Bingo.... My buddy with the AHS has had one hopper fire....when he forgot to turn the asher back on after emptying the ash bucket. His unit has a heat sensor in the bottom of the hopper. After it burned all the paint off the neck it shut itself down. And, yes, he always, always keeps the lid on the hopper.Yanche wrote: If you forget to turn it back on you will get a hopper fire.
AHS S130 Coalgun- Puffbacks & Explosions
- Freddy
- Member
- Posts: 7293
- Joined: Fri. Apr. 11, 2008 2:54 pm
- Location: Orrington, Maine
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman Anderson 130 (pea)
- Coal Size/Type: Pea size, Superior, deep mined
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- Member
- Posts: 304
- Joined: Sun. Mar. 18, 2007 11:28 am
- Location: Schuylkill County
- Stoker Coal Boiler: AHS 130
- Coal Size/Type: Pea/Anthracite
The switch to turn off the grate motor is recommended in the AHS manual for use during start up.Yanche wrote:The boiler also came from the factory with a switch to turn off the grate motor. I assume it's for turning it off while you remove the ash bucket.
- lsayre
- Member
- Posts: 21781
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 23, 2005 9:17 pm
- Location: Ohio
- Stoker Coal Boiler: AHS S130 Coal Gun
- Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Anthracite Pea
- Other Heating: Resistance Boiler (13.5 KW), ComfortMax 75
I plan to purchase a second ash pan, so I will never have to shut off the grate switch while taking out and disposing of my ashes. After a quick swap of the ash pans, I can then take my good old time disposing of the ashes in the full pan.
- watkinsdr
- Member
- Posts: 243
- Joined: Sat. Mar. 24, 2007 8:14 pm
- Location: Kensington, New Hampshire
- Stoker Coal Boiler: AHS S260 Boiler
A little off subject; but, since I started this thread, I give myself license to go off thread...
The "standard" AHS ash pan weighs 16 lbs empty... If 'yer lazy like me, you sometimes wait 3-4 days between dumping the ash pan---this translates into a "pain in the ash..." I had some extra Rubbermaid "table bus tubs" which my wife bought a few years ago, NOTE: They still have these tubs at Sam's Club, 2 ea. for approx. $14.00. I've been using them for about two weeks now; and, they seem to work pretty well. The plastic stays cool; and, I haven't noticed any burn marks yet... NOTE: I have my S260 elevated on 6" concrete blocks; which, seems to be just enough height to allow using these plasic tubs---any closer; and, the plastic will get too hot---don't ask me how I know... I only have 3 of these tubs now; but, if they continue to work, I plan on buying more...
The "standard" AHS ash pan weighs 16 lbs empty... If 'yer lazy like me, you sometimes wait 3-4 days between dumping the ash pan---this translates into a "pain in the ash..." I had some extra Rubbermaid "table bus tubs" which my wife bought a few years ago, NOTE: They still have these tubs at Sam's Club, 2 ea. for approx. $14.00. I've been using them for about two weeks now; and, they seem to work pretty well. The plastic stays cool; and, I haven't noticed any burn marks yet... NOTE: I have my S260 elevated on 6" concrete blocks; which, seems to be just enough height to allow using these plasic tubs---any closer; and, the plastic will get too hot---don't ask me how I know... I only have 3 of these tubs now; but, if they continue to work, I plan on buying more...
Attachments
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- Member
- Posts: 92
- Joined: Wed. Jan. 30, 2008 2:23 pm
- Location: Sykesville, MD
- Stoker Coal Boiler: AHS 130
- Coal Size/Type: Pea
Yanche,Yanche wrote:My puff backs ended when I had my boiler factory modified to the tombstone style inspection port cover and flapper with rotatable opening. My theory is idle draft improved when the air heated by the front of the boiler rises and enters the open flapper. This improved draft reduces the concentration of out gassing coal gases.
Who did your modification and why did you do it?
- Yanche
- Member
- Posts: 3026
- Joined: Fri. Dec. 23, 2005 12:45 pm
- Location: Sykesville, Maryland
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Alternate Heating Systems S-130
- Coal Size/Type: Anthracite Pea
The mods to my boiler were done by AHS at their original factory location, Harrisonville, PA. It was returned to have an additional supply tapping added. My boiler came with only a single supply and return taping. Both were in the front of the boiler. I believe it better to pipe a boiler so you have internal water flow across the entire water volume. To do that I needed a second tapping. I scheduled the mods with Jeff. I arrived at their factory close to their starting time with my boiler on a pallet. They removed it with a fork life, did the mods and had me on my way home shortly after noon. Service was excellent and the price was reasonable. I had the tombstone style inspection port and thermocouple installed at the same time. Theromcouple only, no associated controls. That's still on my to do list.rychw wrote:Yanche,Yanche wrote:My puff backs ended when I had my boiler factory modified to the tombstone style inspection port cover and flapper with rotatable opening. My theory is idle draft improved when the air heated by the front of the boiler rises and enters the open flapper. This improved draft reduces the concentration of out gassing coal gases.
Who did your modification and why did you do it?
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- Member
- Posts: 92
- Joined: Wed. Jan. 30, 2008 2:23 pm
- Location: Sykesville, MD
- Stoker Coal Boiler: AHS 130
- Coal Size/Type: Pea
Yanche,Yanche wrote:I had the tombstone style inspection port and thermocouple installed at the same time.
I agree that the craftsmanship and quality of work on the AHS boiler is outstanding. It is a great boiler when it works safely. Why did you have thew tombstone style inspection port installed? I wonder why AHS now has that type of inspection port on all their new boilers. Is there anyone out there with a new AHS boiler and the new inspection port experiencing booms?
- lsayre
- Member
- Posts: 21781
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 23, 2005 9:17 pm
- Location: Ohio
- Stoker Coal Boiler: AHS S130 Coal Gun
- Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Anthracite Pea
- Other Heating: Resistance Boiler (13.5 KW), ComfortMax 75
No booms here (so far). Closing in on one month of burning. Mine is an October 2009 model, so it is two years old, but it is seeing its first use. It came with the tombstone cover.rychw wrote:I agree that the craftsmanship and quality of work on the AHS boiler is outstanding. It is a great boiler when it works safely. Why did you have the tombstone style inspection port installed? I wonder why AHS now has that type of inspection port on all their new boilers. Is there anyone out there with a new AHS boiler and the new inspection port experiencing booms?
As for ash pans, sometime after mine was made they apparently lowered the profile of the AHS boilers yet again, and now their ash pans are completely different. Mine still uses an ash pan that is probably the same as for the Axeman's. The new AHS ash pans are much lower in profile to fit the new lower bottom end. My ash pan is 11.25" high, and my ash door opening is about 12" in height. I think the new AHS boilers ash pan door opening is only about 10" tall.
- watkinsdr
- Member
- Posts: 243
- Joined: Sat. Mar. 24, 2007 8:14 pm
- Location: Kensington, New Hampshire
- Stoker Coal Boiler: AHS S260 Boiler
On my late model S260, the ash door opening is 10.25" tall; and, my AHS ash pans (which I'm not using because they're so heavy...) are 9.5" tall. The Rubbermaid Heavy Duty Bus Boxes are working great so far. I'm seriously thinking about using my AHS ash pans for the cat's litter box...
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- Member
- Posts: 304
- Joined: Sun. Mar. 18, 2007 11:28 am
- Location: Schuylkill County
- Stoker Coal Boiler: AHS 130
- Coal Size/Type: Pea/Anthracite
I purchased my AHS-130 in 2007 and it has the tombstone cover. I had continuing problems with puff-backs over the first four seasons--destroying more than one barometric damper and even blowing the tombstone cover off on one occasion. So in my experience with the tombstone cover is that it alone is not a solution to the puff back problem.rychw wrote: Is there anyone out there with a new AHS boiler and the new inspection port experiencing booms?
This season, and I have been burning for 3+ weeks, I have yet to have a puff-back. Two things are different. First, while I purchased my coal from the same delivery agent and it came from the same breaker (Superior) the coal is different--this year it is white ash and in prior years it was red ash. Second I am operating at a lower SV--120. I never started out the season at 120 in the past. I have also noticed that I am getting more complete combustion of the coal with the SV at 120--there is no unburned coal visible.
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- Member
- Posts: 172
- Joined: Fri. Sep. 02, 2011 5:22 pm
- Stoker Coal Boiler: AHS 130
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Glacier Bay
my ahs130 is two weeks old, I experienced 3 puffbacks when I first fired her up and put a couple shovels of coal down in the hopper and closed the lid, that was pretty much my own fault though, other than that I havent had any problems with puffbacks
- Yanche
- Member
- Posts: 3026
- Joined: Fri. Dec. 23, 2005 12:45 pm
- Location: Sykesville, Maryland
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Alternate Heating Systems S-130
- Coal Size/Type: Anthracite Pea
The deep mined red ash Superior brand coal was definitely more likely to have puff backs. I had several over the three seasons I burned it. A couple were quite spectacular, blown baro across room, bent inspection port door, etc. I even saw one from outside. Loud boom, and a quick look at my chimney to see a cloud of fly ash exiting. Only thing better would have been a smoke ring. Now with white ash coal and the tombstone style of inspection port, no problems.
- tikigeorge
- Member
- Posts: 216
- Joined: Wed. Jun. 11, 2008 12:07 am
- Location: Phillipsburg NJ
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA-6
Looking at the pictures of the exhaust pipe it doesn't look like you have any pitch. Just a thought.