The Lonely Life of an EFM Boiler
- vermontday
- Member
- Posts: 358
- Joined: Wed. Oct. 22, 2008 8:27 pm
- Location: Bennington, VT
- Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
The summer and shoulder seasons are a lonely time for our boiler.
No-one visits her for a week at a time. Then she has to call to ask us to take her ashes out. How humiliating!
It's not that we don't think of her.
We think of her when we are taking our long hot showers.
We think of her when we walk into a warm house on a cold morning.
We think of her when the oil truck drives by.
After all, it's her fault we don't visit her. She does too good a job without us.
We are sure that she looks forward to our monthly visits to set a new bag of coal on her, but as that only takes 5 minutes, the visit is too brief.
Do you think she ever wishes she was a pellet or wood boiler?
Her only consolation is that she is better off than her oil boiler neighbor. That poor guy hasn't gotten as much as a drop to drink in months!
No-one visits her for a week at a time. Then she has to call to ask us to take her ashes out. How humiliating!
It's not that we don't think of her.
We think of her when we are taking our long hot showers.
We think of her when we walk into a warm house on a cold morning.
We think of her when the oil truck drives by.
After all, it's her fault we don't visit her. She does too good a job without us.
We are sure that she looks forward to our monthly visits to set a new bag of coal on her, but as that only takes 5 minutes, the visit is too brief.
Do you think she ever wishes she was a pellet or wood boiler?
Her only consolation is that she is better off than her oil boiler neighbor. That poor guy hasn't gotten as much as a drop to drink in months!
- 2001Sierra
- Member
- Posts: 2211
- Joined: Wed. May. 20, 2009 8:09 am
- Location: Wynantskill NY, 10 miles from Albany
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Keystoker 90 Chimney vent
- Coal Size/Type: Rice
- Other Heating: Buderus Oil Boiler 3115-34
Your setup is a well thought out successful installation. When I want to impress folks I show them your thread. Thanks for sharing, hopefully others can benefit from your efforts.
That is quite an accomplishment to say a solid fuel boiler has a lonely life from us humans
That is quite an accomplishment to say a solid fuel boiler has a lonely life from us humans
- GoodProphets
- Member
- Posts: 226
- Joined: Sat. Jan. 07, 2012 9:14 pm
- Location: Lanc Co PA
- Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM DF520
- Coal Size/Type: Anthra Rice
- Other Heating: 3 Fireplaces
I think of it as hibernation.
I still go down and pull the lever sometimes multiple times a day for fun.
Easing into the winter is nice, gets back into the swing of things.
I still go down and pull the lever sometimes multiple times a day for fun.
Easing into the winter is nice, gets back into the swing of things.
- vermontday
- Member
- Posts: 358
- Joined: Wed. Oct. 22, 2008 8:27 pm
- Location: Bennington, VT
- Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
I posted this as humor, but also because I believe there are many EFM users out there experiencing the same faithful service from their EFM's.
This results in a slow moving EFM posting board, which is a good thing.
We certainly don't seem to have the excitement and/or breakdown postings of some of the other boards!
Hopefully newbies will take note of this in their selection of a stove or boiler manufacturer.
This results in a slow moving EFM posting board, which is a good thing.
We certainly don't seem to have the excitement and/or breakdown postings of some of the other boards!
Hopefully newbies will take note of this in their selection of a stove or boiler manufacturer.
- 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
Thanx for A Great Post! Thanx to You,Rob and Countless Other EFManiacs,If I choose to hit the Boiler World,it'll be an EFM. Oh,and Your Post was Pretty Damn Good,Too! Take Care!
- Lightning
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 14658
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 16, 2011 9:51 am
- Location: Olean, NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Modified AA 130
- Coal Size/Type: Pea Size - Anthracite
Awww, put a fold out chair down there and have a beer with her once in a while, brush off her heat transfer areas. She'll appreciate the attention. I'm sure she's grateful to have such a great owner and caretaker. Thanks for posting..vermontday wrote:No-one visits her for a week at a time.
- vermontday
- Member
- Posts: 358
- Joined: Wed. Oct. 22, 2008 8:27 pm
- Location: Bennington, VT
- Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
Keep in mind she's a woman.
You know how mad women get when you are sitting there drinking a beer watching them work!
Cindy is hot enough already, I don't want to her to pop her blowoff valve!
You know how mad women get when you are sitting there drinking a beer watching them work!
Cindy is hot enough already, I don't want to her to pop her blowoff valve!
- whistlenut
- Member
- Posts: 3548
- Joined: Sat. Mar. 17, 2007 6:29 pm
- Location: Central NH, Concord area
- Stoker Coal Boiler: AA130's,260's, AHS130&260's,EFM900,GJ & V-Wert
- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Franks,Itasca 415,Jensen, NYer 130,Van Wert
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Alaska, EFM, Keystoker, Yellow Flame
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Alaska, Keystoker-2,Leisure Line
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Alaska, Gibraltar, Keystone,Vc Vigilant 2
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Ford, Jensen, NYer, Van Wert,
- Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwoods
- Coal Size/Type: Barley, Buck, Rice ,Nut, Stove
- Other Heating: Oil HWBB
I'd loooovvveeee to be a smart-ass, but am thinking not too!!! Life is good for the boys in Blue, and the Silver AA guys are smiling also. Running on the timer.......not to earth shattering.........
- vermontday
- Member
- Posts: 358
- Joined: Wed. Oct. 22, 2008 8:27 pm
- Location: Bennington, VT
- Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
You have got to admire the good old fashioned engineering and thought that went into EFM's and AA's.
Both designs are the culmination of years of experience and tweaking.
It is unfortunate that the public completely forgot that this "how to heat automatically and dependably without oil problem" was already solved before the advent of cheap oil.
Then again, it is fortunate for us that the public does not know, or everyone would be using coal boilers and the price of coal would go up!
Both designs are the culmination of years of experience and tweaking.
It is unfortunate that the public completely forgot that this "how to heat automatically and dependably without oil problem" was already solved before the advent of cheap oil.
Then again, it is fortunate for us that the public does not know, or everyone would be using coal boilers and the price of coal would go up!