Heating Large Shop in Alaska W/ Sequoyah Outdoor Boiler

 
AlaskaCoal1
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Location: Anderson Alaska
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Sequoya Outdoor boiler
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Coal Size/Type: Alaska Sub Bit Lump

Post by AlaskaCoal1 » Sat. Mar. 25, 2017 12:04 pm

At the coal yard yesterday I was poking around near their separator and looked in the fines bin. I just always figured that was dust. The pic below is what I found... small pieces as you can see. We do not have pea or rice coal here. Is this the size of pea or rice? Is this a possibility to burn? The operator told me I could have the entire bin if I wanted. Just got me to thinking... if this stuff is the size of pea or rice coal maybe I could burn it or at least incorporate it in to my burns. (add lump and then pour this stuff on top. Might not work in the boiler but maybe in the warm morning or visa versa.

Thoughts?

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McGiever
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Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
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Post by McGiever » Sat. Mar. 25, 2017 11:11 pm

Screen it some more and pave the driveway with what turns out to be waste.

Bigger pieces may work in a under fed bit stoker, perhaps...or is stoker sized bit already available there?

 
lzaharis
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Post by lzaharis » Sun. Mar. 26, 2017 12:28 am

Hello Alaskacoal,

You can bank the boiler at night with those bituminous fines like I used
to when using anthracite rice coal to keep the old boiler fire going to slow it
down at night. It will burn slowly during the night for you keeping the fire going.

 
AlaskaCoal1
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Posts: 137
Joined: Mon. Jul. 21, 2014 1:12 am
Location: Anderson Alaska
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Sequoya Outdoor boiler
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harman TLC, Warm Morning 500
Baseburners & Antiques: Beckwith Round Oak
Coal Size/Type: Alaska Sub Bit Lump

Post by AlaskaCoal1 » Sun. Mar. 26, 2017 2:51 pm

Think I am going to give it a try. As you can see some of those pieces are the size of a dime.. but there are some that look like river gravel. Those may be the ones that need to go.


 
AlaskaCoal1
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Posts: 137
Joined: Mon. Jul. 21, 2014 1:12 am
Location: Anderson Alaska
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Sequoya Outdoor boiler
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harman TLC, Warm Morning 500
Baseburners & Antiques: Beckwith Round Oak
Coal Size/Type: Alaska Sub Bit Lump

Post by AlaskaCoal1 » Thu. Mar. 30, 2017 2:34 am

Update: I have been religiously following the old owners advise now for several days and the boiler is keeping up .. that is really all I can say. I dump it completely out little ash only what is needed to not dump a ton of coals... I rake to ensure the clinkers are gone... guess that is what they are.. I thought clinkers were the hard solid looking rocks.. I get more things that look like a coral reef. Anyways I rake those out and rake all the coals to the front then load in the back. Temps are holding with the heaters on thermostat.. only set at about 45. I usually get a 10-12 hour burn BUT it has been much warmer the past several days.. only low single digits with highs in the upper teens to 20s and I am still loading 150#s twice a day.

I am going to spend the money to get actual thermometers for the in/out pipes to get the TRUE delta to see how that looks. From that I should be able to calculate a BTU delivery with some accuracy but that will take some time with shipping and then installation... remote life sucks sometimes.

I am most likely going to put this beast on the market BUT if I can not sell it quickly I must look to improvements during the summer to be as ready as I can for next winter. Pictures from a post I found on improving a wood boiler is what I was thinking or at least something like that. Additionally, I have been watching the smoke output through the door when tending and if I give it the 10+ hours I get very little to zero. So indoors is still an option.. not looking forward to handling coal multiple times BUT....

Hopefully I can sell but Alaskan seem to be wood crazy and north of here they banned coal in that borough.
I am not sure what the real problem is as I have stated it worked great for the other owner who I trust but having difficulty tuning it in for the shop.

 
AlaskaCoal1
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Posts: 137
Joined: Mon. Jul. 21, 2014 1:12 am
Location: Anderson Alaska
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Sequoya Outdoor boiler
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harman TLC, Warm Morning 500
Baseburners & Antiques: Beckwith Round Oak
Coal Size/Type: Alaska Sub Bit Lump

Post by AlaskaCoal1 » Thu. Mar. 30, 2017 2:37 am

Sorry Pics would not post for some reason... here is the link I found with pictures

http://www.woodheat.org/report-bob-modify.html

 
waldo lemieux
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Post by waldo lemieux » Thu. Mar. 30, 2017 7:48 am

AlaskaCoal1 wrote: and I am still loading 150#s twice a day.
AlaskaCoal1 wrote: not looking forward to handling coal multiple times BUT....
But, if you move it inside and burn only 150lbs/day youll still be handling the same amount of coal while only burning half as much :idea:
AlaskaCoal1 wrote:I am going to spend the money to get actual thermometers for the in/out pipes to get the TRUE delta to see how that looks.


The issue is where you are delivering it too. The most important btus are the ones lost to the the areas you don't want to heat, underground and the great Alaskan outdoors....

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