EFM 520 timer

 
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klim1972
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Post by klim1972 » Tue. Oct. 04, 2022 6:59 pm

Just got my EFM 520 what timer should I get now that I’m doing an instal on it ?


 
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nepacoal
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Post by nepacoal » Tue. Oct. 04, 2022 8:43 pm

When my intermatic stopped working, I switched to the one outlined in the thread below:

New Solid State Timer

It's been working nonstop for over 3 years with no issues. It's been the best change to my system so far

 
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Post by klim1972 » Fri. Oct. 07, 2022 11:31 am

Do you need a transformer and relay? Even when you had the Intermatic?

 
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Post by nepacoal » Fri. Oct. 07, 2022 12:52 pm

Everything was built into the intermatic and everything is built in the new one. A timer controls the contacts on both. The intermatic controls were mechanical and the geya's are digital.

 
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Post by SMITTY » Fri. Oct. 07, 2022 3:09 pm

I'm in the same boat! Getting my 520 set up little by little over the past 15 months, lol. Better late than never, I figure!

I've got a Intermatic C8835-8, but I want a 1 hour timer. This one is a 30-minute timer. I prefer something old school, since me and electronics are like oil and water. Give me mercury, or give me death! :P

I'll probably put this Intermatic up for sale here once I get myself some kind of 1 hour mechanical unit.
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Post by nepacoal » Fri. Oct. 07, 2022 3:19 pm

SMITTY wrote:
Fri. Oct. 07, 2022 3:09 pm
I'm in the same boat! Getting my 520 set up little by little over the past 15 months, lol. Better late than never, I figure!

I've got a Intermatic C8835-8, but I want a 1 hour timer. This one is a 30-minute timer. I prefer something old school, since me and electronics are like oil and water. Give me mercury, or give me death! :P

I'll probably put this Intermatic up for sale here once I get myself some kind of 1 hour mechanical unit.
That 8835 would work just fine (until it breaks like most of them). A minute and a half to 2 minutes once every half hour is a good start point. Our EFM uses the old Honeywell timer and is set at 1min 47s every half hour and it's perfect. Never goes out and rarely goes above 200 except during high wind days. Use the intermatic until it breaks or you find an old Honeywell! I would still prefer the newer solid state timer, but our old one is going on 57 years of constant use. We burn it year around.

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Post by SMITTY » Fri. Oct. 07, 2022 3:26 pm

Yeah, I might just do that.

I'm thinking based on my draft with my old custom built stoker that I'd be better served with a 1 hour timer. That unit used to keep a fire going 3-4 hours during a power outage, and the fire was TINY compared to the EFM. We'll see, of course.

With anything electrically powered, the less cycling, the better is my line of thinking.


 
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Post by Rob R. » Fri. Oct. 07, 2022 4:11 pm

SMITTY wrote:
Fri. Oct. 07, 2022 3:26 pm
Yeah, I might just do that.

I'm thinking based on my draft with my old custom built stoker that I'd be better served with a 1 hour timer. That unit used to keep a fire going 3-4 hours during a power outage, and the fire was TINY compared to the EFM. We'll see, of course.

With anything electrically powered, the less cycling, the better is my line of thinking.
Just use that Intermatic timer, when it dies you can put a solid state unit in the enclosure. There is a difference between not losing the fire, and having a responsive fire that is at the proper height in the pot. A 30 minute timer cycle works well, but if you are worried about it you can install a switch so you can disable the timer in cold weather. As for reliability, the only timers I have had break were the mechanical ones.

I run a solid state timer on mine.

 
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Post by SMITTY » Sat. Nov. 19, 2022 1:26 pm

I should've listened to ya! I ended up buying a S400A off eBay when it suddenly showed up ...

... and it ended up having a TWO RPM MOTOR in it. In other words, it's a half-hour unit!! Just my luck, lol. Back where I started!

 
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Post by CoalHeat » Sat. Nov. 19, 2022 1:36 pm

I believe the timer uses the same syncronous motor that most old electric clocks used, you might be able to change it to a 1 RPM. They're available on eBay, but there are different styles so you'd have to make sure you get the correct model.

 
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Post by lincolnmania » Sat. Nov. 19, 2022 8:41 pm

My timer does not work, I guess I don't have it wired right or something. the boiler stays lit without it. wish there was someone close to me to have a look at it.

 
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Post by McGiever » Sun. Nov. 20, 2022 11:50 am

SMITTY wrote:
Sat. Nov. 19, 2022 1:26 pm
I should've listened to ya! I ended up buying a S400A off eBay when it suddenly showed up ...

... and it ended up having a TWO RPM MOTOR in it. In other words, it's a half-hour unit!! Just my luck, lol. Back where I started!
Smitty there should be a cam that when engaged makes 2 switch trips per hour (1/2 hour times 2). Rotate the cam and you have one switch trip per hour.

HTH

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Post by CoalHeat » Sun. Nov. 20, 2022 2:01 pm

The S400 timer was manufactured in two models, one with a 1 RPM syncronous motor and also with a 2 RPM motor.
The 1 RPM model closes the switch once an hour, with the cam plate reversed every half hour. The 2 RPM model operates the stoker every half hour, with the cam reversed every 15 minutes.
Smitty has the 2 RPM model. Mine is 1 RPM. So I suggested setting his at 1 minute firing time since it's every 1/2 hour.

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

SMITTY wrote:
Sat. Nov. 19, 2022 1:26 pm
I should've listened to ya! I ended up buying a S400A off eBay when it suddenly showed up ...

... and it ended up having a TWO RPM MOTOR in it. In other words, it's a half-hour unit!! Just my luck, lol. Back where I started!
I am running a home-built timer on mine with all sorts of flexibility, and after years of experimenting I have ended up right back where I started...2 minutes every half hour, just like EFM recommends. The timer is not just to avoid having the fire go out, it also keeps the fire in the proper position in the burn pot and makes it more responsive when there is a call for heat.

Install that nice S400A you got and find something else to work on...like keeping the heat in the house. 8-)

 
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Post by CoalHeat » Tue. Nov. 22, 2022 2:49 pm

What he said!☝️


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