1980 EFM 520 DF "great deal" Help and advice please !!!

A friend of mine bought a old farmhouse and in the basement lays a 1980 EFM 520 DF along with 1 ton of rice coal and 2 - 175 gallon oil tanks half full it's all mine if I remove them. The house has been vacant for 2 years. The questions I have are, would anything inside the boiler be damaged from having frozen water in it from not being fired? Does the unit really weigh 1,300 lbs and if so, can it be partially disassembled for removal ? Someone in an other post mentioned to check the grates on these all I saw was the burn pot or did he mean the grates on top of the burn pot? How much money do you think it would cost to rebuild this unit? It was last serviced in 2005. I know this is a great deal and it's worth the effort just for the oil and coal. The oil i can use in my house and the coal i can use in my garage. I always wanted this type of boiler for the house I just want someone who knows more about these to reassure me that is worth the effort. I am in the Slatington PA 18080 area
The only marking on it for a manf date was on the coal gun part it said 1980. the last service was 2005. I just wondered if anybody in the area was experianced with this and could guide me through a rebuild in my garage.

Thanks George
610-442-0701 cell/text ok
jeep79@ptd.net

The boiler can be separated from the base and it weighs 800 pounds. The rest of the unit is manageable. If only the pipes froze, your boiler wouldn't be affected. Since it was in the basement, you probably are OK, but you have to check. The grates are replaceable as well as anything else you need. After 30 years, you may need grates and a burner worm anyway. Good luck.

So basically your saying take the cabinet off and the boiler and base unbolt ? The grates that you refer to are they the metal on top of the burn pot ? I keep thinking of shaker grate like on my hand feed harmon i don't think i know what to look for on this one. Do you have any pics of those in you various posts ?

Thanks
George

Go to this area of the forum and look at the titles in the Announcements Section:

e-f-m Heating

More specifically, go to this post.

Pictorial of all DF520 Stoker Parts and Assemblies

The boiler just sits on top of the base and is sealed with boiler putty. If you use a hoist to lift the boiler about one inch, you could probably slide the whole base out from under it.

Here's one way to build it and plumb it.

Installation of a stoker boiler at efm

A friend of mine bought a old farmhouse and in the basement lays a 1980 EFM 520 DF along with 1 ton of rice coal and 2 - 175 gallon oil tanks half full it's all mine if I remove them.

I think you just found a boiler gold mine!

You should post pictures real quick! That is a beauty of a coal boiler and you can make it cost much more to restore/ repair/ bring back into service if not done right. It might not be that bad and some sage advice is all you need to be firing that bad boy up

BlueMtHarmon wrote:Just aqquired a EFM 520 DF from a friend. The unit was in the basment of old farmhouse he bought and is gutting. The unit hasn't ran in two years and the house was empty for that long. The only marking on it for a manf date was on the coal gun part it said 1980. the last service was 2005. I just wondered if anybody in the area was experianced with this and could guide me through a rebuild in my garage.

Thanks George
610-442-0701 cell/text ok
jeep79@ptd.net

On the front of boiler top under the blue metal Jacket there will be a ID tag telling you when it was made a long with spec. info. Here is a copy of owners manual If you need more info PM Me I will be more then Happy to help you out on
Refurbishing & Parts info for that unit.

http://www.efmheating.com/manuals/DF520 ... lation.pdf

BlueMtHarmon wrote:A friend of mine bought a old farmhouse and in the basement lays a 1980 EFM 520 DF along with 1 ton of rice coal and 2 - 175 gallon oil tanks half full it's all mine if I remove them. The house has been vacant for 2 years. The questions I have are, would anything inside the boiler be damaged from having frozen water in it from not being fired? Does the unit really weigh 1,300 lbs and if so, can it be partially disassembled for removal ? Someone in an other post mentioned to check the grates on these all I saw was the burn pot or did he mean the grates on top of the burn pot? How much money do you think it would cost to rebuild this unit? It was last serviced in 2005. I know this is a great deal and it's worth the effort just for the oil and coal. The oil i can use in my house and the coal i can use in my garage. I always wanted this type of boiler for the house I just want someone who knows more about these to reassure me that is worth the effort. I am in the Slatington PA 18080 area

Boiler top weight is 750 lbs Base is 142lbs Stoker & Pot Assembly 214 lbs Jackets 109lbs Total is 1215 Lbs
4 Good guys and some 2" roller pipes for boiler top and 2 x 8 Planks for steps a com along or winch & good heavy straps or chain will do the Job on removing it a Nice heavy lift bar / pry bar will help get the boiler onto the pipes to roll across the floor to steps or truck Take your time & Be Careful you will be fine

Bring enough 'manpower', don't be a hero. Slow and steady wins this race! Be careful of the base, the edges are sometimes 'tender'.

whistlenut wrote:Bring enough 'manpower', don't be a hero. Slow and steady wins this race! Be careful of the base, the edges are sometimes 'tender'.

Once the boiler is off the base it does not matter how rusted out the base is You would want to take the boiler off the base before moving either especially if it has a bad base if not and the base is in good shape then you can move both to the stairs if there is room from floor to ceiling If the base is in real bad shape then you need a hoist to hold and take of the boiler until you can lower it on roller pipes that should be on the floor already then roll to stairs and up the planks into
truck bed The base & stoker can be carried two guys on each one

Hey Blue Mt, find a couple 'Real Men Hand Feeder Guys", they can probably throw it on their back and worm their way up the stairs. You can loose a lot of skin on these projects, so go easy with it. Remember to brace the stairs if they are questionable. 4 guys and a 800 lb boiler is heavy......

whistlenut wrote:Hey Blue Mt, find a couple 'Real Men Hand Feeder Guys", they can probably throw it on their back and worm their way up the stairs. You can loose a lot of skin on these projects, so go easy with it. Remember to brace the stairs if they are questionable. 4 guys and a 500 lb boiler is heavy......

520 boilers are 750lbs base 142lbs stoker w/ Pot 214 lbs Jackets 109lbs two guys that know what there doing can move
these units safely But for Newbies 4 to 5 is recommended using a winch or come along makes getting up them stairs with planks a lot easier small bucket tractors are a bonus .

350 boilers are 575 lbs base is 135lbs stoker w/ pot 214lbs Jackets 105lbs
520 boilers are 750 lbs base 142lbs stoker w /pot 214 lbs Jackets 109 lbs
520 High boys boilers 850 lbs base 155lbs Stoker w /pot 214lbs Jackets 122lbs
DF-520 boiler will vary from old round door model or New Sq door model old style base or New style base Older Jackets to
Newer Jackets boiler top 750 to 800lbs base 135 to 142 lbs Jackets 109lbs to 115lbs

700 boilers are 1100 lbs base 226lbs stoker w/pot 375lbs Jackets 132lbs
900 boilers are 1465 lbs base 283lbs stoker w /pot 395 lbs Jackets 167lbs
1300 boilers are 1850lbs base 330lbs stoker w/pot 400lbs Jackets 175lbs

The base definitely needs to come off, what kind of hoist ? the floor above the boiler was removed and there is a big beam i could have just wrapped a big chain type around but he just put the floor back down and i can't wrap anything around the beam now.

BlueMtHarmon wrote:The base definitely needs to come off, what kind of hoist ? the floor above the boiler was removed and there is a big beam i could have just wrapped a big chain type around but he just put the floor back down and i can't wrap anything around the beam now.

The boiler only sits inside the base 1.5" so lifting the boiler up 1.5" you can pull the base out then lower the boiler on
roller pipes and roll across the floor to steps then use a 2x8 plank in center of steps pull the boiler up the plank come along
or a winch makes it a lot easier .

The base definitely needs to come off, what kind of hoist ? the floor above the boiler was removed and there is a big beam i could have just wrapped a big chain type around but he just put the floor back down and i can't wrap anything around the beam now.

Take 2 2' X 8' planks (or larger), cut them to fit from the floor to the ceiling. Screw them into the floor joists so they remain perfectly vertical. Run a heavy pipe or bar across between the two planks (Bore holes in the planks beforehand). The weight will bear down on the floor when you hoist the boiler. Take no chances, the boiler is very heavy and unforgiving.