Adjusting Settings

 
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rocketjeremy
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Post by rocketjeremy » Thu. Oct. 08, 2009 4:34 pm

Ok...looks like its that time for me again....the weeks of eternal outfires. It seems to happen this way every fall and spring. I thought I would have this problem fix with putting in a baro damper but I guess not. I thought I had nice settings because I was getting what I THOUGHT was a good burn but I just can't seem to keep the fire lit for more than 24 hours. Waking up this morning at 5:30 and having to restart the boiler was not fun! Currently I"m running 4 teeth and about 5 air. My aquastat is set at 150 for the low and 200 for the high with a 5 differential. I tried the timer at 2.5 mins, 2 mins and 1.5 mins every thirty and it's either out when I get home from work or a practically out.

This is a pic of what it looked like after about an hour of burning this morning after it was first relit. I can all summer with settings of 140, 210, 1.5 timer and 5 differential. I don't know why all of the sudden it always does this to me in the fall. Any thoughts to maybe finally clear this up? It always seems to happen in the spring and fall on the "funny" weather days where maybe the heat will run for a cycle but then it's back on timer for the rest of the day.

Image

Thanks in advance.


 
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coal berner
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Post by coal berner » Thu. Oct. 08, 2009 5:01 pm

rocketjeremy wrote:Ok...looks like its that time for me again....the weeks of eternal outfires. It seems to happen this way every fall and spring. I thought I would have this problem fix with putting in a baro damper but I guess not. I thought I had nice settings because I was getting what I THOUGHT was a good burn but I just can't seem to keep the fire lit for more than 24 hours. Waking up this morning at 5:30 and having to restart the boiler was not fun! Currently I"m running 4 teeth and about 5 air. My aquastat is set at 150 for the low and 200 for the high with a 5 differential. I tried the timer at 2.5 mins, 2 mins and 1.5 mins every thirty and it's either out when I get home from work or a practically out.

This is a pic of what it looked like after about an hour of burning this morning after it was first relit. I can all summer with settings of 140, 210, 1.5 timer and 5 differential. I don't know why all of the sudden it always does this to me in the fall. Any thoughts to maybe finally clear this up? It always seems to happen in the spring and fall on the "funny" weather days where maybe the heat will run for a cycle but then it's back on timer for the rest of the day.

Image

Thanks in advance.
Why is your diff set at 5 try 10 for cast rads or 15 for copper baseboard the weather is changing try 160 L 200 H
aquastat with 10 or 15 diff what is your draft setting on the baro Looks like You need to clean the unit out brush down the heat exchanger take out the baffel plate and the two back plate Along with the flue & chimney. My timer is set for 2 minutes ever hr .

 
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Post by stoker-man » Thu. Oct. 08, 2009 5:34 pm

Try 4 and 4. Are you certain the timer is working as it should? What is your draft at the door and the breech? And are you measuring draft after the fire has stoked for a few minutes and the flue and chimney are warm?

 
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Post by rocketjeremy » Thu. Oct. 08, 2009 5:41 pm

I meant to say 10 for the differential but I did also turn it up to a bit past 15 so I'll see what that does. I was using 4 and 4 previously but I turned it up a bit trying to get a better burn when this all started. Maybe I'll turn it back to 4/4 with the differential of 15. I will have to get the manometer again this weekend. I set my drafts a while ago and I did do it when the fire was stoking for a while and was hot.

 
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Post by rocketjeremy » Thu. Oct. 08, 2009 5:53 pm

Ok...right now I"m on 4 feed, 4 air, 150low, 200 high, about 16/17 on the differential and my current boiler temp is 180 degrees. My heat zones are on upstairs but I don't see them calling for heat until about 5AM tomorrow morning until the programmable thermostat comes on. Does it sound like I'm in the ballpark? ;)

 
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Post by coal berner » Thu. Oct. 08, 2009 6:25 pm

rocketjeremy wrote:I meant to say 10 for the differential but I did also turn it up to a bit past 15 so I'll see what that does. I was using 4 and 4 previously but I turned it up a bit trying to get a better burn when this all started. Maybe I'll turn it back to 4/4 with the differential of 15. I will have to get the manometer again this weekend. I set my drafts a while ago and I did do it when the fire was stoking for a while and was hot.
Are you heating with cast iron radiator's cast iron baseboard 10 diff or 3/4 copper baseboard 15 diff

 
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Post by rocketjeremy » Thu. Oct. 08, 2009 9:02 pm

Copper baseboards....and I just walked in now and it's out...and must have been out for some time b/c there is a fair amount of fresh coal on the top of the pot....I'm at my wits end......


 
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Post by rocketjeremy » Thu. Oct. 08, 2009 9:19 pm

I can't see that this has been the original problem but this time for sure it's because my timer isn't turning the stoker on. I have a honeywell model that has a mercury switch and the switch doesn't even spark. I think I have power where I need to though b/c the timer moves. I'm trying to figure out a bypass or something now so I actually have a shower tomorrow......

 
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Post by rocketjeremy » Thu. Oct. 08, 2009 10:21 pm

Well on my timer I have power to #1, Neutral is #2, and power to both #3 and #4 and also power back at ZR. It's like this either way no matter if I have the mercury switch engaged or not. It doesn't help to manually jump from #1 to #4 or #3 to #4. Does this mean the problem is in my aquastat or the timer? I'm getting a sinking feeling here.

 
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Post by stoker-man » Fri. Oct. 09, 2009 6:38 am

You wouldn't have power to #4 unless the timer was in it's ON cycle. If you have constant power on #4, the stoker would run constantly OR something is wrong with the wiring. If you are above the high limit on the aquastat, the timer will NOT turn on the stoker during its ON cycle.

 
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Post by rocketjeremy » Fri. Oct. 09, 2009 6:42 am

Hmmmm....I'll have to do more investigating I guess....no wiring for that has been changed or touched recently so I'm not sure how that would come into play. I did clean, prep and get my oil gun firing again finally at like 1am. The shower this morning just wasn't as satisfying knowing it came from oil....

 
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Post by rocketjeremy » Fri. Oct. 09, 2009 6:48 am

Ok....you were right on that one....I guess I wasn't thinking so clearly late last night. The timer DOES work...when I was checking it the aquastat was at max so it was blocking out the timer. Now I get voltage at #1, #3 and only #4 when the mercury switch is engaged. I guess that still takes me back as to how I could have lit it at 4 o'clock and it was out already at sometime around 6 o'clock.

Those settings were

4 feed
4 air
15 differential
200 high
150 low
2 mins every 30 on timer

I guess I just thought for sure when I came back home after such a short period of time something major had to be wrong. (ie the timer)

 
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Post by cArNaGe » Fri. Oct. 09, 2009 9:44 am

Just a guess here but if the timer is working correctly.

Take the low to 140

And bump the timer down some maybe 1.5 minutes or even one minute?

How good is your draft?

Seems your timer is raising the temp to much so it gets above 200 and the stoker won't turn on.

You could also bump the hi to 210. But I would try the other moves first.

My 520 doesn't hold the heat that well. Maybe I'll put the covers on it.
:lol:

 
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Post by rocketjeremy » Fri. Oct. 09, 2009 9:59 am

Lol, see mine holds too much heat I think....I always "flirt" with that high range. I'll try opening it up some more. I was running like 130-200 with 1.5 timer all summer and you think I would need more now that it's getting cooler but maybe since it does run like every morning on the thermostat maybe it's too much. I"ll have to relight and try again when I get home.

 
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Post by stoker-man » Fri. Oct. 09, 2009 11:27 am

Besides checking the draft, are all the holes in the burner plates open? Are all the gaskets in good shape? Is the stoker fan housing blocked with hair/dust.

Your settings all are good and should work.


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