AA130 cyclone seperator funnel

 
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Lightning
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Post by Lightning » Tue. Nov. 22, 2022 9:47 am

Oh boy... I had a similar event with my feed tube. I don't remember how or why it happened but the auger flights started coming out of the end of the tube and "screwed" into the coal bin. By the time I realized what was happening, the flights had extended at least 12 inches beyond the end of the tube. I was mortified to say the least lol. I dismounted feed tube and emptied it. Then the flights kinda retracted into the tube with a little persuasion. But, most importantly, the flight at the coal bin end of the feed tube has to be welded to the tube, or it will just stretch out into the bin again. So I hope you welded it.


 
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mozz
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Post by mozz » Tue. Nov. 22, 2022 10:38 am

Nope, didn't weld it. Only welder i have here is a small Hobart flux wire welder. It was kind of springy when it was sticking out but once i cut it and semi squared off the tube it didn't seem as bad. It's not sticking out much, maybe 1 inch. If it's gonna pull out, wouldn't i be able to see it moved from the transfer end? Or would it just be like a spring and pull out until it snaps? I really don't want to take the auger back off again.

 
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Post by Lightning » Tue. Nov. 22, 2022 10:45 am

Dude... I HIGHLY advise you to dismount that tube and weld the end flight of the auger to the tube. It will inevitably corkscrew its way out of the end of the tube and into the coal bin again. Unless someone else here says that won't happen.. I can't believe that it won't.. I'm sorry.

 
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Post by mozz » Tue. Nov. 22, 2022 10:51 am

Well, if you look at the piece i cut off, it's pretty worn so i'm sure it wasn't corkscrewing into the bin any further than 6" at the most. Looks more like honest wear from years of turning against the coal. I guess they are just tack welded on each end of the tube. I don't know if my wire welder will work on this.

 
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Post by Lightning » Tue. Nov. 22, 2022 10:57 am

I wish ya the best and hope that it won't be a problem. 🙂 I'd have a tough time sleeping at night if it wasn't welded, but maybe I'm a bit paranoid too lol.

Mine was welded with a small wire welder.

 
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Post by Lightning » Tue. Nov. 22, 2022 11:06 am

Here is the discussion about when my auger climbed out into the bin..

Post by Lightning - The Epoch of the Axeman

 
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Post by Lightning » Tue. Nov. 22, 2022 11:10 am

After rereading that that I determined that it was possible that the end flight may have not been welded for a period of time, I do admit.. but I still wouldn't roll those dice again.


 
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Post by Lightning » Thu. Nov. 24, 2022 8:01 am

Hi Mozz, was just curious how your Axe is running.. Happy Thanksgiving 😁

 
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Post by mozz » Fri. Dec. 09, 2022 10:48 pm

Never saw this so i didn't get to reply. Been looking at it and trying to figure it out. I now know more of how it actually works with the swirling etc.

Ok, lots of unburnt in the ash (new coal instead of what i was burning for 5 years). Ash pan is heavy. Fire seemed slow when the fan was on, took a while to get white hot. Auger seems good now, pulling up more than it feeds so transfer head is always full. Getting fines out the port and never had that happen in 15 years. Took off plate and saw the 3 screws(with lock washers), 1 was backing out and other 2 were loose. Cork gasket was compresssed/grooved. I had 2 new ones in my AA130 stash, so replaced that. Calibrated anthrstat and it wasn't really out of cal by more than a few degrees. Set it at 140.

Took stove pipe off, vacuumed that and inside the base. My old hi temp sealant was solid so had to go to the hardware store and buy a new tube of 2000f caulking, sealed up the base front and sides as a lot of that was missing. Re zeroed magnehelic. Took off front access plate to check rollers, they are all fine. Looking at the grate seems like a lot of small fines and ash fines turned into a piece of cement on the highest step. Dug all that crap out and finally got to see regular ash there.

Shined a light down the exhaust, there was a blob of something there in the cone, but not totally blocking it. I did get some large flakes out by poking from the bottom a few days before. Pulled out the popes hat and appears to be a lot of pieces of crud fell out, about half of the cone was now full with pieces. If the exhaust is 5" and the popes is 4", i would say it was totally blocked between them. Pushed them through the cone into the grate. Cone i could see about 20% was not sealed. I slathered a lot of the hi temp caulk on a flat stick and smothered the spot i could see open.

Resealed the popes hat up top and bolted it back up. I can't get the bolt out for the cone, started to round. I'll worry about that after the winter, will try to take it out and totally seal/replace it. But it appeared to be in not bad shape just that one part was unsealed. I think the popes hat clog was blocking the swirl chamber outlet, which was causing excess fly ash in my stove pipe and cleanout.

Cranked thermostat up and let it run, house was really hot for a few hours and seems to be holding more consistent temp now. I run steam and i know this AA130 used to keep the house +- about 1 degree. 1560sq ft. I used to brag this could heat 2 houses. Last week it would drop to 68 them take a while to hit 72. Seems a lot better now but i didn't see it ash yet so i will check that in the morning.

I think i am going to pull the popes hat out again next weekend and try to shove a brush in the swirl port in case there is still blockage, but it might have blown out more pieces that were in there, fire door does seem drawn in a bit stronger and it definitely is burning hotter in a shorter span of fan time.

Still browsing Amazon to find a PID, will monitor the ash temps before i actually hook one up to do the job.

 
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Post by mozz » Thu. Dec. 15, 2022 9:27 am

https://www.allelectronics.com/item/thm-4/thermos ... ule/1.html

This may work as a pid, cheap enough but needs 12v to run. Still reading the spec sheet, hopefully it retains the setting after a power outage.

 
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Post by StokerDon » Thu. Dec. 15, 2022 4:00 pm

mozz wrote:
Thu. Dec. 15, 2022 9:27 am
https://www.allelectronics.com/item/thm-4/thermos ... ule/1.html

This may work as a pid, cheap enough but needs 12v to run. Still reading the spec sheet, hopefully it retains the setting after a power outage.
That one only gives readings in Centigrade.

I use the Inkbird ITC-106 VH. I use one as a control for the boiler, one to control the ashing. No aquastat or Anthrastat.
https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-Temperature-Thermo ... B01KJYQG2C

It will run on your 120V AC and will read out in Centigrade or Fahrenheit.

If you only want to monitor the ash temp, I would just drill a hole and put a 12" BBQ thermometer in.

-Don

 
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Post by mozz » Thu. Dec. 15, 2022 7:52 pm

I'm going to get a more commercial type. Ranco with a extra sensor is only a little above $100, so that's what i just ordered.

Fire was climbing into the transfer head at 140 (2 teeth) after 2 days. I'd say halfway up as the cover was pretty hot. I adjusted the anthrastat until it clicked, it's about 150 now (and 2.5 teeth)and finally getting a tiny bit of coal on top of the fire and the fines dumping out have stopped. I don't know if it's just this coal because i never had these problems in 14 years.

 
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Post by swyman » Fri. Dec. 16, 2022 7:34 am

I'd just like to add I copied Don's Inkbird setup and they really work without issue and are very simple and cheap! But you can never go wrong with something more industrial but I wouldn't be afraid of these cheap units. On my 3rd season

 
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Post by mozz » Fri. Dec. 16, 2022 12:29 pm

In another thread i asked for a parts list and schematic but got no response. The Ranco is on the way so that's what I'll be using for now. As to the Inkbird, do they retain the settings after you lose power?

Just had the AA130 running and it wasn't ashing, bumped it up again and it went click. I know it's calibrated at 140 but I'm thinking it's intermittent, I must be close to 155 now. Years back when it had a call for heat, fan would turn on and start running, then about 15 seconds later the ash solenoid would energize, it was almost always like that so i never touched it.

 
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Post by McGiever » Fri. Dec. 16, 2022 2:17 pm

If the Ranco has a T/C (thermocouple) for a probe it should be okay. The probe can see temps at 500F looking at a coal fire and a epoxy dipped NTC probe wouldn't like that.


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