Watch your ash

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leward
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Posts: 129
Joined: Fri. Jul. 03, 2009 2:41 pm
Location: Clearfield County, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM520
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Hitzer 50-93 at camp
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 354 double door woodburner

Post by leward » Tue. Dec. 20, 2022 1:22 pm

Sounds corny, but indeed pay attention to your ashes. I am fortunate in that my coal bin for my efm520 holds 8-9 tons. Fill once a year. However it usually takes some time between using the leftovers and getting to the new coal This past month I started to see some black in my ash tubs , and they felt heavy when changing them (daily). I was assuming (??) what I was seeing was simply slate , and maybe this years supply wasn't quite as good as the past. But over the weekend I gathered 20 or so of these black nubs (I use rice) and broke them open and it looked nice and shiny. So I guessed that this was simply unburned coal. I only feed at 4 teeth/4 air -- bounced the air up to 5 Sunday, and 5 1/2 yesterday and the unburned went away. Ash tubs got a good bit lighter also. Lesson learned for me was that this years coal is slightly different, and even though I hadn't changed the feed/air in 10 years to not be bullheaded or stupid and go ahead and adjust to what the coal and ash are telling you. I don't know why I didn't catch it earlier, or why I just wrote it off. My wifes grandpap always said there was no point in being stupid if you didn't show it - guilty.

 
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davidmcbeth3
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Posts: 8505
Joined: Sun. Jun. 14, 2009 2:31 pm
Coal Size/Type: nut/pea/anthra

Post by davidmcbeth3 » Tue. Dec. 20, 2022 4:36 pm

Learning stuff is tight !


 
t185
Member
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed. Mar. 21, 2018 10:57 am
Location: Bucks Co. PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
Coal Size/Type: Rice-Leigh Anthracite

Post by t185 » Tue. Jan. 03, 2023 1:24 pm

Be careful on running the air so high you will start to burn the coal in the bottom of your pot and will weaken the auger. I had two augers break on me in three years running at the same four teeth five air.

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