EFM-520 Build Thread

kevin12973 · Post by **kevin12973** » Mon. Oct. 13, 2008 7:43 pm

Thanks scot, I unhooked the end switch on the controller. The unit ran too much like that and was 190 this morning on the 3 tooth setting. With this set up the unit will not run unnessesarily when a thermostat closes , but only when the timer or aquastat tells it to. When it gets cold I will hook the end switch up again.

Mark (PA) · Post by **Mark (PA)** » Mon. Oct. 13, 2008 8:39 pm

by end switch

do you mean the T T thermostat wire? i'm just trying to understand!

my Boiler is ALMOST ready to start as well. I have to get my barrel in place and seal up around the base and its ready. was planning on starting it this weekend possibly.

Thanks!

kevin12973 · Post by **kevin12973** » Tue. Oct. 14, 2008 7:28 pm

Yes. the thermostat wire In my control box. The temperature was 150 this morning without thermostats telling the unit to unesessarily all night causing the 190 temp yesterday morn. In fact, the aquastat was running the unit this morn because it was between timer cycles and aparently droped below my set point of 145. This is good for warm days but hooking end switch up when it gets cold.

billw · Post by **billw** » Tue. Oct. 14, 2008 7:31 pm

Thanks Kevin,
Another thing I would've never thought of. Amazing what you can learn here.

kevin12973 · Post by **kevin12973** » Wed. Oct. 15, 2008 7:01 pm

So far so good, No dark spot yet, but ash ring is about 1 1/2 or less. So I turned up the air slightly to try to get a 2" ash ring. I don't think that is the right direction to get the "dark spot". The flame is sweet when it runs, just stare at it in awe. Blue ladies are much better looking than my oilman.

coal berner · Post by **coal berner** » Wed. Oct. 15, 2008 7:05 pm

kevin you will be fine the more air the bigger the dark spot will be when the stoker stops and the fire goes down

kevin12973 · Post by **kevin12973** » Thu. Oct. 16, 2008 6:05 pm

Oh, I thought wrong. Thanks again for your time with my project, your wisdom is appreciated. What is your new avitar?

coal berner · Post by **coal berner** » Thu. Oct. 16, 2008 6:12 pm

Just put somthing there until I get the photo of the 520 downsized from the camrera it is a photo of a goose hunter

kevin12973 · Post by **kevin12973** » Sun. Oct. 19, 2008 9:05 pm

Its been one week exactly so I did some measurements. Filled the 55 gal. drum back up to the top and it took 7 bags @ 40 lbs each = 280 lbs of coal. The ash weighed in at 70 lbs- 4 for the bucket = 66 lbs. That figures to be about 23% ash

I think the problem is the short cycles might be inefieciant at burning coal completley. Seems the red hot coals are centered toward the back unless the unit has been running for a while, then it is a full circle centered over the plates with a 2'' ash ring. I see a lot of un burnt coal in the bucket but when demand goes up I feel this will disapear. Any thoughts?

Post by **CoalJockey** » Sun. Oct. 19, 2008 9:31 pm

Kevin:

I think you will see that work itself out. Ive been running my 520 for a week now also and now the temps here are getting down into the high 20's at night and it has had a chance to run. At first on the warm days I did see some unburnt coal when it was running off of the timer.... and the firepot structure varied too.

But these last couple nights it has really been running and the ash I looked at this evening was as nice as can be.... very little unburnt coal. I am set at 4 teeth right now and just a shade above 4 on the air.

Just my thoughts anyhow. Hang in there awile.... it may even out

Tyler

coal berner · Post by **coal berner** » Sun. Oct. 19, 2008 9:45 pm

Kevin 280 divide by 66 = 4.24% ash wait until you burn a ton then weight all the ash bump your air up a little in the warm weather it will stop the the unburnt coal the fire will be hotter to burn it up what is your timer set at 30min or 60 min 2 or 3 min

Yanche · Post by **Yanche** » Sun. Oct. 19, 2008 10:43 pm

J.C. check your math. It's 66 divided by 280 times 100 = 23.57%.

First lecture at the nerd fest will be math review.

Scottscoaled · Post by **Scottscoaled** » Sun. Oct. 19, 2008 10:49 pm

First Lecture should be the proper angle of bend for hoisting 16ozs

Scott

coal berner · Post by **coal berner** » Mon. Oct. 20, 2008 1:52 am

Yanche wrote:J.C. check your math. It's 66 divided by 280 times 100 = 23.57%.

First lecture at the nerd fest will be math review.

What Scott said And yes Yanche I had some wine today so the Numbers looked good to me

I took a nap I feel better
now P.S. That is way to much ash content

One more thing the wine was homemade blackberry WoW it was good

kevin12973 · Post by **kevin12973** » Mon. Oct. 20, 2008 7:17 pm

Thanks for the replys, The timer is set for 2 1/2 minuits every half hour. I have bumped the air up to 3 1/2 but it makes me nervous with the coal feed pipe beeing sooo hot. On 3 1/4 the pipe is almost to hot to hold on right next to the base. I just think of those picts that stokerman posted showing the ill effects of very lean settings. I do believe when I get a load on this boiler there will be a more complete burn. I hope