efm stoker shut from april till oct

i want to shut down my stoker for 7 months any sugestion on what i need to do, i have pexs runs to the base boards and domestic hotwater, should i drain the system or let it full do i really need a light bulb

Even if you don't save any $, I would suggest that you consider running it for DHW during the summer. They like to work more than they like to sit.

Mike

Pacowy wrote:Even if you don't save any $, I would suggest that you consider running it for DHW during the summer. They like to work more than they like to sit.

Mike

x 2

Scottscoaled wrote:

Pacowy wrote:Even if you don't save any $, I would suggest that you consider running it for DHW during the summer. They like to work more than they like to sit.

Mike

x 2

x 3

If for whatever reason you can't burn through the summer, plan on leaving the boiler full, and carefully check it for leaks when it cools. Do a good job cleaning it, and remove/clean the smoke pipe. A light bulb in the pot is a very cheap way to keep things dry. Also, make sure no water flows through the coil during the summer.

why not run water through coil in the summer with it off?

Thanks,

Dave

i have a water heater for summer time i plan on cleaning it really good and everything would get vavled off i have to replace the coil gasket anyway

daluds wrote:why not run water through coil in the summer with it off?

Thanks,

Dave

The colder fresh water makes the boiler colder inviting condensation. Like your cold water pipes sweating during high humidity. On the shutdown note. One member reported sealing the boiler after a good cleaning and while the boiler was still hot. Seems to make sense.

ryan20strohl wrote:i have a water heater for summer time i plan on cleaning it really good and everything would get vavled off i have to replace the coil gasket anyway

Do not fill a boiler with fresh water and then let it sit unused. Either fire it up after the repair for two weeks (to cook off the oxygen), or leave it empty until fall.

x 4 keep it running

I was planning on turning mine off as Ive not yet hooked up my dhw tank To be honest I was saving so much money over oil I figured ,whats a little propane for hot water? Again A few years ago I bought a tankless water heater and disconnected the dhw from the oil boiler, ridiculously inefficient in the summer. But if it is truly better for the Efm to run ...I guess we get out the pluming stuff, does it ever end?

Anybody seeing any robins? I got nothin' ...way late

Best
waldo

X 5!!! Been doing the 24/7-365 since October 27, 1972. Anything else you need to know? DO NOT refill any boiler and let it sit....you need to fire it up to get the oxygen out of the system, otherwise you will guarantee an earlier death roll for your coal baby. It is NOT just about the money, so live on the wild side...do something you absolutely fear is wrong!!!!

I just installed a 1956 AA 130 that looked like new inside and out. Rehab is easier on something that was cared for. DO clean the boiler, replace gaskets, anti-seize the things that need it, just don't shut it down unless you are in a bad situation if it stays burning.

Have uses guys ever seen one ruined because of summer shut downs my neighbor has been shutting her losch down since 1980s

Thanks once again guys, as usual I learn masses every day and today was no exception.

I would need a AA260 in my house and to have that going for two little people to provide DHW only in the summer from April to October/November would be stupid expensive and just more labor. It's nearly time to rip out the powervent for the season, put my piece of plywood in the hole and saran wrap up the stove with damprid inside and bring out the beer kegs.

Now, where am I going to put that pretty baseburner...hmmmm. Sorry, I'm not thinking so clearly this evening as I was going to Lowes to pick up a piece of 6" cra pola black pipe and accidentally happened to see the cost of a length of 11/2"pipe copper and fell on the floor in a dead faint and banged my head....not for me....

HAHAHAHAHAHAA , I slay myself. Water is for drinking.

I am not saying that you MUST run a boiler through the summer, I am simply saying that sometimes it makes sense (in terms of boiler life and economy) to do so rather than "moth-ball" it. If you have an exceptionally dry boiler room, or you only shower once per week like Simon, running all summer for DHW probably doesn't make economic sense.

ryan20strohl wrote:Have uses guys ever seen one ruined because of summer shut downs my neighbor has been shutting her losch down since 1980s

I have seen over a dozen boilers that needed serious repairs because the tankless coil gasket was allowed to leak, and I have only seen a handful that had serious corrosion in the heat exchanger from sitting in damp basements. I am sure the guys that buy/sell these units for a living have seen a lot more. Furnaces are no exception...leave a furnace heat exchanger full of flyash in a damp basement and it will be swiss cheese long before it reaches design life. The bottom line is, if you burn coal in something you need to make an effort to get it clean and keep it dry before/during summer storage.

coalnewbie wrote:HAHAHAHAHAHAA , I slay myself. Water is for drinking.

I thought beer was for drinking?

i am willing to take all the proper steps in order to keep my stojer alive, cleaning, water leaks exc. i wasa just making sure that it was alright by uses guys because uses see more of theses boilers then i do, i mostly deal with a/c and refrigeration, i thank you all for ur help and input