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Need some help with Legend coal furnice

Posted: Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 10:08 pm
by Ranger
Okay please bare with me cause I'm fairly new to the coal furnice world with about 4 years experience. With the 4 years I've barely ran into any trouble operating the furnice till really now.

I'm losing heat and fast. We are running a 5010 Legend and we are burning lignite coal is what I'm told by my dad. Yesterday our power went out just as the temp outside dropped and stayed at about -25 to -30 C. Ever since our furnice has been having a hard time getting to 180F let alone over 150F and still is dropping. I'm not to sure even where to start. To me the flame seems sloppy and lazy so to speak and we are getting clinkers. We also have two houses around 1000 soft and a shop that we keep around 10C. I know that's not much info but that's all I really got to start with.

Re: Need some help with Legend coal furnice

Posted: Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 10:19 pm
by Lightning
Okay, how's the draft? Anything to measure it with? Could the flue pipe or chimney be clogged?

Re: Need some help with Legend coal furnice

Posted: Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 10:43 pm
by McGiever
Lignite is a different coal from what we most here are familiar with.

Clinkers are a sign that you are, as stated, running this hard. Clinkers are likely reducing the air needed to increase the fire.

Changing coal types, I'll assume, is NOT an option. So to make do as best you can with what you got means changing your methods.

I would say you will need to be very diligent as to breaking up those clinkers to allow them to burn and have unrestricted air flow. And even removing them if they are not consumed by the fire, because you must not have any accumulated obstructions left on the grates that would hinder the needed air flow.

Does your combustion fan have a adjustable plate to trim the air flow? If so another thing is to back down the air some, as that can help the clinker situation some.
Also allowing in some top air for burning lignite should help burn off some gases and give more energy from the same amount of lignite.

Re: Need some help with Legend coal furnice

Posted: Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 10:47 pm
by Ranger
The draft seems to be fine if I understand draft right lol. To measure it with, not that I know of. To answer the other questions we cleaned the air tubes and all the chimney before we started it for the winter. Everytime we fill the hopper which is about every 5 days we open the top lid of the furnice and clean the ash out and knock out the flues. We also have a removable bottom at the elbow of the chimney to empty the ash that gets in there.
So far I've been playing with the air and have got the temp to 130 and I'm going to check it again in 20 minutes you see if I've gained anything.

Re: Need some help with Legend coal furnice

Posted: Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 10:52 pm
by McGiever
Or is this a stoker boiler?

Re: Need some help with Legend coal furnice

Posted: Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 10:58 pm
by Ranger
Our furnice is a 5010 which I guess is sorta the same only it's darker green with a visible hopper. Not all one inclosed unit Luke that. If only I knew how to post pics lol.

We normally will pull the clinkers off cause we found they do block alot of air coming threw. And this coal is pretty much all we can get. And it's weird cause it was just last year and this year clinkers have been a problem. I'm gonna see if maybe we have been getting different coal from where we get it.

What would you recommend me to do with the air? I've had it full open and half on the blower.

Re: Need some help with Legend coal furnice

Posted: Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 11:01 pm
by Pauliewog
Here is the link I mentioned in your introduction. I'm sure our members who burn Bituminous can help get you back on track............. and I see already your off to a great start.


Lignite Test in the 520

Paulie

Re: Need some help with Legend coal furnice

Posted: Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 11:06 pm
by McGiever
Ranger wrote:
Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 10:58 pm
What would you recommend me to do with the air? I've had it full open and half on the blower.
Try half open and give it near an hour to see the full effect as it takes time to see the real change...then if you want or think it needs more then just do small adjustments and again wait to see what it changes to after a good wait period.

Re: Need some help with Legend coal furnice

Posted: Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 11:07 pm
by McGiever
Does your firebox look like this?

Image

Re: Need some help with Legend coal furnice

Posted: Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 11:19 pm
by Ranger
Sorry McGiever, somehow I missed the last part of your post. Yes there is a adjustable plate on the side of the fan. I have it set at about half. It's been about a hour now so I'm gonna go check it.

No my fire box doesn't look like that.

Re: Need some help with Legend coal furnice

Posted: Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 11:23 pm
by McGiever
Is this outdoors and is it a boiler (water furnace)?

Re: Need some help with Legend coal furnice

Posted: Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 11:30 pm
by Ranger
It's a outdoor furnice with a little shed built around it. It's a glycol system with lines that run to our houses. We put rads under our furnices and blow the heat threw our houses just like a normal gas furnice.

Re: Need some help with Legend coal furnice

Posted: Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 11:38 pm
by Pauliewog
Ranger, Here is a link that explains how to upload pictures of your furnace.


How to Upload Files


A picture of your fire will also help our members troubleshoot your problem.

Paulie

Re: Need some help with Legend coal furnice

Posted: Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 11:40 pm
by Ranger
Awesome, thank you Paulie

Re: Need some help with Legend coal furnice

Posted: Mon. Dec. 25, 2017 11:46 pm
by Ranger
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That was the flame when I took over this mission from my dad.