Need help finding someone to work on boiler in nys. Too hot!

Hey guys first post new to this site and burning coal. I found an old boiler in my friends farm basement that had never been fired. Plate says 1980 new yorker steel. I really enjoy burning the coal and have learned ALOT here, (very appreciated), but am still having a fair amount of trouble controlling the burn. I can shut everything down including the manual dampener, and hear air getting into the stove at a pretty heavy rate. It will burn hot and fast, leaving klinkers the size of footballs (anthrocite coal) and rarely making it through a nights burn. I am located in dutchess county ny where ny, ct, and mass meet. I have called every plumber i can trying to find a proffessional to at least come look at the set up to help me get off on the right foot. The shaker grates have a melted spot now as well and are propped up by a fire brick. Please let me know how to locate someone that can help with this beast because i love it very much but at this rate im burning up to 200 pounds somedays and may as well be paying for the propane because im at the stove working every 4 or 5 hours. Thanks alot guys I appreciate it.

-Jadon

WHoa... You've come to the right place. Well I gotta think there is way too much air getting into that firebox somehow. I would check the gaskets on all the doors. The seals should be pretty tight, otherwise its unknown how much air is really getting in.. Close a one dollar bill in the door and see how much tension it takes to pull it thru. Do this all the way around each door. A manometer to check draft pressure would also be very helpful, otherwise you really don't know how effective the manual damper is turning down the draft. This should get you started at taming that beast.

Welcome partner!

Ash door closed ?
Are you watching it alot thru an OPEN fire door ?
Lol....thats alot of coal... and coal will not make heat like you're describing without a lot of air...its coming from someplace!
... 1 more thing.. you stated you can actually hear the air?
I would have to guess it's something very obvious... either something is open... or worse... it's actually missing!

Where in NY State are you? It's a long way from one side to the other.....As much as you love the unit, you might consider the costs to repair. Call New Yorker Boiler Co with the model and serial number and get the manual.
That is a good start. You might find it online here in the forum. They will direct you to a supplier or Supply house that will help you out.
If it is too far gone, don't flog a dead horse forever.....A picture would help tremendously, since there may be many burning in them right now on this forum.
Also goggle the boiler and see if there are any users that might have additional info.

Go up to the top right corner and type you info in the goggle box and press enter. You will see the links you are looking for. Relax, sit down and read on. Welcome to the NEPA forum.....200 lbs a day is a very high usage rate.....new gaskets, door pins...check the whole thing for air leaks.....barometric damper installed? Any idea of how much draft you have? Does it suck you hat off when you open the boiler door? What is the stack temperature? This isn't scarey, but there a number of things that have to be in place to made the best use of the coal appliance.

http://www.newyorkerboiler.com

I just looked and the manual is available along with the product data sheets. Go to products, select steel boilers, then Wood/Coal, and presto, everything you want to know for free...even contact numbers.

Here are a few pictures (i believe i uploaded them right). I called new yorker steel an the lady said that the model # doesnt sound like anything theyve ever made. I told her i was reading it directly from the plate. She said she couldnt help me. I know its older but I thought a 1980 wouldnt be ancient haha. If it is id hate to think what i am! As for the machine, it was brand new never fired when i got it 3 weeks ago. Just had sat in a basement. There is a huge suck that happens when I open the fire door. Not sure if thats good or bad. I would assume the gaskets are good because they were new and look fine. I will try the "dollar test" after work. I am in NY right where ny ct and mass meet. Right in the corner. I wont lie the extreme heat makes me nervous, which is why i was hoping to find a proffessional to at least get me started off correctly. When it melted a piece of the shakers i just figured there is an element of danger that should be respected. I feel comfortable operating it, just want to make sure it is as safe and efficient as possible. The help here has been great so far. Thank you guys.
-jason

Re visit that tag on ur boiler that shows clearances for combustibles.... firewood is a combustible...lol!
... especially if you're getting heat like you say!

...the "whoosh" you describe concerns me a little bit...is there a baro installed?
... I'm also wondering if you actually burned thu something... you indicated the grate had melted...??
..... just thinking out loud

Very important to keep the ash pan empty. If ashes build up to the grates, they will insulate the cooling effect of incoming combustion air and they will warp, melt or be destroyed..

I do keep the grates as clear as possible. Like i said im at it every few hours. It seems as though it only takes an hr or so though to heat up to the point where klinkers for a hard shell around the grates and lock them up. Im constantly breaking, shaking, and pulling them out. Een with attention every few hours i have to shut it down every few days to do a full clean out and pull gobs of klinkers out. I have considered burning wood. Absolutely. I was just so excited to try the coal i guess i wanted to see if there was a way to straighten it out.

Jason,

Read that manual. It is pretty self explanatory. You should be able to safely fire that thing after reading the manual.

Make sure that you have everything hooked up correctly. What setting is the shuttle on the combustion blower set to ?? Sounds like there is too much air being blown through that thing burning up your coal and also overfiring it.

If it were me, I'd call back to New Yorker and ask them for their email address and send them the pic of the ID tag. Then let them tell you it is not their unit.





Rick

I wouldn't burn wood in it quite yet... from the sounds of things you would have flames coming out the top of your flu!
... you're obviously over burning... why- we don't know.
have you taken a good long hard look at the bottom of this boiler?
you're getting too much air... maybe after 32 years in storage... ( in a barn basement)....something is rotted out?
... again I'm just thinking out loud...

In your second photo, you show a combustion blower. Does this blower have a movable flapper over the inlet to the fan??

It sounds like you have a very strong draft, so a Barometric damper is needed to control and limit the draft.

HOW do you control the heat right now?? is there a manual damper/flapper/valve/spinner/ ??? that you use to adjust the air intake??

I'll bet that if you take a piece of duct tape and cover 80% of the inlet of the fan, you will temporarily solve your out of control fire/

Greg L..

Hey guys thanks for more input. I had the unit installed i did not inspect it i was at work. i know the guy pressure tested it. I dont know if that means anything. I would assume that it wasnt rotted or he wouldve noticed it. Yes tere is a flapper on the combustion fan. I close it off completely after the coal is fired, shut ash pan door, push the slide flu completely in and turn the manual damper almost completely off and it still does this. Itll be 80 degrees in the house when the thermostats are set on 64.... and te pressure valve blows at 30 lbs and ive had it blow several times. Always right after i clean the machine. The only thing ive found that quells it temporarily is to put the ashes back on top. I sift it through wire mesh to seperate it, klinkers, and unburnt coal. i saw here u can and others say to bever do it but its the only thing that tames it a little. There is an area where the seam between the unit and stove pipe are seperated that air can get in. I dont know if that can effect the burn, as it is after the fire, but i asked the guy that installe it and he said that " if theres no smoke or water coming out of it theres nothing to worry about"..... Uhhhhh thats when i did a search and found you guys hahaha. Im sorry i dont know all the technical names to all the parts of the machine. There a temp/pressure guage on front but no barometric dampener.... Is there a way to find someone that still works on these older machines? I love and feel comfortable operating it but to be honest fire and elecricity make me nervous so i want to make sure a proffessional looks it over and gives suggestions....
-Jason

Id def look into "that seam that is coming apart"
...no smoke or water could still mean CO...a bigger problem than overfires...
Play it safe and HAVE THIS CHECKED OUT...

I will thank you... Any thoughts on how to find someone that can check it out? So far ive called a ton of plumbers and they dont seem to be be able to help me.

Theres gotta be air getting in there somewhere... 200 pounds a day is out of control.. Melted shakers?? Whoa.. Everything you describe is the result of it over fireing (I know right?) I assume the combustion blower ISN'T running when its getting hot like that?? Is there something creating positive air pressure in the boiler room? Did you do the dollar bill test on all the doors?? If those doors are sealing good, then its time to shut it down, do a total clean out and look for a rotten spot. A fire can't burn without air, and according to what I'm seeing, you are closing all possible ways for air to get in.. I can't come up with any other explanation at this point other than air is getting in where it shouldn't be....