Need Some HELP From Some of the Experienced Coal Boiler Guys

 
syclone381
Member
Posts: 21
Joined: Sun. Nov. 24, 2013 1:28 pm
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Not sure of the make or model (trying to find out)

Post by syclone381 » Thu. Mar. 17, 2016 7:44 pm

Well guys I didn't mean to start a war here. I'm just a dumb country boy letting everyone know what I did that's working, This house was a gravity fed system for over 100 years. I'm sure the water in this system wasn't over 180* or they would have been roasted right out of the house like I was. I have drained the water totally 2 times to make repairs and the water is black in color and there's no signs of rust in the system anywhere. When people start to talk about "molecular oxygen's reaction in water" I'm totally lost. The water in my oil boiler that's back-up when my coal fire goes out is above 180*. When I heat this place with oil the furnace runs and runs and runs just drinking oil. When the oil boiler sits at 180* and the thermostat calls for heat the circulation pump kicks on the oil boiler is drained in seconds thus the furnace running and running to get caught back up to heat the gallons and gallons of water in my huge cast iron radiators and 3 1/2 inch pipe running through the house. I decided to run the system at a constant temperature and the circulation pump all the time to make it comfortable in my house. If I drain the system and see signs of rust I'll change my ways or I'll see if I can find an additive to add to the boiler system to get rid of rust. Sorry I don't understand all these complicated terms but I don't.


 
lzaharis
Member
Posts: 2365
Joined: Sun. Mar. 25, 2007 8:41 pm
Location: Ithaca, New York
Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KAA-4-1 dual fuel boiler
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: former switzer CWW100-sold
Coal Size/Type: rice
Other Heating: kerosene for dual fuel Keystoker/unused

Post by lzaharis » Thu. Mar. 17, 2016 9:37 pm

Are all you radiator valves working??? Are they the Honeywell Unique valves??

One question comes to mind, did you or do you bleed the radiators every
year to get the air out of them?????? or do you leave air in the radiators to compensate
for not having an expansion tank in the attic???

Or do you have an expansion tank in the attic with a roof vent??

If you have an expansion tank does it have two pipes-one being hot water
to keep the expansion tank warm and one return pipe coming from the
base of the expansion tank that goes directly into the basement to the boilers sump??

You have made a major change somewhere or have not been filling the system completely
and not bleeding the radiators causing you to deal with a cold home that was never cold before.

Heat rises that's why the gravity hot water systems work so well without pumps.

Invest in copy of "Classic Hydronics" and you will see what is wrong with your system now
and how well they work without pumps.

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