Axeman Anderson 130 or 260

Can someone with a AA 260 measure the center line distance of the rubber foot on the pedestal to the front of the base?

The Z shaped bracket is A29 I believe and the foot centerline is 5 7/8" on mine.

coaledsweat wrote: ↑

Tue. Jan. 15, 2019 6:09 am

The Z shaped bracket is A29 I believe and the foot centerline is 5 7/8" on mine.

Thank you. I will order it today along with the other parts but I would like to try and light it up this weekend and if the parts dont arrive in time I will fabricate something up until they arrive.

You don't need it to fire it up. You can slip it in when you get it.

Spoke with Axeman today may have even been Pete not sure. All parts are in stock for the bracket which include the L bracket the Z bracket the rubber isolators and a new isolator with spring for the bottom of the fan pedestal. Along with a couple other odds and ends will run me somewhere around $70-$90 with shipping. Hopefully they will get them out tomorrow. So I should see them by Friday.

Ok so it looks like I will finally be able to fire the beast this weekend. 2 weeks ago I went and picked up 2 ton of Lehigh pea coal and put it in the bin. Definitely need to look at a blower system or auger system.

I was going to fire it last weekend but the motor failed so iam picking up the new motor today.

So what do I need to know about building the fire. I have been saving ashes from my hand fed coal stove. I was gong to fill the burn chamber 1/3-1/2 full of ash throw n some charcoal and get that rolling and then add some coal. At what point should I turn on the fan and the auger?

Seldom does this get mentioned, but, test all your safety devices now, while boiler is running hard. Lower the high/high limit and see if it will shut off the stoker...best to know this now than to find out later that it couldn't/wouldn't work.

If the operating limit doesn't work that is only Inconvenient...if the Safety Limit doesn't work then that is a Disaster!

Fill the tube halfway up with ash. Remove the auger drive belt, you probably should avoid ashing when first starting. Get a good fire going using wood or charcol and start dumping coal in with a coffee can. Keep adding coal at intervals and stirr a little now and then to get it nice and even. Once the fire tube is full, throw the belt on and you're off and running. Mine usually is up to heat when I put the belt on, it maybe won't even ash for a bit this way.

Ok so the beast is breathing fire.

I had 2 minor leaks to repair,install the motor and replace the aquastat controller because it did not have the triple aquastat.

I have confirmed the high limit shut down is functioning as suggested.

So my question is how should I set up the new aquastat? Hi limit low limit and differential. I could have swore it was in the manual but fir the life of me I can’t find it

Glad to see you finally got it fired up!

If I remember correctly it LO = 165, HI = 185, DIFF = 10. High limit aquastat is 230.

Do you have the T T terminals of your triple aquastat connected to a thermostat? If not it will just run on the LO setting.

-Don

Installed the aqua stat thermowell in the oil boiler today and that will call for the circulator to run on the AA260. That will be set to 175 with a 10 degree differential. The oil boiler is set for 165 high limit. Right now I just have the t terminals at the AA260 jumpered so it is constantly circulating hot water to my oil boiler.

I am also going to install a relay so that when the circulator that does all the house baseboard (off the oil boiler) comes on it will trigger a heat call from the AA260 so that circulator will start supplying hot water to the oil boiler just so we dont dip the oil boiler temp to much waiting for the aqua stat to make.

I have been running just over 24 hours now and the pot is finally full and just a little bit of ash so far I will check my fire depth after the first full pan of ash is emptied because that is about how much ash I put in the fire tube to get it started.

I checked the draft in the stove pipe and I have about .02-.05” wc at idle so while I don’t have a great draft I will not be installing a barometric damper at this time. I need to install a fitting in the viewing plate and see what it is over the fire while running. I was using my digital manaometer and need to pickup a Mark II and install it permanently.

I have a 4 channel recording k couple temperature data logger that I am using to monitor the delta t on the AA260 and as near as I can tell it appears to have run abou 6-7 minutes every hour or so. As I suspected right now the beast is just lumbering along and does not even struggle. I want to use one of the channels to record the ashing temp just to ensure that the anthrastat is working properly just have not got to it yet.

I originally purchased an Armstrong 280ci 3 speed circulator for the stoker and upon installing it I cracked the cast iron flange. I figured somebody would eventually put one up on eBay and today was my lucky day, I scored a used 280ci for $45 plus $13 shiping. Right now I am using an old taco 007 and it is working but has a little rattle to it so I will replace it with 280ci and have a spare cartridge for it.

I also came across (on Facebook marketplace) another 1/2hp motor that had the same specs as the one that is on the AA260 and I scored it for $50. When I picked it up it was brand new and never been used. Considering I just paid $206 for the new motor from grainger I figured a cheap spare would be good to also have on hand.

They are calling for extreme cold Thursday with morning temps being -13F. I am excited to see how that goes. I think it is common practice to want to sit in front of this beast and watch it. I am absolutely amazed by the operation and how the design has not really changed since it was originally commissioned in the late 1940’s. I took the Mrs out and showed her the operation and she was also amazed by it. I am considering a min fridge in the boiler room with some nice cold adult drinks so I can just admire this beast lumbering along.

Glad to hear it's pushing the heat you need!

They are very interesting machines to watch run. My cat will sit there and watch it more than me!

You don't really need to measure the over fire draft on one of these, there is no spec for it. I think I was the only one crazy enough to try. I kind of lost interest in that measurement because I have nothing to compare it to.

-Don

Sounds like you are off to a great start. Your control strategy should work well, and as you have discovered there is no need for a baro unless your draft is very strong and makes the boiler run hot.

Do not expect a lot of excitement on the -13 day, the boiler will just loaf along and do its thing. A 260 is normally used to heat apartment buildings, huge houses, etc. Unless you want to heat a pool or use a snowmelt system, your 2400 sq. ft house will never really make the boiler run much.

I'm heating 2200' with a 260. It laughs at the load.

Ok so I have been running sinace Saturday night. The boiler only runs for about 6-8 minutes every 1-1 1/2. I have measured my fire depth and it is about 6 inches of ash 4 inches of fire and 6 inches It is hard to tell but the red on the rod starts at about 6 inch mark and ends about 10 inch the bottom of the viewing port is at 16 inches.

Do I need to adjust ashing to ash more or do I leave well enough alone since it is meeting my demands?