7 more days of Springtime running. Timer is still OFF and no problems.
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.
60 pounds of ash, 13.2%
Gofer Action!
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
GJ-5-C Gentleman Janitor
- 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
7 more days of Springtime running. Timer is still OFF and no problems.
58.9 x 7.7 = 453.5 pounds, 64.8 pounds per day. 60 pounds of ash, 13.2% Gofer Action! 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
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. 60 pounds of ash, 13.2% Gofer Action! 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
- 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
It's been wet and windy this week. Lets see how we did.
58.8 x 7.7 = 452.8 pounds, 64.7 pounds per day.
Almost exactly the same as last week. 60 pounds of ash, 13.3%. Also almost exactly the same as last week. Gofer action. 60's and 70's in the forecast for this week. We are switching to the Summer setting of 160 degree boiler temp. 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
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. 60 pounds of ash, 13.3%. Also almost exactly the same as last week. Gofer action. 60's and 70's in the forecast for this week. We are switching to the Summer setting of 160 degree boiler temp. 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
- Retro_Origin
- Member
- Posts: 1389
- Joined: Sun. Feb. 21, 2021 7:46 pm
- Stoker Coal Boiler: 1957 Axeman Anderson 130
- Coal Size/Type: Pea
Ash looks super!
- 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
Thanks!
60's, 70's during the week and 80 today.
Lets see how we did.
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. 37 pounds of ash, 13.0%. And only 2 ashpans this week. Gofer. 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
60's, 70's during the week and 80 today.

37.0 x 7.7 = 284.9 pounds, 40.7 pounds per day.
As expected, a lot less. 37 pounds of ash, 13.0%. And only 2 ashpans this week. Gofer. 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
- 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
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.
35.1 x 7.7 = 270.3 pounds, 38.6 pounds per day.
That is unexpected, 15 pounds less than last week. 37 pounds of ash, 13.7%. Ash percentage keeps going up as idle periods get longer. Gofer action. Everything has been running perfectly for many months now. This draft inducer does the job when your chimney can't.
Even with the timer OFF we have had no problems.
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.
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
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. 37 pounds of ash, 13.7%. Ash percentage keeps going up as idle periods get longer. Gofer action. Everything has been running perfectly for many months now. This draft inducer does the job when your chimney can't.

Even with the timer OFF we have had no problems.

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
- 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
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. It has run flawlessly for the past 2 months, even with the timer OFF. 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. 34.5 pounds of ash, 13.7%. I shut it off in the morning and 5 hours later when I went to clean it out, the fire was still lit!
I removed the bin auger, pulled the gearbox, ran a brush through the auger hole and brushed the inside of the boiler.
My implements. Brush on the end of a pipe, air compressor air gun and a leaf blower for the stove pipe.
The flyash trap did it's job. I scooped most of a 5 gallon bucket of flyash out of it!
I put a 100 Watt light bulb in it for the Summer to try to keep things dry in there.
And now.... It air conditioning season, YUK!
Roll the video Son!
-Don
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. It has run flawlessly for the past 2 months, even with the timer OFF. 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. 34.5 pounds of ash, 13.7%. I shut it off in the morning and 5 hours later when I went to clean it out, the fire was still lit!


Roll the video Son!
-Don
- Retro_Origin
- Member
- Posts: 1389
- Joined: Sun. Feb. 21, 2021 7:46 pm
- Stoker Coal Boiler: 1957 Axeman Anderson 130
- Coal Size/Type: Pea
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!
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!
-
- 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
Looks good, Don. I also started using a leaf blower to clean the stove pipe outside and it works great. Scott
- 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
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.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!
This was the first time I tried the leaf blower. You're right, it does work great.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.
-Don
- 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
COAL DELIVERY!!!
It's a bit late this year but yesterday morning 4 Ton Of Rice arrived. That should get us to Spring without any problems.
-Don
It's a bit late this year but yesterday morning 4 Ton Of Rice arrived. That should get us to Spring without any problems.
-Don
- 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
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.
Gentleman Janitor / Van Wert Conversion
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. Ash. Nice not having to fill the barrel! 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
Now we've got the Gentleman Janitor stoker plugged back in, augering Rice coal right out of the bin. As God intended.

Gentleman Janitor / Van Wert Conversion
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. Ash. Nice not having to fill the barrel! 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
- 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
Thanks Dave!
I forgot to attach the un-edited short.
I forgot to attach the un-edited short.
-
- 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
- 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
Thanks!
Here's some more, first Weekly Update flames of the year! 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. 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! 3 tubs of ash and they're full. That Gofer is in there somewhere! Flames. 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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