The efm 520 Stoker-Boiler Qualifies for a $1500 Tax Credit

It must be a newly manufactured unit, but I can see where the new lower price might put a slight restriction on the used market's prices.

stoker-man wrote:It must be a newly manufactured unit, but I can see where the new lower price might put a slight restriction on the used market's prices.

Why even with 1500 back on a new unit A refurb unit would still be quarter to half the Price of a new unit .

stoker-man

Do the AF Stoker Furnace's qualifie for the credit also?

Yes, the AF150 also qualifies

Having the capability to burn biomass should coal prices jump due to supply or any future carbon tax is very interesting.

Three questions; How hard is it to mix ratios of fuel such as coal and corn? If you were using a barrel do you just pour in certain amounts and let the auger mix it as it goes to the pot or do you have to premix it?

When you say it meet the 75% efficiency required by the government, what is your estimate of best efficiency attained while trying it? In other words how does it compare to pellet and corn stove efficiencies?

I would imagine there is more cleaning required using biofuels. How hard is the 520 to clean?

Thanks

The 520 is easy to clean, there is almost no ash with pellets or corn mix. The mixes are made ahead of time and are by volume. With pure biomass, you will probably have to shorten the worm set or use the short worm in a fireproof container.

Combustion efficiencies of 84-86% were produced and system efficiencies were calculated afterward. I don't have any other info on that and everyone will have different efficiencies. It met the minimum efficiencies and that's all I know.

The worm will not mix two types of fuel. Farmers have long used the 50/50 corn/coal mix without problems. The BTUH output is reduced in anything other than coal use.

There is another pricing announcement coming soon, so hold off buying one.....anybody, that is.

Thanks for the info. What are the possible methods for pre-mixing solid fuel blends?

Do you think a price announcement might be a couple of weeks off or a couple of months off?

I mixed by hand in a box. A compost tumbler or similar would work well for larger amounts. Announcement in a week or so.

vermontday wrote:Having the capability to burn biomass should coal prices jump due to supply or any future carbon tax is very interesting.

Three questions; How hard is it to mix ratios of fuel such as coal and corn? If you were using a barrel do you just pour in certain amounts and let the auger mix it as it goes to the pot or do you have to premix it?

When you say it meet the 75% efficiency required by the government, what is your estimate of best efficiency attained while trying it? In other words how does it compare to pellet and corn stove efficiencies?

I would imagine there is more cleaning required using biofuels. How hard is the 520 to clean?

Thanks

Looked at 1 of these http://www.portageandmainboilers.com/stoker.html at a farm show this week. Looks like a well built boiler. The dealer said it would burn coal, corn, or wood pellets, but he did'nt know the difference between bit. and anth. coal . Asked the price of the unit, show price $15,500 for the smallest unit, saw the look on my face and tried to sell me 1 of the wood-coal boilers for $6500. no sale today

Ok so what does a 520 sell for New? Used?

stoker-man wrote:I couldn't get straight corn to burn no matter what I tried, but up to 50% worked OK. The fire will hold for 1/2 hour, no problem, but would probably require more runtime on the timer than coal.

Corn as to be dried under 15% moisture content in order for it to burn well even in a corn burner that was designed
to burn it.The Proplem is most farmers or pet feed mills do not sell dried corn none have or use a dryer to dry out the
corn if you buy the feed corn in the bags your looking at 15% to 20% or more moister content all you will get and have is a glob of ash & clinkers when you try to burn it .

We might try again this Summer. We had the corn tested and it came it at 11%, which is what I expected because the moisture content of kiln dried wood gets to about the same in the summer.