Terminology and a few other questions

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Trumpeterb
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Post by Trumpeterb » Thu. Feb. 14, 2019 10:19 am

Hi all,

I have only been on the forum for a few days, but I have learned a LOT about coal heat in those days. Thanks to you all for your input and for the education.

I have a terminology question—I see people posting about a “doghouse” in regard to their boilers....what exactly is a doghouse in this regard?

Secondly, regarding Axeman 130s. The videos I watched looked like the auger was turning non stop...does it ever stop? The rate at which it turns led me to believe that it could potentially overfeed the fire, but it didn’t appear that it did so. Does the welded design of the auger keep the coal from traveling from the bin to the boils quickly? I am interested in how this thing works.

Thanks again all.


 
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McGiever
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Post by McGiever » Thu. Feb. 14, 2019 10:30 am

Hollow auger when not loadng any coal simply tumbles coal iike clothes in a dyrer, but slower.

 
lzaharis
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Post by lzaharis » Thu. Feb. 14, 2019 3:15 pm

Trumpeterb wrote:
Thu. Feb. 14, 2019 10:19 am
Hi all,

I have only been on the forum for a few days, but I have learned a LOT about coal heat in those days. Thanks to you all for your input and for the education.

I have a terminology question—I see people posting about a “doghouse” in regard to their boilers....what exactly is a doghouse in this regard?

Secondly, regarding Axeman 130s. The videos I watched looked like the auger was turning non stop...does it ever stop? The rate at which it turns led me to believe that it could potentially overfeed the fire, but it didn’t appear that it did so. Does the welded design of the auger keep the coal from traveling from the bin to the boils quickly? I am interested in how this thing works.

Thanks again all.
==========================================================================================

Woof!!

The dog house we refer to is the little wooden house that looks like a very small width lean too for the Keebler Elves.
The exposed coal feeding auger for the EFM coal stoker rests near the floor of the coal bin and the tube sits on a block of wood in the dog house to support it as the auger works if my memory is right.

The Axeman Anderson boilers have an open auger design wherein the auger flight is welded to the interior of the tube. The feed auger for the Axeman Anderson boilers
The entire tube and auger rotate as one unit and it will operate as needed to lift coal to the feed tube for a heat call or to maintain a hold fire.
As the open auger is rotated by the chain drive the pea coal is lifted to the top of the auger and falls down into the coal feed tube as the boiler cycles for a hold fire or if the boiler is sensing a heat call and needs to increase the fire from a hold fire to a full fire for the demand.

The Axeman Andersons coal feeding tube is supported by the arm that comes off the boiler/floor to hold the entire tube as it rotates to pull coal from the bin with the doghouse roof protecting it from becoming jammed and possibly being bent by the weight of the coal above it.

If the demand is satisfied the auger will stop feeding coal to the coal feed tube and any coal remaining in the tube will fall backward into the tube away from the coal that is in the coal feed tube which is above the traveling grate.

The noise you hear is from the pea coal sliding back into the other coal that is being pulled up and into the open auger as the drive chain rotates the sprocket attached to the exterior tube that rotates the open auger to feed coal to the boilers coal feeding tube which permits the pea coal to drop in to the traveling grate as it moves forward and backward to allow more pea coal to enter the firebox and for the ash knife that is attached to the front of the boiler wet wall to cut off any coal clinkers on the end of the traveling grate as it advances forward.

I think I have everything right from memory now, Woof.

 
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coaledsweat
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Post by coaledsweat » Thu. Feb. 14, 2019 3:54 pm

Axeman auger runs when he fan does.

 
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StokerDon
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Post by StokerDon » Thu. Feb. 14, 2019 6:44 pm

Trumpeterb wrote:
Thu. Feb. 14, 2019 10:19 am
I have a terminology question—I see people posting about a “doghouse” in regard to their boilers....what exactly is a doghouse in this regard?
It can mean at least 2 things that I can think of. One is the sheet metal cover that goes over the stoker. The other, is the more widely used term for the coal bin auger cover. On most auger fed stokers, the "doghouse" is not mandatory because it's main purpose is to make it easier to remove the auger and pipe if needed while the bin is full.

The Axeman Anderson is a little different in that a "doghouse" is required. The auger on an Axeman is a 5" diameter steel tube that rotates. If this type of auger is put into the coal with no protection, the weight of the coal and the resistance of the coal surrounding that 5" tube would be too great. Leading to motor and gearbox ware at a high rate.
Trumpeterb wrote:
Thu. Feb. 14, 2019 10:19 am
Secondly, regarding Axeman 130s. The videos I watched looked like the auger was turning non stop...does it ever stop? The rate at which it turns led me to believe that it could potentially overfeed the fire, but it didn’t appear that it did so. Does the welded design of the auger keep the coal from traveling from the bin to the boils quickly? I am interested in how this thing works.
The auger only runs when the fan is running AND there is an ashing cycle going. This is a very, very different auger than an under fed stoker, it does not force coal into anything. It only delivers coal to the feed tube where the coal can fall on top of the fire when the is room for it.

The auger itself is a 5" diameter steel tube with the fleighting welded to the inside. The center is hollow so that any coal that does not fall into the feed tube falls down the center and back to the bin.

Here is a video I did when I had a little bridging problem with a new delivery of wet coal. The auger was just starting to deliver coal after clearing the bridge. You can see inside the feed tube, normally this would be full of coal.


-Don

 
Trumpeterb
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Post by Trumpeterb » Thu. Feb. 14, 2019 7:04 pm

That is fantastic footage of how that auger works. Thank you for sharing this. I am seriously considering an AA130. I need to plan a day trip to Williamsport to see these things in action and chat with them. Does anyone have any idea how much these cost now? I can't find pricing anywhere online, and the used ones I see look pretty beat up (but of course looks can be deceiving).

Another question about installation...has anyone ever installed one of these in a shed and run underground pex to the house and into a heat exchange tube?

 
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StokerDon
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Post by StokerDon » Thu. Feb. 14, 2019 7:22 pm

Trumpeterb wrote:
Thu. Feb. 14, 2019 7:04 pm
Another question about installation...has anyone ever installed one of these in a shed and run underground pex to the house and into a heat exchange tube?
Yes, but why would you want to??? The boiler belongs in the basement so the house can absorb the standby heat losses from the boiler and piping. Or at very least it belongs in an outbuilding you want to heat. If you put it in a shed you will be heating the outside world as well as the ground.

-Don


 
Trumpeterb
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Post by Trumpeterb » Thu. Feb. 14, 2019 8:08 pm

Our house has no real basement, this the question. We could potentially put it in the garage, which would then absorb the extra heat, but I don’t know if home insurance would approve of that (even though there is access to a chimney there).

 
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McGiever
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Post by McGiever » Thu. Feb. 14, 2019 8:29 pm

Could you partition off a separate enclosed boiler room in this garage?

 
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StokerDon
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Post by StokerDon » Thu. Feb. 14, 2019 8:55 pm

McGiever wrote:
Thu. Feb. 14, 2019 8:29 pm
Could you partition off a separate enclosed boiler room in this garage?
That is probably the best idea if there is no basement.

If you do go with the shed idea here are a few things that will make it work as good as it can.

1) Put the shed as close to the house as possible. This will minimize the length of the underground piping and therefore the heat lost.
2) Use pipe that is large enough to transfer the full potential BTU output of the boiler to the load. Don't fall for the Ol' outdoor wood boiler trick where they use 1" PEX for everything up to 500,000BTU, it doesn't work that way.
3) insulate the shed the best you can. You want the heat to go into the house, not the outside world.

You can also add an indirect water heater so you will have coal fired domestic water.

-Don

 
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Post by Trumpeterb » Thu. Feb. 14, 2019 9:46 pm

That is sort of the setup I have with my wood boiler now. Indirect domestic water via a sidearm exchanger. I could section off a portion of the garage, but there would be no room for vehicles if I did....but I could have a nice shop......hmmmmm.....cars survive outside too, right?

 
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Post by McGiever » Fri. Feb. 15, 2019 9:45 pm

Maybe a partitioned addition to the garage...with the needed 18" step up to stop any fume migration.

 
Trumpeterb
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Post by Trumpeterb » Fri. Feb. 15, 2019 10:15 pm

Not sure what you mean by 18” step up to stop fume migration. I assume that is part of the installation instructions? Are fumes a big problem with these units?

 
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Post by coaledsweat » Fri. Feb. 15, 2019 10:52 pm

Trumpeterb wrote:
Fri. Feb. 15, 2019 10:15 pm
Not sure what you mean by 18” step up to stop fume migration. I assume that is part of the installation instructions? Are fumes a big problem with these units?
Fire code in relation to gasoline in autos and stored in the garage I believe is the implication here.

 
Trumpeterb
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Post by Trumpeterb » Fri. Feb. 15, 2019 11:00 pm

Ah ok. That makes sense.


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