Just installed ds3200 Aquagem

 
lzaharis
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Post by lzaharis » Tue. Oct. 08, 2019 9:36 am

I forgot to mention that I filled my firebox half full of firebrick(in total cubic foot volume) and it reduced my coal and wood consumption.

I purchased a piece of scrap channel iron 12 inches wide and 2 inches tall and laid that over the shaker grate frame and then stacked the full firebrick on top of it until it took up half the volume of the firebox and the fire brick acted like a heat sink where it absorbed a huge amount of heat and also kept the firebox hot and slowly shed heat back into the firebox and it helped with burning wood where there was very little smoke when it was burning and when burning coal in the hand fed my ash had many fewer clinkers and the fire burned much longer when I was using stove and nut coal.


 
Jlinde37
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Post by Jlinde37 » Tue. Oct. 08, 2019 2:52 pm

lzaharis wrote:
Tue. Oct. 08, 2019 9:36 am
I forgot to mention that I filled my firebox half full of firebrick(in total cubic foot volume) and it reduced my coal and wood consumption.

I purchased a piece of scrap channel iron 12 inches wide and 2 inches tall and laid that over the shaker grate frame and then stacked the full firebrick on top of it until it took up half the volume of the firebox and the fire brick acted like a heat sink where it absorbed a huge amount of heat and also kept the firebox hot and slowly shed heat back into the firebox and it helped with burning wood where there was very little smoke when it was burning and when burning coal in the hand fed my ash had many fewer clinkers and the fire burned much longer when I was using stove and nut coal.
Funny you just said that. Look what I did last night. My houses btu requirements are approx 70kbtu so I did the same thing to experiment with. The DS3200 is rated at 160kbtu at 87%efficient. I unbolted the rear grate section from the shaker handle so it dont shake when I jockey the handle and just set the brick on top of the grate. It doesn't interfere with the next grate forward either. We shall see how it works. I also drilled and tapped a m8 fine bolt hole in my door to check my over fire draft as per Mcguiver.
62 and sunny today so probly not gonna try it out tonight. I also want to pick up a few bags of pea size to try.
I cant believe how well this transfers heat to the water. It's over double water capacity (40 gallons) of my old wood/coal jensen model 24a combination unit (17 gallons). And it heats the water almost twice as fast.

When I throw cold water from the concrete at it dumping 4 gpm of about 70° water it doesnt drop my return temp that much in this unit because of the large storage buffer. I did install a boiler bypass but I dont even see myself needing it.

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Jlinde37
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Post by Jlinde37 » Tue. Oct. 08, 2019 3:00 pm

This is the old Jensen Model 24A. The replacement grates are nearly as much as I paid for the ds3200. No brainer there!

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Jlinde37
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Post by Jlinde37 » Tue. Oct. 08, 2019 10:43 pm

Testing pea coal with firebox reducer while checking over fire draft as per Mcguiver. So far so good....I think. ODT 46° going to bed will see how it does tonight

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McGiever
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Post by McGiever » Tue. Oct. 08, 2019 11:27 pm

8-) :yes:

 
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Post by Jlinde37 » Wed. Oct. 09, 2019 7:37 am

So it did well last night. Outside temp dropped to 34 last night and the boiler was just idling this morning at 180.

My question is if the boiler is up to to temp In the morning and it still has a good glow underneath and dont look like it burned down very much should I leave it for the day? Or shake it a bit and and more coal? I didnt want to add more because the flames weren't 'dancing' and smother it. Still had about .03 draft at idle this morning. Sorry if this is kind of run on. I appreciate all the help and input guys.

 
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Post by McGiever » Wed. Oct. 09, 2019 8:57 am

I think you'll know your own answer when you return back to home later today. ;)
We're still here, always will be, but you're going to lose your training wheels eventually, so get a good grip now. ;)


 
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Post by CapeCoaler » Wed. Oct. 09, 2019 9:51 am

You wont smother it...
It is not like wood...
Forget wood theory...
Shake till you see the first red embers fall...
then add coal to full depth...
The way to kill a coal fire is not enough depth...

 
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Post by Jlinde37 » Wed. Oct. 09, 2019 10:41 am

McGiever wrote:
Wed. Oct. 09, 2019 8:57 am
I think you'll know your own answer when you return back to home later today. ;)
We're still here, always will be, but you're going to lose your training wheels eventually, so get a good grip now. ;)
Haha :lol: :yes:

 
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Post by lzaharis » Thu. Oct. 10, 2019 8:52 am

You need to add more firebrick. There is no reason you cannot add firebrick in the rear until you reach just below the flue breech with the stacked brick. you need to use full firebrick not half firebrick as it will not crack like the half brick does.

If you toss coal in the back now it will not fall forward to come in contact with the burning coal in the firebox. Once you get the back wall filled with firebrick you can bank the coal fire at night and it will burn well all night.

Using rice coal for a top layer of coal is an option to make a hand feds coal fire last all nigh too so no worries there.

 
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Post by Jlinde37 » Thu. Oct. 10, 2019 1:21 pm

lzaharis wrote:
Thu. Oct. 10, 2019 8:52 am
You need to add more firebrick. There is no reason you cannot add firebrick in the rear until you reach just below the flue breech with the stacked brick. you need to use full firebrick not half firebrick as it will not crack like the half brick does.

If you toss coal in the back now it will not fall forward to come in contact with the burning coal in the firebox. Once you get the back wall filled with firebrick you can bank the coal fire at night and it will burn well all night.

Using rice coal for a top layer of coal is an option to make a hand feds coal fire last all nigh too so no worries there.
What you mean full firebrick? I planned on getting more to stack it to the top but that's all they had in stock. What are dimensions of the full brick? They 2" thick vs 1? I got a few bags of pea to try. Last night I covered bed with a and it held fire very well last night with temps in the low 30s. I still haven't loaded to the door. I need more bricks.

 
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Post by Jlinde37 » Thu. Oct. 10, 2019 4:19 pm

Ahh I answered my own question. 2.5" thick..I sourced some local. I'm gonna pick them up tomorrow 2$ each and fill the back of the firebox

 
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Post by coaledsweat » Thu. Oct. 10, 2019 5:10 pm

Make sure they don't interfere with the grates operation or you will have grief.

 
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Post by Jlinde37 » Thu. Oct. 10, 2019 8:06 pm

coaledsweat wrote:
Thu. Oct. 10, 2019 5:10 pm
Make sure they don't interfere with the grates operation or you will have grief.
I cut them down on my wet tile saw. The picture is before I cut them down. I'm gonna get some full brick tomorrow so I can get a full depth bed going.

 
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Post by Jlinde37 » Sat. Nov. 09, 2019 5:58 pm

Update: reduced firebox is working well in these milder temps. (Lows in mid 20s at night) I did end up stacking full brick about 2/3 up the back wall of the firebox. Will see if theres still enough btu output of this thing when real winter gets here.. western ny usually known for a few weeks of sub zero temps with -30 windchill. Worse comes to worse I shut her down and pull the bricks.
Thanks izaharis.


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