Electric Backup Boiler

 
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Scottscoaled
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Location: Malta N.Y.
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520, 700, Van Wert 800 GJ 61,53
Baseburners & Antiques: Magic Stewart 16, times 2!
Coal Size/Type: Lots of buck
Other Heating: Slant Fin electric boiler backup

Post by Scottscoaled » Sun. Mar. 08, 2015 8:50 pm

I picked up an electric boiler to use as a backup to my 520 EFM DF. I don't want to go back to oil as a backup. The boiler is a Slant Fin Monitron EH 40 model. I picked it up in Pa. For $500. New they are $2000-$3000. The installation was a breeze. The coal boiler was all ready feeding the system in a primary/secondary set up, so just adding a couple closely spaced Tee's next to the coal boiler Tee's was the biggest issue of the install. Hate to shut her down for even twenty minutes to solder in a set. This set up works real well! I wired the end switch of the zone controller to a double pole/double throw toggle switch so I can just flip a switch to make either boiler the one on call. There were a few issues that were resolved with a little patience on my end. One was that the manufacturer calls for a McDonnel Miller flow switch to prove flow so the boiler doesn't energize the elements when there isn't water pumping thru it. Don't want to melt the elements down. The flow switches are $200-$300 from the supply house. I finally was able to snag the right one on eBay for $30. The fitting that seemed to be the one to mount the switch into seemed to be too small to allow the "paddle" on the switch to work and still allow enough water to flow by. Ended up going with a cast tee a size bigger and reducing back down. Very happy with the result. It was cheaper than the original brass fitting also.

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Last edited by Scottscoaled on Sat. Apr. 01, 2017 8:26 am, edited 3 times in total.
Reason: rotated pictures


 
grumpy
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Post by grumpy » Sun. Mar. 08, 2015 9:01 pm

I don't even want to know how much power it takes to run that thing, well actually I do, how many amps?

 
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StokerDon
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Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
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Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Sun. Mar. 08, 2015 9:08 pm

That is very interesting Scott. I was thinking about looking for one of those used to run as a backup also! From what I understand, these things are very small making it easy to install. Show us some pictures!

-Don

 
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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Sun. Mar. 08, 2015 9:25 pm

This is a great example of what you can do with the right skills, and patience. Watching ebay is a great way to get quality components for cheap.

Smart thinking getting this unit online for a backup system. All it takes is one slip on the ice to be out of commission hauling coal & ashes.

 
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009to090
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Post by 009to090 » Sun. Mar. 08, 2015 9:26 pm

Great minds think alike! :D
When I get to installing my Highboy, I was planning on using an electric boiler as backup. It can sit there, unused, for 20 years, and you don't have to worry about stale fuel. or filters clogging. Plus, if I ever install solar panels and a bank of storage batteries, I should be able to run the electric boiler from that.

Nice install. More pics!

 
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Scottscoaled
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Joined: Tue. Jan. 08, 2008 9:51 pm
Location: Malta N.Y.
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520, 700, Van Wert 800 GJ 61,53
Baseburners & Antiques: Magic Stewart 16, times 2!
Coal Size/Type: Lots of buck
Other Heating: Slant Fin electric boiler backup

Post by Scottscoaled » Sun. Mar. 08, 2015 9:28 pm

grumpy wrote:I don't even want to know how much power it takes to run that thing, well actually I do, how many amps?
I was really wondering how much amps it would draw too! Its funny. The thing runs on stages. When a zone calls for heat. The stages start turning on. Very quickly, around thirty seconds, the boiler has raised itself up to full power, and the water in the zone is very quickly brought to temperature, then all stages shut off except the smallest or first stage, and that turns on and off to keep the zone hot. The boiler never ran on full power for only ten or fifteen seconds in all the time I watched it

 
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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Sun. Mar. 08, 2015 9:28 pm

Very nice workmanship.


 
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Scottscoaled
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Posts: 2812
Joined: Tue. Jan. 08, 2008 9:51 pm
Location: Malta N.Y.
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520, 700, Van Wert 800 GJ 61,53
Baseburners & Antiques: Magic Stewart 16, times 2!
Coal Size/Type: Lots of buck
Other Heating: Slant Fin electric boiler backup

Post by Scottscoaled » Sun. Mar. 08, 2015 9:30 pm

I had signed up to put solars cells on the roof last summer but didn't get to putting a new roof on before the install. Work got in the way. Thanks Rob!

 
grumpy
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Post by grumpy » Sun. Mar. 08, 2015 9:32 pm

The photo's look good, nice sweats..

 
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Scottscoaled
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Posts: 2812
Joined: Tue. Jan. 08, 2008 9:51 pm
Location: Malta N.Y.
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520, 700, Van Wert 800 GJ 61,53
Baseburners & Antiques: Magic Stewart 16, times 2!
Coal Size/Type: Lots of buck
Other Heating: Slant Fin electric boiler backup

Post by Scottscoaled » Sun. Mar. 08, 2015 9:34 pm

Rob R. wrote:This is a great example of what you can do with the right skills, and patience. Watching ebay is a great way to get quality components for cheap.

Smart thinking getting this unit online for a backup system. All it takes is one slip on the ice to be out of commission hauling coal & ashes.
I got it installed and tested just in time to go south for a vacation. It was great to be able to relax, and just flip the switch and go. When I came home, it worked out perfectly to give the boiler a good brushing. Hell of a lot easier when its cold instead of hot.

 
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Scottscoaled
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Posts: 2812
Joined: Tue. Jan. 08, 2008 9:51 pm
Location: Malta N.Y.
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520, 700, Van Wert 800 GJ 61,53
Baseburners & Antiques: Magic Stewart 16, times 2!
Coal Size/Type: Lots of buck
Other Heating: Slant Fin electric boiler backup

Post by Scottscoaled » Sun. Mar. 08, 2015 9:36 pm

grumpy wrote:The photo's look good, nice sweats..
Used mostly used fittings reclaimed from when the coal boiler was installed in barn.

 
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lsayre
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Post by lsayre » Sun. Mar. 08, 2015 9:38 pm

Beautiful! Sure looks nice compared to my 35-40 year old resistance boiler.

 
grumpy
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Post by grumpy » Sun. Mar. 08, 2015 9:40 pm

Scottscoaled wrote:
grumpy wrote:The photo's look good, nice sweats..
Used mostly used fittings reclaimed from when the coal boiler was installed in barn.
Even better then, nice work..

 
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StokerDon
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Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Sun. Mar. 08, 2015 9:53 pm

That is one nice care free option to have as a backup. I would hate to use it as a primary, the electric hose is bigger then the water hoses!

-Don

 
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Scottscoaled
Member
Posts: 2812
Joined: Tue. Jan. 08, 2008 9:51 pm
Location: Malta N.Y.
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520, 700, Van Wert 800 GJ 61,53
Baseburners & Antiques: Magic Stewart 16, times 2!
Coal Size/Type: Lots of buck
Other Heating: Slant Fin electric boiler backup

Post by Scottscoaled » Sun. Mar. 08, 2015 9:56 pm

I got great deal on the used boiler. It actually was quite a bit larger than what I needed. As it turned out, I have ran thru the worst winter on a three teeth setting on the coal boiler. I usually run it on four. Letting it run longer didn't seem to let it get behind even during the coldest times. So when I converted my heating requirements to electric, I ended up needing less than half what the EH40 was rated for. So I decided to unhook half the elements. There were 4 banks of two elements each on each stage. I unhooked half of each stage and changed the breakers from 60 amp double poles to 30 amp double poles. Square D of course. When it came time to get the wire and conduit, the charts were calling for a 1" with 2-#2 coppers. I checked the price at the supply house and for short money was able to increase the conduit size to 1.5" and the wire to 2-#1's for very little increase. It cost $50 more to go from a 100 amp breaker to a 125 amp breaker to feed it out of main panel. Once again , Square D. They were the only ones who offered a bigger breaker. So with a bigger service, I added in one more element. Got more flexibility fore an extra $100 or so. It doesn't matter though, it only draws 19.5 amps per leg most of the time its running. It was as high as 96.4 amps for twenty seconds, once.


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