Keystoker 90 noise
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- Member
- Posts: 48
- Joined: Mon. Oct. 12, 2020 2:52 pm
- Location: Schuylkill County, PA
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Keystoker 90
- Coal Size/Type: Buckwheat
Burning for about 2 months now. Over the past few days my stove has been making this creaking sound. Now the whole thing was freshened up by keystoker prior to the season which is nice because they are local to my work and I sell the electrical supplies for them. Anyways. I posted a video below to what seems to be the problem. Is this normal? It seems like the cam is squeaking during its cycle. Am I okay to put dry lube on it?
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- nepacoal
- Member
- Posts: 1701
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 21, 2012 7:49 am
- Location: Coal Country
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KAA-4 / "Kelly" and an EFM 520 at my in-laws
- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Harman SF-260 - retired
- Coal Size/Type: Buck
No, that's not normal. Are you sure it's the cam squeaking? When is the last time you oiled the stoker motor. You can saturate the felt circled in the picture below with 20 weight oil. My stoker groaned a lot before I realized I had to oil it but never sounded as loud as that. You might try oiling it first.
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- Member
- Posts: 48
- Joined: Mon. Oct. 12, 2020 2:52 pm
- Location: Schuylkill County, PA
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Keystoker 90
- Coal Size/Type: Buckwheat
I took some dry lube I had and put a tiny amount on the cam when it meets the pusher and it went away. How often does the bearing have to be lube? Like I had said. I had gotten the whole assembly serviced by keystoker so it should have been oiled by them when I picked it up in September
- nepacoal
- Member
- Posts: 1701
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 21, 2012 7:49 am
- Location: Coal Country
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KAA-4 / "Kelly" and an EFM 520 at my in-laws
- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Harman SF-260 - retired
- Coal Size/Type: Buck
I oil that felt a few times per year. Once in September when I shutdown for yearly cleaning. Once in late December to get ready for the extreme cold, and at least once during the summer (I burn all year)
- nepacoal
- Member
- Posts: 1701
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 21, 2012 7:49 am
- Location: Coal Country
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KAA-4 / "Kelly" and an EFM 520 at my in-laws
- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Harman SF-260 - retired
- Coal Size/Type: Buck
If you have some 20 weight oil handy, it wouldn't hurt to saturate that felt right now...
Last year I had very similar issues with strange noises from the feeder on my Keystoker. I never determined the cause but I suspected it may have been fines jamming the pusher bar. This year no such noises yet but out of caution I bought a new feeder motor for backup just in case. I would try cleaning out around the pusher bar and adjusting the nylon screws and see if it makes a difference.
- nepacoal
- Member
- Posts: 1701
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 21, 2012 7:49 am
- Location: Coal Country
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KAA-4 / "Kelly" and an EFM 520 at my in-laws
- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Harman SF-260 - retired
- Coal Size/Type: Buck
Good point... If you ever use wet or even damp coal in a keystoker, it can cause all kinds of issues with the feeder system. Instead of easily vacuumed dust, the fines can turn into a cement that lead to nothing but problems.
You could also have a large chunk of coal or rock blocking your feeder bar. That is also a common cause of weird feeder symptoms and noises.
You could also have a large chunk of coal or rock blocking your feeder bar. That is also a common cause of weird feeder symptoms and noises.
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- Member
- Posts: 48
- Joined: Mon. Oct. 12, 2020 2:52 pm
- Location: Schuylkill County, PA
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Keystoker 90
- Coal Size/Type: Buckwheat
Luckily I have bone dry coal. I had 3 ton Lehigh Buck/Rice delivered to me early august and we keep a dehumidifier I'm the basment so two months of it chilling out down there it dried up very nicely. Last year I had a huge issue because I had run out of coal and was using bagged stuff until I got more delivered and everything was wet. I pretty much had no choice but to run some wetter stuff until i was able to bring up buckets to dry. But i knew i was rebuilding the stoker because the feed rails were burned out and the tray was cracked. This year I'm more educated and more used to the whole system. Luckily I have Keystoker in my back pocket to help me out in a pinch too.
- 2001Sierra
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- Posts: 2211
- Joined: Wed. May. 20, 2009 8:09 am
- Location: Wynantskill NY, 10 miles from Albany
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Keystoker 90 Chimney vent
- Coal Size/Type: Rice
- Other Heating: Buderus Oil Boiler 3115-34
I am thinking fines on the stoker or push block. I only oil my feed motor annually, but lube the convection motor every month or two. I may try to oil the feed motor soon after this post. I did replace my combustion blower with a Dayton ball bearing one right after I got the stove. It ran quieter than the sleeve bearing blower the stove shipped with. Just this pass week it got noisy and went to Grainger for another. It did last about 11 years though.
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- Member
- Posts: 48
- Joined: Mon. Oct. 12, 2020 2:52 pm
- Location: Schuylkill County, PA
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Keystoker 90
- Coal Size/Type: Buckwheat
I would like to know if I can lube the combustion blower. From time to time that sucker decided to squeak and squeal every so slightly and it drives me insane
- nepacoal
- Member
- Posts: 1701
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 21, 2012 7:49 am
- Location: Coal Country
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KAA-4 / "Kelly" and an EFM 520 at my in-laws
- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Harman SF-260 - retired
- Coal Size/Type: Buck
If your motor has oil ports like below, then yes... Two or three drops of 20 weight each year should do it