The EFM 520 Stoker-Boiler Qualifies for a $1500 Tax Credit

Added information: Federal program ends at the end of 2010

efm Sales Company announces the re-designation of the efm DF520 Coal Stoker Boiler and the AF150 Coal Stoker Furnace to DF520 Multi-fuel Boiler and AF150 Multi-fuel Furnace. The new names for the venerable efm boiler and furnace are a result of testing that will allow current and future owners to burn biomass fuels in their units in addition to coal.

As a result of this change, efm is offering all customers who have purchased a DF520 or AF150 since January 1, 2009, certification that their boiler or furnace is Qualified Property in accordance with Title 26, Section 25 of the United States Code, Internal Revenue Service, and eligible for a $1500.00 tax credit. Owners who take the tax credit on their returns do not have to send the certificate to the IRS, but they should retain it with their tax records.

Specific instructions on how to successfully burn biomass fuels will also be provided with the certificate and to all interested customers. A thermal efficiency of over 75% has been demonstrated in the units with biomass fuels meeting the requirements for the Federal Stimulus related energy program.

No modifications to existing DF520 and AF150 units are required other than to change feed and air settings. Changing from burning biomass to coal and back is simple and easy.

Anyone interested in a demonstration of burning biomass fuel or coal, or to obtain a certificate for a unit purchased since January 1, 2009, please contact the efm Sales Office.

Instructions for Burning biomass Fuel in the efm DF520 Multi-fuel and the AF150 Multi-fuel Furnace:

The biomass fuel that has proved best for use in the efm DF520 and AF150 is a mix of dried corn and wood pellets. A mix of 30% corn and 70% pellets is recommended. The initial feed setting should be 10 teeth of feed and an air setting of 2 or 3. There is very light smoke emitted from the chimney. The fire burns cleaner at an air setting of 3, but is slightly less efficient than a setting of 2. Mixtures of 40% corn/60% pellets also burn well, but require slightly more air and therefore will be slightly less efficient. 50% corn/50% pellets also burn in the stoker.

50% corn/50% coal mixes have been used successfully in the past. There are plans for future testing for mixing other grains with pellets, such as the waste products from a granary operation.

Years ago I played around with wood pellets, corn and coal mixtures and found them to burn nicely although I never spent the time to adjust feed and air settings for maximum efficiency and clean burn. Nice job, keep up the good work.

R

stoker-man wrote:efm Sales Company announces the re-designation of the efm DF520 Coal Stoker Boiler and the AF150 Coal Stoker Furnace to DF520 Multi-fuel Boiler and AF150 Multi-fuel Furnace. The new names for the venerable efm boiler and furnace are a result of testing that will allow current and future owners to burn biomass fuels in their units in addition to coal.

As a result of this change, efm is offering all customers who have purchased a DF520 or AF150 since January 1, 2009, certification that their boiler or furnace is Qualified Property in accordance with Title 25 of the United States Code, Internal Revenue Service, and eligible for a $1500.00 tax credit. Owners who take the tax credit on their returns do not have to send the certificate to the IRS, but they should retain it with their tax records.

Specific instructions on how to successfully burn biomass fuels will also be provided with the certificate and to all interested customers. A thermal efficiency of over 75% has been demonstrated in the units with biomass fuels meeting the requirements for the Federal Stimulus related energy program.

No modifications to existing DF520 and AF150 units are required other than to change feed and air settings. Changing from burning biomass to coal and back is simple and easy.

Anyone interested in a demonstration of burning biomass fuel or coal, or to obtain a certificate for a unit purchased since January 1, 2009, please contact the efm Sales Office.

Instructions for Burning biomass Fuel in the efm DF520 Multi-fuel and the AF150 Multi-fuel Furnace:

The biomass fuel that has proved best for use in the efm DF520 and AF150 is a mix of dried corn and wood pellets. A mix of 30% corn and 70% pellets is recommended. The initial feed setting should be 10 teeth of feed and an air setting of 2 or 3. There is very light smoke emitted from the chimney. The fire burns cleaner at an air setting of 3, but is slightly less efficient than a setting of 2. Mixtures of 40% corn/60% pellets also burn well, but require slightly more air and therefore will be slightly less efficient. 50% corn/50% pellets also burn in the stoker.

50% corn/50% coal mixes have been used successfully in the past. There are plans for future testing for mixing other grains with pellets, such as the waste products from a granary operation.

Try some Cherry Pits in it .

Hey Chris. So what's the trick to keeping the fire from going out? Does it get set up to run constantly or do you run real short timer cycles every 10 minutes? Sounds interesting even if the price of pellets isn't low enough Scott

Apparently you never did get the straight corn to burn ??? I am sure that mix on the heavy pellet side worked very well -- That mix might even burn well in a pile out in the yard!

Straight corn burns and makes big clinkers doesn't it. A friend who has a homemade corn stoker says that the oil in the corn glops everything up.

corn burns hot in a pool of melted/ing starch -- its that starch cake that gels into a clinker

if new corn fuel is fed from the bottom the starch clinker is forced up and out - if corn is fed on top - the burn is more stable ( pool is undisturbed) but the pot fills and must be changed cooled and cleaned - Mine (side feed) has a trap door in the bottom - if I catch it right - I can dump the clinker and relight in a few minutes every day, with little drama.

clinker is far less than bit coal - a "bit" more than antracks coal

I couldn't get straight corn to burn no matter what I tried, but up to 50% worked OK. The fire will hold for 1/2 hour, no problem, but would probably require more runtime on the timer than coal.

Morning Chris. Can I assume that only newer models of the 520 can be certified, but older models will also burn alt fuels?

Kinda like ethanol, burns OK, but not the same BTU output and hard on the internal parts. Save the corn for food....

I am up to speed on the grate change to restrict air, so if it's not too much trouble, could you enlighten us one more time.

Thanks, Doug

The good news is if you buy a 520 you can get the 1500 credit. Then forget the pellets and corn and burn coal! Great idea stoker-man

I found that trying to redesign or create a pot within a pot proved useless. Any stoker used with the 520 will burn straight pellets, or corn/pellet mix. Or corn/coal mix.

By the way, we used only the short pipe and auger.

at 10 teeth feed you would think that would really use up a bag of pellets quick, no?

I think in the original test, a bag of pellets lasted 4 hours of continuous use. Corn mix was slower. I don't have the figures at hand.

Can I squeeze in a a question to you. I purchased and I am waiting for delivery of a refurbed. square door -DF520 from Dave O'Neil. (1.) Can this boiler be used for biofuel burning too? Thanks - John Rice

This should answer that question, I wonder if it can take the tax credit though.

stoker-man wrote:No modifications to existing DF520 and AF150 units are required other than to change feed and air settings. Changing from burning biomass to coal and back is simple and easy.