Keystoker Rice vs Buckwheat

 
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ShawnTRD
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Location: Spencer, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA6 (New in April 2014)
Coal Size/Type: Anthracite Rice
Other Heating: Weil Mclain WGO-2 (Net 75k BTU)

Post by ShawnTRD » Sat. Jul. 21, 2018 1:42 am

Anyone like Buckwheat over Rice in their Keystoker? I have the KA6 and I'm just wondering if I should try some. I think my normal Rice runs a little smaller then average.

Pro's vs Con's


 
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nepacoal
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Coal Size/Type: Buck

Post by nepacoal » Sat. Jul. 21, 2018 5:41 am

I use a 50/50 mix of rice and buck in my ka-4. Seems to work great. During a visit to the Keystoker factory I mentioned it and the gentlemen I was talking with recommended the mix. I burn year around so I do get a little unburnt coal mid summer. Ashes are a little bit heavier in the summer due to some unburnt coal.

 
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ShawnTRD
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Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA6 (New in April 2014)
Coal Size/Type: Anthracite Rice
Other Heating: Weil Mclain WGO-2 (Net 75k BTU)

Post by ShawnTRD » Thu. Jul. 26, 2018 10:52 am

I get 50 # bags. So I could only do it one bag rice one bag buck. I don't think that would mix well.

 
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gaw
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Post by gaw » Thu. Jul. 26, 2018 11:45 am

I have burned rice, buck, and a mix of both. At the end of the day I don’t find any noticeable difference as far as boiler performance. You do have to increase feed for buck but that is a function of how the coal feeds and flows not that you will be burning more. I am burning 100% buck now. My reason for this is my supplier’s rice tended to be smaller than it should be and had a lot of fines in it; fines = dirt to me. The buck, being larger leaves less fine coal dirt, I just like handling it better than rice.

Another thing is buck is sometimes in greater supply around here because of less demand so it can be easier to get in the winter. Bottom line is burn what you like and what is easiest to get.

 
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oliver power
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Post by oliver power » Thu. Jul. 26, 2018 9:14 pm

I burn 100% Buck. It burns very well. I'm very happy with how buck burns in my keystoker.

 
lzaharis
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Post by lzaharis » Thu. Jul. 26, 2018 11:21 pm

Hello Oliver.

You have peaked my interest now. How many threads out do you have your stokers stroke set at to burn buckwheat anthracite coal? I have 8 threads out burning rice coal when I run it after the first fire of the season.

I painted the 3rd coating of rustoleum on the interior of the hopper today to try to get another year out of it and plan on a fourth coat tomorrow after I buy some more disposable brushes.
I will finish cleaning the boiler and adding a section of flue pipe to the reducer to reach the chimney from the thimble and replace the elbow at the reducer with a Tee to make it easier to clean.
All I need to do now is vacuum out the fire box, remove the oil burner, drain the remaining kerosene from the feed piping and oil filter and reinstall the burner port cover plate, oil the stoker gearbox and then order the Dayton fan motor to replace the OEM fan motor.

Eventually I will have to weigh having a lower weldment made to rest under the hopper bottom as the sheet metal tabs on the hopper are just about gone and weigh that cost versus buying a new hopper. There is plenty of elevation left in the hopper mounting holes to raise the hopper when adding a small piece of plate steel with a small piece of rectangular steel tube welded to it to direct more coal in the stoker.

 
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oliver power
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Post by oliver power » Fri. Jul. 27, 2018 3:42 am

lzaharis wrote:
Thu. Jul. 26, 2018 11:21 pm
Hello Oliver.

You have peaked my interest now. How many threads out do you have your stokers stroke set at to burn buckwheat anthracite coal? I have 8 threads out burning rice coal when I run it after the first fire of the season.

I painted the 3rd coating of rustoleum on the interior of the hopper today to try to get another year out of it and plan on a fourth coat tomorrow after I buy some more disposable brushes.
I will finish cleaning the boiler and adding a section of flue pipe to the reducer to reach the chimney from the thimble and replace the elbow at the reducer with a Tee to make it easier to clean.
All I need to do now is vacuum out the fire box, remove the oil burner, drain the remaining kerosene from the feed piping and oil filter and reinstall the burner port cover plate, oil the stoker gearbox and then order the Dayton fan motor to replace the OEM fan motor.

Eventually I will have to weigh having a lower weldment made to rest under the hopper bottom as the sheet metal tabs on the hopper are just about gone and weigh that cost versus buying a new hopper. There is plenty of elevation left in the hopper mounting holes to raise the hopper when adding a small piece of plate steel with a small piece of rectangular steel tube welded to it to direct more coal in the stoker.
From the top (Max Feed), I believe I'm backed off like 4 to 4-1/2 turns.

It's been a few years of trouble free burning. Think I'll go all through my stoker before firing it up again. I noticed a couple slightly warped grates last year. Think I did that before I realized how important it was to clean above, and between my water wall baffles.

Use to think the little Kaa-2 was at max capacity during the deep freeze. After discovering how important clean water wall baffles are, I've backed off the feed. Now the little boiler purrs along with ease during the deep freeze. It's nice knowing I have more power if needed.

So, when you clean your boiler, don't just clean what you can see. Clean what you can't see as well. It made a HUGE difference in the performance of my K-aa2


 
lzaharis
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Post by lzaharis » Fri. Jul. 27, 2018 9:05 am

Good morning Oliver,

What I am going to do is remove the hanging baffle plate and set it aside to make the cleaning easier as the oil burner will not be used and I will no longer need to have it hanging there anyway.

I scraped and vacuumed the entire firebox last year and I will be doing the same thing this year as well as using compressed air
and my shop vac and the dust deputy at the same time.

I was in "Lowest" yesterday and they had standard fire brick for sale at $2.79 + tax per brick and I will be stacking it on the dry end wall of the stoker up to the bottom of the stoker to help hold in more heat. I will be using more full fire brick on the floor of the fire box since I am using small 4 gallon pails for the ash and clinkers.

 
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Post by stovepipemike » Fri. Aug. 17, 2018 8:01 am

Oliver, Where are you talking about when you say clean around the baffles? Do you mean the top shelf towards the flue outlet of these little boilers? Thanks , Mike

 
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oliver power
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Post by oliver power » Fri. Aug. 17, 2018 8:52 am

stovepipemike wrote:
Fri. Aug. 17, 2018 8:01 am
Oliver, Where are you talking about when you say clean around the baffles? Do you mean the top shelf towards the flue outlet of these little boilers? Thanks , Mike
All around, in-between, and on top of the water wall baffles. All the places you can not see looking through the fire door. You need to clean these places from the ash pit door, using a boiler cleaning brush with about a 12" - 16" handle. The top of the water wall baffle can be gotten through the fire door. Not a fun job. But not too bad.

Stick your shop vac in the ash pit. Otherwise you'll have fly ash going all over. Wear goggles, and face mask.

 
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nepacoal
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Coal Size/Type: Buck

Post by nepacoal » Fri. Aug. 17, 2018 10:27 am

I don't think the newer models have internal passages. Just a big box with a hanging baffle. That is how my Kaa-4 is, anyway. I actually called Keystoker to ask if I had passages after seeing Oliver's post on cleaning, and they confirmed mine had no passages.

 
lzaharis
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Coal Size/Type: rice
Other Heating: kerosene for dual fuel Keystoker/unused

Post by lzaharis » Fri. Aug. 17, 2018 5:28 pm

My 2015 KAA-4 -1 has no water baffles and I am still waiting on Keystoker to find out if I need to leave the baffle plate in place since I am pulling the oil burner this fall before I fire it up. I see no reason to leave it in place as I am not going to be burning oil anyway.

I think the KAA-2 still has water baffles since it has a smaller water volume than the KAA-4 and 4-1 anyway.

 
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nepacoal
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Coal Size/Type: Buck

Post by nepacoal » Fri. Aug. 17, 2018 6:11 pm

Leon,
My coal only kaa-4 came with a hanging baffle plate so I assume they are used for coal too.

 
Qtown1835
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Post by Qtown1835 » Fri. Aug. 17, 2018 8:51 pm

I have a KA4 it has no baffle.

 
lzaharis
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Coal Size/Type: rice
Other Heating: kerosene for dual fuel Keystoker/unused

Post by lzaharis » Fri. Aug. 17, 2018 10:56 pm

Thanks for letting me know Qtown1835 and nepacoal,

With my dual fuel unit the flue breech is covered with a box weldment with a narrow 1 by 6 inch opening on the bottom of the weldment.

Unless I hear differently from Keystoker the baffle will come out as it serves no purpose other than to contain the wide flame from the oil burner.

Qtown1835 It settles the question for me then. The baffle will be coming out when I remove the oil burner and replace it with the burner tube cover plate and put the burner in to storage and clean the boiler.


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