Timer Setting

Post Reply
 
mcguirehg
Member
Posts: 151
Joined: Mon. Sep. 17, 2012 9:34 pm
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
Coal Size/Type: rice

Post by mcguirehg » Mon. Oct. 13, 2014 11:26 am

trying to get my stove to correct operating temp and pressure. Temp is about 220 and pressure is at 15...Trying to get temp down to 180-190 and pressure to about 7 PSI. I decreased the timer to two minutes an hour, but afraid stove may go out, high limit at 200 low at 160, I have always ran it 4 air and 4 teeth.....trying to figure how to get the temp down without getting out fires...thoughts?

 
mcguirehg
Member
Posts: 151
Joined: Mon. Sep. 17, 2012 9:34 pm
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
Coal Size/Type: rice

Post by mcguirehg » Mon. Oct. 13, 2014 11:30 am

I think I may have air in the system...will this impact the temp or psi?

 
User avatar
CoalHeat
Member
Posts: 8862
Joined: Sat. Feb. 10, 2007 9:48 pm
Location: Stillwater, New Jersey
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1959 EFM 350
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harman Magnafire Mark I
Baseburners & Antiques: Sears Signal Oak 15 & Andes Kitchen Range
Coal Size/Type: Rice and Chestnut
Other Heating: Fisher Fireplace Insert

Post by CoalHeat » Mon. Oct. 13, 2014 12:29 pm

First off...It's an EFM 520 right? Not a stove?
If so it's a boiler. I'm assuming this is on a hydronic system (hot water)

Do you have an air scoop/automatic bleeder installed? This should take care of the air issues. You want all the air out of the system, you want "dead water" flowing. Air causes corrosion and rust.
I cannot comment on the effect of air in the system on temperature/pressure, my untrained opinion is "no".

You're not going to get the pressure down to 7 because the pressure regulator is set at 15 PSI. There is really no reason to want it lower. The relief valve is set to 30 to 35 PSI, that is your working range.
The higher the pressure the higher the boiling point of the water. Very low pressure and high boiler temps are inviting the water to actually start to boil, that is gonna negate your attempts to rid the system of air.

My concern here is why is the boiler getting so hot? The timer setting of 2 minutes an hour is normal, that's what I run.

What kind of load is on it? With those settings the temperature should be behaving, not shooting up to 220. What is the draft reading to the boiler under full fire?


 
mcguirehg
Member
Posts: 151
Joined: Mon. Sep. 17, 2012 9:34 pm
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
Coal Size/Type: rice

Post by mcguirehg » Mon. Oct. 13, 2014 9:46 pm

Yes the EFM 520 is the boiler...I'm use to saying "stove" before upgrading to the EFM520 with my DVC 500...Anyway, the timer was set at 3 min every half hour. So I'm guessing that was the cause of the high temps. I changed the timer to two minutes every hour...it actually runs for three minutes and 25 seconds...I timed it. I did bleed the boiler from the boiler drain......I think I got the air out, no bubbles in the bucket and I don't the water moving around in the pipes. The pressure is about 10 PSI.....I will continue to monitor the system to make sure everything is running correctly.

 
User avatar
McGiever
Member
Posts: 10130
Joined: Sun. May. 02, 2010 11:26 pm
Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Mon. Oct. 13, 2014 10:09 pm

You will not get all the air out by opening a drain in boiler.

Air comes out a couple ways:
1.) A vent located in the highest point in the piping.
2.) By rapidly purging one zone at a time out of that zone's drain while all the other zones are still closed.
This required that piping was to of been installed from the beginning with the idea of this easy purging.

 
User avatar
CoalHeat
Member
Posts: 8862
Joined: Sat. Feb. 10, 2007 9:48 pm
Location: Stillwater, New Jersey
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1959 EFM 350
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harman Magnafire Mark I
Baseburners & Antiques: Sears Signal Oak 15 & Andes Kitchen Range
Coal Size/Type: Rice and Chestnut
Other Heating: Fisher Fireplace Insert

Post by CoalHeat » Mon. Oct. 13, 2014 10:35 pm

About two minutes an hour is enough for the timer, if you are having outfires due to draft issues when the boiler is at rest then you need to remedy the draft issue instead of trying to compensate with more frequent/longer timer runs (been there--done that).

You need to have an automatic air trap/scoop installed. Opening any part of the system in an attempt to purge any air may work...however the water you drain will be replaced by fresh water loaded with dissolved air, kind of defeats the purpose. There are several types of automatic air bleeders available. I have the cast iron scoop with the air bleeder on top. I also have an auto bleeder at the highest point in the system.
DSCN0468.JPG

Photo taken during the installation.

.JPG | 148KB | DSCN0468.JPG

Post Reply

Return to “Stoker Coal Boilers Using Anthracite (Hydronic & Steam)”