need coal fired steam heat boiler

OK, that makes sense. In the original photo the open door couldn't be seen, so it appeared that there was none. On the following photos I can see the handle on the door. But yes, that's to gain access to brush out the tubes on a regular basis. If you are burning bituminous, it probably should be done every few weeks.

coldguy wrote:the heat exchanger: Ok, the photo you were looking at is with the door t(o the big horizontal heat exchager0...open. The two photos following show the same section of the heat exchanger, but with the door shut. I just opened the door for that one photo so everyone could see the tubes in there. I'm assuming thats just an access door to clean out those tubes?

Correct, it is a dryback, firetube boiler (firetube, the heat runs through the pipe as opposed to a water tube boiler where the water runs through the pipe and heat around it).

This looks a lot like my boiler,,,

http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/ ... 0&frames=1

mine does say " fitzgibbons-ontario" on the cover and made in Oswego, so i guess these are the guys who made it and this is the design, as it looks pretty near identical to what i have.

Looks like a real blast furnace.

That's really lucky to find such a good set of drawings and specs for your antique stove... you have a fighting chance to know what it is doing inside.

Any luck with the 'check-out' or getting a boiler serviceman in to look it over and get it making steam ??

Greg L
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no luck yet, i was trying to get a 'local' guy in that the coal seller recommended, but he doesn't call back...will try the oilman next...water streams right out of one of the fittings near the sight gage when i turn the knob, as if the water is hooked right up...i wonder if they had them actually hooked up together so they both ran and the gas boiler came on as a backup if the coal went out?? That would be the way I would want to have it if possible

coldguy wrote:i wonder if they had them actually hooked up together so they both ran and the gas boiler came on as a backup if the coal went out?? That would be the way I would want to have it if possible

You already have that. If the coal boiler maintains the steam pressure, your gas unit will never fire even powered up. As soon as you lose the coal fire it will start and take over. The gas burner lights on a fall in pressure at its low limit setting.

It just keeps getting better.