Hopper Level

 
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nepacoal
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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

Post by nepacoal » Tue. Jan. 04, 2022 3:22 pm

bubbathehut1994 wrote:
Tue. Jan. 04, 2022 8:16 am
I do not have an hole in my door. I checked everywhere. the stove is a very old model. I do not really feel comfortable drilling into the door either.
Did you check the ash door too? I believe the allen screw is in the ash door on those...

 
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nepacoal
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Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KAA-4 / "Kelly" and an EFM 520 at my in-laws
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Coal Size/Type: Buck

Post by nepacoal » Wed. Jan. 05, 2022 8:08 am

nepacoal wrote:
Tue. Jan. 04, 2022 3:22 pm
Did you check the ash door too? I believe the allen screw is in the ash door on those...
Nevermind... I see we had this exact same conversation a year ago... No set screw in yours anywhere.

 
bubbathehut1994
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Location: Schuylkill County, PA
Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Keystoker 90
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Post by bubbathehut1994 » Wed. Jan. 05, 2022 8:24 am

Last year I had all kinds of issues.
This year. not so much.
I had the stove rebuilt and I put new gaskets in.
Dry coal
New blower.
It runs great aside of me not knowing the draft and no one wants to take the time and show me how to do it properly. They all say "set the baro to _________ " and leave it alone. It will be fine.


 
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nepacoal
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Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KAA-4 / "Kelly" and an EFM 520 at my in-laws
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Coal Size/Type: Buck

Post by nepacoal » Wed. Jan. 05, 2022 9:04 am

If you don't have an access hole in one of your doors, and do not want to drill one, there's nothing left to do... As you said, just set it on -.05 and be done with it! It'll run great but might not be the most efficient...

 
bubbathehut1994
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Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Keystoker 90
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Post by bubbathehut1994 » Wed. Jan. 05, 2022 9:10 am

I fill the hopper up with two hods a day.
That leaves me with a nice mound of coal in the hopper.
My house is a 2100sqft 1920 two story home which is very drafty to say the least and the other night when it was 14 degrees, I had to bump it up to 3 or so. I so far am please with with it. When time come I may drill and tap a hole so it can be set properly. I do not want to kill the fire anytime soon.
Come spring time, is there anything I need to do to clean the firebox?
I want to keep this unit running as long as possible.

 
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nepacoal
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Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KAA-4 / "Kelly" and an EFM 520 at my in-laws
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Coal Size/Type: Buck

Post by nepacoal » Wed. Jan. 05, 2022 9:16 am

Many brush down the firebox with a BBQ brush. And most importantly you'll vacuum the fly ash out of the stovepipe and stove breech passages. Clean and oil the motors if needed and just anticipate the light off the next fall

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Pacowy
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Coal Size/Type: Buckwheat/anthracite

Post by Pacowy » Wed. Jan. 05, 2022 5:23 pm

nepacoal wrote:
Tue. Jan. 04, 2022 8:39 am

FYI, my father in law has ran an EFM520 nonstop since 1964 and has never used a manometer... Doesn't even know what one is. Definitely not the most efficient way to go, but it's still running today!
And now a short message from the Dead Men:

"Hey nepacoal, when we were installing those early 520's, the manual said to 'set the draft...so there is a minus pressure of 0.01" at the fire door'. Too much draft was specifically identified as a cause of idling problems, heat loss during operation, excessive coal use and excessive fly ash accumulation. Your FIL might not have had a manometer, but he probably did have matches, so he was able to correct any positive pressure by adjusting the damper just up to the point where a match flame was drawn in again at the fire door (also per the manual). And, obviously, make sure the unit was properly cleaned and maintained. If he has done that stuff he has enjoyed 58 years of efficiency higher than he would have experienced running at the higher draft levels you have mentioned, at least according to the battalion of engineers who wrote the manual."

Mike

 
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nepacoal
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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

Post by nepacoal » Wed. Jan. 05, 2022 5:35 pm

Yep... You're right. He's definitely kept it going year around for all those years. He must have a few old timer tricks up his sleeve!

 
Pacowy
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Stoker Coal Boiler: H.B. Smith 350 Mills boiler/EFM 85R stoker
Coal Size/Type: Buckwheat/anthracite

Post by Pacowy » Wed. Jan. 05, 2022 5:54 pm

My point is that running at a draft level higher than that needed to avoid positive pressure over the fire does not improve - and may well harm - efficiency, and that a manometer is not needed to achieve an efficient draft level.

Mike

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