Keystone KA-4 up and Running

Flyer5 · Post by **Flyer5** » Tue. Dec. 04, 2007 9:05 pm

Well conversion to girlie man status is offical . No more wood fire .Pulled out the wood boiler Monday after hunting in the morning ,Installed the Ka-4 finishing it up today . I was glad I did,with the wood boiler I had no way to dump heat without having electricity . Well about 7:30 last night we lost power .I would have been scurring getting the fire out if it wasn't already out . Here are some pics to keep you warm in this lousy weather.

MINO · Post by **MINO** » Tue. Dec. 04, 2007 9:29 pm

Flyer5 thats awesome how about moe picks of the whole unit??? Just curious, because i'm gettin ready to pipe up a k-6 boiler in my garage to heat the floor.

1975gt750 · Post by **1975gt750** » Tue. Dec. 04, 2007 9:44 pm

where did you get the ka-4 from I thought keystoker stopped making that one. I have a kaa-2 on order myself it should be here in a couple of days keystoker is just waiting for the surround. once insyalled I will up load some pics

chris

Flyer5 · Post by **Flyer5** » Tue. Dec. 04, 2007 9:49 pm

1975gt750 wrote:where did you get the ka-4 from I thought keystoker stopped making that one. I have a kaa-2 on order myself it should be here in a couple of days keystoker is just waiting for the surround. once insyalled I will up load some pics

chris

Hah ,I cheated I bought used . Dave

Flyer5 · Post by **Flyer5** » Tue. Dec. 04, 2007 9:56 pm

MINO wrote:Flyer5 thats awesome how about moe picks of the whole unit??? Just curious, because i'm gettin ready to pipe up a k-6 boiler in my garage to heat the floor.

I will soon as I get everything cleaned up . It is a mess from changing over . The Ka-6 should be a nice unit . I have found so far this thing is a heating monster . I was a little worried it wouldn't keep up with demand ,no need to worry .I have about a 4 inch burn when calling for heat and it is pleanty . I haven't been able to get a full run yet to see how much coal it will be burning ,it gets up to temp fast . I still have a lot of tweeking to do but it should be good for tonight . I will see how much coal I burned in the morning . So far so good . Dave

europachris · Post by **europachris** » Tue. Dec. 04, 2007 10:00 pm

I'll bet Keystoker would make you a KA-4 if you talked real nice to them! No reason they can't, really, as it's the same stoker guts as the KA-6, just a smaller boiler, etc. I'd like to 'upgrade' to a boiler one day (not sure how to justify it right now) and the KA-6 would be too big for most modern well insulated homes under 3000 sq.ft. The KAA-2 is nice, but I'd prefer the more robust stoker design of the KA-4/KA-6. I suppose it's probably not a big deal one way or the other. Only issue with the KAA-2 stoker is the same issue I had with my stove - get yourself a burnback/hopper fire, your cam and nylon screws melt, and you've got a real PITA to clean up. Normally, it should never happen (burn only rice, keep a clean stove, and watch the draft), but still, that's not fun when it's zero and the wind is howling....

Flyer5 · Post by **Flyer5** » Wed. Dec. 05, 2007 8:30 pm

Is 50 lbs give or take a few #s in a 24 hr period a reasonable amount for this boiler to run . It has been cold outside but the house is a nice cozy 68 degrees . So far seems to be running great . I have about 1/2 coal bed burning about 3"s from the end any more and it seems to overshoot during idle . I have the 2nd combustion blower that runs constant . The ash looks completely burned . Dave

europachris · Post by **europachris** » Wed. Dec. 05, 2007 9:45 pm

Flyer5 wrote:Is 50 lbs give or take a few #s in a 24 hr period a reasonable amount for this boiler to run . It has been cold outside but the house is a nice cozy 68 degrees . So far seems to be running great . I have about 1/2 coal bed burning about 3"s from the end any more and it seems to overshoot during idle . I have the 2nd combustion blower that runs constant . The ash looks completely burned . Dave

How big is your house? How old, insulation, windows, etc.? I'd say 50# a day is pretty darn good, less than a ton a month! How hot is your exhaust when the stoker is running? That's a good indication of how well it's doing getting the heat into the water.

Figure 50# a day is averaging about 30,000 BTU per hour gross input to the boiler. Keystokers run about 80% to 85% efficient, so you're getting an average of about 25,000 BTU per hour into your house. Not bad!

Chris

Flyer5 · Post by **Flyer5** » Wed. Dec. 05, 2007 10:11 pm

It is a newer home ,3000 sq/ft counting the basement . Radient floor heat . I still have to hook up the domestic water that may use a little more then . So far pretty happy with it. Time will tell . I will get a better idea how much coal tommorow last time I didnt quite fill the hopper so I just lined the coal up with where I think it was . Tonight I filled it to the top ,I will be able to get a better amount tommorow . Still should be close . Oh yea my stack temp is around 175 . Dave

Flyer5 · Post by **Flyer5** » Wed. Dec. 05, 2007 11:40 pm

Also trying running the boiler without secondary combustion blower tonight to see how it works . Supposidly it is mostly for the warmer time of year . And it never had one before , I just added it . Dave

Flyer5 · Post by **Flyer5** » Thu. Dec. 06, 2007 8:56 pm

In the last 27 hrs I used about 70 lbs . It was 2 degrees this morning so I still think that is pretty good I want to let it go a few more days without the secondary combustion blower . Then I will try it when it is hooked back up and see if it uses less coal . Dave

europachris · Post by **europachris** » Thu. Dec. 06, 2007 8:59 pm

Hey, Dave - any chance we can see some pics of the setup now? Doesn't have to be polished and washed, just wanna see your boiler cookin' away! Glad it's working out for you!

Flyer5 · Post by **Flyer5** » Thu. Dec. 06, 2007 9:02 pm

europachris wrote:Hey, Dave - any chance we can see some pics of the setup now? Doesn't have to be polished and washed, just wanna see your boiler cookin' away! Glad it's working out for you!

I will get them tommorow ,the camera batteries were dead and I'm beat from hunting all day .

europachris · Post by **europachris** » Thu. Dec. 06, 2007 9:09 pm

Did ya get anything hunting? Greg (LsFarm) sent me some pics of a BMW that hit a deer at 140mph in Germany on the Autobahn. The deer went thru one of the grills on the front and ended up IN the engine compartment (at least most of it did). Instant deer sausage......

Chris

Flyer5 · Post by **Flyer5** » Thu. Dec. 06, 2007 9:33 pm

I got a 8 point er 7 point because one is broken off close to the main beem . If go by the old timers rule it is an 8 . Got him about 4:20 Pm . Heres the pics you wanted . I will get more of the plumbing later . I plumbed it in parallel because that was how the wood boiler was piped and it was just easier . This boiler didnt come with a lid for the hopper but I wanted one . I was just loading my wifes old washing machine to dispose of it and the top looked perfect . I did a little trimming a little bending and voila a lid works great . My wife calls it my redneck coal boiler .I mentioned I could always use a toilet seat instead

. Dave

Keystone KA-4 up and Running

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