Out of Town for 36 Hrs. Leave Stoker Boiler Burning???
- Carbon12
- Member
- Posts: 2226
- Joined: Tue. Oct. 11, 2011 6:53 pm
- Location: Harrisburg, PA
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA-6
- Coal Size/Type: Rice/Anthracite
- Other Heating: Heat Pump/Forced Hot Air Oil Furnace
I have to go out of town next week. Leaving early morning and coming back early evening the next day. Should I keep the stoker burning and turn thermostat down or, GASP, turn off the stoker and use the heat pump???
- Sting
- Member
- Posts: 2983
- Joined: Mon. Feb. 25, 2008 4:24 pm
- Location: Lower Fox Valley = Wisconsin
- Other Heating: OBSO Lennox Pulse "Air Scorcher" burning NG
Shackle yourself to the near boiler piping like the slave to solid fuel that you are.
Build - or rebuild your system to have an automatic - fault tolerant - FAIL SAFE - back up in case of solid fuel drama
or just shut it off and don't look back because the possibilities far exceed your level of pain tolerance!
Kind regards
Sting
Build - or rebuild your system to have an automatic - fault tolerant - FAIL SAFE - back up in case of solid fuel drama
or just shut it off and don't look back because the possibilities far exceed your level of pain tolerance!
Kind regards
Sting
- Carbon12
- Member
- Posts: 2226
- Joined: Tue. Oct. 11, 2011 6:53 pm
- Location: Harrisburg, PA
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA-6
- Coal Size/Type: Rice/Anthracite
- Other Heating: Heat Pump/Forced Hot Air Oil Furnace
Yeah, yeah,......damn solid fuel. Trying to avoid letting the stoker go out and having to switch smoke pipe back to oil furnace. The damn heat pump locks out at anything below 40 degrees. Emergency heat is the oil furnace. I am planning on power venting the oil furnace to have a completely redundant system which involves nothing more than flipping a switch to activate. Of course, the house won't freeze if I just shut everything down. Hmmmmm,.....not sure about the cat??? Wife's cat,....never really cared for him,....
- Sting
- Member
- Posts: 2983
- Joined: Mon. Feb. 25, 2008 4:24 pm
- Location: Lower Fox Valley = Wisconsin
- Other Heating: OBSO Lennox Pulse "Air Scorcher" burning NG
ok - hate me if you must -- but I must add
A truly fail safe back up system does not require even the "flip of a switch' -- is simply picks up the load if and when necessary
Try "flipping" that switch some night when the kind folks at the hospital emergency room suggest you stay quietly with them vs die on your boiler room floor
Don't ask me how I know
A truly fail safe back up system does not require even the "flip of a switch' -- is simply picks up the load if and when necessary
Try "flipping" that switch some night when the kind folks at the hospital emergency room suggest you stay quietly with them vs die on your boiler room floor
Don't ask me how I know
- freetown fred
- Member
- Posts: 30293
- Joined: Thu. Dec. 31, 2009 12:33 pm
- Location: Freetown,NY 13803
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: HITZER 50-93
- Coal Size/Type: BLASCHAK Nut
I know I don't belong in here with all you girly guys, but for Gods Sake, I leave my hand fired idling for that long & longer without a worry.
- Carbon12
- Member
- Posts: 2226
- Joined: Tue. Oct. 11, 2011 6:53 pm
- Location: Harrisburg, PA
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA-6
- Coal Size/Type: Rice/Anthracite
- Other Heating: Heat Pump/Forced Hot Air Oil Furnace
I'm leaving the stoker running. It's my first season with her and although she has been consistent and problem free, I am still getting to know her so I'm still being cautious. @ Sting: yes automatic redundancy best and will eventually be built into the system. Liken it to a back up generator. The automatic whole house one is best but I'll take a manual one over no generator at all. Yes, have the load center powering the heating appliances wired so I can run them off the manual generator. Plan is to get a coal fireplace insert next summer for emergency, no electricity needed heating. For now, the fireplace and a pile of wood will do.
- Carbon12
- Member
- Posts: 2226
- Joined: Tue. Oct. 11, 2011 6:53 pm
- Location: Harrisburg, PA
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA-6
- Coal Size/Type: Rice/Anthracite
- Other Heating: Heat Pump/Forced Hot Air Oil Furnace
@ Sting: Without sufficient provocation (beating puppies or pulling wings off eagles or such) I could never hate you! I truly enjoy your tidbits of wisdom and rapier wit! I can even overlook that whole living in Wisconsin thing
- Rob R.
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 17980
- Joined: Fri. Dec. 28, 2007 4:26 pm
- Location: Chazy, NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr
Regardless of your heat source, it is a good idea to have someone check on the home while you are away. I would just ask a friend or neighbor to check on the house midway through your trip and let the Keystoker do its job.
- Richard S.
- Mayor
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- Joined: Fri. Oct. 01, 2004 8:35 pm
- Location: NEPA
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Van Wert VA1200
- Coal Size/Type: Buckwheat/Anthracite
You may want to consider removing the ash tub so there is plenty of room....
- Sting
- Member
- Posts: 2983
- Joined: Mon. Feb. 25, 2008 4:24 pm
- Location: Lower Fox Valley = Wisconsin
- Other Heating: OBSO Lennox Pulse "Air Scorcher" burning NG
Maybe you could give me another chance the season is still young- Ill find a way to rub this wrong yetCarbon12 wrote:@ Sting: Without sufficient provocation I could never hate you! I can even overlook that whole living in Wisconsin thing
and the cheese head thing --- yes I ignore it too
Last edited by Sting on Sat. Apr. 01, 2017 5:12 am, edited 2 times in total.
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- Carbon12
- Member
- Posts: 2226
- Joined: Tue. Oct. 11, 2011 6:53 pm
- Location: Harrisburg, PA
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA-6
- Coal Size/Type: Rice/Anthracite
- Other Heating: Heat Pump/Forced Hot Air Oil Furnace
Thanks, thought about that. I can get 48 hrs plus with the ash tub currently. If I turn the TT down, I can probably go longer. Will probably remove the tub incase of unforeseen delays in the drive home.
36 hours isn't that long....is it a coal capacity or ash capacity worry? Please see the gravity wagon ideas on the other thread, this could be the feasibility test we are looking for!!
If it is a power outage concern we also have that issue in our area. Frequent power outages for who knows how long. I have a couple coal/wood burning buddies that live near by and we check with each other when the outages occur. If it is just a couple minute blink, no problems for any of us, no need to call. If it's out for an hour or two then we'll call each other to make sure somebody is home to check on the fire status, if not then we'll back each other up by going over to check on it. We each have separate furnace systems that would kick on if temps dropped too low, but it is in the interest of saving matches that we back each other up.
We do the same in the non heating season for generator start up too. None of us has an auto system but each is the same as far as a single plug from the generator to the panel and a lock out set up in the panel to trip the main feed when the generator breaker is on. It would not be much of an issue then except for long outages and sump pumps!
If it is a power outage concern we also have that issue in our area. Frequent power outages for who knows how long. I have a couple coal/wood burning buddies that live near by and we check with each other when the outages occur. If it is just a couple minute blink, no problems for any of us, no need to call. If it's out for an hour or two then we'll call each other to make sure somebody is home to check on the fire status, if not then we'll back each other up by going over to check on it. We each have separate furnace systems that would kick on if temps dropped too low, but it is in the interest of saving matches that we back each other up.
We do the same in the non heating season for generator start up too. None of us has an auto system but each is the same as far as a single plug from the generator to the panel and a lock out set up in the panel to trip the main feed when the generator breaker is on. It would not be much of an issue then except for long outages and sump pumps!