Spare Parts

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heaterman87
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Post by heaterman87 » Thu. Sep. 17, 2009 8:40 pm

I was wondering what spare parts I should keep for my 520 stoker? Does anyone keep any? Just thinking of keeping a couple close by when the temperature gets like +5 degrees and something decides to break. The local dealers in my area don't stock many spare parts and this is my main source of heat.


 
samhill
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Post by samhill » Thu. Sep. 17, 2009 8:58 pm

I never thought of it being that I can just go back over to propane if I have no other choice. I`m sure someone will be able to help maybe a spare combustion blower motor. It seems like a lot of motors & such can be had at Graingers if theres one close to you. Some school for thought, hope someone can steer you in the right direction.

 
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Scottscoaled
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Post by Scottscoaled » Thu. Sep. 17, 2009 9:25 pm

Seems like the guys that own the 520's somehow end up owning more than one :) I would try to get a rebuilt stoker unit with auger on the shelf. It will always be worth what you pay for it and that way all the parts are there. If something breaks it gives you plenty of time to fix it. Like 10-20 years. Hahahaha :)

 
TzHauling
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Post by TzHauling » Fri. Sep. 18, 2009 1:55 am

I've only been burning coal for a few years but I alway keep some cotter pins around, they always seem to break on a Sunday night when nobody's open. Besides that I don't know. Somebody will have more thought's for ya.

 
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Richard S.
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Post by Richard S. » Fri. Sep. 18, 2009 3:20 am

If you're referring to the pins in the worm you shouldn't be breaking that often. Use a shear pin that breaks easily like brass or copper. I believe brass is standard factory equipment, a brazing rod could be cut into pieces as a substitute (might even be what is used from factory). It should fit the hole exactly. It's strong enough that minor stress won't cause it to snap but weak enough it will break before anything else.

I can only recall two pins ever getting broken on our Van Wert in 25 years.

 
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stoker-man
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Post by stoker-man » Fri. Sep. 18, 2009 6:27 am

The shear pins that efm uses are rated to break at 25 foot pounds of torque. They only cost pennies apiece and should always be on hand. Using anything with more or less strength will cause needless breaks of the substitute pin or the worm.

An extra short worm is a good investment, but may be a hard sell because most worms last for 20 years or more.

 
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Richard S.
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Post by Richard S. » Fri. Sep. 18, 2009 6:34 am

stoker-man wrote: An extra short worm is a good investment, but may be a hard sell because most worms last for 20 years or more.
We just had ours apart on the Van Wert, looked like new. The only part where it was worn was at the end where it goes into the pot. That had a sharp edge but the rest was nice and flat.


 
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stoker-man
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Post by stoker-man » Fri. Sep. 18, 2009 11:14 am

The sharp edge is what causes the coal grinding and in the efm, the odd pot burning.

 
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Richard S.
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Post by Richard S. » Fri. Sep. 18, 2009 5:41 pm

It's just on the very end, like about 3 inches, about the length of what goes into the pot. The rest of the worm is perfectly flat on the edges. Doesn't seem to cause any issues.

 
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stoker-man
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Post by stoker-man » Fri. Sep. 18, 2009 9:31 pm

Exactly the same wear pattern as the efm.

 
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billw
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Post by billw » Fri. Sep. 18, 2009 11:28 pm

I keep a spare motor, cotter pins, shear pins, ratchet and drive pawls, and a rubber knuckle that connects the motor to the fan. The EFM dealer is about an hour from me. With my luck something will break on Sunday evening in the middle of a blizzard.

 
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e.alleg
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Post by e.alleg » Wed. Sep. 23, 2009 3:47 pm

I have propane as backup so I don't worry too much about it, a spare electric motor with coupler is probably a good investment as that is really the only item that will shut you down unexpectedly and there's no way to cobble something up for a holiday weekend if it completely fails. Also keep some spare pipes and fittings and valves on hand in case you spring a leak and have to bypass a section in an emergency. On a side note, the amount of spare parts you have directly determines how long the originals will last. If you buy a spare motor you can count on Murphy making your original last 100 years :D

 
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Post by coaledsweat » Wed. Sep. 23, 2009 5:16 pm

billw wrote:shear pins
What are they, aluminum/solid/tapered?

 
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stoker-man
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Post by stoker-man » Wed. Sep. 23, 2009 7:07 pm

Some sort of steel or composite

 
heaterman87
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Post by heaterman87 » Sun. Oct. 04, 2009 8:06 pm

I just wanted to say thanks for everyones input. I ordered a few spare parts after firing my boiler on friday to take the chill out of the house only to discover later that night the overload tripped on the motor. I removed the gear reducing unit to find a bad bearing in the unit. I'm glad it happened now than in Jan. or Feb when the temps are colder. Thanks again!


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