AHS S130 Coalgun- Puffbacks & Explosions

 
dchartt
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Post by dchartt » Thu. Dec. 27, 2012 3:46 pm

your not the only one


 
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lsayre
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Post by lsayre » Thu. Dec. 27, 2012 3:51 pm

dchartt wrote:your not the only one
Are you hearing puff-backs? What coal are you burning, and what are your current settings?

I just had my third puff-back of the day, and this one was the whopper of the day. This one happened when the fan cut off. Currently gettign a steady draft at 0.03" inches of water column (verified by placing the manometer hose on alternate sides of the manometer and getting the same reading on each side, sans for positive/negative sign). It's getting to be as bad as for back when my SV was at 130 degrees and my hysteresis was at 10 degrees.
Last edited by lsayre on Thu. Dec. 27, 2012 4:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.

 
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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Thu. Dec. 27, 2012 4:10 pm

Larry, any idea what your next adjustment will be to try and get the boiler to quit "woofing" at you?

 
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lsayre
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Post by lsayre » Thu. Dec. 27, 2012 4:19 pm

Rob R. wrote:Larry, any idea what your next adjustment will be to try and get the boiler to quit "woofing" at you?
I just emailed Darren at AHS. I likely won't hear from him until tomorrow, or perhaps even until after the New Year. I'm running out of ideas.

 
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Post by Bob » Thu. Dec. 27, 2012 4:20 pm

Have you checked the fire height today? How does it compare to the days when you had no puff backs?

 
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lsayre
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Post by lsayre » Thu. Dec. 27, 2012 4:22 pm

Bob wrote:Have you checked the fire height today? How does it compare to the days when you had no puff backs?
Good point. I'll have to look at it after the next heat cycle. Somewhat concerned with placing my face if the line of fire though.

I wonder why something changed after 10 days of cruising along nicely. And then I wonder what it was that changed....

 
dchartt
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Post by dchartt » Thu. Dec. 27, 2012 5:59 pm

lsayre wrote:
dchartt wrote:your not the only one
Are you hearing puff-backs? What coal are you burning, and what are your current settings?
mix of Reading pea and buck, 110 with a 5 deg hys.

it was kinda weird I made a big no no and didnt put the hopper lid back on the prior day and when I went to the barn to check on the boiler I noticed it, the fan shut off and woom, coal was pretty low in the hopper, looked inside the pot and there was a little fresh coal on top the fire but not much, it jammed my baro open


 
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Post by KLook » Thu. Dec. 27, 2012 6:04 pm

Larry, any idea what your next adjustment will be to try and get the boiler to quit "woofing" at you?
I think my next adjustment would be a Keystoker or a LL 110 or 220 if needed.

Kevin

 
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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Thu. Dec. 27, 2012 6:53 pm

KLook wrote:
Larry, any idea what your next adjustment will be to try and get the boiler to quit "woofing" at you?
I think my next adjustment would be a Keystoker or a LL 110 or 220 if needed.

Kevin
:whistle:

 
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Freddy
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Post by Freddy » Thu. Dec. 27, 2012 7:56 pm

My AHS buddy Charlie found he had fewer puff backs if he kept the hopper near full and added a bag of coal each day, rather than add 5 or 6 bags once a week.

 
KLook
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Post by KLook » Thu. Dec. 27, 2012 8:03 pm

My AHS buddy Charlie found he had fewer puff backs if he kept the hopper near full and added a bag of coal each day, rather than add 5 or 6 bags once a week.
Then you are indicating air infiltration through the hopper. I thought they had lids on these things to prevent that?

Kevin

 
macdabs
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Post by macdabs » Fri. Dec. 28, 2012 6:32 am

I still think the problem has something to do with ash build up or coal dust in the funnel of the boiler. Some of the wood gun users are compaining about puff backs and the only thing that would be similiar is the exhaust funnel of the two machines.

I emailed Darren pictures of my last explosion over a month a go and have yet to hear anything. I think they read the posts more than you think and from a legal standpoint they will not comment. The only way to stop the puffbacks is a complete design change that would increase the cost not to mention the length of time for the UL certification process.

If I could get a new EFM that would put out 260,0000 BTU to heat my shop and home the S260 would be back in Chambersburg at the AHS dock!

We should start a Baro- flue poll and see how many users have replaced flue pipes and Baro units over the puff backs. If your fridge would go in defrost mode every month or two and ruined your food. Or if your stove would just burn a $35.00 ham or turkey for no reason would you put up with it? :o Yet we continue to use an appliance that we paid big $$$$ for blaming the coal, draft or the operator for the explosions we have encountered. Man vs the machine.... :lol: :lol:

Not to get off the subject but, I knew a car dealer that was a real overpriced rip off that would continue to have repeat customers . I asked him why the same customers would keep buying cars off him after he would give them nothing for the trades. Also all the cars were always priced way above book value? His answer . "They keep comming back hoping to get even on the next one!" I guess every ton a coal is a challenge!

Mac

 
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whistlenut
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Post by whistlenut » Fri. Dec. 28, 2012 9:20 am

You could get a new EFM...or a rehabbed one. Ask Mike Nelson (Pacony) about the performance of a 900, or anyone running one. Keystoker would do the job.....or here's a thought, Axeman Anderson AA 260. Ask ANYONE running one if they are having the same issues as the AHS-130/260's. Another thought is to do some retro work on the feed assembly. Many think the AA is a dinosaur, but quite to the contrary, it is an evolutionary process that was at the top of it's game when they introduced it after WW2.

They ALL work well once you know the tricks, and I learned the hard way just like everyone else, but 570 posts, 17,774 look-sees, are we any further to finding a path out of the woods? That's a lot of horsepower (experience) to not recognize.
:idea: :!: :? :? :?

 
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lsayre
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Post by lsayre » Fri. Dec. 28, 2012 9:24 am

whistlenut wrote:They ALL work well once you know the tricks, and I learned the hard way just like everyone else, but 570 posts, 17,774 look-sees, are we any further to finding a path out of the woods? That's a lot of horsepower (experience) to not recognize.
:idea: :!: :? :? :?
Would you mind sharing what tricks you have learned?

 
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steamup
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Post by steamup » Fri. Dec. 28, 2012 9:30 am

The woodgun is a totally different machine and concept. The woodgun is an air tight boiler and the combustion chamber is full of unburned gasses when it is in the off cycle. There is a timer switch on the boiler to override the aquastat to bring on the combustion fan. This switch must be activated before you open the door to fill the boiler with wood. Failure to do so or get impatient and open it too soon, you get a backdraft.

My dad has had a woodgun for 27 years. I have help fill it for him at times. I got impatient once, opened the door quickly and singed my eyebrows off.

Burning solid fuels have some inherent dangers. You need to have some education on these dangers or you can get hurt.


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