If you have large cast iron radiators in the system you may find that a differential of 15 works best. No harm in experimenting.
Looking to Install a Boiler
- anthony7812
- Member
- Posts: 5155
- Joined: Sat. Mar. 12, 2011 2:04 pm
- Location: Colley,Pennsylvania
- Stoker Coal Boiler: VanWert VA 400
- Coal Size/Type: Buck/Anthracite
I took attention to that. Someone prior mentioned the relief valve and temperature setting. If you noticed I pulled it out and installed it into a tee where the sidearm returns domestic back into the tank. I’ve spent years calibrating and testing relief valves and unless I missed something it’s only a spring pressure valve. It had zero mechanism for temperature. It’s only maybe 4 years old off the shelf of a lowes store. Dunno but it should have popped by now, I was reading 160~161 earlier.
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- Member
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- Joined: Thu. Jan. 28, 2021 11:35 am
- Location: Ridgeley, Wv
- Stoker Coal Boiler: 1958 efm 520
- Coal Size/Type: Rice/ anthracite
You will like your electric bill now that your heating your dhw with the boiler. Mine dropped between $75 and $100 a month. You will wish you did it years ago.
- anthony7812
- Member
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- Joined: Sat. Mar. 12, 2011 2:04 pm
- Location: Colley,Pennsylvania
- Stoker Coal Boiler: VanWert VA 400
- Coal Size/Type: Buck/Anthracite
Thanks Greg !
SD, did a quick check of the metal tag. It does have wording of 210F max. Now I’m not sure how that would set off without any type of mechanism to overcome spring pressure.
SD, did a quick check of the metal tag. It does have wording of 210F max. Now I’m not sure how that would set off without any type of mechanism to overcome spring pressure.
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- Member
- Posts: 21
- Joined: Thu. Jan. 28, 2021 11:35 am
- Location: Ridgeley, Wv
- Stoker Coal Boiler: 1958 efm 520
- Coal Size/Type: Rice/ anthracite
I have heated my dhw since 2008 and my family loves it. I don't have a mixing valve on mine but my kids grew up with common sense. My son was 4 years old my daughter was 1 year old so they grew up with it. Not saying it's right just telling it like it is...
- StokerDon
- Site Moderator
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- Location: PA, Southern York County!
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
- Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
- Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood
Your right! I had remembered that they are 155 degrees, but I remembered wrong. All of the temperature/pressure relief valves that I have are rated to open at 210 degrees like you said.anthony7812 wrote: ↑Sat. Dec. 18, 2021 3:52 pmSD, did a quick check of the metal tag. It does have wording of 210F max. Now I’m not sure how that would set off without any type of mechanism to overcome spring pressure.
The temperature/pressure relief valves have a temperature probe. This expands as the temp rises and opens the valve at the 210 degree set point.
-Don
- anthony7812
- Member
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- Joined: Sat. Mar. 12, 2011 2:04 pm
- Location: Colley,Pennsylvania
- Stoker Coal Boiler: VanWert VA 400
- Coal Size/Type: Buck/Anthracite
So I’m placing some money on this electric water heater being my heaviest source of electrical usage. Wow has my coal consumption dramatically increased. I don’t take much of a notice of runtime increases with outside temp swings unless we get down to single digits. Since tossing this heat exchanger on, holy smokes I’m chewin some coal. I’ve had my breaker off since Saturday morning and this sidearm has kept up. My bin not so much haha. Never been excited to see my next electric bill before.
- StokerDon
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 7496
- Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
- Location: PA, Southern York County!
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
- Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
- Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood
That's OK, it's fun to burn coal!anthony7812 wrote: ↑Tue. Dec. 21, 2021 5:35 amSince tossing this heat exchanger on, holy smokes I’m chewin some coal. I’ve had my breaker off since Saturday morning and this sidearm has kept up. My bin not so much haha.
Ya can't really say that about watching an electric water heater.
-Don
- Lightning
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- Location: Olean, NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Modified AA 130
- Coal Size/Type: Pea Size - Anthracite
Here's a clip from the Metering DHW thread...
Metering Domestic Hot Water Usage
My point being that even for an average of 75 gallons per day of DHW usage, it only added about 4.5 pounds of coal to my daily coal usage.
I should also note that a net of $620 was saved over that 10 month period.Today's end will mark 3 full days of DHW metering.. we're looking at about 75 gallons per day so far. Although, It's not a fair representation yet.
That would translate into about $16 per month (136 pounds) for coal OR a whopping $78 per month for electric.
Based on running the Axe 10 months that'd be 1360 pounds
Metering Domestic Hot Water Usage
My point being that even for an average of 75 gallons per day of DHW usage, it only added about 4.5 pounds of coal to my daily coal usage.
- BunkerdCaddis
- Member
- Posts: 708
- Joined: Sun. Jan. 18, 2015 10:26 am
- Location: SW Lancaster County
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Bairmatic-Van Wert
- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Van Wert VW85H
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Saey Hanover II working when I feel the desire, Waterford 105 out on vacation, Surdiac Gotha hiding somewhere
- Coal Size/Type: pea/nut/rice/stove-anthracite, nut/stove bit when I feel the urge
- Other Heating: oil fired hydronic
- oliver power
- Member
- Posts: 2970
- Joined: Sun. Apr. 16, 2006 9:28 am
- Location: Near Dansville, NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: KEYSTOKER Kaa-2
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 50-93 & 30-95, Vigilant (pre-2310), D.S. 1600 Circulator, Hitzer 254
I used copper finned baseboard in my install. It is very comfortable. And my temp difference from one end of house, to the other is exactly the same. Only during the deepanthony7812 wrote: ↑Tue. Dec. 10, 2013 1:12 pmI'm not sure why copper fin baseboard wouldn't cut it? Sized properly I don't know why it wouldn't work, first I personally heard of this. Some citing would be nice, I'm far from an expert on hot water space heating.
freeze does that change by one or two degree according to thermostats. I don't think I were feeling that. I do monitor all three thermostats. My place is 65' long, and the little Kaa-2 boiler is at one end due to chimney. I am completely happy with my set-up. The hot water traveling from boiler to finned baseboard keeps my floors warm as well.
- Rob R.
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- Location: Chazy, NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr
Yes sir - domestic hot water can really consume some energy. How many people live in your house?anthony7812 wrote: ↑Tue. Dec. 21, 2021 5:35 amSo I’m placing some money on this electric water heater being my heaviest source of electrical usage. Wow has my coal consumption dramatically increased. I don’t take much of a notice of runtime increases with outside temp swings unless we get down to single digits. Since tossing this heat exchanger on, holy smokes I’m chewin some coal. I’ve had my breaker off since Saturday morning and this sidearm has kept up. My bin not so much haha. Never been excited to see my next electric bill before.
- anthony7812
- Member
- Posts: 5155
- Joined: Sat. Mar. 12, 2011 2:04 pm
- Location: Colley,Pennsylvania
- Stoker Coal Boiler: VanWert VA 400
- Coal Size/Type: Buck/Anthracite
4 of us. 3 ladies who like to make a daily sauna each if not 2 haha. Then figure daily dishwasher run and laundry at warm setting. Still no electrical power going to water heater and it's keeping up just fine. Today is day 6 and we can say it's able to keep up better than just the electric.
- anthony7812
- Member
- Posts: 5155
- Joined: Sat. Mar. 12, 2011 2:04 pm
- Location: Colley,Pennsylvania
- Stoker Coal Boiler: VanWert VA 400
- Coal Size/Type: Buck/Anthracite
Side note, with house at 71ish and the water heater load I'm using about 2 ~ 2.5 , 5 gallon pails of rice coal per day. Average outiside temp is about 30-33 with decent wind here. Super precise measurents lol. Still half of what the hand-fired needed to heat this house and thats without heating hot water.
- anthony7812
- Member
- Posts: 5155
- Joined: Sat. Mar. 12, 2011 2:04 pm
- Location: Colley,Pennsylvania
- Stoker Coal Boiler: VanWert VA 400
- Coal Size/Type: Buck/Anthracite
Update: mid November to mid December electric bill @300$.
December to Jan———-208.13$
I’m able to see my usage trend per day. Jan 1st (50 degrees outside) I was about 30kw. last weekend with that negative 8 we had, I hit about 58kw. My electric usage definitely follows outside temperature now. Prior weeks I can tell laundry days and must have been sauna showers. We haven’t seen anything above 60kw usage per day since prior to install. We found a couple 75-80kw days looking back. Whew. This exchanger will pay for itself in this heating season alone. Highly recommend that tube in shell unit. Dragon brand 38 inch sidearm. Super easy install.
December to Jan———-208.13$
I’m able to see my usage trend per day. Jan 1st (50 degrees outside) I was about 30kw. last weekend with that negative 8 we had, I hit about 58kw. My electric usage definitely follows outside temperature now. Prior weeks I can tell laundry days and must have been sauna showers. We haven’t seen anything above 60kw usage per day since prior to install. We found a couple 75-80kw days looking back. Whew. This exchanger will pay for itself in this heating season alone. Highly recommend that tube in shell unit. Dragon brand 38 inch sidearm. Super easy install.