Unknown Jensen Model

Hi I am planning to install a coal/wood boiler in the coming months. I am up in way northern Vermont so used boilers are pretty scarce a few Tarms and a Jensens. Although there are plenty wood only boilers. I came across a Jensen and have not yet seen it in person but I am planning to on sat after the storm the owner does not have any info on it nor has he ever used it. Planned to but never got around to it I guess. He is asking 1500 for and it comes with the expansion tank circulator lots of pipe etc I have a attached a few photos and was hoping someone may know a model and BTU output or have any opinion on these units. All the replacement grates I have found seem to be facing a different direction did they make one style for wood or one for coal? Thanks!

The grates may just be turned over, do they appear flat? Sometimes a wood burner will just have a fixed grate as they never need shaking. I had a very similar boiler BS (before stoker) and it provided years of reliable warmth. You will find the long V shaped firebox a little bit tricky for coal. I recommend banking it when recharging and you will need to pick at the grate from the bottom on occasion to keep the fingers from blinding with bits of coal and clinker. A little pricey for my taste but if in great condition probably well worth it. The BTU rating would be in the 80,000 or a little more range but keep in mind a 140,000 BTU oil burner would not keep your house as toasty, that puppy's output is continuous and the cellar will be a lot warmer.

Thanks for the advice yes they could be turned over but not sure. I have not seen the stove in person yet and can not for the life of me find a manual of even something close online. The house does have a oil burner although we use wood and coal its 100,000 btu1gph roughly so I was thinking an equal size boiler would do the trick?? House is set up hot air and I was planning to put in an exchanger in the plenum.

And yes the grates do shake he told me he can turn them all the way over with the handle attached.

A solid fuel appliance can be considerably smaller output than a conventional fuel and easily keep up. Remember it's output is continuous and conventional is intermittent. Those grates are correct, you want a crown on them. A coil in the plenum is a nice way to heat with forced air. Even constant flow is quite comfy.

coaledsweat wrote:A solid fuel appliance can be considerably smaller output than a conventional fuel and easily keep up. Remember it's output is continuous and conventional is intermittent. Those grates are correct, you want a crown on them. A coil in the plenum is a nice way to heat with forced air. Even constant flow is quite comfy.

Yes I have a multi speed blower on the oil furnace and had planned to run it almost constant but lower speed. We run a giant 100btu soapstone wood stove and a smaller hand fired coal stove our house is a very strange design and we have trouble getting the warm air moved to far away rooms I thought that by going the water to air route it would eliminate the cold areas.