Problem with rice coal in my EFM

 
Pacowy
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Location: Dalton, MA
Stoker Coal Boiler: H.B. Smith 350 Mills boiler/EFM 85R stoker
Coal Size/Type: Buckwheat/anthracite

Post by Pacowy » Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 10:08 am

Rob R. wrote:
Sat. Dec. 23, 2017 4:49 pm
If you find that the boiler is always up around the high limit setting, or overshoots it - I would cut the feed back to 4.
And cut the air back a little.

Mike

 
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StokerDon
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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

Post by StokerDon » Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 10:13 am

Highboy520 wrote:
Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 10:01 am
Don lot of heat but running up around 210 to 220 is that to high when running on the timer?
please let me know
Thanks all and Merry Christmas unfortunately Santa did not bring me any Coal lol
Merry Christmas to you to!
I don't know where you live but if it's cold and windy like it is here the boiler should be satisfying heat calls, not running on the timer.

What timer settings are you running?
Is the timer wired to a HI limit?
Is the heat staying in the boiler and not heating the house?
Is your boiler plumbed with a bypass?

-Don

 
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windyhill4.2
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Joined: Fri. Nov. 22, 2013 2:17 pm
Location: Jonestown,Pa.17038
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1960 EFM520 installed in truck box
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Crane 404 with variable blower
Coal Size/Type: 404-nut, 520 rice ,anthracite for both

Post by windyhill4.2 » Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 10:19 am

StokerDon wrote:
Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 10:07 am
Sounds like you got it about right W.H. At 6 teeth you are putting out 130,000 BTUH net or so. You might need a little more today with the wind, and this coming week with highs in the 20's.
-Don
6 teeth will handle today quite well,no worry here...

Jan 1 is a different story tho.... 23* for high with 40 mph winds , 7* for the low with 30 mph winds.. :what:
I will likely adjust to 7 teeth b4 then.... But.. i may leave it at 6 teeth & test the limits of 6 teeth feed...
I did fix the 3.25" x 10" opening with my old range hood vent, maybe 6 teeth will carry down to 0* now . :)


 
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Rob R.
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Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr

Post by Rob R. » Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 10:22 am

StokerDon wrote:
Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 10:13 am
Merry Christmas to you to!
I don't know where you live but if it's cold and windy like it is here the boiler should be satisfying heat calls, not running on the timer.

What timer settings are you running?
Is the timer wired to a HI limit?
Is the heat staying in the boiler and not heating the house?
Is your boiler plumbed with a bypass?

-Don
Those are all good questions Don. I have not seen a 520 run that hot with 5 teeth of feed and 2 minutes every half hour on the timer, but I supposed there is a first time for everything.

 
Highboy520
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Posts: 11
Joined: Fri. Dec. 22, 2017 9:33 am
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520 high boy
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: yes
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: yes
Coal Size/Type: rice
Other Heating: Gas firplace

Post by Highboy520 » Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 11:02 am

Stoker Dan
timer is set on 1 1/2
I'm not sure if it is wired to a high limit how to check?
Heat is definitely dropping when any of the 3 zones calls for heat
yes also has a by pass
I believe aqua-stat is reading lower and turning off the boiler around 20 degrees difference then the gauge in the top of the boiler. does that make any sense?
it don't even mater if after zone is satisfied does the same thing runs slightly higher
Aqua-stat setting 160 and 180
when i turn the low temp down on the Aqua-stat below 160 the boiler turns off at 190
Shouldn't the high setting turn it off?

i'm getting more confused
sorry everone

 
lincolnmania
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Location: Birdsboro PA.
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 350
Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: reading allegheny stoker
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: alaska kodiak stoker 1986. 1987 triburner, 1987 crane diamond
Coal Size/Type: rice

Post by lincolnmania » Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 11:55 am

i used to burn buckwheat in the efm, but i got a bad batch of coal (i lived next door to the hegins breaker, earl sold me a load of bad coal) it took out the auger in the stove, one of my roomies put a hardened nail in place of the shear pin.
then i had shear pin trouble with the buck after i replaced the auger.
i switched to rice coal after that, it was about 9 yrs until i needed a new stove auger (the 9 yr old one on there was used when i installed it) steve sold it to me cheap. got a new auger from a local shop and back in business.
as much as i ran that furnace hot, i replaced the grates in 2015 iirc, the originals were warped. the set i put in were used ones i got from steve.
good luck with cutting back the consumption!


 
bradludwig
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Posts: 23
Joined: Wed. Nov. 15, 2017 6:58 pm
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
Coal Size/Type: Rice
Other Heating: Quadrafire pellet stoves 2 and Pacific Energy wood stove

Post by bradludwig » Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 12:36 pm

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I installed a second aquastat set at 220, connected to PLC input commands on circulator pump just to lower boiler temp to 190. Doesn’t command on stoker, just pump. More as safety device than anything else.

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bradludwig
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Posts: 23
Joined: Wed. Nov. 15, 2017 6:58 pm
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
Coal Size/Type: Rice
Other Heating: Quadrafire pellet stoves 2 and Pacific Energy wood stove

Post by bradludwig » Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 2:15 pm

Running a 1 minute burn every 1 hour. Easy to change with PLC controls. Have a separate zone for dhw with indirect fired dwh heater that hás priority over the house heating zones. Electric bill dropped 50 bucks the first month, never run out of hot water. Indirect heater was brand new, friend gave me for free!
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Rob R.
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Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
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Post by Rob R. » Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 2:47 pm

Highboy520 wrote:
Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 11:02 am
Stoker Dan
timer is set on 1 1/2
I'm not sure if it is wired to a high limit how to check?
Heat is definitely dropping when any of the 3 zones calls for heat
yes also has a by pass
I believe aqua-stat is reading lower and turning off the boiler around 20 degrees difference then the gauge in the top of the boiler. does that make any sense?
it don't even mater if after zone is satisfied does the same thing runs slightly higher
Aqua-stat setting 160 and 180
when i turn the low temp down on the Aqua-stat below 160 the boiler turns off at 190
Shouldn't the high setting turn it off?

i'm getting more confused
sorry everone
It sounds like your aquastat is messed up. I had the same thing happen to the old Honeywell on my oil boiler. Had to set the low and high settings about 25 degrees less than what you wanted.

 
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StokerDon
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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. Dec. 26, 2017 8:43 am

Highboy520 wrote:
Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 11:02 am
I'm not sure if it is wired to a high limit how to check?
When the boiler temp is above the HI limit, the timer will not run the stoker.
Highboy520 wrote:
Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 11:02 am
I believe aqua-stat is reading lower and turning off the boiler around 20 degrees difference then the gauge in the top of the boiler. does that make any sense?
That doesn't sound right. Keep in mind that the aquastat is normally located at the bottom of the steam chest and the gauge is at the top of the steam chest so there can be about 10 degrees difference between the two. Is your aqaustat located in the correct spot? I'm not sure where this is on a HiBoy.
Highboy520 wrote:
Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 11:02 am
when i turn the low temp down on the Aqua-stat below 160 the boiler turns off at 190
Shouldn't the high setting turn it off?
That doesn't sound right either, the stoker should shut off when the boiler temp reaches the HI limit. Either the aquastat is located in the wrong place (least likely), the gauge is wrong, or the aquastat is not working properly (most likely).
Here is a little diagram of how a triple aquastat should work including circulator control.
Triple Aquastat function graph.gif
.GIF | 57.9KB | Triple Aquastat function graph.gif
-Don

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