The Epoch of the Axeman

The new sleeve is looking good. As far as alignment with the bearings is concerned, if I nudge the support outward where it angles down and connects to the base, the bearings can be flush. So I'll probably pursue something in that area to flush the bearings better.

In other news, we had the coldest night so far a couple nights ago. It reached -7. There were no problems keeping the thermostat satisfied not that the Axeman couldn't do it. I was more concerned with the heat exchanger and distribution. No problem there. The blower ran more often in the air handler, but that's to be expected.

The salon struggled a bit to climb up from 50 to 68 with the below zero temps that morning. My wife turned the infrared sauna on to add BTUs and that did the trick. It took 4 hours for the salon to teach 68, under more normal conditions of 25 OAT it takes a couple hours.. So no problems there either I still have the option of upping the boiler water temp, currently it ranges 160-170.

Lee, in cold weather like that I would reduce your thermostat setback in the salon by 1/2, or turn it up the evening before.

Yep one extra customer...
That wants an early appointment...
Pays for the heat...

Good thinkin, fellas. Thank you

I might add a couple more radiators later this season or this summer just to quicken the warm up time a bit.

The bin is finally low enough so I reinstalled the bin mini. I dug out around the coal feed tube then leveled the bin around it. I'll be able to start measuring usage again while we have some winter left

All is well with Axe and I have some exciting stats to post Keep in mind that the daily coal additions are skewed since some days I heaped the mini bin higher than others but on the last measurement I filled it to perfect level just like we began with.

02/19 9:00pm bin level/empty tubs
Date....#'s added.......average OAT(F)
02/20 +109...................16.6
02/21 +99.....................20.3
02/22 +75.....................29.1
02/23 +69.....................37
02/24 +64.....................43
02/25 +35.....................39

Coal total 451#'s
Ashes 55#'s
Ash vs coal weight at 12.1%
Days 5.83..... 77.4#'s per day average
Average OAT for duration 31 degrees
2.26 pounds/HDD (base 65 degrees)

Axe is running stock parameters.
Between 1-2 clicks ashing.
Anthrastat setting 142 degrees.

Heating 2400 sq ft home and domestic hot water for a family of 5 along with a 500 sq ft out building used as a salon/music studio..

That coal usage isn't too bad, is it?

I’m no expert on boiler coal usage but that sounds real good with all your heating. But I give you a big A plus for your record keeping Lee!

Lightning wrote: ↑

Tue. Feb. 25, 2020 7:04 pm

2.26 pounds/HDD
Heating 2400 sq ft home and domestic hot water for a family of 5 along with a 500 sq ft out building used as a salon/music studio..

That coal usage isn't too bad, is it?

Not bad at all.

Toddburn wrote: ↑

Tue. Feb. 25, 2020 7:10 pm

I’m no expert on boiler coal usage but that sounds real good with all your heating. But I give you a big A plus for your record keeping Lee!

Thanks Todd, I used to track usage and other things quite religiously when I ran the hand fed. The Axe takes its coal straight from the bin so up till now I haven't been able to measure anything. Now that the mini bin is installed I can measure what goes into it.

lsayre wrote: ↑

Tue. Feb. 25, 2020 7:18 pm

Not bad at all.

Thanks Larry, I gotta get that water meter installed so we can see how much of that is heating water..

Damn Lee--only 39 pages??????????/ You can do better!!

Lightning wrote: ↑

Tue. Feb. 25, 2020 9:22 pm

Thanks Todd, I used to track usage and other things quite religiously when I ran the hand fed. The Axe takes its coal straight from the bin so up till now I haven't been able to measure anything. Now that the mini bin is installed I can measure what goes into it.


Thanks Larry, I gotta get that water meter installed so we can see how much of that is heating water..

freetown fred wrote: ↑

Wed. Feb. 26, 2020 5:50 am

Damn Lee--only 39 pages??????????/ You can do better!!

The Axe was only just lit a few months ago, I'm just getting started

So interestingly enough, I averaged around 1.5 pounds per HDD with the hand fed and so far I'm seeing around 2.25 with the Axe which is 50% more.. Based on 5.5 tons with the hand fed I should use 8.25 tons with the Axe which is pretty close to my uneducated guess of 8 tons. I do plan on lighting it earlier in the fall and running it later in the spring so realistically I should plan for 9 tons per heating season I'm thinkin. I might be able to reign that in a little with some tightening up.

Lightning wrote: ↑

Wed. Feb. 26, 2020 7:43 am

So interestingly enough, I averaged around 1.5 pounds per HDD with the hand fed and so far I'm seeing around 2.25 with the Axe which is 50% more.. Based on 5.5 tons with the hand fed I should use 8.25 tons with the Axe which is pretty close to my uneducated guess of 8 tons. I do plan on lighting it earlier in the fall and running it later in the spring so realistically I should plan for 9 tons per heating season I'm thinkin. I might be able to reign that in a little with some tightening up.

You are now heating an outbuilding, and to some extent also the ground between the outbuilding and your house.

Was the hand fed making all of your DHW?

No it didnt.., you guys are both correct. The extra coal is definitely validated between the out building and DHW. The hand fed only preheated water and the electric tank finished heating it. The Axe is doing all the work heating DHW currently for a family of 5, of which a few are oblivious to hot water conservation

I was only comparing to get an idea for my updated total heating needs.

I think I had that ol Clayton pretty well topped out in the efficiency department..