Considering your settings and your setup I don't think that your usage is high. It's just about 1 ton a month.
(2) 5 gallon buckets per day is about 70 lbs. x 31 days is 2,170 lbs.
coal consumption seems high
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hotblast1357
- Member
- Posts: 5661
- Joined: Mon. Mar. 10, 2014 10:06 pm
- Location: Peasleeville NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: 1984 Eshland S260 coal gun
- Coal Size/Type: Lehigh anthracite pea
- Other Heating: air source heat pump, oil furnace
Is there any way to not circulate through the old wood boiler??
Your heating almost 3400 sqft, plus DHW?
70 pounds per day is not bad unless it’s 50+ outside.
What’s your weather like?
It’s been in the low 20’s at night and low-mid 30’s here lately and I’m burning about 50 lbs per day, heating 2200 sqft with a remote boiler 100’ away.
Your heating almost 3400 sqft, plus DHW?
70 pounds per day is not bad unless it’s 50+ outside.
What’s your weather like?
It’s been in the low 20’s at night and low-mid 30’s here lately and I’m burning about 50 lbs per day, heating 2200 sqft with a remote boiler 100’ away.
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Rob R.
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 18004
- Joined: Fri. Dec. 28, 2007 4:26 pm
- Location: Chazy, NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr
Most garages bleed a lot of heat, and I am sure yours is no exception. If you have the EFM set by the book, and the ashes look good, it is probably doing a fine job of making BTUs. The problem is the amount of heat you are losing to the garage, the ground, and the house itself. 3400 sq. feet of 1970's house is not a small load.
Having the wood boiler piped into the system is one thing, but you should at least be able to valve it off so it doesn't stay hot.
Having the wood boiler piped into the system is one thing, but you should at least be able to valve it off so it doesn't stay hot.
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CoalisCoolxWarm
- Member
- Posts: 2323
- Joined: Wed. Jan. 19, 2011 11:41 am
- Location: Western PA
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA-6
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: old Sears rebuilt, bituminous- offline as of winter 2014
- Coal Size/Type: Anthracite Buckwheat
- Other Heating: Oil Boiler
Heat exchangers are pretty "dumb" they transfer heat to the lowest temp side. If the boiler is fired up and water circulates through it, the water is heated.
But if the water circulating through it is hot and the boiler is cold, heat comes out of the water. Some is lost to the environment, BUT...BUT...BUT...
If your FLUE in the inactive boiler is open, this heat can cause a hefty draft that sucks out...your hard-earned HEAT.
One of the reasons plumbing multiple boilers in parallel is preferred. If you cannot isolate the wood boiler, at least pull the stove pipe and plug it up. In emergency, it might take 10-15 mins to reattach the stove pipe.
Every bit helps, but I think this could be a pretty big thief
But if the water circulating through it is hot and the boiler is cold, heat comes out of the water. Some is lost to the environment, BUT...BUT...BUT...
If your FLUE in the inactive boiler is open, this heat can cause a hefty draft that sucks out...your hard-earned HEAT.
One of the reasons plumbing multiple boilers in parallel is preferred. If you cannot isolate the wood boiler, at least pull the stove pipe and plug it up. In emergency, it might take 10-15 mins to reattach the stove pipe.
Every bit helps, but I think this could be a pretty big thief
I can always make changes for next year...I'll look at it as a learning year 
and make changes before next heating season. Flue for wood boiler is blocked off, rerouting the plumbing to isolate the wood boiler would have been difficult...but not impossible..I will look into that for a future change
and make changes before next heating season. Flue for wood boiler is blocked off, rerouting the plumbing to isolate the wood boiler would have been difficult...but not impossible..I will look into that for a future change-
coaledfeat
- Member
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Thu. May. 07, 2015 12:51 pm
- Location: NY Columbia County
- Stoker Coal Boiler: 1982 efm df520
- Coal Size/Type: Cornwall rice
- Other Heating: VC winterwarm wood
With the same heat loads my all oil usage was averaging 1000 gal, with an indoor wood boiler I went through most
of 10 cords of decent hard wood. Now a full load of coal is 8 tons, of wich one ton is left . This is for 5000 to 5500
degree days. The quality of coal varies from supplier to the next or even year to year. I would bypass the wood burner
as they loose a LOT of BTUs. If the burn times seem long you may need to run another tooth of feed. Keep a log of
temps,coal use and such to come to a normal usage. Love the warm floor!!!
of 10 cords of decent hard wood. Now a full load of coal is 8 tons, of wich one ton is left . This is for 5000 to 5500
degree days. The quality of coal varies from supplier to the next or even year to year. I would bypass the wood burner
as they loose a LOT of BTUs. If the burn times seem long you may need to run another tooth of feed. Keep a log of
temps,coal use and such to come to a normal usage. Love the warm floor!!!