The Bairmatic - Van Wert Project Boiler Saga Continues

 
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BunkerdCaddis
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Location: SW Lancaster County
Stoker Coal Boiler: Bairmatic-Van Wert
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Van Wert VW85H
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Saey Hanover II working when I feel the desire, Waterford 105 out on vacation, Surdiac Gotha hiding somewhere
Coal Size/Type: pea/nut/rice/stove-anthracite, nut/stove bit when I feel the urge
Other Heating: oil fired hydronic

Post by BunkerdCaddis » Tue. Nov. 29, 2022 8:36 pm

Idlorah wrote:
Tue. Nov. 29, 2022 6:47 pm
i would need some kind of switch or contactor the could be switched on by 24v? I believe that is what thermostats and aquastats run on. and wire the timer into that switch as well.
The relay in the box (RIB) on top of the aquastat housing has a low voltage coil in it as well and many aquastats are just switches that can do either voltage (the dump zones on my boilers for example). Somebody that knows more about the proper control circuit would have to elaborate on that. :annoyed:


 
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Idlorah
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Location: New Ringgold, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Allen 700 stoker
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Gibralter MCC
Coal Size/Type: Buck in the Allen and anything goes in the MCC, Anthracite
Other Heating: None, maybe some wood in the MCC in the shoulder season

Post by Idlorah » Tue. Nov. 29, 2022 8:43 pm

Mine is a steam setup so I only have one thermostat and one aquastat for DHW

 
lincolnmania
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Post by lincolnmania » Tue. Nov. 29, 2022 11:14 pm

I find that it's rare that all the coal is 100% burnt in an automatic stoker, But i also remember when i had all hand fed stoves there was unburnt coal also.

 
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Idlorah
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Stoker Coal Boiler: Allen 700 stoker
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Gibralter MCC
Coal Size/Type: Buck in the Allen and anything goes in the MCC, Anthracite
Other Heating: None, maybe some wood in the MCC in the shoulder season

Post by Idlorah » Wed. Nov. 30, 2022 5:04 pm

lincolnmania wrote:
Tue. Nov. 29, 2022 11:14 pm
I find that it's rare that all the coal is 100% burnt in an automatic stoker, But i also remember when i had all hand fed stoves there was unburnt coal also.
What exactly do you mean by that? do you mean in the ash pan or in the pot during a call for heat?

 
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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Wed. Nov. 30, 2022 5:06 pm

There will always be some black in the ash. Trying to eliminate it is wasteful.

 
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Idlorah
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Location: New Ringgold, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Allen 700 stoker
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Gibralter MCC
Coal Size/Type: Buck in the Allen and anything goes in the MCC, Anthracite
Other Heating: None, maybe some wood in the MCC in the shoulder season

Post by Idlorah » Wed. Nov. 30, 2022 5:25 pm

Rob R. wrote:
Wed. Nov. 30, 2022 5:06 pm
There will always be some black in the ash. Trying to eliminate it is wasteful.
Once heating season is over I need to go over the screws feed pipes and pot bushings in my Allen stoker. Where the fines are meant to dump out in end up getting a small pile of rice sized or smaller pieces in my ash pan from it grinding.

 
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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Wed. Nov. 30, 2022 5:54 pm

That is different. I was talking about coal that has passed through the fire.


 
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BunkerdCaddis
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Stoker Coal Boiler: Bairmatic-Van Wert
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Van Wert VW85H
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Saey Hanover II working when I feel the desire, Waterford 105 out on vacation, Surdiac Gotha hiding somewhere
Coal Size/Type: pea/nut/rice/stove-anthracite, nut/stove bit when I feel the urge
Other Heating: oil fired hydronic

Post by BunkerdCaddis » Wed. Nov. 30, 2022 6:08 pm

Rob R. wrote:
Wed. Nov. 30, 2022 5:06 pm
There will always be some black in the ash. Trying to eliminate it is wasteful.
That's kind of the tricky part... looking at the ash in some one else's picture and then comparing that to the ash from the boiler in front of you.

 
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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Wed. Nov. 30, 2022 6:24 pm

I know what you mean. To be clear, I meant that trying to eliminate ALL of the black from the ash is wasteful.

The reasoning is that the extra combustion air required to eliminate trace amounts of unburned coal from the ash will send more BTUs up the chimney than you would have lost via unburned coal from a properly adjusted fire.

 
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BunkerdCaddis
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Location: SW Lancaster County
Stoker Coal Boiler: Bairmatic-Van Wert
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Van Wert VW85H
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Saey Hanover II working when I feel the desire, Waterford 105 out on vacation, Surdiac Gotha hiding somewhere
Coal Size/Type: pea/nut/rice/stove-anthracite, nut/stove bit when I feel the urge
Other Heating: oil fired hydronic

Post by BunkerdCaddis » Wed. Nov. 30, 2022 7:39 pm

Ah, I see what you are saying.

 
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Idlorah
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Stoker Coal Boiler: Allen 700 stoker
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Gibralter MCC
Coal Size/Type: Buck in the Allen and anything goes in the MCC, Anthracite
Other Heating: None, maybe some wood in the MCC in the shoulder season

Post by Idlorah » Wed. Dec. 14, 2022 6:45 pm

Are you still running the stoker? How is it working for you?

 
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StokerDon
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Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Fri. Dec. 16, 2022 7:50 pm

[media][/media]
Idlorah wrote:
Wed. Dec. 14, 2022 6:45 pm
Are you still running the stoker? How is it working for you?
That's what happens when it works with no problems. No reason to type about it. :lol:

-Don

 
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Post by hank2 » Sat. Dec. 17, 2022 2:53 am

Rob R. wrote:
Wed. Nov. 30, 2022 6:24 pm
I know what you mean. To be clear, I meant that trying to eliminate ALL of the black from the ash is wasteful.

The reasoning is that the extra combustion air required to eliminate trace amounts of unburned coal from the ash will send more BTUs up the chimney than you would have lost via unburned coal from a properly adjusted fire.
It's been over 20 years since I played with stokers, but I used them for 25 years. I agree that it's not a good idea to think you can eliminate all the unburned coal. The coal quality, or maybe I should say hardness, will make a difference with the air and feed rates set right. Burning Greenwood Lehigh or Jeddo years ago, I had very little unburned coal in the ash. When I switched to medium hard (softer) coal like Blaschak or Reading, etc. on occasion, I had more ash and somewhat more unburned coal no matter else.

 
lincolnmania
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Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: alaska kodiak stoker 1986. 1987 triburner, 1987 crane diamond
Coal Size/Type: rice

Post by lincolnmania » Sat. Dec. 17, 2022 7:31 am

Yep all about the coal.
Just burned all the Sherman rice I had, it burned to a finer ash and a light brown color.
Burning Blaschak now and the ash is more grey and has a lot more unburnt coal in it.

 
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BunkerdCaddis
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Joined: Sun. Jan. 18, 2015 10:26 am
Location: SW Lancaster County
Stoker Coal Boiler: Bairmatic-Van Wert
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Van Wert VW85H
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Saey Hanover II working when I feel the desire, Waterford 105 out on vacation, Surdiac Gotha hiding somewhere
Coal Size/Type: pea/nut/rice/stove-anthracite, nut/stove bit when I feel the urge
Other Heating: oil fired hydronic

Post by BunkerdCaddis » Fri. Dec. 23, 2022 9:38 pm

Idlorah wrote:
Wed. Dec. 14, 2022 6:45 pm
Are you still running the stoker? How is it working for you?
Sorry guys got tied up with some other stuff, the mighty Bairmatic-Van Wert has been working spot on. I fiddle with it a little bit just to see what some changes do, nothing drastic. I had been running 160* max for the first week when it wasn't really cold out and then bumped it up some. Tonight I bumped up to 180* as the radition area in the master bathroom is a bit undersized, we'll see how that goes. So far burning about a barrel per week, filling it on Saturdays and taking ash out twice a week (Wedsnesday and Saturday), I'm sure that will change this weekend... but the house is warm all the way around. Now I will admit I did start the hand fired stove up as we still enjoy the radiant heat it provides but I'm not really heating much more than the sun room with it as I have no other fans running just the ceiling fan (it's a cathedral ceiling). Currently we have 4* here at 9:30 pm.


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