I Feel Defeated

davidmcbeth3 wrote:OP did not say his unit was obtained as a refurbished machine; although the task of refurbishing should include replacing components that are old that can be replaced (what, refurbish is to just knock off the rust and a paint job?).

I would imagine it means taking it apart and fixing what needs to be fixed. You're not going to go replacing very expensive augers, rings, plates, gears and other things that aren't broken or worn that could potentially go bad. The cost would be too much and a lot of that would be unneeded. New ones are about $9K on a pallet.

So he has a unit from at least the era before we landed on the moon.

When they are built to the standards those are it doesn't matter. I don't know if you have ever seen these boilers up close but here's a hand fired EFM without the jacket. It's a brick shithouse, if you are young you only buy it once.

davidmcbeth3 wrote:OP did not say his unit was obtained as a refurbished machine; although the task of refurbishing should include replacing components that are old that can be replaced (what, refurbish is to just knock off the rust and a paint job?).

So he has a unit from at least the era before we landed on the moon.

OP may wish to burn oil this winter and pick up a new device ... or just go back to oil until the "holy crap" feeling when oil goes back up is creeping up on him.

I agree with Richard that refurb doesn't mean replacing everything that can be replaced. And to me it goes beyond the $ that would be wasted in doing so. IMO some of the old-school materials were better than what you get now, and a reasonable person easily could prefer used parts in good shape to new ones.

We heat our house with a stoker and boiler that are older than the OP's, and I'll say no thanks to a "new device". That was a time when coal was more of a mainstream fuel choice, and coal equipment provided features and performance that to some extent have been lost to time and the bean-counters.

Mike

Thanks for all the replies. After taking a second look (after reading posts) the cracked spots on the plates are pretty small and minor. Maybe they don't need replacement. I do have to take the whole this apart though to replace the rope gasket at the base and reinstall the plates....I don't think my big hands can squeeze in there to get to the fire pot while it is installed. I have had two offers of people local to come and take a look at it for me. Great community here!! This is the place that got me into coal in the first place and looks like it will help me stay with coal.

I'll try to get some photos up. It is a 1953 unit that was refurbished.

I have never been happy with my burn settings and maybe that is part of the problem. Also always seem to have a fines problem building up behind the plates even though I empty them everyday. Glad I noticed this now while she is shut down for the summer.

Thanks again all!!

If you have to mess with the plates for any reason, I would replace them all and make sure the air chamber is completely clean. It is just my theory, but it seems like once those old plates get disturbed (removed/reinstalled) they sometimes quickly crack when out back into service...at least that is what happened to me. Depends on the $ I guess, for me the extra $ was worth it to know all 6 were new and it was good for a long time.

It sounds like you had multiple problems that caused a compounding effect. Wet coal deteriorates old steel pipes, the pipes become rough and grind the coal, the fines plug the air holes in the plates, the fire doesn't burn properly and the plates get hot/unevenly heated...and finally the plates crack.

Glad to hear your getting some help. I hate to think of a nice old stoker boiler like that not not running properly and then not being used.

-Don

Check this out.

http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/J.R.Kopko. ... ew/4448731

1954 EFM boiler restored. The boiler section looks like my Gentleman Janitor with it's face down. I have never seen one like that before.

-Don

That's a old style 350 EFM Don. They were a round faced tube boiler.

I had an Efel Ambassador 420 up til this year piped up my fireplace chimney. My house is a old Victorian and is 2196 sq ft I usually burn 3 to 3 1/2 pallets that are 2400 LBS each. I put window kits on all 23 windows and on the door to the front porch that we do not use. So what you are burning seems excessive to me. I do not know where you live but there is a gentleman in Turner Maine where I just purchased my new Alaska coal stove this guy is awesome. The system he has set up in his building is phenomenal. When he purchased the building it had an oil burner he then hooked up a coal stove to the boiler. Don't ask me how it all works but the coal stove heats his oil burner. He might be able to give you some advise on what your problem may be and how to fix it. I am giving his contact info here. Would not hurt to give him a call.

Kerry Thomas
Central Maine Coal Email
[email protected]
38 Howes Corner Road
North Turner, ME 04266
1-207 754-2483
P.O. Box 367 Turner, ME 04282

I know no one wants to spend the money, but you could put in a new hand fed 140,000 BTU wood coal combo for 3500.00. If you spend 150 a month on electric 4 years pays it off and I think the effiency alone would do it in a couple.