Lighting an AHS S130 Coal Gun Boiler

 
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lsayre
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Post by lsayre » Fri. Nov. 03, 2017 3:09 pm

1) Toss in about a 2 gallons of coal ash if you have it, otherwise no worries, just skip this step and move on. Note, I strongly recommend a respirator for this and the next step.
2) Fill up the hopper all the way up with anthracite pea and place on the lid, making sure it is flush/closed at all corners. ( ~320 lbs. required here)
3) Remove the tombstone cover and open up the observation port flapper (swing it to one side) and jam 10-12 chunks (roughly briquette size) of natural wood charcoal into the coal. My success with briquette charcoal has not been as good as with natural wood charcoal, but if you must go with briquettes, use Kingsford. I don't recommend Matchlight, as it stinks. And Royal Oak briquettes are a waste of time.
4) Turn on the fan switch. Leave the ashing motor switch off.
5) Hit the charcoal good and hard with a Burns-O-Matic type torch through the observation flapper port. Spend a couple minutes here to get some of the charcoal chunks going decently.
6) Close the flapper port. The port cover should suck in nicely. Set the small air inlet port on the flapper port cover to about 1/8 open so you can observe fire progress.
7) After about 1/2 to 1 hour you should be at about 10 degrees below your selected fan cut-off temperature. (If after 1 hour you are not seeing temperature rise progress, or if the fire dies out you will need to repeat, beginning at step 3)
At this juncture (*** assuming that you heat DHW with the coil ***) open up a hot water faucet on a sink and adjust it to flow at about 1.5 to 2 GPM. Do not exceed 2 GPM.
8) When the boiler has successfully climbed the BTU drag of the DHW flowing into the sink and has reached its fan cut off temperature, shut off the DHW faucet at fan cut off, and turn on your homes T-Stats. This is a good time for taking a shower, so the boiler fires again.
9) Close the small air inlet port on the flapper port cover. Put the tombstone cover back in place.
10) About 3 hours later flip the ashing motor switch on. Do not ever forget this step!!!! The consequence will eventually be a hopper fire. (PS: I recommend starting at 115 degrees on the ashing initiation temperature set-point, and with a 5 degree hysteresis differential)
11) You are good to go. Enjoy the heat.

***If you do not heat DHW with a boiler coil, then alternately for step 7 above turn on some T-Stats and set their temperature a few degrees above room temp so they call for heat.***
Last edited by lsayre on Sat. Nov. 04, 2017 4:52 am, edited 3 times in total.


 
FirstcoalstokerRon
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Post by FirstcoalstokerRon » Fri. Nov. 03, 2017 9:42 pm

Thanks for the info about starting my first coal fire and will give it a try In a few days,

 
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Post by greenftechn » Mon. Nov. 06, 2017 1:30 pm

Great approach! Generally, you can cut some time with the propane by busting up the charcoal. Lighting process and torch time is shown in the YouTube video "Lighting the Coal Gun".

 
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Post by McGiever » Mon. Nov. 06, 2017 5:33 pm

10) About 3 hours later flip the ashing motor switch on. Do not ever forget this step!!!! The consequence will eventually be a hopper fire.
For step 10), How is it that a hopper fire is able to begin and perpetuate, please explain?

Fire can only "follow the air", was thinking, there is not any supply of air from the lidded hopper to be followed there.

If this was even the case, Hopper Safety Switch would need to conveniently fail at the same time as to NOT stop the air from the fire fan also, No?

 
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Post by lsayre » Mon. Nov. 06, 2017 5:56 pm

McGiever wrote:
Mon. Nov. 06, 2017 5:33 pm
For step 10), How is it that a hopper fire is able to begin and perpetuate, please explain?

Fire can only "follow the air", was thinking, there is not any supply of air from the lidded hopper to be followed there.

If this was even the case, Hopper Safety Switch would need to conveniently fail at the same time as to NOT stop the air from the fire fan also, No?
I believe forum member Yanche may have actually experienced this once with his AHS. The hopper safety switch is indeed there to prevent this, by shutting the fan down. But if it didn't.... I'm not sure if Yanche has a hopper safety switch on his.

 
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Post by Rob R. » Mon. Nov. 06, 2017 6:12 pm

The hopper is not totally airtight. The fire will eventually creep into there with the fan running and without any ashing...I have seen an S130 with a nice black ring around the bottom 3" of the hopper to prove it.

 
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Post by greenftechn » Mon. Nov. 06, 2017 7:05 pm

Some really old units didn't have the switch. Even with the safety switch, the paint will discolor on the inlet tube before the fan is shut off.


 
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Post by McGiever » Mon. Nov. 06, 2017 7:08 pm

Paint discoloration is not always a hopper fire. :annoyed:

No Air, No Fire...
Remember on these style stokers there is a port with a swinging flapper which is open 99% of the time and that permits far less air flow resistance than a tall column of pea sized coal.
Last edited by McGiever on Mon. Nov. 06, 2017 7:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

 
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Post by Rob R. » Mon. Nov. 06, 2017 7:11 pm

Yes, I understand that. I am not talking about the tube being discolored, I am talking about the full diameter part of the hopper. The owner was a respected member of this forum and told me the coal in the hopper was very much on fire.

 
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Post by McGiever » Mon. Nov. 06, 2017 7:18 pm

One of the early model, and would guess it had NO lid on it at the time of burning up into hopper.
Glad they corrected the issue with adding the Safety Switch so those who own later models can rest easy. :)

 
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Post by Rob R. » Mon. Nov. 06, 2017 7:34 pm

Good points on both.

 
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Post by lsayre » Mon. Nov. 06, 2017 7:53 pm

Rob is correct. The hopper lid is not air tight.

 
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Post by cabinover » Mon. Nov. 06, 2017 8:27 pm

:hangover: :oops: :oops:
Almost Had a Big Problem Last Night AA130

This is what happens when one forgets to turn the ashing motor back on. And yes, it will burn more than just the paint on the outside. Matter of fact I was just cleaning the old girl and thought about yanking that hopper and giving her a sprucin' up.

 
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Post by McGiever » Mon. Nov. 06, 2017 8:47 pm

lsayre wrote:
Mon. Nov. 06, 2017 7:53 pm
Rob is correct. The hopper lid is not air tight.
I know that, but NOT being airtight doesn't matter as for any hopper fire in these AA/AHS. As long as the lid is closed and having a swinging open flap in the port hole there is no air sufficient to support any hopper fire. Any natural/atmospheric draft air will go in the opposite direction of hopper which is in the port hole and up the chimney...not down through a hopper full of pea sized coal with a lid on it.

To that, a added Safety Switch (temp sensor) will prohibit any fan running at first hint...lid or no lid. :| Sorta Goof Proofed ;)
Last edited by McGiever on Mon. Nov. 06, 2017 8:59 pm, edited 3 times in total.

 
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Post by Rob R. » Mon. Nov. 06, 2017 8:53 pm

The limit switch on the hopper was a good idea. Small chance it will ever be needed, but you will be glad to have it if the need arises.


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