It's Getting Cold. Burning Soon...
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- Member
- Posts: 247
- Joined: Fri. Jun. 18, 2010 8:57 am
- Location: Finger Lakes Region, NYS
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA-6
- Coal Size/Type: Rice
- Other Heating: Oil- Off line
Have not lit the coal yet. Running the oil boiler to take the nip out of the house. I run my KA-6 a little different. One pin every six minutes. Never goes out. Never adjust the nut. Got five ton in the bin. Shop vacs and dust deputies are ready too. Soon.
I lit the stove last Saturday in preparation for the cooler weather that was coming and has been burning as low as I can get the stove to go since then. I can't believe how low this Vigilant 2310 will go to on an idle. I have used two small pails of pea coal in 22 hours now. It has a nice glow and a few ladies dancing putting out a nice gentle heat. Last night the house temp caught up and it jumped to 80 in the kitchen, DR and Living room. By 10:00 pm it was back to 76 and this morning it's again a comfortable even 72 throughout the house including the upstairs three bedrooms. First time the temps have been even all over the house !!!
Momma is happy. She drug her rocking chair to in front of the stove and snoozes while the cat sleeps in her lap.
Life is good.
Rev. Larry
New Beginning Church
Ashland Pa.
Momma is happy. She drug her rocking chair to in front of the stove and snoozes while the cat sleeps in her lap.
Life is good.
Rev. Larry
New Beginning Church
Ashland Pa.
- freetown fred
- Member
- Posts: 30293
- Joined: Thu. Dec. 31, 2009 12:33 pm
- Location: Freetown,NY 13803
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: HITZER 50-93
- Coal Size/Type: BLASCHAK Nut
You & me both Padre. It's nice when we get these coal burnin contraptions workin with us instead of fightin with them. All that knowledge is right here on the FORUM in the form of trial & error from them thar older guys:)
Yepper it sure is FF. I was reading about (translate to drooling and coveting) idling the base burner parlor stoves and saw a couple of entries about letting the stove ash up just a bit in order to get it to idle better. I went HMMMMM. That same concept should work with almost any stove so I tried it. I let ash build up on the side to where it slowed the air down just a touch. Then I kept the center clear and I'll be if it didn't calm right down and play nice in the sandbox with me !!!
The old base burner stoves are pretty and I would love to have one sitting in the corner of our dining room however, the house is small to start with and it would dwarf everything around it. I have a double heater parlor stove from 1906 now that I am going to start rebuilding as soon as I rebuild my shed and turn it into my Rescue Stove Shop. It stands 5'9, two inches taller than me, and would hold between 75 -100 lbs of stove coal with the fire pot full. It's a beast for sure. The little VC2310 is just the right size. The best test of a stove is Momma is happy with it. She loves to sit and watch the fire and has declared that this stove has the prettiest fire of any stove we have ever had.
Looks like it's here to stay.
Rev. Larry
New Beginning Church
Ashland Pa.
The old base burner stoves are pretty and I would love to have one sitting in the corner of our dining room however, the house is small to start with and it would dwarf everything around it. I have a double heater parlor stove from 1906 now that I am going to start rebuilding as soon as I rebuild my shed and turn it into my Rescue Stove Shop. It stands 5'9, two inches taller than me, and would hold between 75 -100 lbs of stove coal with the fire pot full. It's a beast for sure. The little VC2310 is just the right size. The best test of a stove is Momma is happy with it. She loves to sit and watch the fire and has declared that this stove has the prettiest fire of any stove we have ever had.
Looks like it's here to stay.
Rev. Larry
New Beginning Church
Ashland Pa.
- ShawnTRD
- Member
- Posts: 513
- Joined: Tue. Feb. 04, 2014 1:04 am
- Location: Spencer, NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA6 (New in April 2014)
- Coal Size/Type: Anthracite Rice
- Other Heating: Weil Mclain WGO-2 (Net 75k BTU)
Plumbing is still scheduled for tomorrow
Reading the manual and seen this.
" Allow 1” to 2” of shims to extend out from under the boiler. Shims will then be used as a base to rest insulated jacket upon."
So I had to get some bigger blocks. Any Keystoker owner think this is right? Got about 1-1/4" all around
Reading the manual and seen this.
" Allow 1” to 2” of shims to extend out from under the boiler. Shims will then be used as a base to rest insulated jacket upon."
So I had to get some bigger blocks. Any Keystoker owner think this is right? Got about 1-1/4" all around
- freetown fred
- Member
- Posts: 30293
- Joined: Thu. Dec. 31, 2009 12:33 pm
- Location: Freetown,NY 13803
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: HITZER 50-93
- Coal Size/Type: BLASCHAK Nut
Come on Shawn, what do YOU think? Good to post the pix my friend.
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- Member
- Posts: 247
- Joined: Fri. Jun. 18, 2010 8:57 am
- Location: Finger Lakes Region, NYS
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA-6
- Coal Size/Type: Rice
- Other Heating: Oil- Off line
Just to throw a wrench into your project....... did you paint the bottom of the boiler?
- ShawnTRD
- Member
- Posts: 513
- Joined: Tue. Feb. 04, 2014 1:04 am
- Location: Spencer, NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA6 (New in April 2014)
- Coal Size/Type: Anthracite Rice
- Other Heating: Weil Mclain WGO-2 (Net 75k BTU)
Keystoker did.Dirty Steve wrote:Just to throw a wrench into your project....... did you paint the bottom of the boiler?
- Hambden Bob
- Member
- Posts: 8535
- Joined: Mon. Jan. 04, 2010 10:54 am
- Location: Hambden Twp. Geauga County,Ohio
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Harman 1998 Magnum Stoker
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Blower Model Coal Chubby 1982-Serial#0097
- Coal Size/Type: Rice-A-Roni ! / Nut
- Other Heating: Pro-Pain Forced Air
Ahh,,,,The "Magic" of "The Shoulder Months" ! When and if to Fire?....When do You Fire Yours?....Answer: When Your Cold ! An Amazing Feature of this Board is that We've got Folks from all Temperate Zones in the U.S.,Canada and I've noticed New Zealand and Holland. Everyone's experiencing different onsets of the change in Seasons. To me,You oughta "Run What 'Ya Brung" and get fired,get the Clammy Chill out of Your Place,then go from there. Ireally like what's been touched on by Rob regarding a Boiler full of Oxygenated Water. No need for a Corrosion-Fest to start stealing from the Life Expectancy of Your Equipment. I guess all I'm saying is that nothing's set in stone. Fire when Cold,and go from there. While the "One Match Club" is Fun and One Helluva Accomplishment,Remember One Thing-Matches come by the Boxfull. Don't be afraid to use them!
- SMITTY
- Member
- Posts: 12520
- Joined: Sun. Dec. 11, 2005 12:43 pm
- Location: West-Central Mass
- Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520 Highboy
- Coal Size/Type: Rice / Blaschak anthracite
- Other Heating: Oil fired Burnham boiler
Be sure to store your matches in a dry place too! Guess how I was reminded of this great tip?
I'll have better luck lighting my stoker rubbing 2 twigs together than with these matches that have been in my basement for 5 years ...
So far the residual heat just idling for DHW is keeping the house pretty comfortable. Got down to 42° yesterday morning, and the house was still 69° ... and I had the basement door shut. Works for me!
I'll have better luck lighting my stoker rubbing 2 twigs together than with these matches that have been in my basement for 5 years ...
So far the residual heat just idling for DHW is keeping the house pretty comfortable. Got down to 42° yesterday morning, and the house was still 69° ... and I had the basement door shut. Works for me!
- jridings
- Member
- Posts: 37
- Joined: Tue. Aug. 19, 2014 10:27 pm
- Location: Mount Carmel, PA
- Stoker Coal Boiler: keystoker k-4 dual fuel
- Coal Size/Type: buckwheat
Hey shawntrd, heres my k4 jacket. Should be about the same for the k6. The only modification to my jacket that was needed was to oval the hole for low water cut off. Mine is up and running stats set at 70. Working great on the chilly nights. Bring on some single digits!! Lets break in this new boiler lol!!
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- ShawnTRD
- Member
- Posts: 513
- Joined: Tue. Feb. 04, 2014 1:04 am
- Location: Spencer, NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA6 (New in April 2014)
- Coal Size/Type: Anthracite Rice
- Other Heating: Weil Mclain WGO-2 (Net 75k BTU)
Nice install there. Any surprises you run into? How's the DHW doing? What temp are you keeping the boiler? Did you do the install yourself?jridings wrote:Hey shawntrd, heres my k4 jacket. Should be about the same for the k6. The only modification to my jacket that was needed was to oval the hole for low water cut off. Mine is up and running stats set at 70. Working great on the chilly nights. Bring on some single digits!! Lets break in this new boiler lol!!
My KA6 isn't installed yet. My uncle is hoping to get here Friday or Monday.
- davidmcbeth3
- Member
- Posts: 8505
- Joined: Sun. Jun. 14, 2009 2:31 pm
- Coal Size/Type: nut/pea/anthra
I put my boiler in .. put in a few drains and lots of stop values ... its a fun job ... plumbers charge huge bucks ...
- jridings
- Member
- Posts: 37
- Joined: Tue. Aug. 19, 2014 10:27 pm
- Location: Mount Carmel, PA
- Stoker Coal Boiler: keystoker k-4 dual fuel
- Coal Size/Type: buckwheat
I had keystoker install the boiler. Saved me time. But not money.... they did a great job. Took two days. I wish I had more experience with plumbing. The only issues I had was down draft on windy days, solved with chimney cap. It actually cause fire to go out. Also had to adjust the resistor for my idle fan speed. My temps are set 160/180. Temp goes down too low if my low setting is 140. Boiler is maintaining temp of 190 to 200. Scolding valve helps alot to lower dwh. Very happy with the k4. I hope you enjoy your k6 shawntrd!!
- ShawnTRD
- Member
- Posts: 513
- Joined: Tue. Feb. 04, 2014 1:04 am
- Location: Spencer, NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA6 (New in April 2014)
- Coal Size/Type: Anthracite Rice
- Other Heating: Weil Mclain WGO-2 (Net 75k BTU)
How much did they get you for that?jridings wrote:I had keystoker install the boiler. Saved me time. But not money.... they did a great job