EFM 520 Sulfur Smell From Hopper

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curtsgunshop
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Post by curtsgunshop » Thu. Apr. 14, 2016 9:34 am

We are experiencing a sulfur smell coming from the hopper and we've troubleshooted what we thought it may be does anyone know why we are getting this smell?

 
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warminmn
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Post by warminmn » Thu. Apr. 14, 2016 9:37 am

I'll leave most of the answer to stoker experts, but if you don't have a working, tested, CO detector I would open a window. I probably would anyway until you know you don't have a high CO level. Sulfur is what anthracite coal gasses smell like.

 
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SWPaDon
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Post by SWPaDon » Thu. Apr. 14, 2016 9:38 am

Possibly lost your draft. Do you have a manometer to check it? And most importantly do you have working carbon monoxide detectors.........what you are smelling is deadly.

Shut down til you figure it out.

Need more info on what you've troubleshooted, as well as more info on your setup.


 
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Sunny Boy
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Post by Sunny Boy » Thu. Apr. 14, 2016 10:46 am

SWPaDon wrote:Possibly lost your draft. Do you have a manometer to check it? And most importantly do you have working carbon monoxide detectors.........what you are smelling is deadly.

Shut down til you figure it out.

Need more info on what you've troubleshooted, as well as more info on your setup.
Or, if it was fine during the colder weather, it may be back drafting occasionally due to low draft pressure. Especially easy to happen if your weather is warming up. Some stove/chimney setups don't do well at low draft pressures that can be caused by warmer weather.

If so, you need to open the dampers more and run the stove hotter to get the draft hotter/stronger, or shut down the stove for the season.

Paul

 
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Post by titleist1 » Thu. Apr. 14, 2016 11:21 am

CO monitor is a MUST.

As mentioned warmer weather will hurt draft. What worked in cold weather may be marginal to not working at all in warmer temps. Check the exhaust pipes, fly ash build up in exhaust pipes that didn't hurt draft in colder weather can be deadly in warmer weather.

Manometer is very good to have so you can see the difference in draft before it starts putting CO in the house.

 
Pacowy
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Post by Pacowy » Thu. Apr. 14, 2016 11:28 am

I agree with Paul that sometimes in the spring the effort to idle down and conserve coal sometimes goes to far, and may undermine the chimney draft. And with titleist1 about fly ash build-up in flue pipes. What feed/air and timer settings are being used?

Other possible contributing factors may be:

- Air vent holes in auger pipe blocked (e.g., if coal contains wet fines)
- Lack of make-up air; exhaust fans, other chimneys in house, etc. drawing air from boiler room
- Boiler passages or thimble area of chimney full of fly ash or other obstructions
- Excessive air leaks into boiler/base
- Excessive combustion air (fire burning too low in pot).

Most/all of these are mentioned in the manual and have been discussed in other threads if more info required.

Mike


 
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SWPaDon
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Post by SWPaDon » Thu. Apr. 14, 2016 10:28 pm

No response from the OP. We have no idea if it's fixed, shut down, or if he died from CO poisoning. I pray that it wasn't the latter.

 
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coalkirk
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Post by coalkirk » Sat. Apr. 16, 2016 9:35 am

Man I HATE it when guys come in here and post something like this and then don't follow up. Hope he is OK!!!!!!

 
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coaledsweat
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Post by coaledsweat » Sat. Apr. 16, 2016 10:15 am

He visited yesterday after Pacowy's post.

 
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SWPaDon
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Post by SWPaDon » Sat. Apr. 16, 2016 1:22 pm

coaledsweat wrote:He visited yesterday after Pacowy's post.
Pacoway's post was 2 days ago. Going by his name on here, the only Curt's Gun Shop I could find is in Mifflinville, Pa.. The last death I could find in the Mifflinville obituaries was on Feb. 28th. . The last post on Curt's Gun Shop facebook page was 2 hours before the post here.

Dunno if it's the same person though.

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