The Allen stoker
- Idlorah
- Member
- Posts: 520
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 18, 2020 6:31 pm
- 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
I just tune my stove to have a 1.5 to 2" ashring and that normally lets my steam system work properly.
I have always been running 4 teeth feed for the last 3 years. I just adjust the air to what the current coal I'm burning needs to achieve the desired ash ring size.
I have always been running 4 teeth feed for the last 3 years. I just adjust the air to what the current coal I'm burning needs to achieve the desired ash ring size.
- Idlorah
- Member
- Posts: 520
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 18, 2020 6:31 pm
- 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
Current pictures of the fire from noon today this load of sherman takes less air. Knocked it back to only 1/2 in open.
- Idlorah
- Member
- Posts: 520
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 18, 2020 6:31 pm
- 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
A week has gone by I got the fire tuned in to where it runs good I'm still getting some fines in the front of the pot so I had to open the air up a bit. I may try some rice to see if it does better once the bin gets lower. Otherwise she is running good here are some pictures.
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- Member
- Posts: 790
- Joined: Tue. Nov. 13, 2012 9:05 am
- Stoker Coal Boiler: 1948 International boiler, EFM S-20 stoker
- Coal Size/Type: Buck,
Isaac , the Allen's like to burn with power . A EFM 520 in your boiler would have a stack temp of around 350 deg , the Allen wants to run around 450 deg stack temp in the same place . Like a larger tip on a torch head , it needs more fuel and more oxygen to achieve its potential.
Rake the fire away from the dead spot in the pot, and let the fan push the fines out , then rake the lit coal back into the void . If that doesn't work there is someting that needs to be cleared so a full , equally lit pot can be achieved.
Or there is a leak. and the forced air pressure is going into a place that is not helping the fire .
This must be why EFM took a unique designee change when they built their pot as it's done .
Rake the fire away from the dead spot in the pot, and let the fan push the fines out , then rake the lit coal back into the void . If that doesn't work there is someting that needs to be cleared so a full , equally lit pot can be achieved.
Or there is a leak. and the forced air pressure is going into a place that is not helping the fire .
This must be why EFM took a unique designee change when they built their pot as it's done .
- Idlorah
- Member
- Posts: 520
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 18, 2020 6:31 pm
- 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
That makes sense Dave. I think when I stacked the rings there is less of an air gap in the front. If I loosen up the top ring and rotate some of the stack I may be able to get it to burn properly.
- Idlorah
- Member
- Posts: 520
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 18, 2020 6:31 pm
- 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
yes they do there is no way around it. I have about 3 sets of pot rings. 2 of the sets are in good shape the one is pretty well burned up but some are usable. If I feel like tinkering I could pick and pull rings to make a good stack.
- Idlorah
- Member
- Posts: 520
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 18, 2020 6:31 pm
- 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
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- Member
- Posts: 790
- Joined: Tue. Nov. 13, 2012 9:05 am
- Stoker Coal Boiler: 1948 International boiler, EFM S-20 stoker
- Coal Size/Type: Buck,
Rob , true story ! And its worth the time to put the plates in as a nice fit . Makes for a good fire .
It must have been more important with the hi-output stokers . The bigger units have tye bolts halfway down the plate , or leaf , to keep them true to each other .
I know you have seen them , but maybe others have not .
- Idlorah
- Member
- Posts: 520
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 18, 2020 6:31 pm
- 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
The Allen has been running trouble free for a whole month since the rebuild. I am still having some issues with getting the whole pot to burn. I have a few ideas on to why this may be and I plan on addressing them soon.
1- I believe it is a fines issue, The buck from Sherman seems to be on the larger side and it my be getting crushed in the feed tube. I may try some rice once i can get the barrel in the bin.
2- I have 3.5 flights sticking out in the bin, I may swap out the bin tube to a longer on so I only have 1.5 - 2 flight sticking in the bin once the gopher digs the bin out enough.
3- The pot auger may be to deep in the gooseneck, If it is I could trim it back some to see if that helps.
4- The pot rings may need to be clocked different to allow more air travel in the front end of the pot. ( I was rushing on the day i did the swap and did not pay much attention to this. Haste makes waste)
These are all speculations but I have noticed with the refresh the boiler definitely seems to handle the heat load a lot better and does not seem to run as much as before. I haven't had to run the MCC since the refresh so I did something right!
1- I believe it is a fines issue, The buck from Sherman seems to be on the larger side and it my be getting crushed in the feed tube. I may try some rice once i can get the barrel in the bin.
2- I have 3.5 flights sticking out in the bin, I may swap out the bin tube to a longer on so I only have 1.5 - 2 flight sticking in the bin once the gopher digs the bin out enough.
3- The pot auger may be to deep in the gooseneck, If it is I could trim it back some to see if that helps.
4- The pot rings may need to be clocked different to allow more air travel in the front end of the pot. ( I was rushing on the day i did the swap and did not pay much attention to this. Haste makes waste)
These are all speculations but I have noticed with the refresh the boiler definitely seems to handle the heat load a lot better and does not seem to run as much as before. I haven't had to run the MCC since the refresh so I did something right!
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- Member
- Posts: 790
- Joined: Tue. Nov. 13, 2012 9:05 am
- Stoker Coal Boiler: 1948 International boiler, EFM S-20 stoker
- Coal Size/Type: Buck,
If the last flight of the auger extends more than a third of the distance into the gooseneck it piles to much of the fresh coal to the rear of the pot.
When it warms up again, let the fire die , vacume out the pot , and hand crank in about 6 turns. You will see the fresh coal being shoved to the back side . (if the auger is to deep) The burn can't overcome that imbalance of extra fuel heavily favored to one corner of the pot, so it makes a lopsided fire .
When it warms up again, let the fire die , vacume out the pot , and hand crank in about 6 turns. You will see the fresh coal being shoved to the back side . (if the auger is to deep) The burn can't overcome that imbalance of extra fuel heavily favored to one corner of the pot, so it makes a lopsided fire .
- Idlorah
- Member
- Posts: 520
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 18, 2020 6:31 pm
- 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
That's kind of what I was thinking, I have about 85% of the pot burning properly and I'm not getting much black in the ash. Its working well enough for me to keep it going until it warms up but i plan on checking it out once it warms up a bit.Dave 1234 wrote: ↑Tue. Jan. 31, 2023 9:14 pmIf the last flight of the auger extends more than a third of the distance into the gooseneck it piles to much of the fresh coal to the rear of the pot.
When it warms up again, let the fire die , vacume out the pot , and hand crank in about 6 turns. You will see the fresh coal being shoved to the back side . (if the auger is to deep) The burn can't overcome that imbalance of extra fuel heavily favored to one corner of the pot, so it makes a lopsided fire .
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- Member
- Posts: 790
- Joined: Tue. Nov. 13, 2012 9:05 am
- Stoker Coal Boiler: 1948 International boiler, EFM S-20 stoker
- Coal Size/Type: Buck,
Wish I had known the reasons that EFM spun their pot on the larger units when I started this . Those seam to solve all the issues .
But , its still fun. This very old house sits by a hay field with no wind break and it heats to 74 degs most days in the winter with 6 grain scoops of coal . So thats a score .
But , its still fun. This very old house sits by a hay field with no wind break and it heats to 74 degs most days in the winter with 6 grain scoops of coal . So thats a score .
- Idlorah
- Member
- Posts: 520
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 18, 2020 6:31 pm
- 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
Snapped some pictures of my ash today. The sherman buck is burning good.