Coalpail.com Forum

Hello! I was wondering if anyone here can give me any information on one of my hubby's "finds". He brought home a very obviously old and rusted boiler/heater from american foundry, milan mich. I have found similar looking items online and believe it is a "bucket a day" type model, looks like a small kitchen trash can with a round top,lol! has a round symbol on the front with an eagle and company name. the bottom has a small door that opens I assume to feed? there are 3 adjustment levers above this, and it comes with a special wrench to turn them. other markings are:asme std tested 300#, max wp 120#, and a cross shaped stamp with an "h" in it. Despite its rusted appearance, nothing appears stuck shut. PLEASE someone give me some info on this product, and where one could sell it in the central il area! If not, hubby is already discussing ideas on how this ugly little creature is going to be modified into something that sits in my yard and I must look at constantly.(He's done it before,and will again.)

Too bad I missed that yard sale. I've been looking for one of those to try out as a pool heater. I think those normally were used to make domestic hot water.

Mike

Do a search on this site for Bucket A Day. You will find plenty of threads.

wagshernandez wrote:Hello! I was wondering if anyone here can give me any information on one of my hubby's "finds". He brought home a very obviously old and rusted boiler/heater from american foundry, milan mich. I have found similar looking items online and believe it is a "bucket a day" type model, looks like a small kitchen trash can with a round top,lol! has a round symbol on the front with an eagle and company name.

Yeap, sure sounds like a bucket-a-day hot water heater. Used for heating domestic hot water.

wagshernandez wrote:the bottom has a small door that opens I assume to feed?

Bottom door is used to take out the ash from the fire. There is a kind of "trap" door on top that flips open. That's where you feed the coal.

wagshernandez wrote:there are 3 adjustment levers above this, and it comes with a special wrench to turn them.

This is sounding like the grates, they often had three sets, and they were simple, meaning you had to rotate each one as you are describing here. So you load the stove through the top door to feed the fire. The fire sits on top of these grates and as it burns you have to shake out the ash which drops down into the bottom compartment where you can then remove it.

wagshernandez wrote:other markings are:asme std tested 300#, max wp 120#, and a cross shaped stamp with an "h" in it. Despite its rusted appearance, nothing appears stuck shut. PLEASE someone give me some info on this product, and where one could sell it in the central il area! If not, hubby is already discussing ideas on how this ugly little creature is going to be modified into something that sits in my yard and I must look at constantly.(He's done it before,and will again.)

The ASME std tested 300# means that there was a test to 300 pounds of working pressure and the top didn't blow up... max wp 120# means that the safe maximum working pressure for the water that is running in the top that is being heated. That's a pretty standard water pressure for domestic water systems. I don't know what the other symbols mean.

I hope it doesn't end up in your lawn, it would be a great little stove to be running. I'd be interested in buying it, but you are quite far from me, I'm in New York...

You should post pictures of it.

dj

Thanks all for the info-if I can I will put a picture up. Not sure if it would be for sale now, as since he has learned what it is, he is now thinking about restoring it. At least it won't end up in the yard. May have him post a question or two if he thinks he needs advice. Thanks again.