After being out of production for many years, efm will again be building the hand-fired wood/coal boiler, Model WCB-24. It will be a coded boiler, suitable for residential or commercial use.
This unit can be used to heat an entire home or just as a supplement to your oil boiler.
In my case, I am keeping 2200 sq. ft. at 70-75 degrees easily using wood alone. I circulate to my oil boiler and use all the controls off the oil boiler to run through the zones and back to the wood/coal boiler. Everything is fully automatic. My unit is over 20 years old and still original.
The initial run is going to be for 25 units, as a test run to attempt to gauge public interest. The price will be much less than the stoker and units should be available for the Fall season. It is still too early to estimate a cost.
I'd be interested to know if this unit generates any interest in the public that visit this forum.
The efm WCB-24 hand fired wood/coal boiler
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stoker-man
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- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: 1981 efm wcb-24 in use 365 days a year
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- Other Heating: Hearthstone wood stove
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Richard S.
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How does the efficacy rate wood vs coal? Is one more suitable that the other ?
How's the firebox set up? I'm assuming its set up for coal.
How's the firebox set up? I'm assuming its set up for coal.
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stoker-man
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- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: 1981 efm wcb-24 in use 365 days a year
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- Other Heating: Hearthstone wood stove
I'll post some pictures soon. Actually, my picture on the right is a WCB-24.
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coal berner
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Here Rich this one is a Hot Air Furnace WCF-24 The fire box and Grates are like any other Anthracite Hand fed Stove or Furnace shaker grates ash Pan on bottom These are Nice little units 60 k BTU's max The Paper work with this unit dates it 1981 I believe the where made until 1985 or 1986 Maybe Stoker-man can find some info on themRichard S. wrote:How does the efficacy rate wood vs coal? Is one more suitable that the other ?
How's the firebox set up? I'm assuming its set up for coal.
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stoker-man
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- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: 1981 efm wcb-24 in use 365 days a year
- Coal Size/Type: Anthracite/Chestnut
- Other Heating: Hearthstone wood stove
This is what they should like after production. My unit is a 2 grate and the new ones will be 3 grates for more BTU output. The unit is ideal for using wood in the warmer months to make domestic hot water and letting the fire die out, while in the winter, coal would be ideal.
[attachment=5]wcb-grates.jpg[/attachment]
Front view. Samson aquastat; very accurate.
The ash pan is large enough that it doesn't have to be emptied for 3-4 days in the Winter.
The firebricks line each side of the firebox. They are the original bricks. The 3 bricks are laid across the grates to keep them from warping when burning wood. They are in the closed position. The unit burns nut coal.
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The grates are visible here, above the ash pan area.
Wood is laid inside and lit with one firestarter, which I make from wax and planer shavings. In the wintertime, once the firestarter is lit, wood is laid on top until the wood in the firebox is even with the bottom of the door opening. In the Summer, to make domestic hot water, I use the equivalent of 1/2 of a 5 gallon bucket of pallet wood. There is room for 24" long pieces of wood. That amount of wood will bring the temperature of my two boilers (wood and oil, 40 gallons) to 140 degrees, which is more than enough for two showers and the dishwasher, using the coil in the oil boiler. I've been doing this for over 30 years and it takes less than 90 seconds to start the fire and load the box.
The fire is now burning. It take about 15 minutes to heat both boilers to 140 degrees.
It is clean burning if the "over the fire" air is adjusted properly. This picture was taken with the temperature at 80 and high humidity. It will smoke like any other unit when adding new wood while the unit is up to
temperature, for 5-10 minutes. I have never burned coal in this unit.
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stoker-man
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- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: 1981 efm wcb-24 in use 365 days a year
- Coal Size/Type: Anthracite/Chestnut
- Other Heating: Hearthstone wood stove
Here is a picture of a 3-grate holder, grates, and shaker handle. The grates are connected together and turn in unison. I think the boiler would be a few inches wider than mine to accommodate the extra grate. BTUH output should be about 100K.
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stoker-man
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- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: 1981 efm wcb-24 in use 365 days a year
- Coal Size/Type: Anthracite/Chestnut
- Other Heating: Hearthstone wood stove
The fusible plug is located in the rear of the boiler in what appears to be a 3/8" coupling welded to the crown sheet. The flue outlet is cast iron and is bolted/replaceable to the boiler.
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stoker-man
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- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: 1981 efm wcb-24 in use 365 days a year
- Coal Size/Type: Anthracite/Chestnut
- Other Heating: Hearthstone wood stove
The baffles measures 11 1/2" X 4 1/2" and it's 1/8" thick (11 ga. ?)
J or U bolts go through the fire door frame.
The original hanger made a 90 degree turn upward on the right side of the original piece but I cut if off so I could remove the baffle to clean the crown sheet. I think we should use the original design because the baffle can be pushed off the hook when loading wood.
The hook is shown as it would appear from inside the chamber. You can see why I would add the 90 angle.
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Scottscoaled
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How long do these units hold on a full bank of coal.Would you send me a couple hundred of these? 
Scott
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stoker-man
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- Other Heating: Hearthstone wood stove
The last time I checked, we're waiting to hear from you.
It doesn't seem like the coal forum members know about this unit which was made 20-30 years ago. I only know of one other person that has one and he adds two scoops of coal, 4 times a day, for heat and hot water. The new units will be rated at 100K BTUH.
Anybody seriously interested should make it known because we are getting inquiries for many more than we are producing.
I've had several inquiries about burning Bit coal in them. I'm trying to get an answer from our engineer. Even if it was tested for Bit, I'm not sure what the long term effects would be to the firebrick lining or the steel water jacket. Would it be too hot? With Anthracite, my friend has been using his for at least 25 years with no ill effect.
It doesn't seem like the coal forum members know about this unit which was made 20-30 years ago. I only know of one other person that has one and he adds two scoops of coal, 4 times a day, for heat and hot water. The new units will be rated at 100K BTUH.
Anybody seriously interested should make it known because we are getting inquiries for many more than we are producing.
I've had several inquiries about burning Bit coal in them. I'm trying to get an answer from our engineer. Even if it was tested for Bit, I'm not sure what the long term effects would be to the firebrick lining or the steel water jacket. Would it be too hot? With Anthracite, my friend has been using his for at least 25 years with no ill effect.
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Sting
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Burning bit coal in the old Kewaunee boiler--- well I recall every summer helping clean it then I recall I was the one that had to crawl in the fire box and clean it -- but the point is once swept out there always were fire brick to replace. But the vessel was not effected....
Fire brick are cheep - so what if several need to be annually replaced
your sort of making me think about this hand stoking thing
But I will need one about 50 % larger
Fire brick are cheep - so what if several need to be annually replaced
your sort of making me think about this hand stoking thing
But I will need one about 50 % larger
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dennishutch
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My first post from Maryland's Eastern Shore. I've been reading the post and some threads for a few weeks. I knew this years fuel oil bill would be out of sight, and after locating a coal dealer in Federalsburg, MD who will deliver locally I became even more interested. I've been snagged by where to line up and buy/install a dual system/will they come here to install, and of course price of all that. I'm interested. What is there to do next? I would really like to go forward with this!
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stoker-man
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- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: 1981 efm wcb-24 in use 365 days a year
- Coal Size/Type: Anthracite/Chestnut
- Other Heating: Hearthstone wood stove
I don't know of any dealers in the MD area, but anybody mechanical should be able to install an efm unit. A regular plumber would do the rest.
And Sting, with 10 sq. ft. of heating surface inside the boiler, the 100K rating is conservative. I'm heating 2200 sq. ft. with just my 60K unit. And when I say heat, I mean I like it at 70 -75 all winter.
And Sting, with 10 sq. ft. of heating surface inside the boiler, the 100K rating is conservative. I'm heating 2200 sq. ft. with just my 60K unit. And when I say heat, I mean I like it at 70 -75 all winter.
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stoker-man
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- Joined: Mon. Nov. 19, 2007 9:33 pm
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- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: 1981 efm wcb-24 in use 365 days a year
- Coal Size/Type: Anthracite/Chestnut
- Other Heating: Hearthstone wood stove
The air chamber is 1/4" thick cast and weighs 12.5 pounds.
