Axeman-Anderson Anthratube 260M Disection

Any preliminary results with the new (fresh) fire and the ashing timer you're testing out?

This morning it appeared to be doing better, the fire was till burning hot right up next to the steel firetube wall. The new fire was still burning hot. Flue temps over 300*. It is too early to tell about he ash, since what got shook out overnight is the product of the first fire, and the intial ash I put in the ash drawer to build the fire upon.

Later today It appears that the burn is much more complete, but I didn't run the boiler in a normal manner today, I had the auger disconnected and removed while I was building the big perminent coal hopper for the boiler. I didn't have anything for the auger to feed from. So I kept the fire going by hand feeding coal through the auger feed head using a small shovel and a coffee can. So the fire burned very low several times, then I'd load a lot of coal on again. Several times when I looked through the inspection port I saw a dark row along the steel side, but when I gently poked this, it collapsed, it was dark 'cause the coal had burnt out! Much better than being unburnt coal. I manually shook a few times today , watching what the timer and antrastat were calling for, At least for now, it appears that the fire is burning very completely.

I'm still concerned how the thick compacted 4" layer of ash got 'stuck' in the ash drawer. I don't want this to reoccur.

Anyway today was the day to build the Hopper. It is done, except I would like to line the bottom with a layer of galvanized sheet metal to make it more slippery. It will hold close to a ton, probably around 1500-1600#. It's dimenstions are 4'x3'x2' not counting the tapered 'funnel' portion, I put 300# in the funnel, and it appeared that it still needed another 2-300# to bring it up to the bottom of the rectangular outer perimeter.

Photos:

Looks good, Greg.

Looks like it will work well . I don't think you will have to line the bottom with metal .Pea coal should go right down that . Dave

Question:

If the AA is used to heat hot water for a hot water heating system, wouldn't it be considered a furnace? It doesn't actually boil the water, it just heats it. I was under the impression that a boiler did just that-boiled water to create steam and that furnace was the proper name for a unit that heats the water, but stays below the boiling point.

Can the AA be used as an actual boiler? To run a steam heat system?

My understanding that the correct semantics is that a pressurized vessel that heats water or water to steam is a boiler, that an unpressurized or presurizable unit is a 'water furnace'.

But the common nomenclature is that a furnace heats AIR and a boiler heats WATER... anything more complicated than that is ''pickin' the fly-sh*t out of the pepper" [old saying from a friend]

Greg L

Wood'nCoal wrote:Question:

If the AA is used to heat hot water for a hot water heating system, wouldn't it be considered a furnace? It doesn't actually boil the water, it just heats it. I was under the impression that a boiler did just that-boiled water to create steam and that furnace was the proper name for a unit that heats the water, but stays below the boiling point.

Can the AA be used as an actual boiler? To run a steam heat system?

Yes the AA can be used for steam if you look in the manuals that I posted for the AA it gives you the settings and heat load that it can handle as a steam setup.

LsFarm wrote:My understanding that the correct semantics is that a pressurized vessel that heats water or water to steam is a boiler, that an unpressurized or presurizable unit is a 'water furnace'.

But the common nomenclature is that a furnace heats AIR and a boiler heats WATER... anything more complicated than that is ''pickin' the fly-sh*t out of the pepper" [old saying from a friend]

Greg L

I did some research, a appliance that heats water to produce steam under pressure is called a "boiler", if it heats water but stays below the boiling point it's called a "water heater".
If it heats air for distribution directly or through a system of ducts it's called a "furnace".

So Greg, hows the AA water heater doing? LOL.

I'll still call it a boiler... Most of the industry does... Almost nobody installs steam anymore, so if we all start calling boilers 'water heaters' what are we going to call a domestic water heater?? Too confusing, boiler heats water for heating the house, a furnace heats air for heating the house. A water heater heats water to take a shower, bath, or do the laundry.

As for the AA, I'm away from home right now, and the reports from home tell me that I still have too much unburnt coal in the ashes, but the flue temps are staying in the high 200's, so I'm hopefull that the ash isn't accumulating too much and blocking air to the fire... I'll know better when I pull the drawer out and inspect the ash in there later in the week..

Greg L

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LsFarm wrote:I'll still call it a boiler... Most of the industry does... Almost nobody installs steam anymore, so if we all start calling boilers 'water heaters' what are we going to call a domestic water heater?? Too confusing, boiler heats water for heating the house, a furnace heats air for heating the house. A water heater heats water to take a shower, bath, or do the laundry.

As for the AA, I'm away from home right now, and the reports from home tell me that I still have too much unburnt coal in the ashes, but the flue temps are staying in the high 200's, so I'm hopefull that the ash isn't accumulating too much and blocking air to the fire... I'll know better when I pull the drawer out and inspect the ash in there later in the week..

Greg L

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Only kidding, yes it will get too confusing. Besides I like "boiler" better when thinking of the AA.
I'm interested in the problem you have been having with the unburnt coal, please keep us informed when you get back home. As I mentioned before, if I had the option, I would love to have steam heat in this place, instead of hot air. I've lived in places with hot water and steam, I prefer the steam with the hissing air vents and related "comforting" noises (except "water hammer" in the middle of the night).

Wood'nCoal wrote:

LsFarm wrote:My understanding that the correct semantics is that a pressurized vessel that heats water or water to steam is a boiler, that an unpressurized or presurizable unit is a 'water furnace'.

But the common nomenclature is that a furnace heats AIR and a boiler heats WATER... anything more complicated than that is ''pickin' the fly-sh*t out of the pepper" [old saying from a friend]

Greg L

I did some research, a appliance that heats water to produce steam under pressure is called a "boiler", if it heats water but stays below the boiling point it's called a "water heater".
If it heats air for distribution directly or through a system of ducts it's called a "furnace".

So Greg, hows the AA water heater doing? LOL.

I grew up in a house heated by circulating hot water, gas-fired. My father always referred to it as "the furnace". I think that's why I was unsure what it really is. Anyway, my mother still lives there and I was there today. I always check the "furnace" when I'm there, so today I read the spec. plate on the 1951 unit made by "American Radiator and Standard Sanitation Company (American -Standard). It clearly reads "Boiler" on it, the ratings for hot water have figures stamped in the spaces, the spaces with a steam heading are blank. Confused? So am I. All I know is with the exception of the gas control valve and the circulating pump the "boiler" is all original and still functions well after 56 years. So it's a furnace to me, everything else is a boiler. Except domestic hot water heaters, and maybe...

If the water is under pressure, it IS a boiler. The word furnace is often used to describe any heating appliance although it is not an accurate description for anything with water in it.

Boiler it is then.

You did a great job on the pictorial and explaining the system ! It looks like they recycled alot of the armored plating from the tanks after WWII ended.

I showed the pictures to Big Jim, our 40+ year man, and he went to the file and pulled out a brochure on the unit. He was familiar with the unit. Maybe because I work with our 520 parts and units every day, I'm going to have to respectfully submit that the 520 would be easier to work on.

hmm what do you call my setup? The stoker boiler heats the water in the coil in the furnace and the furnace blows the air into the house. I call the whole deal a "furnace" when talking to my family, as in " I gotta stoke the furnace then i'll be in bed"