air flow?

 
CNoecker71
New Member
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri. Jan. 20, 2023 1:44 am
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM furance

Post by CNoecker71 » Fri. Mar. 31, 2023 5:45 am

So I bought the 2 tons of pea coal and we're using it - I've got a pile of fine ground coal under my auger base (concerning), but my big concern is that I smell sulfur in the basement and we're barely burning any coal. My ash tub is half full, when normally it is full and on second tub. I set my gauge (air flow) to 4 - it was on 5.5.

S20 EFM furnace


 
User avatar
Rob R.
Site Moderator
Posts: 17965
Joined: Fri. Dec. 28, 2007 4:26 pm
Location: Chazy, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr

Post by Rob R. » Fri. Mar. 31, 2023 6:49 am

Your stoker is not designed to burn pea coal. The auger will crunch/grind the coal, and the air will blow back down the auger and into the bin (causing the smell).

Buck size is the largest you can get away with, and even then you can have some problems with odors if the air and draft is not quite right.

How much auger do you have sticking past the pipe and into the coal?

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

Post by davidmcbeth3 » Sat. Apr. 01, 2023 1:49 am

Is pea coal like a waste product almost ? I burned it once but never saw it as being the size-to-go-to when nut works just fine for the same times that pea is supposedly good for.

I'd burn pea again if its cost was lower than nut.

 
waytomany?s
Member
Posts: 3687
Joined: Fri. Aug. 16, 2019 3:02 pm
Location: Oneida, N.Y.
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harmon Mark II
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Looking
Baseburners & Antiques: Looking
Coal Size/Type: Nut
Other Heating: newmac wood/coal combo furnace

Post by waytomany?s » Sat. Apr. 01, 2023 7:44 am

davidmcbeth3 wrote:
Sat. Apr. 01, 2023 1:49 am
Is pea coal like a waste product almost ? I burned it once but never saw it as being the size-to-go-to when nut works just fine for the same times that pea is supposedly good for.

I'd burn pea again if its cost was lower than nut.
You can get more pea in the firebox vs nut. Always been same price as nut here.

 
User avatar
StokerDon
Site Moderator
Posts: 7484
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Sat. Apr. 01, 2023 8:59 am

davidmcbeth3 wrote:
Sat. Apr. 01, 2023 1:49 am
Is pea coal like a waste product almost ?
Your not in Kansas anymore! :lol:
This is the stoker boiler section. Pea coal is about the smallest you would run in a hand fired unit. But it's the largest size you would run in a stoker. I only know of 2 stoker boilers that you can run Pea in, Axeman Anderson and AHS. :D
CNoecker71 wrote:
Fri. Mar. 31, 2023 5:45 am
So I bought the 2 tons of pea coal and we're using it
In an EFM???
That will not go well. The auger is way to small for Pea and the larger air gaps between the pieces of coal will allow the combustion air to travel down to the bottom of the pot and into the auger. The fire will eventually follow the combustion air and cause damage. This will also cause combustion gas to be forced out of the end of the auger into your house where it can kill you in your sleep. Please make sure your CO detectors are working.

-Don

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

Post by davidmcbeth3 » Sat. Apr. 01, 2023 12:16 pm

StokerDon wrote:
Sat. Apr. 01, 2023 8:59 am
Your not in Kansas anymore! :lol:

-Don
:lol:

 
User avatar
Lightning
Site Moderator
Posts: 14652
Joined: Wed. Nov. 16, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Olean, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: Modified AA 130
Coal Size/Type: Pea Size - Anthracite

Post by Lightning » Sat. Apr. 01, 2023 6:14 pm

What's really nice about pea size is that it will work well in an Axeman as well as a hand fed appliance. Although, in a hand fed appliance the BTU output will be lower because of combustion air resistance in the fuel bed.

Pea size is a viable size for particular applications. If it wasn't useful they'd just break it down into buck or rice.


 
CNoecker71
New Member
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri. Jan. 20, 2023 1:44 am
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM furance

Post by CNoecker71 » Mon. Apr. 03, 2023 2:00 am

StokerDon wrote:
Sat. Apr. 01, 2023 8:59 am
Your not in Kansas anymore! :lol:
This is the stoker boiler section. Pea coal is about the smallest you would run in a hand fired unit. But it's the largest size you would run in a stoker. I only know of 2 stoker boilers that you can run Pea in, Axeman Anderson and AHS. :D

In an EFM???
That will not go well. The auger is way to small for Pea and the larger air gaps between the pieces of coal will allow the combustion air to travel down to the bottom of the pot and into the auger. The fire will eventually follow the combustion air and cause damage. This will also cause combustion gas to be forced out of the end of the auger into your house where it can kill you in your sleep. Please make sure your CO detectors are working.

-Don

I posted here and asked if it was okay to burn it in my EFM before I purchased it (I didn't have $600 to buy another 2 tons of rice coal - this was $400 for 2 tons of coal plus 3 ash tubs). I was told I'd likely have to adjust my air flow, but it would be fine... :/

 
User avatar
nepacoal
Member
Posts: 1690
Joined: Wed. Nov. 21, 2012 7:49 am
Location: Coal Country
Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KAA-4 / "Kelly" and an EFM 520 at my in-laws
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Harman SF-260 - retired
Coal Size/Type: Buck

Post by nepacoal » Mon. Apr. 03, 2023 5:14 am

I'm pretty sure you asked about buckwheat, not pea... buckwheat would have been okay but would likely need less air and have more fines from grinding in the auger. Pea is just too big for an EFM and allows exhaust to flow down the auger between the larger pieces of coal.

 
User avatar
Rob R.
Site Moderator
Posts: 17965
Joined: Fri. Dec. 28, 2007 4:26 pm
Location: Chazy, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr

Post by Rob R. » Mon. Apr. 03, 2023 6:38 am

CNoecker71 wrote:
Mon. Apr. 03, 2023 2:00 am
I posted here and asked if it was okay to burn it in my EFM before I purchased it (I didn't have $600 to buy another 2 tons of rice coal - this was $400 for 2 tons of coal plus 3 ash tubs). I was told I'd likely have to adjust my air flow, but it would be fine... :/
You asked about buck, not pea. It can be tough to tell the difference, especially if the coal is a bit large or small for the intended size.

Substituting buck coal

 
CNoecker71
New Member
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri. Jan. 20, 2023 1:44 am
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM furance

Post by CNoecker71 » Tue. Apr. 04, 2023 3:30 am

Rob R. wrote:
Mon. Apr. 03, 2023 6:38 am
You asked about buck, not pea. It can be tough to tell the difference, especially if the coal is a bit large or small for the intended size.

Substituting buck coal
Sorry, it is buck coal. I recently started a new medication for ADD and it's making me mix up words (which is why I'm slowly stopping it - I can't go around using the wrong words and not even realizing it until someone else points it out. It's making me feel like an idiot! :oops: )

 
CNoecker71
New Member
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri. Jan. 20, 2023 1:44 am
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM furance

Post by CNoecker71 » Tue. Apr. 04, 2023 3:42 am

nepacoal wrote:
Mon. Apr. 03, 2023 5:14 am
I'm pretty sure you asked about buckwheat, not pea... buckwheat would have been okay but would likely need less air and have more fines from grinding in the auger. Pea is just too big for an EFM and allows exhaust to flow down the auger between the larger pieces of coal.
It is buck, not pea. I'd edit my post, but I'm not seeing how to. My apologies - between the new medication and increased stress, I'm not wording words well.

 
User avatar
nepacoal
Member
Posts: 1690
Joined: Wed. Nov. 21, 2012 7:49 am
Location: Coal Country
Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KAA-4 / "Kelly" and an EFM 520 at my in-laws
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Harman SF-260 - retired
Coal Size/Type: Buck

Post by nepacoal » Tue. Apr. 04, 2023 5:37 am

What are your current feed and air settings? For buck, I would try 5 feed and 4 air to start (then adjust the air during a long run to get a 2" ash ring). To check the feed, just count the number of strokes it takes for one revolution, then divide 60 by that number.
20 is 3
15 is 4
12 is 5
10 is 6

Are you using just the short pot auger or does your tube/auger have the coupler with the bin extension? If you're using a 55 gallon drum, you could put a cover on the drum to prevent the exhaust coming out through the auger/drum.

 
Dave 1234
Member
Posts: 783
Joined: Tue. Nov. 13, 2012 9:05 am
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1948 International boiler, EFM S-20 stoker
Coal Size/Type: Buck,

Post by Dave 1234 » Tue. Apr. 04, 2023 2:46 pm

How much coal did you burn this season ?

 
Dave 1234
Member
Posts: 783
Joined: Tue. Nov. 13, 2012 9:05 am
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1948 International boiler, EFM S-20 stoker
Coal Size/Type: Buck,

Post by Dave 1234 » Tue. Apr. 04, 2023 2:48 pm

Oops , wrong thread . sorry


Post Reply

Return to “Stoker Coal Boilers Using Anthracite (Hydronic & Steam)”