Amount of coal being used by a coal gun s130

I read a post where someone was experiencing puff backs in a s130 and opened the sight hole to let air flow over the coal bed while furnace was running. They said it increased the coal consumption by 13% and stopped the puff backs. I have done the same with my s130 to stop puff backs and it worked. At the same time I usually use a bushel or 52 lbs in 24 hrs . Now with air flowing over the coal bed I add an extra bushel every 4th day. I don't understand why the air flowing over the ash bed increases coal consumption . Why does the amount of coal go up with air over the coal bed ?

About your boiler,
you are adding combustion air to the firebox and that is why you are using more of the beautiful black rocks.

I know I'm adding more air it just doesn't seem that I should be using an extra 13lbs of coal a day. It's still good heat and I run it 5 months a year so that's an extra ton of coal per heating season. I don't want to change any ash settings. The ash looks good burnt nice no clinkers bigger than a baseball. And if I stop the air over the coal bed puff backs will return. I have noticed my coal the blashak has more fines this year than previous years I buy bulk dumped in the coal bin. Maybe if I hosed the coal down to remove fines puff backs would stop with no air over the fire bed. Are the fines causing puff backs ? Or just use the extra coal and that's the way it is .

I don't want to change any ash settings.

If your ashing is not correct, that is probably why you need the extra air over the fire. Turn up the heat in the house, start a load of wash, take a shower...whatever it takes to make the boiler run a lot, and then see how the fire looks. If you don't have any orange coal visible, you probably need to make an adjustment to the ashing temperature.

My very latest coal feeding (with the over the fire air port still full open) actually came in at a bit less than calculated based upon HDD's, so my recently observed 13% more consumption trend has been broken (to the down side), and now I know that I need more time to evaluate if in fact having this port open is detrimental to coal consumption.

Short version: Having the over the fire air wide open was beneficial with respect to coal consumption for my last feeding cycle.

Ttkrouse wrote: ↑

Wed. Jan. 16, 2019 9:07 pm

I read a post where someone was experiencing puff backs in a s130 and opened the sight hole to let air flow over the coal bed while furnace was running. They said it increased the coal consumption by 13% and stopped the puff backs. I have done the same with my s130 to stop puff backs and it worked. At the same time I usually use a bushel or 52 lbs in 24 hrs . Now with air flowing over the coal bed I add an extra bushel every 4th day. I don't understand why the air flowing over the ash bed increases coal consumption . Why does the amount of coal go up with air over the coal bed ?

Your additional consumption may simply be due to it being colder outside now. The best remedy for stopping puff-backs is to lower your ashing temperature in 5 degree increments, plus shorten your ashing hysteresis down to one degree. After making changes, allow at least 2 to 3 days for them to take effect. Lowering the ashing initiation temperature raises the fire height.

Giving it more over fire air really should not consume more coal.. it could even reduce consumption, because you are now lighting off the secondary burn and burning those volital gasses, the puffs where coming from the volitals being lit to late...

Like Larry said, it’s prob just colder out.. I would verify where the fire height is after a good long heat call, u should have a lot of burning orange after a heat call.

Isayre let me know what your consumption ends up being if you could. Hotblast I was thinking more in line with your thought I'am getting more complete combustion from the gas burning off from air flow over the fire bed you would think it would use less coal.it has been a little colder this year but not enough to notice.

Ttkrouse wrote: ↑

Thu. Jan. 17, 2019 4:17 pm

Isayre let me know what your consumption ends up being if you could. Hotblast I was thinking more in line with your thought I'am getting more complete combustion from the gas burning off from air flow over the fire bed you would think it would use less coal.it has been a little colder this year but not enough to notice.

My consumption averages right around 1.385 lbs. of anthracite pea per 'HDD', but this is specific to my 1964 built homes location, size, tightness, and overall insulation level, and there is no way you can equate it to your homes specific conditions and heating needs.

Daily HDD's = 65 - (daily high temperature + daily low temperature)/2

Once again I loaded the hopper and came up ~12 lbs. shy of predicted. Still saving coal and still have the over the fire air wide open. And still not getting any puffs.

Since over the fire air alone did not stop the puffs, it has to be the combination of that plus lowering the ash temperature, plus springing the flapper open wider and quicker that is doing the job.

Larry I adjusted temp of ash from 135* down to 130* the hysteris to 3* . Very small puff backs not enough to pop the cap off of the clean out tee but blows fly ash out damper. My question how did you get your flapper to open faster but still suck tight when blower runs ? Just changed the temps after the small puffs about half hour ago. I have over air flowing for month or two with. No big puffs and only three or four small. Just changed temps on grate . But I would like to get that flapper opening quicker. Do you put a stronger spring on it ?

Ttkrouse wrote: ↑

Sat. Jan. 19, 2019 4:39 pm

Larry I adjusted temp of ash from 135* down to 130* the hysteresis to 3* . Very small puff backs not enough to pop the cap off of the clean out tee but blows fly ash out damper. My question how did you get your flapper to open faster but still suck tight when blower runs ? Just changed the temps after the small puffs about half hour ago. I have over air flowing for month or two with. No big puffs and only three or four small. Just changed temps on grate . But I would like to get that flapper opening quicker. Do you put a stronger spring on it ?

1) I'm at 100 degrees and 1 degree of hysteresis on my ashing. Most would consider this excessively low, but it is working fine for me. I would suggest that you try 120 degrees though. And keep going down from there if puffs continue.
2) I snugged down on the spring tensioner a turn or two and re-locked it in position. Stock spring.

Did that change the 3/8" gap you want to keep while blower motor isn't running ? Ok i'am going to let this temp on ash set in for a few days and then lower it again .

My flapper is gaping at about 1/2" when open at present.

So I have the temp sensor on my bin to keep the fire from crawling up into my bin it will shut it off if fire gets to high. I have some fine tuning to do with the ash sensor to get my fire box to look like hotblast's does. Maybe I won't be able to get rid of fresh air going over the fire bed !i'll Keep a closer eye on coal consumption over the next few weeks. It is colder this year but I didn't think that much. Probably just don't like the idea of needing to buy more coal this heating season. Nothing like that good feeling you have when the coal bins full hate to watch it go down faster than you expected it to. In seven years have never used more than 5 to 5 1/2 ton. Looks like we might use 6 to 61/2 tin this year.