Hopper Level

Hi all! Seems like I am always on here posting odd questions.
This one may be my final.
Where do I put the line for the dwyer manomometer?
Where do I mount the unit?
Lastly, my hopper is level but it does not seem to fully feed. It will burn down but when there is a point where coal is stuck on the sides of the hopper and not falling down unless I push it down. This happens after a full days burn on the colder days. I will come home after work and notice it is time to fill the hopper and sometimes the fire is about to go out because all the fresh coal is still just hanging on the hopper. I am using buck/rice mix.

If you want a permanent mount, it has to sense somewhere in the firebox area, I just drilled into the side of mine and put a fitting and piece of metal brake line to get it away from the stove and hooked up the rubber line to the manometer mounted on the wall behind it. on the keystoker, there should be an allen screw in the door if you want to check it when it's running and not permanently. Look in the Manometer Install thread, lots of good ideas and mounting.

Unless you you change the angle inside the hopper, thats what it does, it feeds from closest to the stove and usually you have to push it forward and makes a big valley down to the pusher block. I usually build mine up towards the front.
I added a little angle piece of sheet metal to mine in the back to give it a little bit more of an angle, helps a little. needs a bit more of an angle, but works for me.
here's what I did.

Post by WNY - Coal Hopper Modification

Can I just use the manometer and put it back away after I check the draft?
I do not really want it mounted if I can avoid it. My stove is in the family room.

yes, just make sure it's level and Zero'd out when checking.

I leave mine hooked up all the time, being a direct vent, when draft starts to go down, I know the exhaust blower and/or pipe needs cleaning. usually about every other month or so. depending.

I see people do this from the chimney.
I am natural draft using probably a 18ft chimney.

Hopper coal "sticking" is called bridging. There is a fair amount of discussion about it in the coal vac threads.

Different sizes will make various slopes where the coal stacks upon itself and doesn't slide down.

Main options are to pull the coal forward regularly, keep hopper full, or use a vibration device (used in massage chairs), or change the angle of the hopper (which has its own implications for fitment).

Some people have luck with cleaning, painting, spraying inside of hopper with lubricant, etc

If you find a perfect solution, we'd all like to hear it!

If yours is a natural draft chimney and has a baro damper on it, you can put the measure point in front of the baro damper in the pipe as close to the stove as possible if you want.

My baro is right on top of the stove.
So I can stick the probe in there correct?
Someone had told me to put foil over the flapper and put the tube in there and get my reading, or do i punch a hole in the flue pipe and use that and then just plug it?

Taking the draft is how you set your barometric damper... You must use over fire draft on a stoker to set it correctly. Your manual will have a brief procedure to do that. A keystoker 90 is supposed to have an Allen screw in the door that is removed to insert the probe. Over fire draft is the only correct way to set your damper and/or air with a chimney. A direct draft stove will be a slightly different procedure...

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.

Then there's no sense in worrying about it... Just set your baro at -.05 (markings on baro) and be done with it. If during a long run with light winds and a temp around 25 or less it should open about 1/4 to 1/2. If it does you're probably close enough and relatively safe if you just leave the air at the factory setting.

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!

That is just baout where it is at.
Earlier in the season I had it at where 0.3 would be and the flap was way open and stayed there. Now that is has gotten cooler I have been playing with it an the 0.5 is about where i notice it will slightly swing.

Chimney has to be fully warmed up to matter. That's why I said during a long run... With the combustion fan still running during a long run (35 to 45 minutes), you would normally adjust your baro using a manometer to obtain an over fire draft between -.02 and -.03. Without a manometer, setting the baro between-.05 and -.06 is "close enough" to be safe but probably won't be the most efficient. The big plus about using a manometer is that when it starts dropping below your initial set point, you know your stovepipe is starting to get filled with fly ash. Not essential, but a nice indicator that you need to clean the breech and stovepipe

My last batch of bagged rice coal which is quite wet bridges like crazy. The older bagged coal I have is a bit dryer and does not suffer from the bridging nearly as much.

A highly diluted mix of mineral oil and water would work for sticking. I use the empty bags to hold the heat in the hopper that is rising from the stoker and that helps dry out the coal.