New Fan, but Some Issues Remain

jeff216410 · Post by **jeff216410** » Tue. Jan. 28, 2014 12:00 pm

I have a similar problem lazy flame in my boiler occasionally. I use basically a 3/8 steel rod to move the ash around in my ash pan, and decided to poke it into the burning coal bed and noticed the glowing mass had almost fused and become a fairly solid chunk blocking much of the airflow. Once I broke it up a bit my flames were going above the difuser and even into the tubes and more blast furnace like. I have not had a chance to tinker with settings but I was just mentioning this as an observation.

kstills · Post by **kstills** » Tue. Jan. 28, 2014 2:32 pm

jeff216410 wrote:I have a similar problem lazy flame in my boiler occasionally. I use basically a 3/8 steel rod to move the ash around in my ash pan, and decided to poke it into the burning coal bed and noticed the glowing mass had almost fused and become a fairly solid chunk blocking much of the airflow. Once I broke it up a bit my flames were going above the difuser and even into the tubes and more blast furnace like. I have not had a chance to tinker with settings but I was just mentioning this as an observation.

I had that problem last year, spent most of the winter poking the grate

. That was the load of coal I had, for whatever reason it clinkered like crazy.

This year, I have some clinkers but no where near as bad as last year. I'm guessing my lazy flame issue is either because of buildup under the grate (spring fix at this point, I'm a happy camper with the new fan) or a partial blockage back by where the vent enters the chimney. Which will be another spring fix.

jeff216410 · Post by **jeff216410** » Wed. Jan. 29, 2014 2:12 pm

That makes sense it is the coal. Last year I had no problem and could open the fan up fully and have a huge flame. Only difference this year is the coal. Same brand, newer batch. Last year was not as cold so I did not need the extra margin so I blocked the fan about halfway and had a nice full burn with reasonable ash. This year I get some unburn coal in the pan if I crank things up and cannot get the airflow through the coal. Was thinking about maybe getting some bigger size coal for winter?

kstills · Post by **kstills** » Wed. Jan. 29, 2014 2:41 pm

jeff216410 wrote:That makes sense it is the coal. Last year I had no problem and could open the fan up fully and have a huge flame. Only difference this year is the coal. Same brand, newer batch. Last year was not as cold so I did not need the extra margin so I blocked the fan about halfway and had a nice full burn with reasonable ash. This year I get some unburn coal in the pan if I crank things up and cannot get the airflow through the coal. Was thinking about maybe getting some bigger size coal for winter?

Coal Size for 110K

I got caught short one week and had to burn Pea coal, I found that it burned hellla faster then the rice. It did feed through the stoker though, so anything up to that size should work.

Note: LL only recommends as large as buck, so that's where I would start.

jeff216410 · Post by **jeff216410** » Thu. Jan. 30, 2014 1:26 pm

I looked carefully at my coal and I would say this year I have rice with smaller mixed in. I think my Rice in the past was closer to Buck because I remember some pieces that were 1/2-5/8 even 3/4 across. I think it is the size difference. I don't have any of last year's coal left or I would make a change and find out. I Definitely did not have this problem last year and my stove is clean right now so that is not an issue.

kstills · Post by **kstills** » Thu. Jan. 30, 2014 8:56 pm

Update:

The new fan worked great for a few days, then I lost draft. I figured the boiler needed cleaning again, so I took it apart and vacced the tubes. Then I got the great idea to clean the flue by reversing the shop vac and blowing air into the chimney.

Ok, so here's how I'll do it next time. Insert the hose, THEN turn on the blower. This time, once the dust settled, I had -0.02 over the flame, and -0.05 in the stack. She's burning like brand new. Ima gonna take a shower....

KLook · Post by **KLook** » Thu. Jan. 30, 2014 10:52 pm

LOLOLOLOLOLMFAO!!! I have done those kind of things! Just as you do it you go.......wait a minute.......DAMN!

Kevin

Flyer5 · Post by **Flyer5** » Thu. Jan. 30, 2014 11:15 pm

kstills wrote:Update:

The new fan worked great for a few days, then I lost draft. I figured the boiler needed cleaning again, so I took it apart and vacced the tubes. Then I got the great idea to clean the flue by reversing the shop vac and blowing air into the chimney.

Ok, so here's how I'll do it next time. Insert the hose, THEN turn on the blower. This time, once the dust settled, I had -0.02 over the flame, and -0.05 in the stack. She's burning like brand new. Ima gonna take a shower....

Like a different boiler huh?

kstills · Post by **kstills** » Fri. Jan. 31, 2014 9:26 am

Flyer5 wrote:
kstills wrote:Update:

The new fan worked great for a few days, then I lost draft. I figured the boiler needed cleaning again, so I took it apart and vacced the tubes. Then I got the great idea to clean the flue by reversing the shop vac and blowing air into the chimney.

Ok, so here's how I'll do it next time. Insert the hose, THEN turn on the blower. This time, once the dust settled, I had -0.02 over the flame, and -0.05 in the stack. She's burning like brand new. Ima gonna take a shower....
Like a different boiler huh?

Booya!

So here's the final piece, and a suggestion. Last year, my coal clinkered like mad. This year, I don't get the bricks I was getting last year, but the coal bridges about halfway down the grate. I was going to mix rice with buck to see if I could stop that from happening, but I can't get buck atm.

Do you think that if the grate was fan shaped, wider at the end, narrower at the feed, you would be able to account for coal differences of this kind?

I'd be willing to be your test mule

kstills · Post by **kstills** » Fri. Jan. 31, 2014 9:28 am

KLook wrote:LOLOLOLOLOLMFAO!!! I have done those kind of things! Just as you do it you go.......wait a minute.......DAMN!

Kevin

The time between plan implementation and recognition of plan failure was almost instantaneous.....

Flyer5 · Post by **Flyer5** » Fri. Jan. 31, 2014 11:05 am

kstills wrote:
Flyer5 wrote:
Like a different boiler huh?
Booya!

So here's the final piece, and a suggestion. Last year, my coal clinkered like mad. This year, I don't get the bricks I was getting last year, but the coal bridges about halfway down the grate. I was going to mix rice with buck to see if I could stop that from happening, but I can't get buck atm.

Do you think that if the grate was fan shaped, wider at the end, narrower at the feed, you would be able to account for coal differences of this kind?

I'd be willing to be your test mule

Would you front the $10,000 for the casting pattern?

kstills · Post by **kstills** » Fri. Jan. 31, 2014 12:16 pm

Flyer5 wrote:
Would you front the $10,000 for the casting pattern?

Ouch.....

Guess you can't fab one for a test setup, huh?

plumber · Post by **plumber** » Thu. Feb. 27, 2014 6:03 pm

I know I'm probably reading past it, but what cured your lazy flame and recovery issues?