3 year vet still needs fire help with pics

swyman · Post by **swyman** » Tue. Dec. 26, 2017 5:17 pm

Just when you think all is well....... here's my dilemma which I didn't think I had till I read another guys post about burning rice coal. Opened my eyes about the most efficient burn as I am experiencing extreme caking. 2nd year on Lehigh rice and yes I experienced caking last year but half of my supply last year was buck. I opted for all rice this year as I feel it is easier to handle. In the other thread it talked about caking as a sign that your not burning the coal efficiently so here are my pics of what I have.....bear in mind it is not easy to get a good fire pic in a Leisure Line AA-220 boiler due to design. The fire pic shows the fire after I turned down the air and has run for 45 minutes. I turned the feed down a touch also but you can see how much caking I am getting. I just want the hottest fire with the lowest consumption! Is there such a thing?

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swyman · Post by **swyman** » Tue. Dec. 26, 2017 5:22 pm

And this one....had to resize

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Post by **StokerDon** » Tue. Dec. 26, 2017 7:09 pm

Caking and clinkering are caused by the coal being burned above it's fusion temperature. Leave the feed rate alone and reduce the air a little until it stops.

It's not to bad if they are not sticking to the grate or running into the other end of the fire box before they break off.

-Don

windyhill4.2 · Post by **windyhill4.2** » Tue. Dec. 26, 2017 7:21 pm

swyman wrote: ↑
Tue. Dec. 26, 2017 5:17 pm
The fire pic shows the fire after I turned down the air and has run for 45 minutes. I turned the feed down a touch also

2 adjustments at the same time ???
What did you accomplish ??

Isn't that like deciding that your house is chilly,so you turn UP the t-stat & lift UP a few windows ??
I saw you posting about this in the other thread & was going to tell you to do just (1) ONE adjustment at a time. I got distracted & then forgot.

We talked about doing multiple adjustments in the same breath way back in another yrs thread.

You should have left the feed setting alone.... cut the air a tiny bit... wait for several hrs minimum & then see if any change.

swyman · Post by **swyman** » Tue. Dec. 26, 2017 7:27 pm

windyhill4.2 wrote: ↑
Tue. Dec. 26, 2017 7:21 pm
2 adjustments at the same time ???
What did you accomplish ??

Isn't that like deciding that your house is chilly,so you turn UP the t-stat & lift UP a few windows ??
I saw you posting about this in the other thread & was going to tell you to do just (1) ONE adjustment at a time. I got distracted & then forgot.

We talked about doing multiple adjustments in the same breath way back in another yrs thread.

You should have left the feed setting alone.... cut the air a tiny bit... wait for several hrs minimum & then see if any change.

You are exactly right windy!!! Had to run to Toledo and just got back, not a show stopper but my fire was burned back to far so I just adjusted the feed rate back up. One thing to note is I did lose heat in the system but probably due to not having a full grate, will report back in an hour or so....another note is that the caking is still there?

windyhill4.2 · Post by **windyhill4.2** » Tue. Dec. 26, 2017 8:00 pm

swyman wrote: ↑
Tue. Dec. 26, 2017 7:27 pm
You are exactly right windy!!! Had to run to Toledo and just got back, not a show stopper but my fire was burned back to far so I just adjusted the feed rate back up. One thing to note is I did lose heat in the system but probably due to not having a full grate, will report back in an hour or so....another note is that the caking is still there?

Of course the caking is still there !! You changed 2 settings... BUT ,you changed nothing !!

The caking is the result of the air to fuel ratio off kilter... TOO much air for the fuel.

That would be like me with my EFM,if it was caking with 6teeth feed & 7 air..so i do like you & set the feed back to 5 teeth & set the air to 6..
Both examples are the same ratio but at a lower heat output setting.

Coal burns slow,you need to think slow with setting changes.

swyman · Post by **swyman** » Tue. Dec. 26, 2017 8:29 pm

windyhill4.2 wrote: ↑
Tue. Dec. 26, 2017 8:00 pm
Of course the caking is still there !! You changed 2 settings... BUT ,you changed nothing !!

The caking is the result of the air to fuel ratio off kilter... TOO much air for the fuel.

That would be like me with my EFM,if it was caking with 6teeth feed & 7 air..so i do like you & set the feed back to 5 teeth & set the air to 6..
Both examples are the same ratio but at a lower heat output setting.

Coal burns slow,you need to think slow with setting changes.

I take your advice and not go into the basement the rest of the night and give a report in the morning. I just looked at the edge of the fore and thought it would start throwing hot coals off the edge, that is why I backed it down but have since turned it back up a couple hours ago. Hopefully she'll be good in the morning. Good night to test it also, it's down to 1* right now!

windyhill4.2 · Post by **windyhill4.2** » Tue. Dec. 26, 2017 8:36 pm

1* already !! Looks like we all are getting froze

18* here right now, lower b4 morning.

swyman · Post by **swyman** » Wed. Dec. 27, 2017 7:24 am

This morning the boiler temp was at 173* and appears that it has not went into low fire mode. I didn't mess with any settings and this morning the ash is still caking. Here is a pic of my blower gate position and I'm really about to the end of my adjustment being all the way closed. The fire does look good but I don't seem to be getting the heat I have been in the past? I am running the feed almost all the way in (close to as much coal as you can run) but my fire is within about an inch from the end of the grate which is where it should be. I will await more instruction??

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Post by **StokerDon** » Wed. Dec. 27, 2017 8:24 am

Lets back up here. It sounds like the unit isn't making enough heat now. Was it making enough heat before? Were the ash cakes causing any problem?

I looked closely at your blower pic, it has the draft specs written right on it. Are you maintaining -0.04 chimney draft and -0.02 over fire draft at full fire? To much draft will take heat out of the fire box.

-Don

Post by **Rob R.** » Wed. Dec. 27, 2017 8:27 am

Ash caking aside, the fire looks good to me.

Don asked a good question - if your draft is too strong, it will rob heat and change the behavior of the fire.

hotblast1357 · Post by **hotblast1357** » Wed. Dec. 27, 2017 9:08 am

X2! Don’t worry about the ash as long as the fire is good and it’s not taking the fire with it when it goes into the ash pan.

173 degree water temp, what’s your aquastat set at?

Why do u mean by not getting the normal heat out of it?

The water temp isn’t normal? Or the heat coming out of your registers from your furnace blower isn’t normal?

swyman · Post by **swyman** » Wed. Dec. 27, 2017 9:17 am

Don/Rob, I have not drilled hole in my new vent pipe yet to check exhaust breech. My draft control is set to -.04 but I know there is probably slight variation but I do have -.02 in the fire box. I did put out more heat the last 2 years but ran the fire blowers close to half open. I became a little concerned due to reading the other thread on rice coal and caking and the replies from the members indicated that it was caused from inefficient burning. Now that I have this installed in the house I am trying to optimize my efficiency. The boiler is definitely not putting out the same heat but I'm not pushing it either. Figured I would start out slow and with everyone's help, work my way up. My only concern right now is I'm running my propane fire with my boiler and my boiler is still running nonstop....granted it is very very cold. Maybe I'm using more heat since I now am running 3 circulators instead of just one on a single line....have 3 lines now? I will give specific temps when I get home but my main supply and return are not having more than a 20* differential? Last 2 seasons I would see up to 50* differential but that was in a single 1" pex line with crimped fittings. I now have 1 run of 1" copper to my main heat exchanger and 2 1" pex lines with crimped fittings which I read would equal 3/4" due to diameter loss at crimp fittings.

swyman · Post by **swyman** » Wed. Dec. 27, 2017 9:22 am

hotblast1357 wrote: ↑
Wed. Dec. 27, 2017 9:08 am
X2! Don’t worry about the ash as long as the fire is good and it’s not taking the fire with it when it goes into the ash pan.

173 degree water temp, what’s your aquastat set at?
I am set to 185*/175*

Why do u mean by not getting the normal heat out of it?
Last 2 seasons when I ran my furnace with the boiler, the boiler would cycle as normal, now it's just running nonstop

The water temp isn’t normal? Or the heat coming out of your registers from your furnace blower isn’t normal?
Register temps are great, around 135* plus or minus depending on location. I just feel (from past experience) that my boiler temps should be between 175* and 185* while running with the furnace fire. I just read that other post and thought that I could get more heat if the caol wasn't caking?

swyman · Post by **swyman** » Wed. Dec. 27, 2017 9:26 am

Another thing you guys need to know about is I am still running my circulators nonstop. I should get one hooked up to a thermostat tonight (the one in the barn) and the main one when that strap on aquastat gets here. I think once I get the main copper line circulator turning on and off with calls for heat the boiler will be much happier as it does pull 5-10* differential when the main house blower is not running.