antique coal water heater

 
nickdearing88
Member
Posts: 47
Joined: Thu. Nov. 23, 2017 3:11 pm
Location: NW PA
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: DS AquaGem 1100
Coal Size/Type: Blaschak bulk pea/nut
Other Heating: LP Boiler

Post by nickdearing88 » Sat. Feb. 03, 2018 12:49 am

Hi everyone.

I'm thinking about going to take a look at this.....only asking $85.00 and it's about 30 minutes away. I was looking at the new DS Bucket-a-Day heaters but if this unit is functional and worth fixing up....hard to beat the price.

What do you guys think?

https://erie.craigslist.org/for/d/antique-coal-wa ... 22448.html


 
User avatar
Lightning
Site Moderator
Posts: 14658
Joined: Wed. Nov. 16, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Olean, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: Modified AA 130
Coal Size/Type: Pea Size - Anthracite

Post by Lightning » Sat. Feb. 03, 2018 5:30 am

I think it'd be a fun project. I wonder if I could use one of those for a pool heater in the summer time. Hmmm lol. That would be neato!

 
nickdearing88
Member
Posts: 47
Joined: Thu. Nov. 23, 2017 3:11 pm
Location: NW PA
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: DS AquaGem 1100
Coal Size/Type: Blaschak bulk pea/nut
Other Heating: LP Boiler

Post by nickdearing88 » Sat. Feb. 03, 2018 9:40 am

I called the guy who posted it and it's still available. I'm going to go over with my buddy and check it out. Hard to beat the price....

 
User avatar
michaelanthony
Member
Posts: 4550
Joined: Sat. Nov. 22, 2008 10:42 pm
Location: millinocket,me.
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vigilant 2310, gold marc box stove
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Gold Marc Independence
Baseburners & Antiques: Home Sparkle 12
Coal Size/Type: 'nut
Other Heating: Fujitsu mini split, FHA oil furnace

Post by michaelanthony » Sat. Feb. 03, 2018 9:46 am

Perform a pressure test first, (compressed air), things that go boom in the night...many of this style water heater sat on a dirt floor and a the ash pit had no bottom.

 
User avatar
StokerDon
Site Moderator
Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Sat. Feb. 03, 2018 10:10 am

If the grates are good and the pressure vessel isn't cracked it will work fine. Reverend Larry has used a similar stove to heat his oil boiler. It works well. It is small so, it has it's limits. I think the pool idea is way beyond it's limits.

By the way, I would never test a pressure vessel with compressed air, especially a cast iron one. You pressure test with water. Air compresses, meaning that if the vessel fails, the air will expand down to atmospheric pressure. That's the same thing as an explosion. Broken cast iron makes great shrapnel.

Be careful,

-Don

 
User avatar
McGiever
Member
Posts: 10130
Joined: Sun. May. 02, 2010 11:26 pm
Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Sat. Feb. 03, 2018 10:28 am

What ever you do, don't ever 'dry' fire it and it's mandatory to plumb in a 30# PRV.

Very hot water under extreme pressure bursting through cast iron ain't any fun either...flashes to steam instantly.

 
User avatar
Lightning
Site Moderator
Posts: 14658
Joined: Wed. Nov. 16, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Olean, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: Modified AA 130
Coal Size/Type: Pea Size - Anthracite

Post by Lightning » Sat. Feb. 03, 2018 6:12 pm

StokerDon wrote:
Sat. Feb. 03, 2018 10:10 am
I think the pool idea is way beyond it's limits.
Hmmm. What's the BTU output of one of these? How many pounds of coal could you get thru it in 24 hours? 50 pounds? More? Less?

It takes about 130,000 BTUs to raise a 15000 gallon pool 1 degree.


 
User avatar
StokerDon
Site Moderator
Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Sat. Feb. 03, 2018 6:28 pm

Lightning wrote:
Sat. Feb. 03, 2018 6:12 pm
Hmmm. What's the BTU output of one of these? How many pounds of coal could you get thru it in 24 hours? 50 pounds? More? Less?

It takes about 130,000 BTUs to raise a 15000 gallon pool 1 degree.
These are called bucket a day stoves because the use one coal bucket per day, about 15 pounds or so would be my guess.

-Don

 
User avatar
Lightning
Site Moderator
Posts: 14658
Joined: Wed. Nov. 16, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Olean, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: Modified AA 130
Coal Size/Type: Pea Size - Anthracite

Post by Lightning » Sat. Feb. 03, 2018 6:33 pm

StokerDon wrote:
Sat. Feb. 03, 2018 6:28 pm
These are called bucket a day stoves because the use one coal bucket per day, about 15 pounds or so would be my guess.

-Don
Oh. My idea of a bucket is 40 pounds lol

 
User avatar
StokerDon
Site Moderator
Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Sat. Feb. 03, 2018 6:57 pm

Lightning wrote:
Sat. Feb. 03, 2018 6:33 pm
Oh. My idea of a bucket is 40 pounds lol
You have to keep in mind that these were designed long before the plastic 5 gallon bucket. It might be 20 pounds, but I doubt if it is much more than that.

-Don

 
User avatar
BunkerdCaddis
Member
Posts: 708
Joined: Sun. Jan. 18, 2015 10:26 am
Location: SW Lancaster County
Stoker Coal Boiler: Bairmatic-Van Wert
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Van Wert VW85H
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Saey Hanover II working when I feel the desire, Waterford 105 out on vacation, Surdiac Gotha hiding somewhere
Coal Size/Type: pea/nut/rice/stove-anthracite, nut/stove bit when I feel the urge
Other Heating: oil fired hydronic

Post by BunkerdCaddis » Sat. Feb. 03, 2018 6:58 pm

Lightning wrote:
Sat. Feb. 03, 2018 6:33 pm
Oh. My idea of a bucket is 40 pounds lol
That would be a "pail" a coalpail :lol: A bucket is found on the front of a tracked or rubber tired loader... :what:

 
User avatar
Lightning
Site Moderator
Posts: 14658
Joined: Wed. Nov. 16, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Olean, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: Modified AA 130
Coal Size/Type: Pea Size - Anthracite

Post by Lightning » Sat. Feb. 03, 2018 7:08 pm

Is anyone taking notes to get all these terms and definitions in place? :lol:

 
nickdearing88
Member
Posts: 47
Joined: Thu. Nov. 23, 2017 3:11 pm
Location: NW PA
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: DS AquaGem 1100
Coal Size/Type: Blaschak bulk pea/nut
Other Heating: LP Boiler

Post by nickdearing88 » Sat. Feb. 03, 2018 7:38 pm

It was a dud. As soon as I looked at it, I could see a crack in the pressure vessel. :-(

Oh well, I'll keep my eye on Craigslist. I also found a couple of DS retailers that sell the new "bucket a day" units.....but they're about $1,200. Still much better than a full boiler. They also have a larger model that is about 100,000 BTUH -- that would be more practical for me.

 
ben
Member
Posts: 178
Joined: Thu. Aug. 06, 2009 9:06 pm
Location: n central PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 350 with an S-20 pot (1966)
Coal Size/Type: Rice

Post by ben » Sun. Feb. 25, 2018 11:13 am

I remember my relative as a child growing up had a unit like this they called it a "Johnny Stove" It used pea coal and it sat up on a piece of concrete so that it was about waist level. This heated domestic hot water. All cast iron.

 
Pacowy
Member
Posts: 3555
Joined: Tue. Sep. 04, 2007 10:14 pm
Location: Dalton, MA
Stoker Coal Boiler: H.B. Smith 350 Mills boiler/EFM 85R stoker
Coal Size/Type: Buckwheat/anthracite

Post by Pacowy » Sun. Feb. 25, 2018 11:38 am

I would think all of these units would have very limited heat exchange surfaces relative to a conventional boiler.

Mike


Post Reply

Return to “Hand Fired Coal Boilers Using Anthracite”