And then out of the blue ....

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lsayre
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Post by lsayre » Thu. Jan. 04, 2018 8:15 pm

... my Coal Gun just experienced a moderate sized puff-back. And here I had gone a long time without one. I guess with this type of boiler one can never count them out completely. :o

With as cold as it is outside, draft is exceptional, so it was clearly not draft related. Somehow my boiler must have ashed too long and thereby fed too much fresh coal into the fire tube, while at the same time the fire must have traveled below the height at which it should properly reside to avoid the pesky puffs.

 
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StokerDon
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Post by StokerDon » Thu. Jan. 04, 2018 8:36 pm

That seems like a strange thing to happen when the boiler is under a cold weather load. Did it harm any of your stove pipe?

-Don

 
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Post by coaledsweat » Thu. Jan. 04, 2018 8:43 pm

The fire is too deep, stop ashing to get it up closer to the surface. Not sure how you adjust an AHS but on an Axeman, you would turn the anthrastat down a bit. I had one puffback in my Axeman and it was a doozy! Now I run it so the fire breaks the surface on occasion. If you see a ring of live coals around the outside of the firetube, you have arrived.

 
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lsayre
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Post by lsayre » Thu. Jan. 04, 2018 8:46 pm

StokerDon wrote:
Thu. Jan. 04, 2018 8:36 pm
That seems like a strange thing to happen when the boiler is under a cold weather load. Did it harm any of your stove pipe?

-Don
No harm. It wasn't that severe. I've never experienced a puff that severe.


 
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lsayre
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Post by lsayre » Thu. Jan. 04, 2018 8:50 pm

coaledsweat wrote:
Thu. Jan. 04, 2018 8:43 pm
The fire is too deep, stop ashing to get it up closer to the surface. Not sure how you adjust an AHS but on an Axeman, you would turn the anthrastat down a bit. I had one puffback in my Axeman and it was a doozy! Now I run it so the fire breaks the surface on occasion. If you see a ring of live coals around the outside of the firetube, you have arrived.
I already have my ash temperature sensor dialed back to 105 degrees. If I hear another puff sometime tomorrow I will shut off the ashing for a few hours. I don't want to be playing games with it at night though.

 
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Post by McGiever » Thu. Jan. 04, 2018 10:36 pm

Having "good draft" does not exclude from having any "puffback" in a AHS/AA/Eshland.

It is solely a product of BOTH a low fire position in fire tube and burying a very active fire in excessive amounts of raw coal.

Some have found it takes different setting(s) when load is to be greater during a colder weather event. Or, even when doing a start-up fire or relighting of a new fire due to having a robust fire along with possible aggressive ashing at this time.

 
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Post by hotblast1357 » Fri. Jan. 05, 2018 6:12 am

Larry does your AHS ash only went then fan is running??

Maybe the fire pot bridged slightly, and then all of a sudden dropped and added a bunch of fresh coal?

 
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Post by Rob R. » Fri. Jan. 05, 2018 6:19 am

Maybe this is all part of the self cleaning design.


 
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lsayre
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Post by lsayre » Fri. Jan. 05, 2018 6:22 am

hotblast1357 wrote:
Fri. Jan. 05, 2018 6:12 am
Larry does your AHS ash only went then fan is running??

Maybe the fire pot bridged slightly, and then all of a sudden dropped and added a bunch of fresh coal?
Yes, only when the fan is running. it is the UL certified and ASME 'H' Stamp model. Made in October of 2009.

 
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lsayre
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Post by lsayre » Fri. Jan. 05, 2018 6:23 am

Rob R. wrote:
Fri. Jan. 05, 2018 6:19 am
Maybe this is all part of the self cleaning design.
It may be a good part of why they are always so clean when you open them up.

 
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Post by Rob R. » Fri. Jan. 05, 2018 6:26 am

lsayre wrote:
Fri. Jan. 05, 2018 6:23 am
It may be a good part of why they are always so clean when you open them up.
8-)

I'm sure your ashing adjustment will take care of it. In this weather it probably has more coal in the tube than it usually does.

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