Stack Switch for My Stoker ?

 
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Short Bus
Member
Posts: 510
Joined: Sun. Jan. 10, 2010 12:22 am
Location: Cantwell Alaska
Stoker Coal Boiler: Kewanee boiler with Anchor stoker
Coal Size/Type: Chestnut / Sub-bituminous C
Other Heating: Propane wall furnace back up only

Post by Short Bus » Mon. Jan. 11, 2010 3:03 pm

I have failed to comunicate, maybe my concern is misplaced in other peoples opinon.
The stack switch has three purposes.
#1. If the fire goes out mainly due to the coal hopper runing empty, the cool air in the stack shuts down the stoker and in turn the blower, preventing the heat in the seventy five gallons of water from going up the stack, and the blower pushing the fire up the auger full of dust into the coal hopper.
#2. If the shear pin fails, V-belt failure, the cool air in the stack shuts down the stoker and in turn the blower, preventing the air from going up the auger and having the fire follow it, to the coal hopper.
#3. If for some reason the fire goes out, snow in coal, cool air in the stack shuts down the stoker, prevents the boiler from filing with coal.
Several suggestions for a bypass of a snap/stack switch have been suggested, all required a manual resetting, as I see it when the stoker is off for one hour the cold snap/stack switch would prevent the stoker from starting, I can't manualy overide this every boiler cycle, and if the switch stays hot for one hour after the fire is out there is no point in having it.
Maybe my concerns are just completly missplaced, I understood these were standard equipment years ago, aparently not redily available now.
I will build somthing in a few months, probably somthing with a internal clock bypassing the snap/stack switch for the first fifteen minutes for every burn cycle.
Thank you all.
General informatinon
*Heaving ground is function of moisture content and how well the ground drains, under my house we decided it was gravely, other spots in the yard move.
*Septic tank is 1100 gallon per the modern designs, wraped with 3/8 pex, covered with duct tape, and foamed, there is a company in Fairbanks that foams
everything, foaming the tops of tanks is comon, foaming the whole tank is also done, some get heat tape wraped on them before the foam, I just try not to use elecrtricity that way, my tank only has 18 inches of cover due to high water table in summer.
Other unique features of this place are, no bulding code inspectors, no property taxes, difficult to get building loans due to shody construction.

 
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Short Bus
Member
Posts: 510
Joined: Sun. Jan. 10, 2010 12:22 am
Location: Cantwell Alaska
Stoker Coal Boiler: Kewanee boiler with Anchor stoker
Coal Size/Type: Chestnut / Sub-bituminous C
Other Heating: Propane wall furnace back up only

Post by Short Bus » Mon. Jan. 11, 2010 3:15 pm

The 1941 GMC in my picture is painted from my father's gold mining days in the Kantishna, national park chased him out with rules, Jimmy Carter expanded the park over that ground, no net loss of jobs though, the thirty or so guys trying to make somthing happen that were displaced, have been replaced by national park employees.

He/we later went to undergroud gold mining, less enviromental stress, never made it to paid employees, like the five he had in the Kantishna.

I work for the State DOT, mechanic.

 
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Sting
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Joined: Mon. Feb. 25, 2008 4:24 pm
Location: Lower Fox Valley = Wisconsin
Other Heating: OBSO Lennox Pulse "Air Scorcher" burning NG

Post by Sting » Mon. Jan. 11, 2010 5:51 pm

Sounds more like you need an idle fire timer -- not an out fire safety in the stack :?

 
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LsFarm
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Posts: 7383
Joined: Sun. Nov. 20, 2005 8:02 pm
Location: Michigan
Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman Anderson 260
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Self-built 'Big Bertha' SS Boiler
Baseburners & Antiques: Keystone 11, Art Garland

Post by LsFarm » Mon. Jan. 11, 2010 10:15 pm

Doesn't the stack stay warm/hot with an idling fire?? Mine in either stoker boiler stays around 150* at a minimum while there is an idling fire in the burnpot. Maybe in your cold climate and open garage the stack cools a lot more.? My boiler room is outdoors and is only a few degrees above ambient.

Greg L


 
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charlie
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Joined: Wed. May. 21, 2008 9:15 pm
Location: Wyoming
Stoker Coal Boiler: Prill 200 BF
Other Heating: Tulikivi TTU 2700

Post by charlie » Sat. Jan. 16, 2010 11:41 pm

I've a less technologically-advanced system than some. I don't have an inside thermostat that calls for heat, but rather adjust the water temp manually on the aquastat on my boiler as per my whims. Also have a circ pump that runs continuously independent of any water temps. In times that I've lost fire, at least the water didn't freeze. Don't know if that's an option for you.

With my rotator-ring type under-fed, the only times I've gotten clinker rings was when the ring wasn't rotating right - either because the ring rotator wore out and wasn't turning the ring or when a clinker got stuck between the housing and the ring.

My relay is set to run the stoker for two minutes every half-hour when the aquastat isn't calling for more heat and she's idling. I'm wondering if it can't somehow be configured or with an additional one to notice when it's been running too cold for too long and shut the stoker off? But that would all be based in the water temp and not the stack temp?

 
radioed
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Post by radioed » Fri. Oct. 01, 2010 3:50 pm

hi
my dad has the same stoker . the problem he has is this , if the fire goes out the stoker will not stop . if the auger gets stuck , the stoker will not stop. it will actually move the furnace and stoker sideways . just talking with dad he said he is working on it .he is trying to adjust the clutch . but with out a book he dose not know what to do .

if any one has a book for this stocker ,please let me know . I will pay for a copy of your book if you have one . emmail me at [email protected]

 
User avatar
Short Bus
Member
Posts: 510
Joined: Sun. Jan. 10, 2010 12:22 am
Location: Cantwell Alaska
Stoker Coal Boiler: Kewanee boiler with Anchor stoker
Coal Size/Type: Chestnut / Sub-bituminous C
Other Heating: Propane wall furnace back up only

Post by Short Bus » Sat. Oct. 02, 2010 2:51 am

I'm not sure how the stoker could move on the floor.

My paperwork on this stoker was eaten my a squirrel and has no information.

If indeed he has a Anchor Stoker like mine there is no clutch, I have a hand wheel that holds two plates together with a brass sheer pin through them to protect the gear box from a jammed auger, I think it is 1/8" brass.

You can contact me through the forum using the personal message function, click on my name and I think a personal message option will show up, you may have some personal messages, check at the top of the screen.

Your dad's stoker can be identified and documentation found, this forum is very fond of pictuers, then the helpfull advice will come, maybe even a book, I think somone has posted a Iron Fireman manual.

Short Bus

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