Looking for information on my Allen stoker

 
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StokerDon
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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 » Mon. Dec. 07, 2020 4:45 pm

Great! Thanks for reporting back in. The Allen is a really nice stoker but there is hardly any info about them on the internet. I think your pictures are the best I have seen!

I know forum member "Scrapper" is a fan of the Allen stoker. I also know that he helped DS Machine design the new stoker for their Aquastoke boiler. The new stoker definitely resembles the Allen.

-Don


 
Dave 1234
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Posts: 788
Joined: Tue. Nov. 13, 2012 9:05 am
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1948 International boiler, EFM S-20 stoker
Coal Size/Type: Buck,

Post by Dave 1234 » Mon. Dec. 07, 2020 7:46 pm

So...... Now on to dialing this unit in .

Check on ebay, look for ''manometer'' . You need that next.

This way , you can set the draft. With-out one, it's like being at bat with a blindfold on.

 
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Idlorah
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Posts: 520
Joined: Wed. Nov. 18, 2020 6:31 pm
Location: New Ringgold, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Allen 700 stoker
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Gibralter MCC
Coal Size/Type: Buck in the Allen and anything goes in the MCC, Anthracite
Other Heating: None, maybe some wood in the MCC in the shoulder season

Post by Idlorah » Wed. Dec. 09, 2020 5:15 pm

Dave 1234 wrote:
Mon. Dec. 07, 2020 7:46 pm
So...... Now on to dialing this unit in .

Check on ebay, look for ''manometer'' . You need that next.

This way , you can set the draft. With-out one, it's like being at bat with a blindfold on.
What exactly do you mean on setting the draft?

 
Dave 1234
Member
Posts: 788
Joined: Tue. Nov. 13, 2012 9:05 am
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1948 International boiler, EFM S-20 stoker
Coal Size/Type: Buck,

Post by Dave 1234 » Wed. Dec. 09, 2020 5:54 pm

A stoker setting is 3 fold . And like setting a carb on a motor.
One, the feed of coal vs fan-forced air needs to be right. You can see that by the ash ring. Next , at rest you want to keep the coal burning , but with as little air ''pull'' from your stack as possible, that ''pull'' keeps the coal burning, but will take the boiler heat away. The barometric dampener in your stack controls the ''pull'', ie, draft. So a manometer is needed to measure that ''pull''. With the manometer you can set the barometric dampener.
They are not expensive.
Your boiler needs a small amount of negative pressure all the times.
And lastly, do you have a couple of CO detectors in the house ?

 
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Idlorah
Member
Posts: 520
Joined: Wed. Nov. 18, 2020 6:31 pm
Location: New Ringgold, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Allen 700 stoker
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Gibralter MCC
Coal Size/Type: Buck in the Allen and anything goes in the MCC, Anthracite
Other Heating: None, maybe some wood in the MCC in the shoulder season

Post by Idlorah » Thu. Dec. 10, 2020 11:21 pm

Dave 1234 wrote:
Wed. Dec. 09, 2020 5:54 pm
A stoker setting is 3 fold . And like setting a carb on a motor.
One, the feed of coal vs fan-forced air needs to be right. You can see that by the ash ring. Next , at rest you want to keep the coal burning , but with as little air ''pull'' from your stack as possible, that ''pull'' keeps the coal burning, but will take the boiler heat away. The barometric dampener in your stack controls the ''pull'', ie, draft. So a manometer is needed to measure that ''pull''. With the manometer you can set the barometric dampener.
They are not expensive.
Your boiler needs a small amount of negative pressure all the times.
And lastly, do you have a couple of CO detectors in the house ?
I do not have a baro. I do have 2 CO detectors one with a digital read above the stoker and conventional at the top of the basement stairs.
I plan on installing a baro next year

 
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Idlorah
Member
Posts: 520
Joined: Wed. Nov. 18, 2020 6:31 pm
Location: New Ringgold, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Allen 700 stoker
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Gibralter MCC
Coal Size/Type: Buck in the Allen and anything goes in the MCC, Anthracite
Other Heating: None, maybe some wood in the MCC in the shoulder season

Post by Idlorah » Thu. Jan. 13, 2022 6:54 pm

Just wanted to resurrect this thread. After all the work I did to this stoker last year it paid off she is running like a top this year. Lit it up in the end of October been cruising along ever since. Never got to installing a Baro yet but I still plan to. I was lucky enough to find a forum member who has a friend who is willing to sell me an entire stoker unit out of an allen so I wont have to worry so much if something breaks on me.

 
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Idlorah
Member
Posts: 520
Joined: Wed. Nov. 18, 2020 6:31 pm
Location: New Ringgold, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Allen 700 stoker
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Gibralter MCC
Coal Size/Type: Buck in the Allen and anything goes in the MCC, Anthracite
Other Heating: None, maybe some wood in the MCC in the shoulder season

Post by Idlorah » Wed. Oct. 12, 2022 5:06 pm

Well its that time of year again that my procrastination of cleaning out the stove from last season has come to and end. Today I decided it was time to pull the stoker unit on the Allen and give it a through cleaning under the grates and the air tube. Once I got the unit out I noticed that i could not spin the main shaft for the screw. Upon further inspection I noticed some rust where the shaft goes through the bushing in the pot and where the fines dump out.(Must've gotten some moisture inside while it was off for the warmer months) Luckily all it took was a larger pipe wench and I was able to break it free. On another note the top ash ring I made 2 years ago is in great shape still. I did find a very large pile of fines under the grates (I did not pull the stoker unit out last year for cleaning I definitely should've.) vacuum took care of them quickly. I'm not a huge fan of my rigid copper air tube from 2 years ago I am going to try to make one out of conduit for a nicer bend and better flow. Tomorrow I pull off the access cover and clean the fly ash out of the inside of the boiler and the stove piping. Here is some pics.
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Stoker unit out

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Ash ring unbolted

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Close up of rings

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All rings out except for the bottom one that stays bolted in place. the ground off sections was done by previous owner or person who worked on it. I assume it was to make different pot rings work inside this unit.

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Stack of rings

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Close up of where the fines exit. they go through the small section next to the shaft. Also note the rust on the shaft to the pot.

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Pipe wrench on shaft to break it free

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Last edited by Idlorah on Wed. Oct. 12, 2022 5:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.


 
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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Wed. Oct. 12, 2022 5:10 pm

Looks good to me. For a better experience next time, do your cleaning immediately after shutdown in the spring.

 
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Idlorah
Member
Posts: 520
Joined: Wed. Nov. 18, 2020 6:31 pm
Location: New Ringgold, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Allen 700 stoker
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Gibralter MCC
Coal Size/Type: Buck in the Allen and anything goes in the MCC, Anthracite
Other Heating: None, maybe some wood in the MCC in the shoulder season

Post by Idlorah » Wed. Oct. 12, 2022 5:14 pm

Rob R. wrote:
Wed. Oct. 12, 2022 5:10 pm
Looks good to me. For a better experience next time, do your cleaning immediately after shutdown in the spring.
Definitely will next time. Live and learn.

 
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Idlorah
Member
Posts: 520
Joined: Wed. Nov. 18, 2020 6:31 pm
Location: New Ringgold, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Allen 700 stoker
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Gibralter MCC
Coal Size/Type: Buck in the Allen and anything goes in the MCC, Anthracite
Other Heating: None, maybe some wood in the MCC in the shoulder season

Post by Idlorah » Wed. Oct. 12, 2022 5:20 pm

20221012_113118.jpg

Top view of pot after I got the shaft to spin again note the coal pulled through by the screw.

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View of where shaft exits the pot the blue/green is where the pot bushing is I believe. this is also where the shaft was bound up.

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20221012_113158.jpg

bottom of pot view of the fines exit. (took this pic upside down so don't mind the quality.)

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A few more pictures.

 
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freetown fred
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Hand Fed Coal Stove: HITZER 50-93
Coal Size/Type: BLASCHAK Nut

Post by freetown fred » Wed. Oct. 12, 2022 5:35 pm

I'll bet ya don't!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :lol:

Idlorah wrote:
Wed. Oct. 12, 2022 5:14 pm
Definitely will next time. Live and learn.

 
User avatar
Idlorah
Member
Posts: 520
Joined: Wed. Nov. 18, 2020 6:31 pm
Location: New Ringgold, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Allen 700 stoker
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Gibralter MCC
Coal Size/Type: Buck in the Allen and anything goes in the MCC, Anthracite
Other Heating: None, maybe some wood in the MCC in the shoulder season

Post by Idlorah » Wed. Oct. 12, 2022 5:55 pm

freetown fred wrote:
Wed. Oct. 12, 2022 5:35 pm
I'll bet ya don't!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :lol:
Place your bets now..... we will see how lazy I am next year :lol:

 
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Idlorah
Member
Posts: 520
Joined: Wed. Nov. 18, 2020 6:31 pm
Location: New Ringgold, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Allen 700 stoker
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Gibralter MCC
Coal Size/Type: Buck in the Allen and anything goes in the MCC, Anthracite
Other Heating: None, maybe some wood in the MCC in the shoulder season

Post by Idlorah » Thu. Oct. 13, 2022 6:28 pm

Today I was able to get the stoker unit reassembled. Made a new air tube out of 3/4 EMT conduit this has a much nicer bend then the rigid copper one I made 2 years ago with multiple kinks in it. Wire brushed off all of the pot rings and reassembled the pot with new gasket under the ash ring. Then I got out the brushes and vacuum and got to cleaning the fly ash out after removing the inspection panel. About 4" of ash in the back of the stoker where the baffles are. And only found one bird, had one last year as well. I finally got up on the roof and measured for and made a chimney cap so I wont have any more birds in my stoker next year. All that is left is to pop off and clean the stove pipe. That will get done tomorrow. here's some pictures. I like to share pictures of my stoker because I believe I am the only Allen stoker on this forum anymore.

Attachments

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New air tube

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20221013_112119.jpg

Cleaned and reassembled pot with anti-seize on ash ring bolts

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20221013_113151.jpg

Stoker unit ready to go back in

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Access panel removed

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about 4" of fly ash in the bottom of the from half

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fly ash in the back section as well, and a visitor

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View of baffles in front half before cleaning

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20221013_114122 (1).jpg

Baffle in rear with a shot of the flue exit

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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Thu. Oct. 13, 2022 6:40 pm

Take good care of that stoker.

How hard is it to remove that cleaning panel? After a few weeks of burning if you could sneak in there for a quick brushing it would really get you ready for the cold weather.

 
User avatar
Idlorah
Member
Posts: 520
Joined: Wed. Nov. 18, 2020 6:31 pm
Location: New Ringgold, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Allen 700 stoker
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Gibralter MCC
Coal Size/Type: Buck in the Allen and anything goes in the MCC, Anthracite
Other Heating: None, maybe some wood in the MCC in the shoulder season

Post by Idlorah » Thu. Oct. 13, 2022 6:47 pm

Rob R. wrote:
Thu. Oct. 13, 2022 6:40 pm
Take good care of that stoker.

How hard is it to remove that cleaning panel? After a few weeks of burning if you could sneak in there for a quick brushing it would really get you ready for the cold weather.
Not hard at all. I gave it a good brushing today and vacuumed it all out. I forgot to take after pictures.


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