EFM 520 Highboy Will Not Stay Lit
- Dakotaguy
- Member
- Posts: 134
- Joined: Sun. Nov. 15, 2015 8:33 pm
- Location: Summit hill pa
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Efm 520 highboy
- Coal Size/Type: Lots of rice from Lehigh
- Other Heating: Pops 2010 df 520 stoker
Hello all my EFM highboy will not stay lit for more than ten hours I've completely disassembled it cleaned everything again pot bushing good anger good feed piping good grates good setting are 160 200 feed at 4 air at 41/2 2 minutes every half hour as I'm typing this I'm lighting it again had chimney professionally cleaned same coal source Lehigh I'm ready to install a hot water heater and put a propane furnace in this has been out every day this week
- Rob R.
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 17980
- Joined: Fri. Dec. 28, 2007 4:26 pm
- Location: Chazy, NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr
1. See if your timer is actually working. Sometimes the old ones quit.
2. See if your baro is sticking open or closed.
3. Check the inlet of the auger for feed obstructions.
4. If the above all looks good, try different coal.
Nothing wrong with having a separate water heater for the summer. Helps keep the house cool.
2. See if your baro is sticking open or closed.
3. Check the inlet of the auger for feed obstructions.
4. If the above all looks good, try different coal.
Nothing wrong with having a separate water heater for the summer. Helps keep the house cool.
-
- Member
- Posts: 2366
- Joined: Sun. Mar. 25, 2007 8:41 pm
- Location: Ithaca, New York
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KAA-4-1 dual fuel boiler
- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: former switzer CWW100-sold
- Coal Size/Type: rice
- Other Heating: kerosene for dual fuel Keystoker/unused
Adding to what Rob has said;
If you can pop out the barometric damper by just pulling it out a little bit at a time you can soak it in the sink with Dawn Dish Soap and wash it free of soot and fly ash cleaning it with a potato brush and then running hot water over it to completely clean it of soot and fly ash to allow the weighted hinge to move with complete freedom. You would be surprised how much soot and fly ash collects on the barometric damper weight every year.
About the timer, turn the power off and place a hash mark on the timer face and a second hash mark on the mounting plate of the timer with a pencil or felt tip pen then turning the power back on and waiting a few minutes you can see if the timer is working very quickly by either looking at the pin locations or the timer face to see if the plate moved. My Intermatic 30 minute timer motor failed and I was able to purchase a replacement motor locally and easily replace it. Buying a small bottle of turbine oil to lubricate the gears of the timer motor and the blower motor and the stoker motor is a must. I have to replace the blower motor this year.
Having a separate water heater is always a good idea. If you do that you can install plumbing to bypass the hot water coil and install a proper mixing valve to prevent accidental scalding If you do not have a proper anti scalding valve in the shower or tub.
Just be sure its plumbed in properly as it can be done incorrectly and not work well. My mixing valve plumbing was installed on the hot water coil instead of the hot water heater piping and it needs to be changed.
If you can pop out the barometric damper by just pulling it out a little bit at a time you can soak it in the sink with Dawn Dish Soap and wash it free of soot and fly ash cleaning it with a potato brush and then running hot water over it to completely clean it of soot and fly ash to allow the weighted hinge to move with complete freedom. You would be surprised how much soot and fly ash collects on the barometric damper weight every year.
About the timer, turn the power off and place a hash mark on the timer face and a second hash mark on the mounting plate of the timer with a pencil or felt tip pen then turning the power back on and waiting a few minutes you can see if the timer is working very quickly by either looking at the pin locations or the timer face to see if the plate moved. My Intermatic 30 minute timer motor failed and I was able to purchase a replacement motor locally and easily replace it. Buying a small bottle of turbine oil to lubricate the gears of the timer motor and the blower motor and the stoker motor is a must. I have to replace the blower motor this year.
Having a separate water heater is always a good idea. If you do that you can install plumbing to bypass the hot water coil and install a proper mixing valve to prevent accidental scalding If you do not have a proper anti scalding valve in the shower or tub.
Just be sure its plumbed in properly as it can be done incorrectly and not work well. My mixing valve plumbing was installed on the hot water coil instead of the hot water heater piping and it needs to be changed.
- Dakotaguy
- Member
- Posts: 134
- Joined: Sun. Nov. 15, 2015 8:33 pm
- Location: Summit hill pa
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Efm 520 highboy
- Coal Size/Type: Lots of rice from Lehigh
- Other Heating: Pops 2010 df 520 stoker
Thanks for all the replies and help found the problem the fan was loose on the motor and the professional chimney sweep was not professional found a bird's nest In chimney cap that was definitely there for some time