Axeman 130 Heats Wood Boiler

Post Reply
 
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. Jan. 22, 2021 7:19 pm

Well, it's finally actually really Winter. That means it's time for a Winter Axeman experiment!

A freind of mine heats his home with a Mahoning 500 outdoor wood boiler. Next season he wants to replace the Mahoning with an Axeman Anderson. We thought it might be interesting to temporarily install a 130M in the basement of the outbuilding where the wood boiler is, Then connect it to heat the wood boiler.

Here is what we are heating.
IMG_7436.JPG
.JPG | 456.8KB | IMG_7436.JPG
The the lower floor of the house is at ground level on the left. Then the upper floor and garage are at ground level on the right.
IMG_7437.JPG
.JPG | 460.6KB | IMG_7437.JPG
The outbuilding is in back about 20 feet from the house and is a similar 2 floor setup. The wood boiler is on a large, roofed porch connected to the outbuilding. PEX from boiler to house is about 25 feet.

Total square footage being heated is close to 5,000.

Currently there are 3 zones plus a DHW zone off of the wood boiler.
Zone 1, House heat exchanger.
Zone 2, house + garage radiant floor heat.
Zone 3, Outbuilding heat exchanger.
DHW zone, heats plate heat exchanger fed to electric water heater.
No Glycol in the system. Wood boiler is an open system with boiler treatment.

All pumps are on the back of the wood boiler.
IMG_7447.JPG
.JPG | 329.8KB | IMG_7447.JPG
IMG_7448.JPG
.JPG | 342KB | IMG_7448.JPG
The pump in the center is for the outbuilding zone. We will use that to backfeed the Axeman into the wood boiler.
IMG_7449.JPG
.JPG | 285.5KB | IMG_7449.JPG
The outbuilding zone PEX enters in the basement. The two smaller lines are domestic water for the outbuilding. The plan is to remove the Tee's and connect the supply and return on the Axeman. The run to the wood boiler from there is about 8 feet.
IMG_7439.JPG
.JPG | 349.5KB | IMG_7439.JPG
Luckily, the outbuilding has a chimney with a thimble in the basement. There is a wood burner currently connected.
IMG_7443.JPG
.JPG | 322.9KB | IMG_7443.JPG
IMG_7444.JPG
.JPG | 338.3KB | IMG_7444.JPG
The Axeman will sit about where the wood burner is now.
IMG_7441.JPG
.JPG | 302.1KB | IMG_7441.JPG
The Plan;
Keep in mind that this is going to be a temporary setup until the Mahoning is removed and the porch is enclosed. At that point the Axeman will be moved and plumbed in as a pressurized system.

Remove the wood burner in the basement of the outbuilding and install the Axeman 130.
Plumb the Axeman supply and return into the current outbuilding zone.

Potential problems;

The wood boiler is an unpressurized, open system.
8 feet of 1" PEX from the basement to the wood boiler.

What do you think? Will this work???

-Don


 
User avatar
nepacoal
Member
Posts: 1696
Joined: Wed. Nov. 21, 2012 7:49 am
Location: Coal Country
Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KAA-4 / "Kelly" and an EFM 520 at my in-laws
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Harman SF-260 - retired
Coal Size/Type: Buck

Post by nepacoal » Fri. Jan. 22, 2021 7:33 pm

I think you'll want to limit the temperature to below 200 or so... At 12 psi, water boils at 248°. At 0 psi, around 212 depending on elevation. You probably don't want the boiler in the basement boiling...

 
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. Jan. 22, 2021 7:41 pm

That's a good point. We plan on running the pump 24/7 so there shouldn't be any major overshoots. The wood boiler holds 365 gallons so that should keep the temperatures pretty uniform.

-Don

 
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. » Fri. Jan. 22, 2021 7:44 pm

Why do the temporary install at all?

 
User avatar
hotblast1357
Member
Posts: 5657
Joined: Mon. Mar. 10, 2014 10:06 pm
Location: Peasleeville NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1984 Eshland S260 coal gun
Coal Size/Type: Lehigh anthracite pea
Other Heating: air source heat pump, oil furnace

Post by hotblast1357 » Fri. Jan. 22, 2021 8:24 pm

Why not just take a warm day and swap quick..
Last edited by hotblast1357 on Fri. Jan. 22, 2021 8:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.

 
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. Jan. 22, 2021 8:33 pm

hotblast1357 wrote:
Fri. Jan. 22, 2021 8:24 pm
Why not just take a warm door and swap quick..
A warm door???

 
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. Jan. 22, 2021 8:37 pm

Rob R. wrote:
Fri. Jan. 22, 2021 7:44 pm
Why do the temporary install at all?
Two reasons.

1) This would give my friend some quick, hands on time running an Axeman. If something goes wrong, just light up the wood boiler. If he decides he don't like coal, light up the wood boiler.

2) It looks like a pretty quick and easy install. And it would be fun!

-Don


 
franco b
Site Moderator
Posts: 11416
Joined: Wed. Nov. 05, 2008 5:11 pm
Location: Kent CT
Hand Fed Coal Stove: V ermont Castings 2310, Franco Belge 262
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood Modern Oak 114
Coal Size/Type: nut and pea

Post by franco b » Fri. Jan. 22, 2021 8:38 pm

I like it. A whole new adventure.

 
User avatar
hotblast1357
Member
Posts: 5657
Joined: Mon. Mar. 10, 2014 10:06 pm
Location: Peasleeville NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1984 Eshland S260 coal gun
Coal Size/Type: Lehigh anthracite pea
Other Heating: air source heat pump, oil furnace

Post by hotblast1357 » Fri. Jan. 22, 2021 8:52 pm

StokerDon wrote:
Fri. Jan. 22, 2021 8:33 pm
A warm door???
Dang auto correct, “day”

 
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. » Fri. Jan. 22, 2021 9:07 pm

StokerDon wrote:
Fri. Jan. 22, 2021 8:37 pm
Two reasons.

1) This would give my friend some quick, hands on time running an Axeman. If something goes wrong, just light up the wood boiler. If he decides he don't like coal, light up the wood boiler.

2) It looks like a pretty quick and easy install. And it would be fun!

-Don
Fair enough. It will burn more coal than average, but you should be able to make it work.

 
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. Jan. 22, 2021 9:30 pm

hotblast1357 wrote:
Fri. Jan. 22, 2021 8:52 pm
Dang auto correct, “day”
OH, :lol: :lol:

Well, it would take a lot longer than a day to remove a 3500 pound boiler, install the Axeman, build a chimney, enclose the porch and re-plumb everything. It's more of a Summer time project. :D

-Don

 
lzaharis
Member
Posts: 2366
Joined: Sun. Mar. 25, 2007 8:41 pm
Location: Ithaca, New York
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. Jan. 22, 2021 11:51 pm

150 degrees Fahrenheit low limit 170 degrees Fahrenheit high limit will be more than adequate for that amount of thermal mass and it will also reduce the evaporation rate to a bare minimum. you could try 140 low and 160 high at first firing but I think you will be fine with either temperature range.

 
User avatar
Scottscoaled
Member
Posts: 2812
Joined: Tue. Jan. 08, 2008 9:51 pm
Location: Malta N.Y.
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520, 700, Van Wert 800 GJ 61,53
Baseburners & Antiques: Magic Stewart 16, times 2!
Coal Size/Type: Lots of buck
Other Heating: Slant Fin electric boiler backup

Post by Scottscoaled » Sat. Jan. 23, 2021 4:55 am

My, my! How far this site has come! Instead of someone arguing that it would be impossible to heat 5000 square feet with a 1" pex line, we are thinking it would be fun to try. It would be fun! Don always gets to have all the fun! If the Axeman doesn't carry the load when it gets really cold out, you just fire up the wood eater. Does he have glycol in the system now?

 
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 » Sat. Jan. 23, 2021 6:44 am

Scottscoaled wrote:
Sat. Jan. 23, 2021 4:55 am
Does he have glycol in the system now?
:lol: :lol: Yeh, pretty crazy huh. :what:


No glycol and the 1" PEX run to the wood boiler is only about 8 feet. Those are the two main reasons I think it will work. It being unpressurized might create some problems though. I would imagine that air separators and vent will work, but not sure.

-Don

 
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. Jan. 23, 2021 7:27 am

Don, the wood boiler will act like a big air separator. Once you bleed the lines and AA130 it should be good to go.


Post Reply

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