???
Im not sure i follow along with what your sunny. Linkage shorter than factory settings is what id assume your saying? How would i find out if it needs replaced for sure? . a response from keystoker they told me
The pusher bar should travel about 5/8" in and out.

 
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McGiever
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Post by McGiever » Wed. Nov. 14, 2018 9:31 pm

You have the correct meaning of the linkage.

Given your response from Keystoker then it should stroke 5/8"...


 
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StokerDon
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Post by StokerDon » Wed. Nov. 14, 2018 9:36 pm

DBCoop wrote:
Wed. Nov. 14, 2018 9:18 pm
As far as getting the fire rolling bigger what would you suggest?

1) Is dampening an issue on a coal furnace like so?
2) How hot should by flue pipe be? It was nearly too hot to touch.
I'm not sure what you mean by "dampening"?

The flue temperature is something most of us monitor but what is more important is the fire box draft or overfire draft. You need a manometer to measure it.

Getting back to the controls, I read through this and didn't see any mention of the thermostat. Your fire looks like it is idling and that is what it should do until the thermostat calls for heat making the stoker run.

You do have a thermostat hooked up and it is controlling the stoker, right?

-Don

 
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Post by DBCoop » Mon. Nov. 19, 2018 8:51 am

StokerDon wrote:
Wed. Nov. 14, 2018 9:36 pm
I'm not sure what you mean by "dampening"?

The flue temperature is something most of us monitor but what is more important is the fire box draft or overfire draft. You need a manometer to measure it.

Getting back to the controls, I read through this and didn't see any mention of the thermostat. Your fire looks like it is idling and that is what it should do until the thermostat calls for heat making the stoker run.

You do have a thermostat hooked up and it is controlling the stoker, right?

-Don

Thermostat is hooked up.. I got the manometer.. But trying to locate s metal probe or alternative currently as it did not come with one.

I ran the stove again last night and at full call for heat.. After about 10 hours i checked and the fire nearly died down.. this may have been due to it burnung thru a bucket n half of coal which was about 6 gal total.. Guessing 60lbs.. Not sure how great that is or isnt.. But seems not good.


I think i made a huge mistake picking this stove for my first home that am desperate to get into before winter

 
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Post by McGiever » Mon. Nov. 19, 2018 10:05 am

Are you heating a cold house from scratch with a 10 hour heat call?

The fire size on grates goes from small or idle up to big and then back down again to small from every 'thermostat heat call'.
User it to tweak/adjust both of these extremes to suit their unique operating conditions.


 
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Post by titleist1 » Mon. Nov. 19, 2018 10:41 am

A small length of copper tubing like a refrigerator water line or a brake line that you can transition to the rubber manometer tubing is all that is needed.

I agree with the other comments that the fire in the pic and video looks too small for a full out heat call. Can you get a pic of the fire on the grate after it is burning full out for at least 20 minutes (or was that the case in the pic and video?). During a full out heat call, if you get sufficient airflow to the coal bed and proper feed rate you should have a full bed of burning coals to within 1" or so of the end of the grate and a larger fire probably with flames reaching near to the top of the firebox.

Your ash looks like it is insufficiently burned coal which would happen if there is not enough combustion air and/or you are feeding it too fast to burn completely while on the grates. Your pic indicates the feed rate is not too fast which leaves too little combustion air so I would focus on that at the moment. When it is burning correctly your ash will look like granola but you can crush it in your fingers to a gritty powder.

Between airflow and feed rate adjustments these guys will get you dialed in.
Hang in there, I am not sure you got the "wrong" stove just yet, wait until you get it burning full out before deciding that.

 
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Post by titleist1 » Mon. Nov. 19, 2018 10:52 am

DBCoop wrote:
Mon. Nov. 19, 2018 8:51 am
Thermostat is hooked up.. I got the manometer.. But trying to locate s metal probe or alternative currently as it did not come with one.

I ran the stove again last night and at full call for heat.. After about 10 hours i checked and the fire nearly died down.. this may have been due to it burnung thru a bucket n half of coal which was about 6 gal total.. Guessing 60lbs.. Not sure how great that is or isnt.. But seems not good.


I think i made a huge mistake picking this stove for my first home that am desperate to get into before winter
There was still coal in the hopper for it to feed after the 10 hours, correct? As long as there is coal in the hopper the length of time it runs should not result in a smaller fire if feed rate and comb air are sufficient.

Is the coal you are putting in the hopper wet or dry?

 
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Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Keystoker A-120

Post by DBCoop » Sat. Dec. 15, 2018 9:13 am

After a bit of trial and error.. and testing.. we got the furnace running quite well.. its able to stay running.. maintain the heat etc.. it has been 'idle fire' for 3 days and stayed a steady 61degrees in my house without the furnace ever calling for heat..

BUT.. after emptying my ashes I am seein a bit of unburned coal in the ash.. I was wondering how/why this might be happening and how to stop it..

.. the fire is burning hot.. its burning a 2-3inch burn line while idle fire not calling for heat.. – is this typical?

how do I help the unburnt coal finish burning? Its turning to ash before it hits the part of the grate where there are no holes..

My expectations is that the fire line would keep burning hot until it went past the combustion blower holes on the grate??


Thanks for your help again..

I do not have any photos currently but it looks alot like previous photos i had but smaller burn line..

 
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Post by nepacoal » Sat. Dec. 15, 2018 9:50 am

It is common to see unburnt coal and to have a slightly heavier ash bucket during long idle times (usually summer for me). You cannot set up your draft and feed rate until you get 30 to 45 minute burn times. Once you have a long call for heat, you can set your draft and adjust your feed.

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