Will a e·f·m Coal Stoker Boiler DF520 heat 3420 sq ft

I'm New and I've been looking through the forum and found some interesting info. I have burned wood/ coal since I was a kid. More wood than coal though. So my question is will the e·f·m Coal Stoker Boiler DF520 handle 3420 Sq FT. The figures I'm getting are 20lbs per hour is that correct.

It depends

Do you have 3420 Sq FT of well insulated tight structure -- or a 3420 Sq FT corn crib

WNY wrote:Normally you should do a Heat Loss calc. for your house, that would get your close. How much is your existing boiler output? or do you know how much baseboard elements you current have? Most use 500-600BTU per Foot output. I believe there are link in some other threads for HEAT LOSS CALCULATOR. This has been discussed many times.

You might be surprised on the output. Coal is different than gas, oil, etc... My smaller coal stove only has a small 6" x 12" burn plate and puts out 90K btu's. COAL has a very high BTU output. So, you don't need much to get a lot of heat out of it. Plus with a boiler, you have a lot of volume to keep warm, once it gets warm, it doesn't need as much BTU, with coal, even at IDLE, it will keep the water up to a certain temp.

I know the Harmen VF3000 is rated like 95K BTU and states it will heat up to 3000 sq. ft. It all depends on your system, house insulation, windows, etc.....

What's your heat loss?

its well insulated brick and a hire r value

Corn crib...I like that one Sting.

If the house has any level of insulation and the snow isn't blowing through the windows...a 520 should do the job. A detailed heat loss calculation or an analysis of your current heating system size vs. performance will help answer your question as well.

Food for thought...I heat about 3500 sq.ft of old house that gets blasted with wind, 5 teeth on the EFM takes care if it even at -20.

Does your house have hot water or steam radiation??

-Rob

its hot water

Don't listen to the salesman - or me

Do the heat loss calculation for yourself and prove to yourself and determine your load.

THEN -- go looking for the proper appliance to fit that load.

How many btu's is your current boiler ? Does it keep up, how long does it run on the coldest day of the year ?

Don't have all of those details its a foreclosure I'm putting an offer in on it. It kinda scared me when I was in the basement with 6- 275 gal oil tanks but then I thought Coal with and oil back up is the only way to go.

wantab coal burner wrote: It kinda scared me when I was in the basement with 6- 275 gal oil tanks

I don't believe that would make code if you're in PA, I thought 2 was the limit inside.

The heat loss will verify what you suspect: Of course it will heat it, but you sure don't want to be running at 10 teeth and 10 air and sucking down 20 lbs an hour. That would be 20lbs times 13,000 BTU's per pound, times 80% boiler efficiency, or 260,000*80%.....208,000 btu available at your greatest heat demand period. I'll bet your heat loss will show peak demand at about 145,000 btu. Get the real numbers before you make a definitive plan.
550 gallons is the limit here also....but that is today, who knows what the code was when it was first installed.....or added to.
I hate to add this comment, but I DO know a guy who was getting divorced....and the soon to be ex was living in the house....he paid all the expenses, heat electric, etc. She would leave for work at 7AM with all the windows in the house open and the TT's at 80 degrees. 3000.00 a month in Dec, Jan, Feb, March of 2009/2010 in a brand new house. Ouch!!!!

I wonder about heating a family dwelling equal to a semi load of coal a year.

And that maybe points to the why of the foreclosure

Just saying

Folks think I am / was / are nuts for heating this little place.

The calculated heat load at efm was about 450K and 7000 sq. ft. with no insulation at all. Unofficially, I would think your house would be easy to do with one 520. I have the efm heat load calculator on this computer, but it's time consuming if done properly.

whistlenut wrote:The heat loss will verify what you suspect: Of course it will heat it, but you sure don't want to be running at 10 teeth and 10 air and sucking down 20 lbs an hour. That would be 20lbs times 13,000 BTU's per pound, times 80% boiler efficiency, or 260,000*80%.....208,000 btu available at your greatest heat demand period. I'll bet your heat loss will show peak demand at about 145,000 btu. Get the real numbers before you make a definitive plan.
550 gallons is the limit here also....but that is today, who knows what the code was when it was first installed.....or added to.
I hate to add this comment, but I DO know a guy who was getting divorced....and the soon to be ex was living in the house....he paid all the expenses, heat electric, etc. She would leave for work at 7AM with all the windows in the house open and the TT's at 80 degrees. 3000.00 a month in Dec, Jan, Feb, March of 2009/2010 in a brand new house. Ouch!!!!

Max feed rate at 10 teeth is 25lbs per hr 2.5 lbs per tooth with Rice coal Buckwheat size is 2 lbs per tooth
8 teeth is 20lbs per hr with Rice . 16 lbs Per hr with buck
1300 btu per lb is on the low side of Anthracite you can get 13.500 up to 14.000 btu per lb if you know where to go .
When a efm is set up correctly & maintained correctly it will do 85% efficiency 24/7
Anything below 80% it's time for some maintenance .

NO PROBLEM, i have 520s doing 4500sq.ft. if you know how to set them up SCRAPPER

We heat a 4,200 sq ft house with an EFM on a teeth setting of 5 out of a possible 10. It easily keeps up at 20 below.

The EFM boiler is just as reliable as an oil boiler, except it is better, because with a lower fuel cost, you leave your thermostats higher without any guilt of sending your money overseas. And those unlimited hot showers are sweet! You will not regret installing this boiler.

Also EFM has a low auger angle, making it ideal for a skid/bulk bag feed. This allows you effortlessly load 1-1/4 tons of coal on in 5 minutes so you can run weeks without having to feed it.