AA130

Post by **Lightning** » Sat. May. 19, 2018 11:29 am

It's all about keeping the volatiles diluted enough so they don't make the proper fuel/air mixture to explode.

McGiever · Post by **McGiever** » Sat. May. 19, 2018 11:44 am

Ah, yes, him too.

I do see one unique aspect with the AA/AHS design that helps in this regard...opening or gap around hanging flapper while dormant allows for a very forgiving draft effect by not pulling air through the fuel bed/firetube. Otherwise it would have a very different effect.

Post by **coaledsweat** » Sat. May. 19, 2018 12:08 pm

The reason for the puffback is the same as any other appliance. Too much fresh coal over the fire.

hotblast1357 · Post by **hotblast1357** » Sat. May. 19, 2018 2:51 pm

lsayre wrote: ↑
Sat. May. 19, 2018 9:18 am
If you are not there to witness it you are unlikely to ever notice that it occurred. Only the big ones may "potentially" leave any hint of evidence behind, such as witnessed by Don's barometric damper.

When I say that I experience a couple to perhaps a handful a year, those are merely the ones for which I'm around to hear the puff.

I presume Lehigh to be very low volatility coal. The most puffs I ever experienced were with high volatility Harmony coal, and it got way worse after I oiled it, thereby dramatically raising its volatility.

Also, by circulating 24/7 your fire cycles and feed quantities are reduced vs. my system that only runs the circulator on a heat call from a T-Stat, or on showers, or when sufficient heat has radiated away from the boiler to fire it. My situation is more likely to result in a situation where more ashing occurs less frequently, meaning more fresh coal is being added for each fan cycle. This is the penalty I pay for burning only ~14.25 lbs. of coal per day, and only ~12 when no DHW is involved.

I have aluminum foil over my baro, hung purposely loose, it hasn’t ever moved.

I think it has everything to do with fire height.

lsayre · Post by **lsayre** » Sun. May. 20, 2018 6:36 am

hotblast1357 wrote: ↑
Sat. May. 19, 2018 2:51 pm
I have aluminum foil over my baro, hung purposely loose, it hasn’t ever moved.

I think it has everything to do with fire height.

Lehigh is very low volatility coal, likely in this regard on the order of the Stockton coal that I've tried in the past.. Oil your coal and get back to us on that. How much are you burning daily now?

hotblast1357 · Post by **hotblast1357** » Sun. May. 20, 2018 7:26 am

I’m at 25-28 pounds per day, heat is still on at night.

Post by **Rob R.** » Sun. May. 20, 2018 9:35 am

hotblast1357 wrote: ↑
Sun. May. 20, 2018 7:26 am
I’m at 25-28 pounds per day, heat is still on at night.

That is excellent for a remote install.

lsayre · Post by **lsayre** » Sun. May. 20, 2018 9:36 am

Rob R. wrote: ↑
Sun. May. 20, 2018 9:35 am
That is excellent for a remote install.

No doubt!

hotblast1357 · Post by **hotblast1357** » Sun. May. 20, 2018 10:57 am

I thought so too, I’m hopeing to get to 20 per day once I run dhw solely.

lsayre · Post by **lsayre** » Sun. May. 20, 2018 12:49 pm

I just topped off the boiler, and for the first 20 days of this month I'm averaging only 13.7 lbs. per day burned. That with DHW and with a couple days with the T-Stats on. If this holds for the summer, I may have to proclaim this batch of Blaschak as the best 'summer' coal I've ever had.

lsayre · Post by **lsayre** » Mon. May. 21, 2018 8:26 am

I just perused some very old forum threads and learned that in earlier days the AHS Coal Gun manual mentioned that if too much fresh coal is introduced (fed) at one time the end result will be what it referred to as "bumping". I presume that bumping and puffs are one and the same. Minimizing the ashing hysteresis has the effect of minimizing the amount of ashing time for any single ashing cycle, and this minimizes the amount of fresh coal that can be fed. Slowing down the ash grate (I often call it a sled) round trip cycle would also 'potentially' have this benefit. Other than changing my chain sprocket, i'm not sure what else I could do to slow down my ashing cycle time. I'd like to be able to take it down from 105 seconds round trip to about 120 seconds. Or better yet, to be able to vary it (in the direction of slower only).

Hotblast1357, what is your 'single' round trip ashing cycle time? Ditto all others, what is this for your AA or AHS?

lsayre · Post by **lsayre** » Mon. May. 21, 2018 8:41 am

McGiever wrote: ↑
Sat. May. 19, 2018 10:06 am
Cannot say I was aware of a AA being run w/o baro until now that *CS* has annouced his being ommited.

Do know that *Freddy* has dual baros on his AA, though.

Are Freddy's dual baros both Type-M's or both R/C's (or one of each)?

lsayre · Post by **lsayre** » Mon. May. 21, 2018 8:42 am

coaledsweat wrote: ↑
Sat. May. 19, 2018 12:08 pm
The reason for the puffback is the same as any other appliance. Too much fresh coal over the fire.

I fully agree!!!

McGiever · Post by **McGiever** » Mon. May. 21, 2018 9:10 am

Freddy has one each of baros.

@ Lee, Dilution of volatiles is not a 'bump' prevention, it's a byproduct/symptom of proper raw coal feeding.

This doesn't answer your other question, Larry, but...

*HB* and myself have added custom digital controls w/ added hysteris settings.
I have the auger driving the ratchet arm and the 'clicks settings', *HB* doesn't.

I also then customized the AA's auger/ashing drive w/ an additional gear-motor to replace the common motor belt drive, solenoid lever/tripper and standard gearbox coming from the single motor fan drive...then incorporating the ability to vary the speed of the added gear-motor...so it's not necessary to change any chain sprockets yet have a range of speed adjustments besides a hysteris setting.

As a 'bonus' the auger now remains motionless other than for the occasional short ashing cycle.
Less wear and tear and no more needless coal 'tumbling' sound.

McGiever · Post by **McGiever** » Mon. May. 21, 2018 9:44 am

Just a couple notes: The AA260 ashes twice as fast as the AA130...due to each's stock gearbox ratio.
Don't know about AA260, but AA130 takes 42 'clicks' for one complete rolling grate cycle.