Dual Boiler Plumbing and Wiring.
Thanks Yanche, This should be a good example for Jaimz to follow. The only difference will be to figure the quanity of liquid in his radiators. Is there a chart somewhere on this site that would convert Length, width, height of a radiator to liquid capacity? I believe he mentioned at some point in this thread that he did have radiators.
Just found this link that should help Jaimz.
Estimating Old Radiator Water Volume?
Estimating Old Radiator Water Volume?
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jaimz23
- Member
- Posts: 130
- Joined: Sun. Jan. 24, 2010 11:35 am
- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Harman Trident SF-260
Thanks guys this is a great tool for calculating the expansion tank size. I actually plan on getting a Amtrol Extrol #30 and replacing my number 15 with it. The only problem I have doing this now is a lot of my copper runs under my crawl space and when I say crawl space, I mean military style crawl. I am 6' 1" about 205 (depending on the day...lol) and I barely fit. I have it all sealed up and insulated around the crawlspace door for now. When I get my pipe insulation I will take some measurements.
I have been keeping my head down and trying so many things out with my boiler(s) to get the coal burning for 12 hours or more, adjusting pressures, in the lines, etc. I have finally realized 2 things:
1. Most of my copper pipes are are barely insulated or not insulated at all including those that run under the crawlspace which has no insulation in it and gets very cold. I think this is why at times when my boiler was heating up and got to around 165 - 170 or so and my circulator between the boilers was running and then my house circulator kicked on to satisfy the radiators and I have watched the temp in the coal boiler drop 30 - 35 degrees, soooooo.....I am attributing this to the fact that I have no insulation on my pipes and I losing too much heat when the water returns. (I also think all my radiators are hooked up serial style, but I haven't verified this yet)
2. I did not have enough draft in my chimney when I had my baro set to 4 or 6. As many of you may know, I have been having trouble keeping the coal burning for extended lengths of time. My roof was about 10 hours. Well, usually when I got home, my scenario was always the same, lot of ash, bunch of unburned or barely burned coal, and little to no fire and very low water temp. My nightmare basically. I tried a million different settings with the coal boiler itself and the draft and the firebox draft screws etc. Last night, I noticed my water temps were struggling to get over 165 with my baro set at 4. So I decided to do a little test. I set the baro to 2 and walked away and let it burn for 30 minutes and came back. When I returned, the water temp was dead on 160 and the coal fire looked weak, burning, but not healthy ya know? I then adjusted the baro to 8 and walked away and let it burn for 30 minutes. When I opened my basement door, I knew immediately, because the heat hit me immediately. I walked downstairs and the water temp was 183 and the auto draft was closed and the fire looked amazing. So I left the setting there and put a bunch of coal on it at 10:30 and went to bed. Came down at 5:30 and it was burning very nicely and it was much easier to get a lot of ash to fall down through. I loaded the firebox with a tad over 1 5 gallon bucket of coal and went to work. I came home and made bee line downstairs. As I was going I asked my wife if she checked the coal when she got home at 4:30 and she said, "I didn't have to, when I opened the basement door I felt the heat hit me, I knew it was fine." Which means she didn't touch it at all. I walked down and my grin must have been ear to ear as I hit the bottom of the stairs and saw that the draft control was closed and the temp was at 181. I opened the firebox door and it finally looked correct. Lot of ash, but glowing embers throughout which easily could have kept going for another 2 - 3 hours untouched.
I was/am ecstatic. FINALLY!!!!! I have sat in my basement more hours than I would like to admit and stared and thought and stared and thought and monkeyed with damn near everything. Basically there was enough draft to get it burning set at 4 or 6, but not enough to keep it burning when ash started to collect. It would just choke itself out. Could possibly be because I had to have 7" chimney liner (thats all my chimney would fit) and 7" flue pipe installed. Either way, it is finally working great and burning like I had hoped. Hey, who knows, I may have shot myself in the foot by saying all of this and this might not be it, but I finally think I got it. If not, I'll be sure to let you all know.
Sorry so long, but I really wanted to let you all know. Next up in the spring, I will be adding another zone.......Eeek.
I have been keeping my head down and trying so many things out with my boiler(s) to get the coal burning for 12 hours or more, adjusting pressures, in the lines, etc. I have finally realized 2 things:
1. Most of my copper pipes are are barely insulated or not insulated at all including those that run under the crawlspace which has no insulation in it and gets very cold. I think this is why at times when my boiler was heating up and got to around 165 - 170 or so and my circulator between the boilers was running and then my house circulator kicked on to satisfy the radiators and I have watched the temp in the coal boiler drop 30 - 35 degrees, soooooo.....I am attributing this to the fact that I have no insulation on my pipes and I losing too much heat when the water returns. (I also think all my radiators are hooked up serial style, but I haven't verified this yet)
2. I did not have enough draft in my chimney when I had my baro set to 4 or 6. As many of you may know, I have been having trouble keeping the coal burning for extended lengths of time. My roof was about 10 hours. Well, usually when I got home, my scenario was always the same, lot of ash, bunch of unburned or barely burned coal, and little to no fire and very low water temp. My nightmare basically. I tried a million different settings with the coal boiler itself and the draft and the firebox draft screws etc. Last night, I noticed my water temps were struggling to get over 165 with my baro set at 4. So I decided to do a little test. I set the baro to 2 and walked away and let it burn for 30 minutes and came back. When I returned, the water temp was dead on 160 and the coal fire looked weak, burning, but not healthy ya know? I then adjusted the baro to 8 and walked away and let it burn for 30 minutes. When I opened my basement door, I knew immediately, because the heat hit me immediately. I walked downstairs and the water temp was 183 and the auto draft was closed and the fire looked amazing. So I left the setting there and put a bunch of coal on it at 10:30 and went to bed. Came down at 5:30 and it was burning very nicely and it was much easier to get a lot of ash to fall down through. I loaded the firebox with a tad over 1 5 gallon bucket of coal and went to work. I came home and made bee line downstairs. As I was going I asked my wife if she checked the coal when she got home at 4:30 and she said, "I didn't have to, when I opened the basement door I felt the heat hit me, I knew it was fine." Which means she didn't touch it at all. I walked down and my grin must have been ear to ear as I hit the bottom of the stairs and saw that the draft control was closed and the temp was at 181. I opened the firebox door and it finally looked correct. Lot of ash, but glowing embers throughout which easily could have kept going for another 2 - 3 hours untouched.
I was/am ecstatic. FINALLY!!!!! I have sat in my basement more hours than I would like to admit and stared and thought and stared and thought and monkeyed with damn near everything. Basically there was enough draft to get it burning set at 4 or 6, but not enough to keep it burning when ash started to collect. It would just choke itself out. Could possibly be because I had to have 7" chimney liner (thats all my chimney would fit) and 7" flue pipe installed. Either way, it is finally working great and burning like I had hoped. Hey, who knows, I may have shot myself in the foot by saying all of this and this might not be it, but I finally think I got it. If not, I'll be sure to let you all know.
Sorry so long, but I really wanted to let you all know. Next up in the spring, I will be adding another zone.......Eeek.
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jaimz23
- Member
- Posts: 130
- Joined: Sun. Jan. 24, 2010 11:35 am
- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Harman Trident SF-260
When it is set to 8 and the fire is really roaring, it bumps open about 1/2" - 3/4". When it was set a 4 it constantly stayed open further at about 1 1/2" - 1 3/4" all the time and bumps open to about 2" - 2 1/4" or so. These are estimates. I have never measured it, just guesstimating.