EFM-520 Build Thread

kevin12973 · Post by **kevin12973** » Sat. Sep. 13, 2008 4:57 pm

Thats funny Daluds. If I were to invest in a new boiler it would be a high efficiantcy propane wall hung unit for many reasons. Oil is out for me. Just going to run the burnham till its unreliable.

Post by **stoker-man** » Sat. Sep. 13, 2008 9:24 pm

I'm guessing that he'll have his unit by October, sometime.

franpipeman · Post by **franpipeman** » Sun. Sep. 14, 2008 8:37 pm

propane . Isnt it expensive?

kevin12973 · Post by **kevin12973** » Mon. Sep. 15, 2008 7:10 pm

Yes, propane is expencive. But not as expencive as oil, but close. But for a stand buy unit, the fuel price does not really matter that much. Propane is alot less maintence and that is important to me for a back up/ emergency situation. But I will use up the oil boiler for now, That thing will never die, because its not cost effective to replace something that works. Unless your talking big cost savings, thats why I can justify buying this coal boiler.$$$$$

kevin12973 · Post by **kevin12973** » Sat. Sep. 27, 2008 7:26 pm

I ran out of fuel oil on thursday so I went down to the gas station and picked up 20 gallons of desiel fuel $85. Should last 4 days

The good news is that I took the advice of some members and found a used unit. The sales invoice of the new unit was not doing a good job heating the house so I decided to get going on hunting down a used unit. Picked it up today and will do some refurbrish before setting it. All in all it is in great shape. 52 years old and will go another 52 no problem, love these EFM units.

Pics comming soon I promise.

NeAnthrocite · Post by **NeAnthrocite** » Mon. Sep. 29, 2008 3:02 pm

Hello everyone, I'm new to the thread. I am expecting the delivery of a refurb 520 any day.
I am asking for diagrammatic help in plumbing and hook-up to my existing oil HW boiler.
My current setup consists of four zones with the existing boiler located in the basement. I plan on installing the 520 in the garage which is about 75 feet from existing boiler.
I have plumbed my house and the heating system so I feel I can do this with the help of a diagram. I am looking for a setup that will be able to automatically switch over to the oil boiler if the 520 shuts off , if that is possible. I am located in the Albany, NY area. I bought a refurb unit from Dave in Warrensburg , NY.
Thank you all in advance.

Tom

kevin12973 · Post by **kevin12973** » Mon. Sep. 29, 2008 9:07 pm

Took out the bad coil and welded a 3/8 plate in its place, no fussing with leaky flange

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Glad I opened up the pot. It was stuffed with fines and this glob of aluminum. Stoker man explains how this can happen in another thread very well.

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I opened up the 1/2" npt hole to 7/8" and welded a 3/4" threadolet there for a thermometer well (the commercial size)

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Scottscoaled · Post by **Scottscoaled** » Mon. Sep. 29, 2008 9:27 pm

You are a hell of a welder Kevin.

Scott

kevin12973 · Post by **kevin12973** » Mon. Sep. 29, 2008 9:29 pm

I ordered some parts, auger bushing,gooseneck bushing(totaly shot), 6 burner plates(didnt realy need to replace but while its opened up might as well). Got an aluminum pipe full length, no coupling. I figure if I need to break it down I can slide the 55 gal. drum away to do whatever I need. Hope Im right

Going through this unit Im amazed at the QUALITY of this manufacture. The cast iron is the highest corrosion resistant ive seen. LOVE this unit and I havent even fired it yet

Post by **stoker-man** » Mon. Sep. 29, 2008 9:36 pm

Beautiful welding !

How did the aluminum get there? The pipe is below that area ?!

kevin12973 · Post by **kevin12973** » Tue. Sep. 30, 2008 7:40 pm

Stoker man, Im thinking when it got hot enough to melt the aluminum tube(too much air), the pressure of coal being pushed by the auger forced the melted section of tube outward in the air chamber pot and on top of the pile of fines.

kevin12973 · Post by **kevin12973** » Tue. Sep. 30, 2008 7:45 pm

Today I worked on the base. Got the few broken studs replaced, Welded some seams that needed some attention and painted most of it. Then it got dark.

Also, lowered the finished boiler in the basement and on a pallet jack. Progress.

I tried to post this yesterday. This is the boiler before I picked it up in Niagara Falls on Saturday.

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kevin12973 · Post by **kevin12973** » Sat. Oct. 04, 2008 7:29 pm

correction, my gooseneck bushing was not shot, It was completely missing. so that allowed the auger bushing to wear the hole out of round and very large.

The solution was to drill out the raised part in the opening for the auger shaft bushing with a 1 1/8 drill. Then make a bushing to bring it back down to 7/8 then the actual gooseneck bushing can go in. Thats done and went well. Then I assembled the pot with new plates and rope. Then assembled the entire base on the pallet jack then wheeled it over to the boiler where it was hoisted up using the chainfall. Boiler puddy on the base the set her down. wheeled it over to its location by the oil boiler and set on bricks. Done for today.

coal berner · Post by **coal berner** » Sat. Oct. 04, 2008 7:49 pm

kevin12973 I do not know if you know this or not but there a three rope gaskets that go into the pot one on the bottom of grates one at the top under the grates and one under the pot ring Just though I pass it on in case you did not know
the pot bushing is S.S. O.D. is .875 I.D. .750 Auger bushing is .738 OD also is S.S.

kevin12973 · Post by **kevin12973** » Sat. Oct. 04, 2008 9:21 pm

Yes, thanks to stoker-mans imformative pictorials I knew what I needed. The bushing I made was a repair to axcept the actual EFM bushing in the gooseneck. Picts comming.