DF 520 maintenance before winter

 
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Retro_Origin
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Location: Schuylkill county
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1957 Axeman Anderson 130
Coal Size/Type: Buckwheat / Pea

Post by Retro_Origin » Tue. Oct. 18, 2022 2:51 pm

So I'm hoping to fire this up this weekend for my BIL, finally some final pictures and a few questions.
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Gasket seeping a good bit, it was pretty hard too. Wire wheeled the area and it wasn't heavily pitted. Hopefully this summer should take off the covers and do a better clean

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It's a good thing I took apart the coupling, BOTH ends of the tube were SHOT!
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Replaced it with PVC, unfortunately not much room to work! I had to slide the auger underneath the stoker and out through a hole in the partition wall into the next room to get it out! (super crappy picture)
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Needed 66" for the 2-3 flights of auger protruding so I made two 33" pieces and connected them with a homemade coupler, worked perfectly and now next time shouldn't have to cut anything to get them apart.

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The manual says something about a packing material in between these gaps? What do you suggest?


lzaharis wrote:
Thu. Aug. 04, 2022 12:49 pm
Is there a doghouse covering the auger???

If not, it should have one; or at least place a block of wood under
the tube to support the tube and keep the auger off the floor.
Yes, I haven't forgotten about this! So important!

I did remove and clean the baffles and heat transfer sections, the permanent post links in the stoker boiler page were VERY helpful!!

Anything I should be doing since switching FROM oil on this unit? I just took the nozzle out. One manual on the EFM site said about closing the damper/cover plate to protect the oil gun but this unit didn't appear to have one. I don't think they'll ever be going back to oil since they have a really good HWH for summer.

 
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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Tue. Oct. 18, 2022 4:40 pm

The manual says something about a packing material in between these gaps? What do you suggest?
I never bothered to seal between the coupler and the tubes. I suppose if the coal is real dry you could get some dust out of there, but a bead of silicone would fix that.

 
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Retro_Origin
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Posts: 900
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 » Tue. Oct. 18, 2022 5:29 pm

Rob R. wrote:
Tue. Oct. 18, 2022 4:40 pm
I never bothered to seal between the coupler and the tubes. I suppose if the coal is real dry you could get some dust out of there, but a bead of silicone would fix that.
Isn't the whole "air leakage through the tube" a concern? Or is the vent in the 'gooseneck'(?) going to negate that?


 
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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 » Tue. Oct. 18, 2022 6:11 pm

You should probably do a coal less run with the auger and fan running and feel for any air leaking around the joint; but as Rob said filling it with silicone caulk would work too. A tight rope gasket would work also but the ends would have to be sealed with silicone to assure a positive seal.

If the cover for the oil burner mounting weldment is still there I would just remove the oil burner and reinstall the cover plate for the oil burner weldment after you lay down a thick bead of high temperature silicone on the oil burner flange weldment on the stoker and then just seal it up a little more than hand tight and be done with it as fly ash can really make a mess of the entire oil burner getting into everything especially a Reillo burner. I pulled mine off and left it off and I am glad I did as I no longer burn oil period.

 
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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Tue. Oct. 18, 2022 8:51 pm

Retro_Origin wrote:
Tue. Oct. 18, 2022 5:29 pm
Isn't the whole "air leakage through the tube" a concern? Or is the vent in the 'gooseneck'(?) going to negate that?
I had a different style coupler that was a very snug fit. If yours is loose go ahead and seal it up with something.

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