Chappee Hand Fired Boiler

 
Chappee28
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Post by Chappee28 » Thu. Feb. 12, 2009 11:47 am

I purchased a Chappee 28 this summer and installed it. The damper controll was shot so I found one at a local plumbing supply store, 150.00, but it works great. I have burned about 6 cords of wood so far and I think probably 8 will do it for this year. I have never burned coal, everone around here seems to burn wood. Thanks for the copy of the manual I've been looking for the manual since I bought the boiler....


 
Chappee28
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Post by Chappee28 » Thu. Feb. 12, 2009 12:55 pm

I have found a supplier for the damper controll in New york they only charge $135.00 and they are readily available. "The Boiler Man" needs to get a life he's ripping everyone off :mad: ............. The controls can be ordered over the phone with a credit card and shipped UPS. I am new here so I don't know if I can post the information but if I can I will. I have the very same controller on my Chappee 28 and it works PERFECTLY..

 
TheBoilerMan
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Post by TheBoilerMan » Thu. Oct. 01, 2009 2:39 am

1st The Damper Controls are sold under different manufactures !!!! Quality is the issue. My cost is over $200 and if you had a real supplier of quality it would be posted here. These controls are made in Germany and Sweden and other places! I have been in business for over 35yrs.I am a Master of Boilers, I have seen junk, Have even purchased some of these cheap controls and later to find no parts available. No service or warranty. I sell a high quality Thermostatic Damper Control and have even the Originals available at times but they have to come from over sea's !!! This is a major ordeal, Case Lots and allot of paper work and middlemen involved to get, Importing is not easy. Manufactures will not deal with someone who wants one or a few ! So show me were a high quality or originals can be purchased under $200 and I will investigate.. I have truly 3 yrs researching and calling over sea's for the two original Damper Controls, If you find something its most likely been sitting on a shelf for many years or in some old hardware store old inventory! I receive hundreds of calls / emails a season. I sell allot and no issues. I have owned - sold most of these boilers many years ago, If you need a Quality Thermostatic Damper Control at a fair and reasonable price I have them. But after 2 ordeals of constant boiler over heating, No proper Dump Zone and burning out controls ( 2 in 4yrs ) and the manufacture telling me it blew apart or burn't up as a result of over heating we lost money and no longer expect credit cards and do not feel we should be responsible for Harry the Home Owners Mistakes and should not have to pay for said mistakes. This is why we take US Postal Money Orders or as I travel as I teach and instruct thru out the USA, I have to take wire transfers at rare times! RARE.. Not often !!! So if you need my High Quality Control it comes with a limited warranty, I ship US Priority Mail and you have within 3 days. If installed properly and not over heated the manufacture will replace. There is no set warranty period. I will warranty it for the season or 6 months and replacement only. The warranty process is 3 days to 2 weeks. If constantly over heated it will not be replaced. Get a dump zone and avoid this issue! TheBoilerMan.Biz

 
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markc
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Post by markc » Thu. Oct. 22, 2009 6:51 am

3 years ago I was burning a large clayton forced air basement furnace for about 5 years on ky bit lump coal I would have a dump truck deliver about 5 tons at 80.00 per ton the size was anywhere from gravel to 6 foot chunks I would just take a axe and wack it and it would bust up in nice pieces about the size of a brick or smaller and man you talk about heat my wife ask why we had to be cold the previous years and work our but off fooling with wood it would hold a fire all night long with no problem and in the morning open the draft shake the grate and she would start chugging but when you went outside and looked up it looked like a john wayne movie where the indians were chasing the locomotive black smoke like crazy and fly ash, had to clean pipe 2-3-times per season,no problem building or holding a fire that baby would run you out ,i was heating 3300sq ft plus a basement,so I changed to bit stoker coal in a outdoor boiler
coal is now 100 per ton delivered and they auger it into a shed
mark
central ky

 
djcouturier
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Post by djcouturier » Wed. Sep. 05, 2012 7:41 am

Hi I have goten a chappee c-28 wood boiler and was looking for a part that runs the air control does anybody know where I can find the part?
thanks
Darian

 
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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Wed. Sep. 05, 2012 8:22 am

djcouturier wrote:Hi I have goten a chappee c-28 wood boiler and was looking for a part that runs the air control does anybody know where I can find the part?
thanks
Darian
Those came with a "Calorstat", like the one listed for sale here: http://www.theboilerman.biz/calorstat_damper_draf ... ontrol.htm

A more cost effective solution is a Samson 5D Draft Control, like the one used on EFM's hand-fired boiler. Contrary to what the "boilerman" posted earlier the Samson unit is Made in Germany, and is a quality item. I installed on on my Itasca hand-fired boiler and it worked excellent. You can find it online (http://www.boilerroomequipment.com/product_info.p ... cts_id=986) or call an EFM dealer and ask for the draft control used on their WCB-24 hand fired boiler.

 
gerry_f_g
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Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Chappee Bermuda

Post by gerry_f_g » Wed. Jan. 08, 2014 5:35 pm

I've had a C-28 since 1987. That unit was bigger than required by the sq footage of my house, but had a 24" deep firebox....better for wood, and allowed for a future addition and/or heating the garage. Burned wood, six chords of white & red oak each winter for first 5 or 6 years....I over-sized the baseboards by an additional 50% (if room needed 12', I installed 18'). Consequently I had to burn a 'cold' fire, running water at only 140deg or got chased out from the heat. Note that I don't have electric zone valves. I use manually adjusted gate valves. I got too old and lazy to mess with that much wood, so for the last 20 yrs I burn wood in spring and fall, and coal all winter.

I only burn Bit coal, especially after seeing the aftermath of unattended or poorly attended boilers and anthracite coal. A friend of mine TOTALLY MELTED 3 cast iron grates when he inadvertently neglected to tightly close the bottom door after removing ash. The worst that ever happened to me from that nishap was popping-off the pressure valve.

I have burned too many different types of coal to mention, but I will tell you this. If you can find a coal-yard or private individual with an open strip on his property that is what is referred to as Nine-Foot Pittsburgh coal, you will get maximum heat, minimal ash, little or no 'grate clogging' slag or slate, and it is CHEAP !!.. as of winter 2013/2014, 'private' 9' goes for $60/ton, and 'coal-yard' price is $70. Nine ft run-o-mine with about a 50/50 mix (half slack (fine) coal and the rest from gravel to lump) is what you want. Do not let the appearance fool you. It looks horrible....like a dirt-filled mistake with yellow sulfur stains and thin flaky layers, but it will burn you out of the house. Very little soot in the pipes and chimney, and the ash is about 1/3 of the coal. That 'pretty' bright, shiny screened, 'nut' coal looks nice, but it is all about performance.....isn't it?

I live in the PA mountains about 20 miles from the highest point in PA (Mt Davis).... It has been between zero and 13 BELOW ZERO for the past 3 days and I burned an average of three and a half (3 1/2) 5 gallon buckets per 24 hrs. In typical winter temps (teens to 30's) I burn 2 to 2 1/2 buckets per 24 hrs. Coal is in a bin outside and I bring in buckets as necessary. FYI, the perfect 'loader' for the Chappee is NOT a shovel. It is a rectangular plastic kitchen trash can cut on a 45 degree angle with a utility knife. It holds one 5 gal bucket of coal, fits perfectly in width of the small Chappee door, and loads the firebox on an angle from front to back in one quick shot....perfect 'banking' to burn all day and again all night. The door is only open for a few seconds, so if any smoke blows back it is minimal. A 'commercial' 8" dia. kitchen exhaust fan with a cable operated trap door outside takes care of the rest. Home centers have them. Don't burn coal without one. I never close the trap door.... I enclosed the boiler in a seperate space w/ cement-board walls and steel tile ceiling, and the open fan pipe supplies air for the boiler w/o pulling it thru every leaky door and window in the house.

Pgh 9'.... light it up.


 
ptcouturier
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Post by ptcouturier » Thu. Jan. 09, 2014 8:00 am

where I central michigan does one find coal, I have been burning a lot of ash wood, it burns very well just doesn't last very long.
My stove is a 24" long, My house is about 2400 sq ft. I have my stove hooked up with a coil on top of my gas furnish. I would like to tre coal.

 
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ASea
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Post by ASea » Fri. Jan. 05, 2018 2:33 pm

nyfishngal wrote:
Tue. Oct. 07, 2008 5:18 am
If anybody knows where Chappee parts are available,

Good luck with your coal burning endeavor!! You can't beat a Chappee!
Chappee is imported from France you may be able to get parts direct. Good Luck!

 
twainer
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Location: North Central WV
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Bermuda (Chapee) solid fuel boiler
Coal Size/Type: bituminous lump
Other Heating: Natural gas boilers

Post by twainer » Thu. Nov. 14, 2019 10:38 am

Hello all;
As the original poster of this thread, I've found it interesting to read back over all the comments from other Chappee owners over the years. I've had my boiler running since 2008 and couldn't be happier with it. Since my first posting here, my boys have all finished growing up, finished college, and moved away. That means I have to shovel all the coal by myself these days! I've suffered through multiple coal suppliers closing down, mines shuttering, and coal quality shifting.

As was mentioned by another poster, a shovel is NOT the best way to feed these boilers, either. My method has evolved over the years to a pretty simple setup: I use a single section of black stove pipe that has not been clipped together at the seam (the way it comes at the store). I bent one end of that into a funnel shape that fits into the loading door of the boiler. The outer end of the pipe flares out into a larger fanned shape, and I prop that up with a garden fork that I keep around to poke my fire.
Using a standard coal bucket (those with the pour spout shape on one side) I dump about six shovel loads at a time into the firebox. Since I keep the coal outside the building, this saves me making many trips back and forth to get another shovel load.
I can't tell you the number of times I've bumped the edge of the opening with a shovel and spilled half a load onto the floor before I started using the funnel method.
For the ashes, I built a pan about 18" x 24" that is just low enough that it fits under the lower cleanout door of the boiler. That tray holds a goodly amount of ash, so I don't need to haul it outside but once a day.

Now, however, my Chappee has developed a leak. It appears to be coming from the back section, or at least that's where I see the water. I'm still using the boiler for now, hoping to limp thru this season, but I'm on the lookout for another Chappee boiler if anyone knows of any. I'm planning to tear the boiler down this spring and inspect it, but I fear there may be corrosion that requires a replacement casting. I've always wanted to add a couple sections too.
Anyway, I'm looking for another Chappee boiler. The link to some photos and the owners manual has been here since 2008:
https://web.statler.wvu.edu/~mathews/boiler/

 
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ASea
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Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Alaska Kast Console II
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Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood Modern Oak 114, Glenwood 30 "Estate" Warm Morning 120
Coal Size/Type: Sherman Anthracite Nut/Stove from C&T Coal
Other Heating: Peerless Boiler with Cast Iron Baseboards

Post by ASea » Thu. Nov. 14, 2019 11:16 am

I've seen a few Chappee Boilers for sale here and there. My Coal guy has one and really likes it. I'd be afraid to buy one and tie it in only to have issues due to age.

 
twainer
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Location: North Central WV
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Bermuda (Chapee) solid fuel boiler
Coal Size/Type: bituminous lump
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Post by twainer » Thu. Nov. 14, 2019 11:43 am

There is a youtube video of a guy putting one back together section by section. They look really well designed. I don't think age would be much of a problem. I'm not sure why mine started leaking, it just happened when I started it up this season. Likely I didn't use any boiler water additive like I should have and caused my own problem. Regardless, its been a real find boiler since I started using it and I don't want to try to switch to something else. I'm near Pittsburgh PA., I've seen one for sale nearby but the guy sold it before I could get there.

 
Donb
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Post by Donb » Fri. Nov. 15, 2019 4:03 pm

Hi, bought my Chappee a couple years ago. Had it installed just before last Thanksgiving. I have the 130,000 btu ( I think) boiler with 8 sections. It’s a wonderful boiler!
Last spring I found another on Craigslist. The seller found it in the basement of his new house . He wanted a hundred bucks for it, the six section version. I couldn’t get to Burlington fast enough!
So now I have two.

The bigger one is in my basement. I was not up to moving 800 pounds down the narrow basement stairs, took it apart. That was a scary process considering how fragile cast iron is. After all eight section were separated I cleaned them in and out. Good thing....mouse nests inside!
Th smaller one is for spare parts but it’s in better shape than the big one. The grates seem like they never had a fire on them. So now Im planning to put it in the shop of my new barn. Love the thing!

I feed it the big one with a scoop that I found somewhere....garage sale or antique shop probably. It holds I think about four pounds of nut, about 8” by 5”. A quick flip of the wrist and it hits the back wall.
Don

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twainer
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Location: North Central WV
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Bermuda (Chapee) solid fuel boiler
Coal Size/Type: bituminous lump
Other Heating: Natural gas boilers

Post by twainer » Mon. Nov. 18, 2019 10:57 am

This past weekend I was able to dismantle the Chappee boiler covers enough so I could get a look at the problem areas. I expected to find substantial corrosion near the rear of the boiler as that was where the water seemed to be coming from. I had removed the chimney pipe and could see that the draft openings were wet from leakage and it was running out the pipe.

I was amazed to find the connecting rods that hold the castings together were both completely free and unattached! I was able to pull both top rods out of the boiler without removing any nuts.

It seems the original rods had pulled free from the connecting nuts at the front side and were just sitting there holding nothing. I don't know how long this was the case--both nuts were lying just below the rods where they had popped off so it happened after I'd installed the boiler. I thought maybe they had simply 'worked' loose and just needed installed and retightened, but as you can see in the photo, the nuts had been pulled right off the rods, stripping out the threads. I guess this was from expansion, but I can't see how that happened.

I installed new all-thread rod to hold things together and after three days of use, there are no leaks. I'm going to have to do some reading now to learn about expansion/contraction on boiler rods as I can't understand how this happened. I am still looking for another Chappee--not to replace this one, but to add a couple of cast sections. I need just a bit more capacity to have the fire last through a cold night. . .

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carlherrnstein
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Post by carlherrnstein » Tue. Nov. 19, 2019 9:39 pm

Its better to be lucky than good......maybe cross threaded at one point. I can't explain that one.

I would think expansion/ contraction would be minimal how hot does the boiler get 200°-300°F? A good rule on shrink a fit in stel is .001" per 1" 100°F. It varies somewhat from one material to another but not enough to pull threads or make the nuts fall free.


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