Backup Power Supply

 
User avatar
Highlander
Member
Posts: 217
Joined: Tue. Dec. 05, 2006 9:48 pm
Location: Highland Lakes NJ
Stoker Coal Boiler: Harman VF3000 Sold
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vermont Castings Resolute
Coal Size/Type: Nut

Post by Highlander » Mon. Dec. 31, 2007 1:14 pm

Ken
My Harman has the combustion blower running all the time. If I loose power for more than 15 minutes, the fire will go out. This is my main reason for having a backup power supply.


 
User avatar
coalkirk
Member
Posts: 5185
Joined: Wed. May. 17, 2006 8:12 pm
Location: Forest Hill MD
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1981 EFM DF520 retired
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Jotul 507 on standby
Coal Size/Type: Lehigh anthracite/rice coal

Post by coalkirk » Mon. Dec. 31, 2007 5:44 pm

Highlander wrote:Ken
My Harman has the combustion blower running all the time. If I loose power for more than 15 minutes, the fire will go out. This is my main reason for having a backup power supply.
Highlander,
Why do you have your combustion blower running all the time? Mine goes on and off with the maintenance cycle.
Kirk

 
User avatar
Highlander
Member
Posts: 217
Joined: Tue. Dec. 05, 2006 9:48 pm
Location: Highland Lakes NJ
Stoker Coal Boiler: Harman VF3000 Sold
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vermont Castings Resolute
Coal Size/Type: Nut

Post by Highlander » Mon. Dec. 31, 2007 6:29 pm

Kirk, I run the combustion blower continuously for more complete burning of the coal. I did this also with the Magnum stove I had. A lot of people here run the blower continuously.

Keystoker now adds a small blower to their KA6 boiler to help with outfires during the warmer weather. They also claim it improves coal usage. I burn year round and would probably have an outfire problem in the warm weather if I didn't run the blower all the time.

Bill

 
User avatar
coalkirk
Member
Posts: 5185
Joined: Wed. May. 17, 2006 8:12 pm
Location: Forest Hill MD
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1981 EFM DF520 retired
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Jotul 507 on standby
Coal Size/Type: Lehigh anthracite/rice coal

Post by coalkirk » Tue. Jan. 01, 2008 12:37 pm

I'll have to try that. How much coal do you burn? How much area are you heating?

 
User avatar
spc
Member
Posts: 1801
Joined: Sat. Jan. 06, 2007 9:51 am
Location: Rhode Island

Post by spc » Tue. Jan. 01, 2008 1:27 pm

What do you guys think of this inverter? Thanks.
http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-CPI2550-Outlet-Power- ... B000930F0S

 
User avatar
Highlander
Member
Posts: 217
Joined: Tue. Dec. 05, 2006 9:48 pm
Location: Highland Lakes NJ
Stoker Coal Boiler: Harman VF3000 Sold
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vermont Castings Resolute
Coal Size/Type: Nut

Post by Highlander » Tue. Jan. 01, 2008 1:51 pm

Kirk
I'm heating roughly 2000 ft + hot water and in 30 deg weather I would estimate 50 to 60# per day. During the summer months it was down to 12# per day for hot water. I run 150 to 160 boiler water temps which is controlled by outside air temperature. I use a PLC control system instead of the standard Harman timer.

SPC
I looked at the inverter, that is a very big unit, 2500VA with a 5000VA surge capacity. Your Liesure line shouldn't use anywhere near that much power unless your going to buy one of those auto igniters when they become available. The Tripp LIte APS, and the surefire stove sentry are true UPS's that switch back to utility power when it returns. They provide a means of automatically switching over to batteries only when necessesary, and will charge the battery back up when power returns.

 
rberq
Member
Posts: 6445
Joined: Mon. Apr. 16, 2007 9:34 pm
Location: Central Maine
Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS Machine 1300 with hopper
Coal Size/Type: Blaschak Anthracite Nut
Other Heating: Oil hot water radiators (fuel oil); propane

Post by rberq » Tue. Jan. 01, 2008 3:16 pm

Like the Oklahoma folks, we had an ice storm here 10 years ago and were without electricity for 12 days. So I'm in the camp that says, get a small propane or natural gas generator. My priority would be to size it small and simple to keep the cost down -- enough to run the water pump, the refrigerator, and the coal stoker if that's how you heat. In my case my coal stove takes no electricity, so I'd size it for water, refrigerator, and oil furnace (in case I'm not here to run the coal -- I don't have one of those rare wives that are willing). We cook with gas, so that's not an issue. Candles and oil lamps for light.

Sure, a whole-house generator would be great, but it's a lot of money to invest unless you expect to need it often. And you need to maintain it and TEST IT regularly or it won't be there when you need it. Size it small so you will suffer a LITTLE bit and not lose empathy with your neighbors.


 
User avatar
Yanche
Member
Posts: 3026
Joined: Fri. Dec. 23, 2005 12:45 pm
Location: Sykesville, Maryland
Stoker Coal Boiler: Alternate Heating Systems S-130
Coal Size/Type: Anthracite Pea

Post by Yanche » Tue. Jan. 01, 2008 4:46 pm

Here's a good source for generators of all sizes and fuels. http://www.centralmainediesel.com/
I've not done any business with them but when I was looking for a whole house generator their prices were low compared to many others. The 2007 Yamaha LP/Natural Gas Generator looks ideal for many on this forum. Fuel it from a 100 lb propane tank and you would have quite a few days of backup for your stoker.

 
WIcoal
Member
Posts: 71
Joined: Wed. Nov. 07, 2007 5:25 am
Location: West Allis, WI

Post by WIcoal » Sat. Jan. 05, 2008 6:09 pm

Highlander wrote:I have to agree with Ginski and Kirk on this one, Harman's recomendation is a unit from a company called Surefire, they make a unit called the stove sentry which provides an automatic switchover from utility to battery power and back again just as any office type UPS would do.
I use a unit from Tripp Lite, an older model called the APS512. I have it attached to a size 29 deep cycle marine battery. It is rated for 500VA continuous and 1000VA surge so it has no problem running my system. I have measured my running current and calculated an 8 to 12 hour run time on battery power.
The Stove Sentry made by Surefire has a website; http://www.stovesentry.com. Usually these are sold be most pellet stove dealers. They are priced quite high, but they give peace of mind; because of the automatic switchover. You can extend the run time, by merely adding more batteries. If the power is off for a longer time, you could run a pair of wires from your vehicle to recharge the storage battery or batteries.
I wonder what the newer version of the Tripp Lite APS512 is? Does it trickle charge (maintain) the battery or batteries and have automatic switchover?

 
User avatar
Highlander
Member
Posts: 217
Joined: Tue. Dec. 05, 2006 9:48 pm
Location: Highland Lakes NJ
Stoker Coal Boiler: Harman VF3000 Sold
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vermont Castings Resolute
Coal Size/Type: Nut

Post by Highlander » Sat. Jan. 05, 2008 6:21 pm

The Tripp Lite APS's are still available. The smallest one is the APS750, its in the $300 price range. Here is a link: http://www.tripplite.com/products/product.cfm?productID=2938

 
User avatar
av8r
Member
Posts: 1164
Joined: Thu. Dec. 06, 2007 12:07 pm
Location: Near Owego, NY
Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Leisure Line Hearth with twin turbos (sounds like it)

Post by av8r » Sat. Jan. 05, 2008 6:22 pm

Take a look on ebay at APC 1400 SmartUPS. 1400VA, auto switch over, power conditioning all the time, add more batteries by just wiring in another pigtail. You can buy these for $50-$90 used. New batteries can be had for $60. Great unit that is just an older model that people sell cheap.

 
User avatar
tikigeorge
Member
Posts: 216
Joined: Wed. Jun. 11, 2008 12:07 am
Location: Phillipsburg NJ
Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA-6

Post by tikigeorge » Sun. Dec. 25, 2016 7:15 pm

I'm looking at the Xantrex Freedom HFS 1055 pure sine wave. It has a battery charger and ATS built in. I'll be using it for my oil boiler when I go south this winter. This way my neighbor won't have to run my generator to keep the heat on. On line for $600.00. Also it will be online all year with my KA-6. We lose power here when it rains or the wind blows. Our power company blo__ too!
One thing I like is that the charging rate is adjustable from 5 amps to 55 amps.
I'm going to run a circuit up to the second floor where the modems for my ADT ( Nest) and cable live. Sometimes we lose power and still have that service.

http://www.xantrex.com/documents/Inverter-Chargers/Freedom%20HFS/DS20160505_FreedomHFS.pdf
Last edited by tikigeorge on Sun. Dec. 25, 2016 9:50 pm, edited 3 times in total.

 
User avatar
McGiever
Member
Posts: 10130
Joined: Sun. May. 02, 2010 11:26 pm
Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Sun. Dec. 25, 2016 9:05 pm

Wow a Blast from the past... 2008

 
Clousseau
Member
Posts: 143
Joined: Fri. Mar. 13, 2015 4:08 pm
Location: Southern Berkshires
Stoker Coal Boiler: KA-6
Coal Size/Type: Rice Coal

Post by Clousseau » Mon. Dec. 26, 2016 5:06 pm

How do I figure how much power I need to run my Keystoker KA-6 boiler on an inverter using a marine 24 series 12 volt battery and an inverter? Will a 1200 watt continuous sine wave inverter with a 2400 watt surge run the boiler & one (1) circulator for 3- 4 hours if needed during a power outage?

 
User avatar
ginski
Member
Posts: 73
Joined: Wed. Aug. 30, 2006 3:52 am
Location: tobyhanna, pa

Post by ginski » Mon. Dec. 26, 2016 5:26 pm

watts = voltage X amperage .. perhaps this might help?


Post Reply

Return to “Stoker Coal Furnaces & Stoves Using Anthracite (Hot Air)”