Need some help...what to buy?

I was at the AHS factory before Christmas and the showroom has the multi fuel boilers on display along with the coal boilers, nothing operating on site that I saw. Several S500 units were in the loading area . With that much area to heat I think you would need a S500 with a augar and a large bin . I know most of the mines in central pa our bit coal and the AHS,EFM, and Keystokers burn antharacite.

Mac

I'm 15 mins south of Harrisburg. One of my customers is only a block from AHS. I should stop next time I am down. I sure would like to see one in operation before I purchase one though!

Thanks
Dennis

I only want to burn Anthracite. What part of central PA are you in Mac?

Thanks
Dennis

AHS multi fuel boilers can burn wood,anthracite coal,bituminous coal

airflowdevelop wrote:I only want to burn Anthracite. What part of central PA are you in Mac?

Thanks
Dennis

I live in Blair,20 min from Centre County one direction and 15 min from Cambria County the other direction . I am heating my 3200 sq ft shop and at least 3100 sq ft of living space in my house . The shop is in floor pex with a 8" slab using a S260 AHS . The house is 245' from the shop feed with underground pex with two high head pumps since I have a 22 ft elevation difference. The AHS is keeping up with my load but, I think if you were to add another 1500 sq ft you would be pushing the unit if everything was calling for heat in a sub zero day. I think you would want to look at the S500 or a large Keystoker unit . Also in your heat loss figure in how many times you open and close doors in your shop area on a sub zero day. My wife likes to open the attached garage door on our house just to avoid using the man door and digging for her key.Nothing like a large hole to leave all the heat out.

Mac

If you only want to empty ashes once a week...or more.... a AHS or Axeman Anderson can be horsed up high enough so the ashes drop into a pit. I've heard of a set up where a side door is opened and a small tractor is used to scoop the ashes. If you make a big enough pit you could empty ash once a week... a month... a year! Or... build a stainless steel auger, aim it over a cliff & never ash again.

airflowdevelop wrote:I was kind of hoping to burn Egg. I am kind of intrigued by the AHS multi fuel. I might have to take a trip down the road and look at one. I wonder if they have them in operation on site?

Airflow what part of central Pa you from? im also central PA, just wondering where your finding egg at?

Nevermind sorry just found it above

I hear you about a hand fed, but my .02 says we could save you over 20 years on the 'smarten-up learning curve' if you went looking at stokers.
Do you take a horse and buggy to work? If so, then I'm off base, if not, please don't limit your search to hand fired alone.
Look around, ask around, stop by Wilhelm's in Ravine, talk to Ben Witmer at AHS. No way will an AA 260 do what you want.....2 perhaps. Keystoker would be a K18 ish size, a pair of EFM 520's would struggle......a 1300....there is the ticket.
AHS 500K would not break a sweat. Don't forget Van Wert also. There are some HUGE units running daily, but your situation will require more than a 24X40 ranch!!!!
Just estimating your load tells me that a hand fed would be a monster due to the slow reaction time without some form of blower assembly.

Saw some refurb EFM 900s online going between 7,900-9,000. up to 400K BTU adjustable.
Pot is almost double a 520.

I was looking at egg due to the decreased cost. I have a friend that owns a mine and can get egg cheap (almost half price) compared to anything cracked. I am more concerned about re-occuring cost then anything. If I am spending 10k on a boiler I better get a pay back.

I should note that the shop has 12' deep footers insulated on both sides and filled w/ foam. The coldest the building gets is 52 degrees with no heat. I only heat it to 65. I am sure that is why my pellet consumption is as low as it is. The best I can tell right now on a cold day I need 230k btu peak to keep everything the way I want. With the additions I calculate 310-330k btu.

I don't mind giving 10-20 mins a day if it reduces the fuel cost drastically. If you think the stoker is still the way for me I am all ears.

No residential stoker out there that I know is made to burn egg.

AHS 260 will probably do it just you will have to load it manually no hopper so if you're around all day and don't mind loading it 2 or 3 times.

if you take two 170K-180K units they would handle the job, however smaller units end up being 10% more per kbtu cost.

AHS WOC/WC 2x55 or a 100
http://www.alternateheatingsystems.com/ ... ilers.aspx

The Harmon Trident.
http://www.harmanstoves.com/Products/SF ... oiler.aspx

others.
http://www.energyking.com/wood-coal-hot ... urnace.htm
http://www.krelldistributing.com/wood_coal.htm
http://www.comfortableheating.com/Royal_Indoor.htm
http://www.newhorizoncorp.com/products/ ... al-boiler/
http://www.woodchuckfurnace.com/

If you're friend is getting 1,000 dollars off on 10 ton of egg (estimated at 200$/ton), in 10 years you will save 10k.
So is all the extra work of loading twice/three times a day, emptying and shaking ashes and not getting the most efficient burn worth it? You're the only one that can answer that.

We are NOT talking a Residential Unit here

I would suggest a call to Arnie at A&B Van Wert. (315) 653-7883.

I would also PM members *Matthew D* and perhaps member *scrapp23jr*

All these guys are "heavy hitters" in larger stokers and have a lot of experience in the commercial/industrial sizes.

airflowdevelop wrote:I was looking at egg due to the decreased cost. I have a friend that owns a mine and can get egg cheap (almost half price) compared to anything cracked. I am more concerned about re-occuring cost then anything. If I am spending 10k on a boiler I better get a pay back.

I should note that the shop has 12' deep footers insulated on both sides and filled w/ foam. The coldest the building gets is 52 degrees with no heat. I only heat it to 65. I am sure that is why my pellet consumption is as low as it is. The best I can tell right now on a cold day I need 230k btu peak to keep everything the way I want. With the additions I calculate 310-330k btu.

I don't mind giving 10-20 mins a day if it reduces the fuel cost drastically. If you think the stoker is still the way for me I am all ears.

I'm not sure why you dismiss bit coal. In the btu range you'll be looking at there is an outdoor stoker boiler specifically made for your needs. With the heat load you have the payback will be relatively quick. As I mentioned it will burn any low coke button bit stoker coal at a cost of 50-90/ton in central PA. A stoker will burn bit virtually smoke-free. You may be able to find egg anthracite for a good price but no stoker close to the btu output range you're looking for will feed coal that large. In addition there is a member of this site that sells them for a good price. He uses one himself and decided to start selling them. coalman and homesteader at national farm machinery show

airflowdevelop wrote:I was looking at egg due to the decreased cost. I have a friend that owns a mine and can get egg cheap (almost half price) compared to anything cracked. I am more concerned about re-occuring cost then anything. If I am spending 10k on a boiler I better get a pay back.

I should note that the shop has 12' deep footers insulated on both sides and filled w/ foam. The coldest the building gets is 52 degrees with no heat. I only heat it to 65. I am sure that is why my pellet consumption is as low as it is. The best I can tell right now on a cold day I need 230k btu peak to keep everything the way I want. With the additions I calculate 310-330k btu.

I don't mind giving 10-20 mins a day if it reduces the fuel cost drastically. If you think the stoker is still the way for me I am all ears.

Here's my opinion......and I like hand fired stoves. As long as you need electric for circulator pumps anyways, buy a stoker. Those were my own thoughts, which I never regretted.