replacing firepot grates

Oh boy...

My nerves are bad as it is. I just read this thread after needing to find an answer to essentially the same problem, and I'm really going to be sick.

This morning, when I put an empty ash bucket in, and also 2 days ago, with a bucket change, I pulled the fines lever, and heard quite a lot fall in. I took out the bucket right away, and noticed quite a bit of coal in with the fines. I went down again this evening, pulled the bucket, and pulled the lever as the auger was running, and the coal just kept coming, including red hot coals, so I just let go of the lever to stop it.

The auger and both tubes were changed about 4 years ago, and the mechanic said the grates would go a few years yet, and he was pretty much on the mark. The fire seems to be burning well. I'm wondering what this will cost, as I am in extremely bad health, no credit, and only about $300 in my checking. The auger and tubes job was about $840, 4 years ago. I would like to think I can go until spring.

I just realized, looking at my post again, that I didn't really ask a question. Does anyone know if it's possible to make some sort of quick fix, assuming that I have the same problem as wesley? Can I fill a hole in with mortar? If the pot has to come out, I'm guessing the job would cost over $1000? This furnace has the smaller round hole in front, with an access hole on the right side, hidden behind the blue sheetmetal cover. It was installed in 1967.

If it is just one or two bad grate sections and your health is such that you can do the disassembling and reassembling yourself, you can fix it proper for little $$$.

regardless of what type unit it is which you have you have . to figure out to get the right parts, if you have hot coals coming out the fines port you are looking at a very costly repair if you burn the lower pot assembly out.right now you are looking at about $225.00 for grates, bolts and gaskets, burn the lower pot assembly out you are looking 3 times the labor and cost to repair it, SCRAPPER

beleive scrapper ,(and his significant other) he knows every nut bolt and cotter pin that are on these units.

No, my health forbids doing the labor. Perhaps tomorrow, I'll see what my local dealer says about price, and take it from there as to where to raise the funds, which I don't know how that will happen.

Maybe you can contact Glenn Harris in Bangor.

CatholicBoy1957 wrote:I just realized, looking at my post again, that I didn't really ask a question. Does anyone know if it's possible to make some sort of quick fix, assuming that I have the same problem as wesley? Can I fill a hole in with mortar? If the pot has to come out, I'm guessing the job would cost over $1000? This furnace has the smaller round hole in front, with an access hole on the right side, hidden behind the blue sheetmetal cover. It was installed in 1967.

Why not use some castable refractory cement to fill in that gap. Most of it does not contain the air holes.

I can save you $$ on used grates and I do travel for service work. Contact me if you need help. Matthew http://www.anthracitecoalstokers.com/

I glad I'm getting some second opinions, before just going to my local man without information first.

When he did the both augers and both tubes 4 years ago, or was it 5 years ago, he said that the grates would go a few years yet, and that he would have to take the pot out of the side hole to change them, and that would involve more work. I think it took about 2 to 4 hours to change the augers and tubes, my memory is a bit foggy. The parts alone were about 500, which seems consistent with what I saw someone else post for prices on another thread. When he showed me the old pot auger and new pot auger, I almost fainted. It must have been the original 1967, then 40 year old, part. No wonder it wasn't working.

I remember asking him about a conversion to oil, since my deceased father bought one, and had it taken out after only 1 year, and stored that, and an oil tank, in the garage. I'm afraid to mention what I remember he told me it would cost. I told him, no no, I have the burner and tank, we're talking just labor. I must have been delusional, or what was he thinking?

$225 for pot parts wouldn't be bad, but if the labor is going to be what, a full shift(?), I need a little time to raise that cash.

I like the idea of cement for a temporary fix, until I know I have cash, since I have no credit. I'm going to ask my local about that, if I get to see him, since he wasn't in this morning. I'll also get his thoughts on used grates.

I got in touch with the local guy. I'm going to have him do the job, because he offered to work out something with me as far as payment, so I considered it a bird in hand.

He said it needs to be done soon, to avoid damage to the lower pot, so that means I won't need to do the patch thing with cement. He said the labor is hard to estimate, because of problems with it coming apart. It would only be a 2 hour job, if it came right apart, but if you snap bolts, and have to drill them out, that could change things alot, and it could be 5 hours, and as much as 600 to 700. He said he doesn't use old grates, as most of the cost is the labor. He'll be doing it next week.

I appreciate everyone's responses and suggestions. I'm still learning alot about this furnace.

They just got done working on it. I shut it off before retiring last might, and came down early this morning to vacuum the pot to assay the damage.

It appears that the grates were warping and cracking where attached, and one of them cracked where attached, and shifted, damaging the pot beneath it.

I'd hate to be a non-professional doing this job myself.

It required new grates, pot, and tube.

The pictures don't show anything broken but the one grate and some cracking of another grate.

stoker-man wrote:The pictures don't show anything broken but the one grate and some cracking of another grate.

The main problem was that one broken grate. The waste of coal was tremendous. When the one guy took apart the grates, he showed me the piece that cracked off of the pot, unfortunately, I didn't have my camera handy at that point, and tried to stand back as far as possible, out of their way. The other grates may have gone a while yet, but as far as I know, these were the original 45 year old grates, and I didn't want the repair guys to be back for a long time.

Glad they got you up and running again. If they are working something out with the bill, that is better yet.