RIP Intermatic C8865 Cycle Timer

 
lprince
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Stoker Coal Boiler: AA 260
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Post by lprince » Thu. Feb. 07, 2019 4:41 pm

Well as the subject say RIP Intermatic C8865 Timer.

For those that live in the North East last week we were in the minus F temperatures and now this week we are in the 50's and 60's. As this is my first couple of weeks with AA260 running and have never had a stoker boiler before I was concerned with the warm temps and thought it would be a good idea to put the pins in the cycle timer. I would rather burn a little extra coal then have a problem with my fire. This unit has been running fantastic to the point where I am waiting for the other shoe to drop and come home to a nightmare. Well that was true on Monday night when I came home and noticed the cycle timer was at the exact same position as when I put the pins in earlier that morning. So me being the skeptic that I am decided to investigate a little further to find out the gears in the old timer gave up and finally stripped out.

So off to the wonderful internet to search for a replacement timer only to have a mild heart attack when I saw the price of an exact replacement. The thought of putting out another $200 -$250 had me quite upset. So I started looking around and found this great digital cycle timer for $12.39 on Amazon. this timer will do a multitude of timing functions and was just what I needed.

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Delay-Relay-Timer- ... elay+timer

Much to my disappointment the contacts for the onboard relay were rated a mere 10 amps. So back to the internet I go and to my favorite site Amazon. I found a RIB (Relay In a Box) with a 120 VAC coil and a 1HP contact rating for $16.53.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LEUJU6/ref= ... UTF8&psc=1

So with a little work I gutted the old intermatic and removed the guts and installed my new electronic timer.
IMG_4487.JPG

Reborn Intermatic

.JPG | 545.1KB | IMG_4487.JPG
The wiring was pretty easy as I powered up the clock from the stoker circuit and and used the timer relay to control the coil of the RIB and the contacts on the RIB to control the stoker.

Programming was a little more difficult because the instructions were a little lacking.
cyle Timer Instructions.JPG

Cycle Timer Instructions

.JPG | 165.9KB | cyle Timer Instructions.JPG
But none the less I was able to get it programmed and know have my timer again to carry me through any warm days ahead. I will eventually add an outdoor temperature sensor to the circuit so the Rib will only be operational when the temperature is above 50* F.


 
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nepacoal
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Post by nepacoal » Thu. Feb. 07, 2019 5:16 pm

Good find... And, wow, that 260 must draw a lot. I think I could run 4 of my little boilers on 10 amps, including both circulators...

 
lprince
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Post by lprince » Thu. Feb. 07, 2019 5:56 pm

nepacoal wrote:
Thu. Feb. 07, 2019 5:16 pm
Good find... And, wow, that 260 must draw a lot. I think I could run 4 of my little boilers on 10 amps, including both circulators...
The Blower motor is a 1/2 hp rated at 9.9 amps full load. with a fairly high inrush

 
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nepacoal
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Coal Size/Type: Buck

Post by nepacoal » Thu. Feb. 07, 2019 6:10 pm

That is a beast... Do you have to be careful walking by when it starts up? Might get sucked in...

 
lprince
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Stoker Coal Boiler: AA 260
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Post by lprince » Thu. Feb. 07, 2019 6:23 pm

It really is amazing how much of a beast it is :o When it jumps to life and pulls the viewing hole plate shut it does it with quite an amount of authority :lol: I can not believe how well built these units are. The old girl had a hard neglected life in her earlier years

 
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StokerDon
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Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Thu. Feb. 07, 2019 7:11 pm

Now that is pretty neat! I think that is the most innovative and inexpensive timer solution I have heard of. What do you have it set at?

-Don

 
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Hambden Bob
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Post by Hambden Bob » Thu. Feb. 07, 2019 7:14 pm

Nice Job hammering this Control Deal out!!


 
lprince
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Post by lprince » Thu. Feb. 07, 2019 7:27 pm

StokerDon wrote:
Thu. Feb. 07, 2019 7:11 pm
Now that is pretty neat! I think that is the most innovative and inexpensive timer solution I have heard of. What do you have it set at?

-Don
Right now I have it set to 1 minute every 60 minutes

 
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StokerDon
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Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Thu. Feb. 07, 2019 7:42 pm

lprince wrote:
Thu. Feb. 07, 2019 7:27 pm
Right now I have it set to 1 minute every 60 minutes
Ahh, just like the manual says. Have you been seeing any over-shoots on your Axeman?

-Don

 
lprince
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Post by lprince » Thu. Feb. 07, 2019 8:10 pm

StokerDon wrote:
Thu. Feb. 07, 2019 7:42 pm
Ahh, just like the manual says. Have you been seeing any over-shoots on your Axeman?

-Don
I am running off the high limit still because I have the Triple Aquastat t terminals jumped to keep the circulataor running 24-7. Monitoring the pipe I am seeing temps of 180-182 even though I only have the Triple Aquastat set to about 165. I need to replace the square gauge on the boiler as it is only showing 140*F. Amazon had replacement tridicator for $34.29.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FBQBQ56/ref= ... UTF8&psc=1

I also need to get some thermal compound for the Triple Aquastat well so i can find the discrepancy between my digital thermometer and the Triple Aquastat set point. I have not had any problems with popping the relief valve or activating the high limit otherwise

 
lzaharis
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Post by lzaharis » Fri. Feb. 08, 2019 11:01 am

Please do not buy that triple aquastat off amazon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The manufacturers name is not on the face plate it is not a Marsh Instruments or other united states manufacturer of gauges.

If you look at stoker dons 4 inch guage on his AA its a Marshalltown gauge which I also have having replaced the Chinese made junk I was given by keystoker.

My first Marshalltown gauge was on the avco Lycoming boiler that this house came with and it never gave me a wrong pressure or temperature reading. I wish I had not been lied to about its leaking by the plumber I bough the Buderus from as a friend that took the old boiler said it had no leaks and I would still have it 40 years later.

The Marshalltown triple gauge will cost you more but it has a 2 year guarantee against defects as it was tested before it was shipped in its closed cell foam filled carton to the buyer. This marsh gauge can be sent back to the factory in Ohio if it needs to be rebuilt if that is ever needed.

The investment you have made in this excellent boiler is worth the money spent on a new 4 inch square Marshalltown Triple Gauge as it will give you many decades of service and you will have the 2 year guarantee that comes with it.

The conductive paste for the triple aquastat can be purchased separately from Honeywell retailer as it comes in a squeezable packet.

One question; if you used Teflon Tape for the probe well before you will need to remove the probe well, clean the threads with a 3/4" tap and then use liquid pipe dope on the bronze probe well as it will not interfere with the temperature conductive pastes ability to transfer the actual water temperature through the bronze probe well.

The marsh instruments folks also state that pipe dope should be used on the male threads of their gauges used in hot water and steam service.

 
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nepacoal
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Coal Size/Type: Buck

Post by nepacoal » Fri. Feb. 08, 2019 3:25 pm

lzaharis wrote:
Fri. Feb. 08, 2019 11:01 am

One question; if you used Teflon Tape for the probe well before you will need to remove the probe well, clean the threads with a 3/4" tap and then use liquid pipe dope on the bronze probe well as it will not interfere with the temperature conductive pastes ability to transfer the actual water temperature through the bronze probe well.
I believe you have this info a little mixed up with the procedures for an electrowell used for low water cutoff (like hydrolevel's triple a aquastat with lwco). A Normal well can use tape and pipe dope and function just fine. Only the electrowell recommends not using Teflon tape. When using the lwco function you are not supposed to use tape or thermal paste as it will mess up the lwco readings

 
lzaharis
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Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KAA-4-1 dual fuel boiler
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: former switzer CWW100-sold
Coal Size/Type: rice
Other Heating: kerosene for dual fuel Keystoker/unused

Post by lzaharis » Fri. Feb. 08, 2019 3:29 pm

For what its worth,

I used pipe dope on my McDonnell & Miller RB122-E low Water Cut Off.

 
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nepacoal
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Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Harman SF-260 - retired
Coal Size/Type: Buck

Post by nepacoal » Fri. Feb. 08, 2019 3:34 pm

lzaharis wrote:
Fri. Feb. 08, 2019 3:29 pm
For what its worth,

I used pipe dope on my McDonnell & Miller RB122-E low Water Cut Off.
Yes, I think we all use pipe dope on our installations. The thermal paste goes inside the well to provide a good thermal conductivity to the probe. not supposed to use tape or thermal paste with a lwco probe like hydrolevel unit i mentioned. You were saying to rip out the well if he used tape. That is not necessary for a normal temperature well. Tape and dope will work great and never interfere with the probe using thermal paste in a normal well.

 
lprince
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Joined: Fri. Aug. 01, 2014 9:40 pm
Location: Bushkill, Pa
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Post by lprince » Fri. Feb. 08, 2019 5:49 pm

lzaharis wrote:
Fri. Feb. 08, 2019 11:01 am


The investment you have made in this excellent boiler is worth the money spent on a new 4 inch square Marshalltown Triple Gauge as it will give you many decades of service and you will have the 2 year guarantee that comes with it.



I will take your advice since I am absolutely new at this and find a Marsh gauge to replace the existing one. I will probably not replace anything until after the heating season is over. Everything is working well and right now and I do not want to drain any water out to replace the gauge.

For what its worth I only use Loctite 567 or 565. I have tried other products and for the most part they are ok but inevitably they always leak. When I use the Loctite I have NEVER had a leak so yes $65-80 a tube is expensive but not as expensive as having to take apart threaded pipe you have already assembled. In the thread about getting my boiler up and running I admitted to having a couple of leaks well those joints were assembled with a thread sealant other then the Loctite. I knew better when I did it but refused to take my own advice and dealt with the results of having to redo it.


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