Axeman Anderson 260-M adventures!

 
User avatar
swyman
Member
Posts: 2355
Joined: Mon. Apr. 13, 2015 9:50 pm
Location: Blissfield, MI
Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman-Anderson 260M Leisure Line AA-220 Boiler (FOR SALE)
Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Pea

Post by swyman » Sat. Apr. 16, 2022 8:01 am

hotblast1357 wrote:
Thu. Apr. 14, 2022 6:53 pm
Ya I would never ever pour water into it.. you could have actually ashed it and dumped more raw coal on it to cool it down, and or turned zones on.
McGiever wrote:
Thu. Apr. 14, 2022 9:02 pm
The dangling flapper clearance is adjustable. Might widen the gap a few mm.
Rob R. wrote:
Thu. Apr. 14, 2022 3:02 pm
That sounds like a terrible idea. Why didn't you just turn all of your zones on to dump heat?
Yea I was rudely awakened and not properly caffeinated or thinking straight and I didn't want to be late for work. So when I left the coal looked wet and cooling down, boiler was shutdown and I moved the inspection glass off to the side so no air could go through the fire. Got home from work and ready to do a cleanup for the season on the coals had a dull orange glow! Mind you coming from my last boiler that if you shut it off for 5 minutes, the fire was dead. This thing will not die even after dumping water on it! So with snow in the forecast I decided to turn the power back on and run it not only for the cold weather coming but to make sure the boiler was good. I verified that it was full of water as it should have been with the autofill valve and I also took the vent tube off to verify how much fly ash was in that 12' horizontal. The cyclone hole was plugged with only about an inch of fly ash but that could have fallen when I took the elbow off above it? The horizontal was about 1/4 full so I put a 10' extension on the vacuum cleaner and swept it out. Boiler is running as smooth as always, I did increase the spring pressure on the sight glass inspection cover and that widened the gap a little more. Gonna fill the 55 gallon drum today for what I would like to think will be the last time? I am purging a little air out of the system which was to be expected but what an awesome heating machine. My ashing sled support rollers I made are toast! Gonna put sealed bearings on it and I would like to put bearings on the drive shaft also so gonna give this beauty some much needed love. 2 seasons on it and has been very trouble free and has handled the load 100% of the time!


 
User avatar
Rob R.
Site Moderator
Posts: 17980
Joined: Fri. Dec. 28, 2007 4:26 pm
Location: Chazy, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr

Post by Rob R. » Sat. Apr. 16, 2022 8:05 am

I was going to suggest that you restart the boiler to make sure it was dry inside before shutting it down.

 
User avatar
swyman
Member
Posts: 2355
Joined: Mon. Apr. 13, 2015 9:50 pm
Location: Blissfield, MI
Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman-Anderson 260M Leisure Line AA-220 Boiler (FOR SALE)
Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Pea

Post by swyman » Sat. Apr. 16, 2022 8:22 am

Rob R. wrote:
Sat. Apr. 16, 2022 8:05 am
I was going to suggest that you restart the boiler to make sure it was dry inside before shutting it down.
Thanks, I thought of that when I got home. I know water and coal ash is a bad thing plus with the autofill valve adding a bunch of fresh water to the system would probably not a good thing either. So she's gonna get another couple weeks of running and then some much needed love over the off season! Gonna hose it with fluid film after I sweep it all out including taking the fan off and sweeping the heat exchanger. I shined a flashlight down the first stage while it was off and there was small pieces of coal and ash built up but that was expected. When I first took the boiler apart after purchase it was built up there and after burning last season I had the same thing. I assume it's just a flaw in the design as the heavier particles will fall in that cavity and buildup a slope like it is now?

 
User avatar
Retro_Origin
Member
Posts: 914
Joined: Sun. Feb. 21, 2021 7:46 pm
Location: Schuylkill county
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1957 Axeman Anderson 130
Coal Size/Type: Buckwheat / Pea

Post by Retro_Origin » Sat. Apr. 16, 2022 10:33 am

swyman wrote:
Sat. Apr. 16, 2022 8:01 am
...So with snow in the forecast I decided to turn the power back on and run it...
An oil man's nightmare, a coal man's dream (I know off topic...)

 
Jkohanski
Member
Posts: 253
Joined: Mon. Nov. 25, 2019 11:11 pm
Location: ringoes, nj central west jersey near pA border
Stoker Coal Boiler: ahs s260
Coal Size/Type: pea
Other Heating: fuel oil
Contact:

Post by Jkohanski » Sun. Apr. 17, 2022 10:46 pm

My chimney is only about 12ft straight up to cap. One windy day i held baro shut just to see what it did to the flapper sight cover, and it shut it closed. Since then i make sure the damper is free and working.

 
User avatar
swyman
Member
Posts: 2355
Joined: Mon. Apr. 13, 2015 9:50 pm
Location: Blissfield, MI
Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman-Anderson 260M Leisure Line AA-220 Boiler (FOR SALE)
Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Pea

Post by swyman » Tue. Apr. 19, 2022 7:12 am

Retro_Origin wrote:
Sat. Apr. 16, 2022 10:33 am
An oil man's nightmare, a coal man's dream (I know off topic...)
All coal related topics welcome in this thread! Been burning coal for last 7 years now coming from wood for most of my life. I am still amazed at the output of these machines and how much more time I have from burning this stuff!

 
User avatar
swyman
Member
Posts: 2355
Joined: Mon. Apr. 13, 2015 9:50 pm
Location: Blissfield, MI
Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman-Anderson 260M Leisure Line AA-220 Boiler (FOR SALE)
Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Pea

Post by swyman » Tue. Apr. 19, 2022 7:16 am

Jkohanski wrote:
Sun. Apr. 17, 2022 10:46 pm
My chimney is only about 12ft straight up to cap. One windy day i held baro shut just to see what it did to the flapper sight cover, and it shut it closed. Since then i make sure the damper is free and working.
That was a real eye opener for me. I had a 28' 8" square tile chimney built with vermiculite insulation in it, works very well but really pulls. Think I could possibly see an efficiency increase by adding a damper?


 
User avatar
Lightning
Site Moderator
Posts: 14659
Joined: Wed. Nov. 16, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Olean, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: Modified AA 130
Coal Size/Type: Pea Size - Anthracite

Post by Lightning » Tue. Apr. 19, 2022 3:45 pm

swyman wrote:
Tue. Apr. 19, 2022 7:16 am
Think I could possibly see an efficiency increase by adding a damper?
Technically, I'm inclined to say yes. Since the air being pulled by the chimney will be shared between the baro and the boiler instead of it only having one path thru the boiler. The amount of heat loss that happens during idle via air passing thru the boiler would be difficult to quantity with a variable draft. I believe they have some numbers on the report they did in the 1950s.

Edit - the report has heat loss numbers for flue glasses while it's running.. not for idle.. but it makes sense that less air moving thru the boiler during idle would equate into less heat going up the chimney.

In light of this situation with your boiler overheating in a wind storm, I'm considering adding a baro to mine.

 
Jkohanski
Member
Posts: 253
Joined: Mon. Nov. 25, 2019 11:11 pm
Location: ringoes, nj central west jersey near pA border
Stoker Coal Boiler: ahs s260
Coal Size/Type: pea
Other Heating: fuel oil
Contact:

Post by Jkohanski » Tue. Apr. 19, 2022 8:32 pm

I think a damper would help with fuel use. Gives an even pull of air volume/velocity vs a hard.

 
User avatar
coaledsweat
Site Moderator
Posts: 13763
Joined: Fri. Oct. 27, 2006 2:05 pm
Location: Guilford, Connecticut
Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman Anderson 260M
Coal Size/Type: Pea

Post by coaledsweat » Wed. Apr. 20, 2022 8:21 am

Install the damper as instructed by Axeman. It requires a "muzzle brake" kind of contraption where the stovepipe goes into a larger one ending approximately at the middle of the damper. When these beasts cough they can make a mess of things without it.

 
User avatar
swyman
Member
Posts: 2355
Joined: Mon. Apr. 13, 2015 9:50 pm
Location: Blissfield, MI
Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman-Anderson 260M Leisure Line AA-220 Boiler (FOR SALE)
Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Pea

Post by swyman » Wed. Apr. 20, 2022 12:09 pm

coaledsweat wrote:
Wed. Apr. 20, 2022 8:21 am
Install the damper as instructed by Axeman. It requires a "muzzle brake" kind of contraption where the stovepipe goes into a larger one ending approximately at the middle of the damper. When these beasts cough they can make a mess of things without it.
Thanks for the reminder! I think I remember Stoker Don having one and it would cough a little fly ash when it would start, could be wrong but remember reading it somewhere.

 
User avatar
coaledsweat
Site Moderator
Posts: 13763
Joined: Fri. Oct. 27, 2006 2:05 pm
Location: Guilford, Connecticut
Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman Anderson 260M
Coal Size/Type: Pea

Post by coaledsweat » Wed. Apr. 20, 2022 12:37 pm

It can blow the damper off with a big cough.

 
User avatar
StokerDon
Site Moderator
Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
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. Apr. 21, 2022 7:27 pm

swyman wrote:
Tue. Apr. 19, 2022 7:16 am
Think I could possibly see an efficiency increase by adding a damper?
Nope!

Ae you normally seeing excessively high draft readings?

-Don

 
User avatar
swyman
Member
Posts: 2355
Joined: Mon. Apr. 13, 2015 9:50 pm
Location: Blissfield, MI
Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman-Anderson 260M Leisure Line AA-220 Boiler (FOR SALE)
Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Pea

Post by swyman » Fri. Apr. 22, 2022 7:14 am

StokerDon wrote:
Thu. Apr. 21, 2022 7:27 pm
Nope!

Ae you normally seeing excessively high draft readings?

-Don
Yes and have from the start but did not give it a second though as you know the draft issues I faced with my power vent so I was actually very happy that I had high draft readings. I knew I was probably losing some efficiency but since switching to the Axman I am burning less coal and it was not only keeping up with the load but laughing at it so I didn't care. .... until this happened which I didn't think was possible! Oh and as far as the readings, usually they are up around -.09 but in the windy conditions it immediately pegs it out at -.1 (highest it reads) so I am well above that.

 
User avatar
StokerDon
Site Moderator
Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
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 » Fri. Apr. 22, 2022 7:23 am

The occasional wind gust isn't a problem but if your spending a lot of time with a stronger than -.06-ish draft, you need a damper.

-Don


Post Reply

Return to “Stoker Coal Boilers Using Anthracite (Hydronic & Steam)”