Keystoker KAA2 Feed Problem

 
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1975gt750
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Joined: Fri. Oct. 26, 2007 9:41 am
Location: new hampshire
Stoker Coal Boiler: keystoker kaa-2
Coal Size/Type: rice coal / blaschak
Other Heating: pensotti oil boiler with riello 40 burner

Post by 1975gt750 » Tue. Dec. 10, 2013 9:42 pm

hello everybody

well last night my stoker started making alot of noise so I shut down it down and turned the oil on. I just got done pulling the push bar out and what I found was. the shovel part of the push bar was caked full coal and the top of the stoker push bar had compacted coal dust on it. so I cleaned it all out and readjusted the stoker push bar sanded the the grates and cleaned all the fresh air holes with a 1/8 drill bit. I tried a 9/64 like oliver powers suggested but it was to big. I believe my problems are the wet coal getting packed in like concrete in the shovel part of the push bar not allowing enough coal to come down the grate at fast enough pace.she has been up and running for an hour now and has a decent fire I will keep everybody updated.
chris

 
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SMITTY
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Location: West-Central Mass
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520 Highboy
Coal Size/Type: Rice / Blaschak anthracite
Other Heating: Oil fired Burnham boiler

Post by SMITTY » Tue. Dec. 10, 2013 9:48 pm

Yeah, that moisture can be a real bitch. Glad you've got her straightened out. :cheers:

Not a moment too soon either - the temp is falling like a ROCK outside! :shock:

 
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oliver power
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Joined: Sun. Apr. 16, 2006 9:28 am
Location: Near Dansville, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: KEYSTOKER Kaa-2
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 50-93 & 30-95, Vigilant (pre-2310), D.S. 1600 Circulator, Hitzer 254

Post by oliver power » Wed. Dec. 11, 2013 3:58 am

1975gt750 wrote:hello everybody

well last night my stoker started making alot of noise so I shut down it down and turned the oil on. I just got done pulling the push bar out and what I found was. the shovel part of the push bar was caked full coal and the top of the stoker push bar had compacted coal dust on it. so I cleaned it all out and readjusted the stoker push bar sanded the the grates and cleaned all the fresh air holes with a 1/8 drill bit. I tried a 9/64 like oliver powers suggested but it was to big. I believe my problems are the wet coal getting packed in like concrete in the shovel part of the push bar not allowing enough coal to come down the grate at fast enough pace.she has been up and running for an hour now and has a decent fire I will keep everybody updated.
chris
I use 9/64" drill bits when drilling holes for 1/8" pop rivets. It's 1/64 bigger than a pop rivet. The difference of sometimes having to force/work a pop rivet into a 1/8th hole, or sliding nicely every time into a 9/64th hole. When checking my grates for hole size, I was able to hand screw (with fingers) a 9/64" drill bit through some of my grate holes. Other holes I couldn't (I assumed build up) That's how close the two sizes are. All my grate holes are now a consistent 9/64". 1/8" is a commonly used drill bit. More than likely, the holes were drilled using 1/8" drill bits at the factory. It wouldn't take much of a wobble, lean, or any other imperfection of a 1/8" drill bit to make a 9/64" hole. 1/8" holes in the grates should be just fine.

 
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Rob R.
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Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
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Post by Rob R. » Wed. Dec. 11, 2013 6:08 am

Wet coal = problems with caked fines. Get yourself a water tub for cattle, plastic tote, makeshift bin, etc...something that the coal can sit in for a few days before it goes into the hopper.


 
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1975gt750
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Posts: 206
Joined: Fri. Oct. 26, 2007 9:41 am
Location: new hampshire
Stoker Coal Boiler: keystoker kaa-2
Coal Size/Type: rice coal / blaschak
Other Heating: pensotti oil boiler with riello 40 burner

Post by 1975gt750 » Sun. Dec. 22, 2013 1:41 am

here is the update on what I found. it looks like my whole problem was wet coal caked up on the shovel part of the push bar. I cleaned it all up and now feeding fine with plenty of heat. I was even able to back my stoker adjustment off 4 turns. one thing I did notice is if I let the hopper get nearly empty and dump in four bags of wet coal it starts to feed slow and has trouble making heat. so what I have been doing is adding a bag a day and that seems to workout good gives the coal time to dry out before it enters the stoker. my neighbor just purchased coal from penn coal and it was kimmel coal and it seems pretty dry I think when I finish up with my wet blaschak coal I will by from him.

chris

 
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oliver power
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Posts: 2970
Joined: Sun. Apr. 16, 2006 9:28 am
Location: Near Dansville, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: KEYSTOKER Kaa-2
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 50-93 & 30-95, Vigilant (pre-2310), D.S. 1600 Circulator, Hitzer 254

Post by oliver power » Sun. Dec. 22, 2013 7:01 am

1975gt750 wrote:here is the update on what I found. it looks like my whole problem was wet coal caked up on the shovel part of the push bar. I cleaned it all up and now feeding fine with plenty of heat. I was even able to back my stoker adjustment off 4 turns. one thing I did notice is if I let the hopper get nearly empty and dump in four bags of wet coal it starts to feed slow and has trouble making heat. so what I have been doing is adding a bag a day and that seems to workout good gives the coal time to dry out before it enters the stoker. my neighbor just purchased coal from penn coal and it was kimmel coal and it seems pretty dry I think when I finish up with my wet blaschak coal I will by from him.

chris
Glad to hear you're back up and going, and it was nothing major. Them Keystokers are quite simple, aren't they? I like simple. Oliver

 
Keystoker90K
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Coal Size/Type: rice
Other Heating: Keystoker automatic 90K

Post by Keystoker90K » Sun. Dec. 22, 2013 9:42 am

You got lucky there...I had the same problem and it turned out
to be a bad timer motor....very easy fix.....My own fault..hooked up
a power generator to my keystoker at one point (modified sine) bad move.
That must have been the culprit.

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