Ash Removal Idea

We have a Keystoker KAA-2 boiler. It runs great! The only hassle is I defiantely have to empty the ash tub every day because of the size. So I have been wondering about a simple ask removal syste and would appreciate your input.
I would fabricate a"pan/tub" to go in place of the round tub. I would obtain say a 2" auger and tube and cut an opening in the ash copmartment of the boier and install this auger set-up. I would run this auger uphill so it would empty into a metal rubbish bucket that would be set up to seal any ash from escaping. The motor would be on a timer.
So your thoughts?

i was thinking of doing something similair to member wiz's coal feed set up but use it for ash removal. search coal vac im sure it will come up. pretty slick idea, and im sure it would work with ashes, and your outgoing hose would go straight into your garbage can lid. no more dust and cost effective. just havent had time to go pick up a shop vac and the necesary materials to do it.

The only thing with any ash removal system is corrosion. Ash and moister is very corrosive. Once it get's outside rain & humidity bring wet into the picture. I've been told that any ash system should be made entirely out of stainless steel.....and even that isn't "forever", but it lasts long enough to be worth the effort. Then, it's up to each person to decide if it's worth the cost.

I was thinking about keeping the whole thing in the basement. My thought is the auger set up would only be 30-36" long.

I thought about the vac idea but the hot ash is a concern.

Sounds like a good idea as long as the full tub is manageable moving up the steps.
(That's my back speaking)

forget the vac idea (thats just to sketchy to even mess with), the auger idea would work, the reason is not done is primarily the costs to do it while maintaining residential housing requirements and UL approval. I wish i had some pictures of the system my dad and I built, these do exist and have been developed by a few companies (Total Energy was one of them). The main things to focas on would obviously be the material used... stainless would be nice for the barrel for weight purposes to remove it from the basement but the pipe the auger spins in wants to be pretty heavy steel/iron pipe, the connection of this pipe to the air tight barrel wants to be as air tight as possible and obviously the cut through in the combustion chamber wants to be as air tight as possible! I will try to find some info for you...

Edit: http://gototalenergy.com/

Ohhh man your going to love this!!! credits to Dougie Poo for finding it!!! This is obviously a commercial system (as i said, its not practical nor would it be product easily made approved for home use) BUT that being said... its easy to build one if you have a welding machine and small shop.

Let me tell you how I kick my ash. It may not work in the keystoker. I put a plastic contractor bag in my ash pan. As long as the coal is ash before it falls off of the grate, it works well. I did have to install a piece of fiberglass between the ash pan and the side of the boiler where the flue gases pass. Every few days I pull the bag out and replace it. The full bag goes into my trash can. This wasn't my idea. I think it was Mcgievers. I didn't believe it would work but it does. Makes the ash handling pretty easy.

coalkirk wrote:Let me tell you how I kick my ash. It may not work in the keystoker. I put a plastic contractor bag in my ash pan. As long as the coal is ash before it falls off of the grate, it works well. I did have to install a piece of fiberglass between the ash pan and the side of the boiler where the flue gases pass. Every few days I pull the bag out and replace it. The full bag goes into my trash can. This wasn't my idea. I think it was Mcgievers. I didn't believe it would work but it does. Makes the ash handling pretty easy.

not a bad idea and the worst thing that happens is you wake up to a lil' melted plastic, but i believe the poster does not want to make the ash "easier to handle".... he does not want to handle it AT ALL for days
and moreover, if he did build this system he would then be able in VERY short order add to his hopper (something super easy and cheap to do!) and after he completed this whole set up we would proclaim him innovator
of the month and have Richard give him a special tri color sparkling name with a trophy avatar

i think it would be pretty cool. if you got the time, money and resources anything is possible

331camaro wrote:i think it would be pretty cool. if you got the time, money and resources anything is possible

Id love a project like this and could do it 100%, i just need someone with a mig and tig welder and the funds for the parts

i was thinkin the same thing dcrane, too many other projects going to go ahead with another one. very cool idea, for now ill run with the contractor bag in the ashpan lol

331camaro wrote:i was thinkin the same thing dcrane, too many other projects going to go ahead with another one. very cool idea, for now ill run with the contractor bag in the ashpan lol

yea i hear ya, im just the opposite right now and find myself itching for work until people get their tax returns and start buying houses again (xmass & new years is slow for us realtors).

i tried the garbage bag in the ash pan idea and the back side of the bag melted. i duno if the side of the boiler near the stack has more heat than the stoker side was a little suprised about that. do you have pictures on your method coalkirk?

I have the same boiler as coalkirk. I also used a bag in the drum. I used a piece of 2 inch energy shield insulation. very heat resistant. We put the insulation between the barrel and the back where the hot gases have to go down and out the stovepipe. I have had some problems with melting with thin bags and black bags. The best bags i had were real thick clear plastic. I got them at Mardens once upon a time and have never found them again. Last winter I used drum liners that were the thickest I could get and clear. They worked ok and I had to cut them at least in half so they were not to long.

Kevin

For those not from Maine, Mardens is a bargain hunters paradise.