EFM 520 stove running but no heat

 
bgleockler
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Post by bgleockler » Mon. Dec. 20, 2021 1:36 pm

The stove is running and the pipes in the basement are getting hot, but the only radiator in the entire house that heats up is the one directly above the stove, and even that one takes hours to barely heat up. No steam to the rest of the house at all. What would be causing this?

So far, I have drained the water and refilled it and cleaned the stove and pipe to chimney, but this is still happening.


 
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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Mon. Dec. 20, 2021 1:40 pm

It is a steam system? Assuming the boiler is actually making steam it sounds like you have a venting issue. If the air can't get out of the radiators the steam won't reach them.

 
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Post by bgleockler » Mon. Dec. 20, 2021 1:53 pm

It is a steam system. How do I know it is making steam? I did replace the vent in one of the radiators and it still would not heat up at all. None of the radiators are getting hot, just the pipes in the basement getting hot, but not reaching the radiators.

 
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Post by Rob R. » Mon. Dec. 20, 2021 1:58 pm

If it is making steam you should see at least 212F on the gauge and some amount of pressure as well.

The system worked fine one day and now there is no heat? Nothing else changed?

 
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Post by bgleockler » Mon. Dec. 20, 2021 2:03 pm

The pressure gauge does not move at all. Nothing changed.

 
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Post by bgleockler » Mon. Dec. 20, 2021 2:04 pm

This is what the gauge looks like

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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Mon. Dec. 20, 2021 2:09 pm

Did you get a delivery of new coal?

How does the fire look?


 
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Post by bgleockler » Mon. Dec. 20, 2021 2:13 pm

Fire looks normal, burning well. We did not get new coal recently.

 
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Post by Rob R. » Mon. Dec. 20, 2021 2:56 pm

I am not sure what to tell you. Based on what you have described and the picture of that gauge it sounds like the stoker is not getting the boiler hot enough to make steam.

What feed rate are you running? Is it possible you adjusted the feed rate incorrectly and it is running too low of a setting?

 
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Post by bgleockler » Mon. Dec. 20, 2021 3:12 pm

Feed rate is at 5 teeth and the air is at 4, no recent changes to either.

 
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Post by Pacowy » Mon. Dec. 20, 2021 3:57 pm

If the fire is ok, the most likely suspect is probably the pressure controller. It seems to be interrupting the stoker at very low pressure, so the steam can't push the air out of the vents. You should check the settings, and a manual if you can locate one for troubleshooting. Or maybe somebody on the forum is familiar enough with that unit to offer suggestions.

Mike

 
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Post by Rob R. » Mon. Dec. 20, 2021 4:24 pm

It was my understanding that the stoker is running non-stop and the radiators still aren't getting hot. Is that not the case?

 
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Post by bgleockler » Mon. Dec. 20, 2021 4:25 pm

Pacowy wrote:
Mon. Dec. 20, 2021 3:57 pm
If the fire is ok, the most likely suspect is probably the pressure controller. It seems to be interrupting the stoker at very low pressure, so the steam can't push the air out of the vents. You should check the settings, and a manual if you can locate one for troubleshooting. Or maybe somebody on the forum is familiar enough with that unit to offer suggestions.

Mike
I'll have to check that out, thank you

 
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Post by bgleockler » Mon. Dec. 20, 2021 4:37 pm

Rob R. wrote:
Mon. Dec. 20, 2021 4:24 pm
It was my understanding that the stoker is running non-stop and the radiators still aren't getting hot. Is that not the case?
That is correct.

 
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Post by Rob R. » Mon. Dec. 20, 2021 5:00 pm

bgleockler wrote:
Mon. Dec. 20, 2021 4:37 pm
That is correct.
At 5 teeth if your stoker never shuts off it will burn about 300 lb of coal per day. That will fill the ash can in 12 to 15 hours. If you don't think you are burning that much coal, the pressuretrol (box to the left of your gauge) must be periodically stopping the stoker, as Mike suggested above.

I would remove the cover from the pressuretrol, blow out any dust, and make sure nothing is stuck or bound up. Please post a picture that shows the current settings of the pressuretrol.


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