GJ-5-C Gentleman Janitor

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StokerDon
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Posts: 7745
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
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
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Post by StokerDon »

7 more days of Springtime running. Timer is still OFF and no problems.
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4731.9 - 4673.0 = 58.9 hours, 8.4 hours per day.
58.9 x 7.7 = 453.5 pounds, 64.8 pounds per day.
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60 pounds of ash, 13.2%
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Gofer Action!
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Current settings,

Motor Pulley = 2"
Gearbox Pulley = 3.5" adjustable, 2 turns out.
7.7 pounds Per Hour.
Air = 1.5 Turn, Back of the blower housing blocked off.
Inkbird Boiler control = 165 degrees, 5 degrees Hysteresis.
Timer = OFF

-Don


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StokerDon
Site Moderator
Posts: 7745
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
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
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Post by StokerDon »

It's been wet and windy this week. Lets see how we did.
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4790.7 - 4731.9 = 58.8 hours, 8.4 hours per day.
58.8 x 7.7 = 452.8 pounds, 64.7 pounds per day.
Almost exactly the same as last week.
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60 pounds of ash, 13.3%. Also almost exactly the same as last week.
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Gofer action.
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60's and 70's in the forecast for this week. We are switching to the Summer setting of 160 degree boiler temp.
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Current settings,

Motor Pulley = 2"
Gearbox Pulley = 3.5" adjustable, 2 turns out.
7.7 pounds Per Hour.
Air = 1.5 Turn, Back of the blower housing blocked off.
Inkbird Boiler control = 160 degrees, 5 degrees Hysteresis.
Timer = OFF

-Don

User avatar
Retro_Origin
Member
Posts: 1389
Joined: Sun. Feb. 21, 2021 7:46 pm
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1957 Axeman Anderson 130
Coal Size/Type: Pea
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Post by Retro_Origin »

Ash looks super!

User avatar
StokerDon
Site Moderator
Posts: 7745
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
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
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Post by StokerDon »

Thanks!

60's, 70's during the week and 80 today. :o Lets see how we did.
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4827.7 - 4790.7 = 37.0 hours, 8.4 hours per day.
37.0 x 7.7 = 284.9 pounds, 40.7 pounds per day.
As expected, a lot less.
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37 pounds of ash, 13.0%. And only 2 ashpans this week.
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Gofer.
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Current settings,

Motor Pulley = 2"
Gearbox Pulley = 3.5" adjustable, 2 turns out.
7.7 pounds Per Hour.
Air = 1.5 Turn, Back of the blower housing blocked off.
Inkbird Boiler control = 160 degrees, 5 degrees Hysteresis.
Timer = OFF

-Don

User avatar
StokerDon
Site Moderator
Posts: 7745
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
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
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Post by StokerDon »

Chillier this week than last week. Next weekend might be shutdown time. It's really just a question of having time to clean it and pull it apart before things start to rust.
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4862.8 - 4827.7 = 35.1 hours, 5.0 hours per day.
35.1 x 7.7 = 270.3 pounds, 38.6 pounds per day.
That is unexpected, 15 pounds less than last week.
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37 pounds of ash, 13.7%. Ash percentage keeps going up as idle periods get longer.
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Gofer action.
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Everything has been running perfectly for many months now.
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This draft inducer does the job when your chimney can't. :lol:
Even with the timer OFF we have had no problems. :?:
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Sadly, mowing season has started early down here. Yesterday I pumped some grease into the 'Ol John Deere, put some air in the tires and did some mowing.
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Current settings,

Motor Pulley = 2"
Gearbox Pulley = 3.5" adjustable, 2 turns out.
7.7 pounds Per Hour.
Air = 1.5 Turn, Back of the blower housing blocked off.
Inkbird Boiler control = 160 degrees, 5 degrees Hysteresis.
Timer = OFF

-Don

User avatar
StokerDon
Site Moderator
Posts: 7745
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
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
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Post by StokerDon »

SHUT DOWN!!!

Yesterday it was time to shut down the GJ-5. Temps in the 70's and 80's with lows above 50 for the foreseeable future.
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It has run flawlessly for the past 2 months, even with the timer OFF.
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4895.6 - 4862.8 = 32.8 hours, 5.5 hours per day.
32.8 x 7.7 = 252.6 pounds, 42.1 pounds per day.
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34.5 pounds of ash, 13.7%.
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I shut it off in the morning and 5 hours later when I went to clean it out, the fire was still lit! :?:
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I removed the bin auger, pulled the gearbox, ran a brush through the auger hole and brushed the inside of the boiler.
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My implements. Brush on the end of a pipe, air compressor air gun and a leaf blower for the stove pipe.
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The flyash trap did it's job. I scooped most of a 5 gallon bucket of flyash out of it! :o
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I put a 100 Watt light bulb in it for the Summer to try to keep things dry in there.
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And now.... It air conditioning season, YUK!

Roll the video Son!


-Don

User avatar
Retro_Origin
Member
Posts: 1389
Joined: Sun. Feb. 21, 2021 7:46 pm
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1957 Axeman Anderson 130
Coal Size/Type: Pea
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Post by Retro_Origin »

It's a sad day when the boiler goes cold! BLECK A/C!

Looks like you had a pretty good run the with GJ although I would have been curious on it's coal usage if you had used it for DHW!


Scott in nwct
Member
Posts: 53
Joined: Sun. Jan. 27, 2019 11:16 am
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ 671SU w/Efm S-15 stoker
Coal Size/Type: Rice anthracite lehigh
Other Heating: Peerless oil boiler
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Post by Scott in nwct »

Looks good, Don. I also started using a leaf blower to clean the stove pipe outside and it works great. Scott

User avatar
StokerDon
Site Moderator
Posts: 7745
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
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
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Post by StokerDon »

Retro_Origin wrote: Sun. Apr. 28, 2024 8:19 pm I would have been curious on it's coal usage if you had used it for DHW!
It wouldn't be good. My 'boiler in the garage' setup has never come close to my 'boiler in the basement' on coal milage for DHW only. I think that's just the nature of using a remote boiler. The fact that the GJ is still un-insulated doesn't help.
Scott in nwct wrote: Mon. Apr. 29, 2024 8:15 pm Looks good, Don. I also started using a leaf blower to clean the stove pipe outside and it works great.
This was the first time I tried the leaf blower. You're right, it does work great.

-Don

User avatar
StokerDon
Site Moderator
Posts: 7745
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
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
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Post by StokerDon »

COAL DELIVERY!!!

It's a bit late this year but yesterday morning 4 Ton Of Rice arrived.
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That should get us to Spring without any problems.

-Don

User avatar
StokerDon
Site Moderator
Posts: 7745
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
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
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Post by StokerDon »

OK, we ran a Van Wert stoker under this GJ boiler for a few weeks to use up half a ton of Pea coal.

Now we've got the Gentleman Janitor stoker plugged back in, augering Rice coal right out of the bin. As God intended. :D
Gentleman Janitor / Van Wert Conversion

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After 1 day of running.
5158.2 - 5151.7 = 6.5 hours, 6.5 hours per day.
6.5 x 7.7 = 50.1 pounds, 50.1 pounds per day.
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Ash.
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Nice not having to fill the barrel!
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Current settings,

Motor Pulley = 2"
Gearbox Pulley = 3.5" adjustable, 2 turns out.
7.7 pounds Per Hour.
Air = 1.25 Turn, Back of the blower housing blocked off.
Inkbird Boiler control = 160 degrees, 5 degrees Hysteresis.
Draft Inducer = Low
Timer = OFF

-Don

Dave 1234
Member
Posts: 932
Joined: Tue. Nov. 13, 2012 9:05 am
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1948 International boiler, Allen stoker
Coal Size/Type: Buck,
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Post by Dave 1234 »

Don , Your editing skills are getting better all the time ! Great video !

User avatar
StokerDon
Site Moderator
Posts: 7745
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
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
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Post by StokerDon »

Thanks Dave!

I forgot to attach the un-edited short.

MVI_0007.MP4


waytomany?s
Member
Posts: 5581
Joined: Fri. Aug. 16, 2019 3:02 pm
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harmon Mark II
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Looking
Baseburners & Antiques: Looking
Coal Size/Type: Nut
Other Heating: newmac wood/coal combo furnace
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Post by waytomany?s »

StokerDon wrote: Sun. Dec. 29, 2024 8:28 pm Thanks Dave!

I forgot to attach the un-edited short.
MVI_0007.MP4
I hope you didn't jinx yourself. Those flames are just awesome.

User avatar
StokerDon
Site Moderator
Posts: 7745
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
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
  • Quote

Post by StokerDon »

waytomany?s wrote: Sun. Dec. 29, 2024 9:59 pm Those flames are just awesome.
Thanks!
Here's some more, first Weekly Update flames of the year!

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It's officially COLD down here now. Temps won't get above freezing for a while and we have a Winter Storm coming through overnight tonight, YAY!

First half of the week was 40's, 50's, then it got cold and windy.

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5219.4 - 5158.2 = 61.2 hours, 8.74 hours per day.
61.2 x 7.7 = 471.2 pounds, 67.3 pounds per day.
That Ain't bad for this weather!
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3 tubs of ash and they're full.
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That Gofer is in there somewhere!
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Flames.
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Current settings,

Motor Pulley = 2"
Gearbox Pulley = 3.5" adjustable, 2 turns out.
7.7 pounds Per Hour.
Air = 1.25 Turn, Back of the blower housing blocked off.
Inkbird Boiler control = 160 degrees, 5 degrees Hysteresis.
Draft Inducer = Low
Timer = OFF

-Don

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