Keystoker 105 BTU not burning hot enough

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D Rock
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Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Keystoker 105 BTU

Post by D Rock » Wed. Nov. 23, 2022 11:02 am

I have a Keystoker 105 BTU stove. I've been running the stove since about 2005. The stove is currently not putting out enough heat for the house. I have the coaltrol thermostat firing rate maximum set at 99. On the stove, the coal feed nut at the back of the stoker is all the way in. According to Keystoker, hot coals should be falling off of the grate. Instead, 6" of ash is at the end of the grate and the fire is low. I wonder if the thermostat module could be to blame? Is the speed of the stoker motor controlled by the Coaltrol module? Could something else be going on? It seems clear that the coal feed rate needs to increase.

 
lzaharis
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Post by lzaharis » Wed. Nov. 23, 2022 11:28 am

A couple of questions to start things off;

Do you clean the stove, flue pipe and the barometric damper every year?
Do you clean/vacuum under the firebed every year?
Do you have a U bend ash trap with tee and cap in the tee to dump your ash in your flue pipe?

 
D Rock
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Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Keystoker 105 BTU

Post by D Rock » Wed. Nov. 23, 2022 11:41 am

Yes, I clean the fly ash and coat the stove's internal surfaces with baking soda. I remove the grates and clean under them each summer.
I don't have a U bend ash trap. The discharge goes thru QTY 2 barometric dampers and then into a chimney. the draft is strong from the chimney so I maintain .03 inches of vacuum by holding open one of the barometric dampers.
The stove ran strong with this set up for several years. It has been an ongoing problem and its gradually getting worse (last season and this one)
Last edited by D Rock on Wed. Nov. 23, 2022 12:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.

 
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Post by waytomany?s » Wed. Nov. 23, 2022 12:40 pm

Have you taken the feeder apart and checked it's function?


 
D Rock
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Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Keystoker 105 BTU

Post by D Rock » Wed. Nov. 23, 2022 12:53 pm

I am able to see the stoker moving in and out from the back of the stove. It moves approximately 3/4" per stroke (is this distance normal?) I plan to empty the hopper, then remove the gear motor and stoker to inspect this Friday.

 
lzaharis
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Post by lzaharis » Wed. Nov. 23, 2022 12:59 pm

Why do you have 2 barometric dampers? You should only have one in use.
If the blower motor is a Fasco motor it will have 2 oil holes in it.

The cooling fan for the stoker motor should have 2 oil holes in it as well.

The barometric dampers function is to allow air to bypass the firebox
to prevent excess fuel from being burned when the stove, furnace or
boiler is shut down.

Do you have a manometer? If not the Dwyer MARK II is an extremely
reliable manometer.

It sounds as if the stoker, pusher plate and the frame supporting the
pusher plate need a good cleaning with a stiff wire brush or the
very reliable 3M green scrubber pads and a small wooden handled
narrow stiff metal brush.

If the pusher plate has the nylon screws to center it; they probably need
to be adjusted to center the pusher plate it as well.

 
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Post by nepacoal » Wed. Nov. 23, 2022 2:46 pm

It's possible and likely that you have a large chunk of coal or large rock blocking the feeder throat. You'll have to empty the hopper to check. That symptom of slow feed fits a blockage

 
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nepacoal
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Post by nepacoal » Wed. Nov. 23, 2022 6:53 pm

Or if you've used wet or damp coal, you may have "concrete" fines under and around your pusher bar, slowing down the feed...


 
lzaharis
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Post by lzaharis » Wed. Nov. 23, 2022 7:27 pm

Why would he have 2 barometric dampers though??

 
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nepacoal
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Post by nepacoal » Wed. Nov. 23, 2022 7:56 pm

lzaharis wrote:
Wed. Nov. 23, 2022 7:27 pm
Why would he have 2 barometric dampers though??
Odd setup for sure, but he said it has ran great that way for years. As long as he's getting that -.03 draft over the fire, the number of baros shouldn't matter. If that -.03 is in the stovepipe, it might be an issue. Keystoker only calls for draft over fire readings between -.02 to -.03. they do not specify a stovepipe draft for chimney models.

 
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Post by WNY » Thu. Nov. 24, 2022 6:58 am

The draft has to be set correctly with a gauge, not go by the setting on the weights, that'll get you close. I've never seen 2 baro dampers, I have a 35 ft. inside chimney with good draft and mine stays open quite a bit but still maintains .04 or so on the stove.
If you still have too much draft, you could have pulled too much thru the stove and it burned back on the grate and possbily melted the Nylon Cam for the pusher.

what are you settings in the COALTROL MIN/MAX?

maybe turn up the MAX a few points and see if it changes the burning on the grates. and let it settle out for an hour or two and then make another change. it takes time for it to catch up.

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