Yet Another EFM520 Install Thread!

 
User avatar
StokerDon
Site Moderator
Posts: 7486
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

Post by StokerDon » Tue. Feb. 07, 2017 7:06 pm

That's great!

Timer cycle didn't push the boiler temp to high and the fire didn't go out. I guess that was a good test.

Still have the timer at 1 minute every half hour?

-Don


 
User avatar
coalkirk
Member
Posts: 5185
Joined: Wed. May. 17, 2006 8:12 pm
Location: Forest Hill MD
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1981 EFM DF520 retired
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Jotul 507 on standby
Coal Size/Type: Lehigh anthracite/rice coal

Post by coalkirk » Tue. Feb. 07, 2017 7:10 pm

Yes. Temp was 193 when I came home today. I'm good with that. Of course this is just a freak thing but once temps reach the 60's routinely during the daytime I normally shut down anyway.

 
User avatar
CoalHeat
Member
Posts: 8862
Joined: Sat. Feb. 10, 2007 9:48 pm
Location: Stillwater, New Jersey
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1959 EFM 350
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harman Magnafire Mark I
Baseburners & Antiques: Sears Signal Oak 15 & Andes Kitchen Range
Coal Size/Type: Rice and Chestnut
Other Heating: Fisher Fireplace Insert

Post by CoalHeat » Tue. Feb. 07, 2017 9:45 pm

Rob R. wrote:Talk to Scottscoaled. He has built what you want.
I second that!

 
User avatar
CoalHeat
Member
Posts: 8862
Joined: Sat. Feb. 10, 2007 9:48 pm
Location: Stillwater, New Jersey
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1959 EFM 350
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harman Magnafire Mark I
Baseburners & Antiques: Sears Signal Oak 15 & Andes Kitchen Range
Coal Size/Type: Rice and Chestnut
Other Heating: Fisher Fireplace Insert

Post by CoalHeat » Tue. Feb. 07, 2017 9:54 pm

If you have a fickle draft every half hour on the timer sounds good. I have mine set for 2 minutes every hour. My chimney loses draft on warm days and no matter what I do with the timer I have outfires. It's fieldstone and holds the cold for a long time. I run a draft inducer all summer.
It's 32 right now, supposed to hit 53 tomorrow, I'll start the inducer in the morning.

 
User avatar
Rob R.
Site Moderator
Posts: 17978
Joined: Fri. Dec. 28, 2007 4:26 pm
Location: Chazy, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr

Post by Rob R. » Tue. Feb. 07, 2017 10:32 pm

If you have the feed set on 4 teeth, a timer setting of 2 minutes every half hour is nearly foolproof.

The boiler temperature will fluctuate some - especially if it just came off a heat call and hits a timer cycle.

I know you want to keep this real simple...but if you would connect your zone control to the TT terminals on the EFM aquastat and reduce the low limit to 160ish, your average boiler temperature will drop.

My EFM is well insulated, and so is the piping. With a timer cycle of 2 minutes every half hour, it does not overheat.

 
User avatar
CoalHeat
Member
Posts: 8862
Joined: Sat. Feb. 10, 2007 9:48 pm
Location: Stillwater, New Jersey
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1959 EFM 350
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harman Magnafire Mark I
Baseburners & Antiques: Sears Signal Oak 15 & Andes Kitchen Range
Coal Size/Type: Rice and Chestnut
Other Heating: Fisher Fireplace Insert

Post by CoalHeat » Tue. Feb. 07, 2017 10:50 pm

Rob R. wrote:Gear oil works excellent in the ratchet drive, but some people find the odor offensive. 30W engine oil also works well and won't stink.
Agreed. Lucas makes a gear oil that doesn't have the offensive odor. I used it when I changed the axle seals in my Exploder. Was surprised at the lack of odor.

 
User avatar
coalkirk
Member
Posts: 5185
Joined: Wed. May. 17, 2006 8:12 pm
Location: Forest Hill MD
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1981 EFM DF520 retired
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Jotul 507 on standby
Coal Size/Type: Lehigh anthracite/rice coal

Post by coalkirk » Thu. Feb. 09, 2017 9:42 am

So last night I swapped out the regular motor oil for gear oil. It does have an odor if you put your nose right near it but can't smell anything in the room. Made the gear MUCH quieter. I could hear the gear from the family room above before. Sounded like a cricket. Now I'm going to need a light indicator to tell if its running from the family room!


 
Dave 1234
Member
Posts: 788
Joined: Tue. Nov. 13, 2012 9:05 am
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1948 International boiler, EFM S-20 stoker
Coal Size/Type: Buck,

Post by Dave 1234 » Thu. Feb. 09, 2017 10:48 am

Yup CK,
You will never switch back. Gear oil is a ''non detergent oil''.

That is important long-term because the dirt sinks to the bottom of the pan and stays there.
A detergent type motor oil holds dirt in suspension in order for a filter to remove it.
And the quiet thing is great !

Good move !

Dave

 
User avatar
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

Post by lsayre » Thu. Feb. 09, 2017 11:59 am

The stinky oils have fish oil in their formula.

 
User avatar
Rob R.
Site Moderator
Posts: 17978
Joined: Fri. Dec. 28, 2007 4:26 pm
Location: Chazy, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr

Post by Rob R. » Thu. Feb. 09, 2017 1:00 pm

lsayre wrote:The stinky oils have fish oil in their formula.
Larry, that is the first I have ever heard that one. I am pretty sure is the sulphur phosphorus EP additives that stink.

 
User avatar
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

Post by lsayre » Thu. Feb. 09, 2017 1:54 pm

Rob R. wrote:
lsayre wrote:The stinky oils have fish oil in their formula.
Larry, that is the first I have ever heard that one. I am pretty sure is the sulphur phosphorus EP additives that stink.
You may be right! But I worked for an oil additives company many years ago, and lots of the additives contain fish oil.

 
User avatar
BigBarney
Member
Posts: 1853
Joined: Wed. Feb. 08, 2006 2:48 pm

Post by BigBarney » Thu. Feb. 09, 2017 2:02 pm

GM Dexron had whale oil in it for many years.

Replaced by something else later.

Bigbarney

 
User avatar
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

Post by lsayre » Thu. Feb. 09, 2017 2:41 pm

We used to put loads of litharge (lead oxide) into the grease and oil additives also. Lead and fish oil, I'm aging myself.

Edit: Here's a link to a 1975 patent. Read the "summary of the invention" section (page 2, right hand column). It's swimming in fish oil, tons of lead, and sulfur. Take those three ingredients away and there is not much left. That's how we did it back then. Not sure about today.

http://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/pdfs/US3883439.pdf

 
User avatar
StokerDon
Site Moderator
Posts: 7486
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

Post by StokerDon » Thu. Feb. 09, 2017 7:21 pm

Rob R. wrote:I know you want to keep this real simple...but if you would connect your zone control to the TT terminals on the EFM aquastat and reduce the low limit to 160ish, your average boiler temperature will drop.
This would also keep the timer from pushing the boiler temp up to far. You could even run it at LO = 180, HI = 200. This would keep your oil boiler and floors at the same temp they are now but give you a little more punch on a heat call.

-Don

 
User avatar
coalkirk
Member
Posts: 5185
Joined: Wed. May. 17, 2006 8:12 pm
Location: Forest Hill MD
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1981 EFM DF520 retired
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Jotul 507 on standby
Coal Size/Type: Lehigh anthracite/rice coal

Post by coalkirk » Fri. Feb. 10, 2017 6:11 am

I'll have to consider that.

This morning its 18 degrees here. I went down the basement at 5:30 to see what was happening. The trusty Harman would have been running balls out struggling to meet the demand. The EFM was just sitting there like is that all you've got? A week into this and the ash pan is almost full. Where have you been all my life bluetiful?


Post Reply

Return to “Stoker Coal Boilers Using Anthracite (Hydronic & Steam)”