Coal Consumption Foe Dhw With a K-AA2

hello everybody I was wondering what people are burning per week to make dhw. last year I was at 11 pounds per day but the this year I am at 17 pounds a day. I am running my summer settings same as last year. 140/160 on aquastat 180 dump 2 pins every ten minutes for the timer full turns on the stoker. let me know

chris

I think you are doing fine. Perhaps your coal doesn't have quite as much "kick" as the stuff from last summer.

I noticed that you seem to be using the same coal supply consistently, but all things being equal, perhaps you could get a dozen bags of another source, just to eliminate the fuel. The KAA2 is a sweet running machine, but fuel could change, or perhaps the setting needed to run it. I know everyone thinks winter is long gone, HOWEVER the low 40's and cool morning might be part of the problem. The North East is still using many BTU's for heat, not just hot water. Certainly the unusual weather patterns this year and last, have altered the BTU load for everyone, no matter what you burn.

Is the top of the boiler insulated?

I'm thinking whistlenut may be on to something.

One of the byproducts of the heavy heating loads has been fly ash accumulation. Have the heat exchange surfaces been cleaned?

Also, as discussed elsewhere, inlet water temps often are lower in spring than in summer. All else equal, making DHW in May or early June may require more BTU's than making the same quantity of DHW in September.

Mike

It's cooler this year,you are 1 year older,this all requires more BTU's to make more hot water. Got you confused?? As you age it takes longer,hotter showers to loosen the muscles & joints which translates to more hot water being used & more coal being burnt to heat that water hot. It will only improve when you get too old to shower,that's when you buy cologne in quantity so you cover yourself with it & smother the bad odors,& make everyone else wish you would go back to showering.