New life for a 1980 DF520

I believe that's 26 or 24 gauge galv.

The last coal boiler I installed up there I used 24gauge galv. from Hulbert supply.

Berlin wrote:I believe that's 26 or 24 gauge galv.

The last coal boiler I installed up there I used 24gauge galv. from Hulbert supply.

We used galvanized pipe from Ace Hardware...26 gauge by the feel of it.

I am looking forward to the return of zero degrees on Thursday night to give this system sonething to work against...right now it barely runs.

Wow, really clean job Rob!! Keep up the great work!!

Very nice job, indeed!

I only want to ask one thing,
Why only one return plumbed?

I dont mean to be a knucklehead, just curious.

There was 2" copper between the two tees on the return ports (boiler came that way), and when the system was finally pressurized it started to leak at a sweated coupling between the returns. Closer inspection revealed that the fitting had been "bumped"...probably on the way down the stairs or on the truck. After draining and refilling the boiler a few times to re-sweat that joint and have it still leak, I had to make a decision...I didn't have any 2" copper or fittings, so with a crowd eager to see blue flames and a cold house that needed btus I cut the copper out and capped those tees with 2" iron plugs. This boiler operates with a pretty low load, so I expect it will be fine. I can always hook the other return up if needed...but if it continues to run fine like this I probably won't.

Gotcha!

Faster to fire up helps on getting warm, hehe

Again, nice job!

Very nice job and with you doing the work one would expect nothing less .

Rob..is that aquastat model 3250? id so i wonder if it can be used to control 2 pumps on 2 seperate boilers.... use boiler circuit to run pump on one boiler low to high temp,150>180* while the circulator circuit is used to run other pump High to low limit, max temp > 150*. L>H would be for oiler boiler assist if coal need some help to recover during high load demands(like the past few days).

I am having a hard time sorting out what you are asking. The aquastat I used is a 3250 model, but I'm not sure if it can do what you are asking. If you want to "stage" your boilers, I would simply run the second boiler/circulator off a relay that is activated by a separate aquastat. If you want to dive into this deeper, start a new thread in the controls/plumbing section and I'm sure some more knowledgeable guys will respond.

oil boiler has its own aquastat, for contolling boiler water temp. Want to use 3250 for turning on the oil boilers circulator, when coal boiler temp gets down to say 150*, and back off at 175* degress, therefore 3250 will have to be mounted in coal boiler. I have the well for 3250 in coal boiler already... just not sure about using the circultor/boiler terminals to do so. Which one...boiler terminals or circulator terminals..... literature with 3250 is not all concise on what the circulator /own off sets(temps) are, what temp range circulator runs and if its settable for Hi/low adjustments. Boiler Hi-low terminals is straight foward for range setting.

1 hook coal boiler circualtor to circulator terminals in 3250. set to circulate at 175* and above continously(max temp 3250 goes to), until it hits circulator (lowlimit) shut off 175*

2 hook oil boiler circulator to boiler terminals in 3250 have it switch on at 150* (low limit) and shut back off at 174* (hi limit)

circulator control circuit in 3250 must have lmit sets for when to run and not. Do you know how to set them?

This is also supposed to be a staging aquastat.

tomorrows saaturday, will power up 3250 , no circs hooked up to it, and check terminals with voltmeter and try various settings, to try and figure it out .

Also nice install... like what i read about the efm's. another 5 years or so will be looking for one to get away from hand firing.

Yesterday marked 30 days of operation for the DF520...it averaged 58 lbs per day during that time, which was roughly the coldest 30 days we have experienced in 2 years.

Rob R. wrote:Yesterday marked 30 days of operation for the DF520...it averaged 58 lbs per day during that time, which was roughly the coldest 30 days we have experienced in 2 years.

4,000 square feet on only 58 lbs. per day for the coldest 30 days in the past 2 years is absolutely amazing. That's about the same clip at which I burned coal over the same period, and I'm only heating about 2,520 square feet overall. And I live in toasty warm Ohio to boot.

The second floor (500 sq. ft) has been set on 55, but the rest of the house has been kept 70-72. The house is sheltered from the West and North by trees, and the foundation has 2" foam inside and out...good windows also. Obviously the house holds heat well, but the boiler setup is awesome.

Very nice job! I'd suggest a T to replace the elbow so he can clean out flyash in that vertical section without shutting down. Wht's in the other flue?

A 90 degree elbow was the next best thing when the store only had one 8" tee in stock.

The other flue is hooked to a Hitzer 82 stove.