Low Heat ? Won't Get Above 140 Deg

Who installed the boiler? Could they come out and take a look or someone else knowledgable about coal stoker boilers? It's possible the boiler can't keep up with demand but there are so many variables that it's hard to diagnosis via this method of information exchange.

Sounds like the KA-6 has met its match. Hopefully the cold snap passes soon and you will he warm once again.

I'm still a bit perplexed by the apparently low boiler water temperature

Carbon12 wrote:I'm still a bit perplexed by the apparently low boiler water temperature

It appears pretty obvious that the combination of an 1870 house (leaky as hell like most homes that age), no insulation and 0 and sub 0 temps have combined to over match the output of the boiler. Sounds like its time to weatherize the home. Wouldn't hurt to have a knowledgable hydronic heating system person review his distribution system either. Considering all the conditons he states, I think he's doing pretty well.

Yup, I realize the load, but if his low limit is set at 170, how would he ever see 150 boiler temps???

I think he still had some room to increase the feed.

Last report said something like he had 2-3" ash before the end.

Rick

Do you have the Keystoker recommended bypass loop installed?

Can you upload some photos of the system?

I imagine he has radiators? I'm also going to guess he has 2" distribution pipes as the first central system in that house was probably a gravity hot water system. All the water that sits in those pipes and radiators is a greater quantity of volume than the boiler holds. Even if his boiler temp hits 170, when the pump kicks on he's sending a large volume of cold water (who knows could be 50 degree water) water back into the boiler where it tanks the temp. If my guesses above are correct, he needs a bypass loop. might even be worth a repipe with smaller pipe. If his house was tight and insulated, it wouldn't be as much of an issure.

Those are good thoughts! Darn frustrating not being able to run over and take a look in person

Carbon12 wrote:Those are good thoughts! Darn frustrating not being able to run over and take a look in person

Man I've said that to myslf a hundred times reading some of the posts on this forum.

Is it me or is there a severe lack of hands on technical support for coal appliances? It seems like nobody can ever get anyone to come out and look at the problem? Maybe those people with good, local support are just not on this forum. If I didn't think I could fix/replace most components of my boiler, I never would have even considered getting one. The fact that Keystoker is less than an hour from me did sway my decision.

Rick 386 wrote:I think he still had some room to increase the feed.

Last report said something like he had 2-3" ash before the end.

Rick

I went through this with a neighbor running a KA-6. When he tried increasing the feed beyond 9 turns he had terrible clinker problems...bad enough to cause the ashes to stick to the side rails and make the fire migrate backwards. I think his coal probably had something to do with it, but I still caution folks that need to run an inclined bed stoker HARD to monitor it frequently after making an adjustment.

No, there is lack there of, but makes sense when 95% of heating installs are NOT coal. (made up number, but prob somewhere near)

If he does have an old gravity system and large pipes and large leaky house,
I can attest that he needs major BTU to keep up.

I normally burn 100-150 lbs on cold days, but the last couple days have been 300lbs
The EFM is up to the job, but I had to crank her up to 6/7 teeth to keep up over 15lb/hr. (close to 200k BTU gross)
It would continuously run at the temps we had around 0 degrees, and then the 25mph wind blowing
thru my house.
If the themostat happen to be satisfied, then the water in the system would get cold. Return would be 130 or so,
and that is after only idle after half hour.
Then it would take a few hours to get back up to temp and run constant with
returning water at the same temp 150-160F

Not sure the total output of his and what is needed in his heatloss/load for his house.

Prob just tested max
Good thing to know that we may not see that temp for a few years or even 30 years!

jcw265 wrote:Update,

After t-stat turned down to 50 for 1 hour the water temp had reached 180 and was at idle.

incorrect flow thru a [correctly operating] appliance will interrupt energy transfer from the flame into the vessel fluid, and can create more faults than incorrect flow in the system. If above is true = draw a cup and do a search on " System Balance"