Fly Ash

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bowersox1
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Joined: Sat. Oct. 18, 2014 1:35 am
Location: Lewisburg, Pa
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Reading Allegney Pre 2010 model
Coal Size/Type: Rice

Post by bowersox1 » Wed. Jul. 15, 2015 3:12 am

Greetings,
My set up is as follows, Reading Allegany with separate stoker motor and upgrade combustion blower, natural draft chimney and burning rice coal.

The last couple years my stove has been blocking up with fly ash where the flue pipe connects to the stove. Last year it was real bad. I checked draft and the readings where .01 to .04 depending on outside conditions. So this year I'm making a major change. I had my chimney checked and guy said it's still good but the motor is leaking a bit of air around the Terra cotta and cooling it. He said I could line it or install a tjernlund draft booster.

I hate the 24 gauge snap flue pipe so I bought all new 22 gauge heat fab stove pipe. I then bought the tjernlund draft booster and installed it. My question is has anyone else been having issues with lots of fly ash or is it just me? I am also hard piping a Dwyer magnehelic gauge in the flue. Would you install the tap how close to the stove? And since I have the upgraded combustion blower what draft should I shot for, book calls for .04 to .06? Also what should my flue temperature be around to set the draft on the barometric damper?

 
titleist1
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Post by titleist1 » Wed. Jul. 15, 2015 7:21 am

Welcome....
Each stove / chimney set up will have its own personal tweaks to make it burn most efficiently. You numbers sound reasonable to me if the .01 was during a idle time on a warm day.

My stoker will run between .02 at idle and .04 at full burn. My manometer is piped in about 18" above the stove. I think its a good idea to have it piped in and permanently mounted so you can watch for deteriorating draft which may indicate fly ash build up.

Regarding the fly ash did you burn different coal last year? Coal from different sources will produce different amounts of fly ash. How about the amount of coal burned, was it a lot more than previous years? I always clean my pipe after about 1.5 tons burned regardless of time since previous cleaning.

If you don't have easy access you may want to consider piping in a T with a cap that can be removed for easy cleaning mid season. I don't even shut down the stoker, I just catch it on a warmer day when it has been in idle mode to insert the vac wand to clean it out.

I don't have a draft booster, cant give any info there. But I would stay far away from a liner.

 
Pacowy
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Stoker Coal Boiler: H.B. Smith 350 Mills boiler/EFM 85R stoker
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Post by Pacowy » Wed. Jul. 15, 2015 12:23 pm

With most set-ups it is common that at least one mid-season cleaning is required. Accumulation of fly ash in the first section of flue pipe can be particularly high if it is an elbow at the bottom of a vertical rise. A tee as mentioned by titleist1 can provide both easy access and greater "storage capacity" than an elbow. The accumulation may also be high if you are transitioning to a smoke pipe larger than the flange (i.e., due to reduced velocity of flue gases).

Mike

 
Vbull
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Joined: Sun. Oct. 12, 2014 7:09 am
Location: Hartford, New York
Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Reading Juanita
Coal Size/Type: rice

Post by Vbull » Wed. Jul. 15, 2015 5:34 pm

I had the problem mid winter while using a Reading Juanita. The fly ash built up in the area where the stove pipe connected to the stove. It is a natural draft 6" stainless chimney with baro damper. After vacuuming out the fly ash, I reduced the combustion blower output by closing off the inlet about 5/8 to 2/3 with a piece of duct tape. The rice coal burned fine and it stopped pushing the fly ash through the system where it would lay at the bottom of the vertical pipe.
I checked it often by putting my hand through the baro damper and feeling around. It was clean this spring after running for 2 months. This thread reminded me to make a more permanent fix with a piece of sheet metal on the blower.


 
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plumb-r
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Post by plumb-r » Wed. Jul. 15, 2015 8:58 pm

I had a lot more ash in my pipe this year. I had to do a extra mid season clean out. I think it is because it was run hotter than past years, more fly ash made it's way up into the chimney pipe. Artificial draft is only hiding a blockage. :)

 
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bowersox1
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Location: Lewisburg, Pa
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Reading Allegney Pre 2010 model
Coal Size/Type: Rice

Post by bowersox1 » Wed. Jul. 15, 2015 9:39 pm

Vbull,
I changed where I was getting my coal from the year before. I use to burn Blaschak but the quality has been rotten. More junk and shale then coal. I switched to coal from Trevorton and get more heat and beautiful ash and it's almost 40 bucks a ton cheaper. I am going to be keeping a real close eye on my draft this year and going to buy some good brushed to brush out the flue area even while stove is on. I am hoping too any ways.

 
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freetown fred
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Location: Freetown,NY 13803
Hand Fed Coal Stove: HITZER 50-93
Coal Size/Type: BLASCHAK Nut

Post by freetown fred » Thu. Jul. 16, 2015 6:41 am

BS, finish fillin out your profile so we know what stove you're talkin about & location so we don't have to back track to find out the details. I promise, nobody'll steal ya. :) Strange about the BLASCHAK.

 
titleist1
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Post by titleist1 » Thu. Jul. 16, 2015 6:25 pm

Just curious...was the blaschak in bags or bulk?

If the fly ash is in a vertical section of pipe near the exhaust port on the stove then a brush probably won't be necessary, just a few taps on the pipe to get it to drop. That is where the T with the cap at the bottom comes in handy, open the cap and vac out the ash after tapping. It is easy enough to do frequently (every other week?) so there is never much build up.


 
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bowersox1
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Posts: 36
Joined: Sat. Oct. 18, 2014 1:35 am
Location: Lewisburg, Pa
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Reading Allegney Pre 2010 model
Coal Size/Type: Rice

Post by bowersox1 » Thu. Jul. 16, 2015 11:34 pm

The coal was bulk from a local dealer. I wouldn't say that they might have swapped to cheaper but kept saying it was blaschak and made more profits or that maybe it was a bad loads from the breaker. I do know the stuff from Trevorton, Pa is outstanding, the ash is all burnt coal and nice and brown and the output of the stove is better.

 
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blrman07
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Post by blrman07 » Fri. Jul. 17, 2015 6:55 am

I used to live on Trevorton road and bought my coal from Calvin Lenig's. Small family operation that grand dad started, passed to dad who passed to his sons. They use coal purchased from "various" sources and "miners." Who said anything about on property mines? :?

 
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carlherrnstein
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Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: combustioneer model 77B
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Post by carlherrnstein » Fri. Jul. 17, 2015 7:35 pm

I burn bit in a underfeed stoker and the forced draft blows a good bit of ash in the flue. It vents out the back and instead of turning it up with a elbow I used a "T" with a cap on the bottom so there is a out of the way place for it to settle.

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