LL AA-220 Max Draft Burn With Power Vent Please Help!

hotblast1357 wrote:move the safe, and put it right there.

That spot is right under the living room but was my first choice, only problem would be getting coal down there and ash out. Is furthest form the steps and garage?

Ok Swyman I have tried my best to help you with my years of experience dealing with and working on boilers. You have your own way of doing things so good luck. I will no longer respond to this thread.

Well idk what your basement layout is, lol I just used a pic u posted lol just get it in there somehow. And getting coal in the basement is a piece of coal, GRAVITY, if your using bagged, get a couple planks and put them on the stairs, and on the weekend, slide 30-40 bags down to the basement, till u get a bin built for bulk, and ash, well that's all how u wanna do it, carry the tub up the stairs, or put in a ash auger, trust me, the benefit of it being in the basement far outway handling ash, you're already handling it anyways in the barn.

blrman07 wrote:Ok Swyman I have tried my best to help you with my years of experience dealing with and working on boilers. You have your own way of doing things so good luck. I will no longer respond to this thread.

Not sure where this is coming from but THANK YOU, everything as of late has been nothing but an argument!

hotblast1357 wrote:Well idk what your basement layout is, lol I just used a pic u posted lol just get it in there somehow. And getting coal in the basement is a piece of coal, GRAVITY, if your using bagged, get a couple planks and put them on the stairs, and on the weekend, slide 30-40 bags down to the basement, till u get a bin built for bulk, and ash, well that's all how u wanna do it, carry the tub up the stairs, or put in a ash auger, trust me, the benefit of it being in the basement far outway handling ash, you're already handling it anyways in the barn.

To embarrassed to take any wider angles of the basement because it is a total disaster right now. I would do bulk for sure, the cost savings is significant and I guess as long as I take out the ash everyday it would not be that big of deal, just a little more walking, but I take ash out and dump in the driveway everyday now anyway! As blrman said in an earlier post, that boiler is putting off a lot of heat to keep that building as warm as it is with the conditions here. Think I would have trouble regulating all that in the basement on warmer days? Guess I could turn the boiler temps down, that would probably help? I could build a bin right in front of it also in that spot. I still think I am going to move it into the other garage and see how much the consumption changes plus I would have control of the long underground loop, could eliminate it for test purposes? Just contemplating on buying a chimney for that move as it would be easier to repair the roof than the siding if I installed the PV. But that will probably cost me another $700 in pipe but if I like the performance from the garage I may not move it as it would be much more user friendly in there than the basement.

swyman wrote:

blrman07 wrote:Ok Swyman I have tried my best to help you with my years of experience dealing with and working on boilers. You have your own way of doing things so good luck. I will no longer respond to this thread.

Not sure where this is coming from but THANK YOU, everything as of late has been nothing but an argument!

It's coming from the fact that you've 'dissed' the experienced boiler guys, and the experienced stoker guys and you are still condemning the manufacturer.And now you have a 'hand fed' 4 month boiler expert that has just taken you back to square one.

SWPaDon wrote:And now you have a 'hand fed' 4 month boiler expert that has just taken you back to square one.

You really are something you know that.

I will do what you said in a PM to me and not post on here anymore due to me not knowing what I'm taking about and that I should sit back and learn something.

Good luck to you swyman.

How is the boiler maintaining temp now the the barn is tightened up?

Here's my assessment, do this, do that and I try to do what I can when time permits. If I cannot do something right now you all get pissy. Bottom line is this coal thing has been the biggest waste of money I have had. Total failure. This unit is NOT performing as advertised PERIOD! If these LL boilers were as great as you all say they are then where are the owners???? You all mostly have another brand of boiler and the only other LL AA-220 on this forum is having performance issues also HMMM heck of a coincidence huh???? This unit is rated at 5000sqft, my shop across the street is 50'x100', want me to hook this up over there??? NO way if would heat that building. I had a crappy corn boiler rated at 165kbtu and worked without propane assistance in a uninsulated garage with temps the same a s outside. Went to Central wood boiler and hey , it works flawlessly, same system. I get this and now a 33 pages of still not working!!!! I would almost like to bet if I got a EFM 520 I wouldn't have an issue. I seen the fire from those and they are not the lazy flames my throws out and I don't see anyone having issues with them??? Look at windyhill's thread, all the stuff he's heating and his is outside and works flawlessly on a boiler that is rated at a lower capacity! Heck, he goes underground a between a couple buildings if I read it right.

typo

Olllotj wrote:

How is the boiler maintaining temp now the the barn is tightened up?

I will know tomorrow as the temps are supposed to creep back up near 30* so I will shut off the propane furnace and go back to all coal. Boiler is putting off a lot of heat, the temp inside the barn was up to 53 today. Not sure how accurate the thermometer is as it's in the garage door opener but when I start my truck after sitting in there the heated seat and steering wheel is off. Turns on automatically below 40* so it's at least staying above that. Boiler still has to be moved though, I have to be able to heat without the propane furnace or this unit will have to go.

swyman wrote:Just went through all my pm's and no where did I say that. I value your help as well as the others but this has totally gotten out of hand. I still have a boiler that is not working as I believe it should.[/color]
Good luck to you swyman.

[/quote]

swyman, my commet was directed towards Swpadon, thats why I quoted his comment.

So starting fresh with a new title as the previous posts are not staying very positive. I thought about just leaving but I will miss you guys, think I'm addicted, just need to get on the coal train because I think I missed it and am still sitting at the station. This thread may help another potential or person who all ready owns one of these boilers. It is not my intent to bash any member or the company and sorry that I have done that but I just cannot turn back. Won't lie I thought about it but in thinking it went....load trailer and bobcat, drive to woods, cut downed or fell trees to 15' lengths. Fill trailer with logs, pile on cement pad, layout logs to be cut, buck logs to approx. 24", split pieces, push and pile under lean too, pile multiple bucket loads in front of boiler, then load that thing 2 times a day, rain, snow, sleet or hail... all in that order, makes for a long winter...

Right now we all know where I'm at, I am taking a 3 day weekend next week and I am going to move the boiler into my attached garage...reason being; we have went over and over my ground loop and I went over it again 2 time this morning and I just can't seem to get consistent numbers. Reading 151* on the return line pex before it leaves house and getting anywhere from 144-147* on the pex before going into the boiler so there is some loss occurring there but again my recordings seem to be inconsistent even with the IR gun. Although my ultimate goal is to install in the basement from the encouragement of the members here, if I move it into the garage I can at least take the loop out of the equation and eliminate the Modine in the garage. I will install that in the barn BUT I can shut it off if need be and right now I'm at the mercy of the loop. Once I make the move I will set everything up on the phone with LL and post results because this thread WILL remain positive from here on out! There really is no need to work with LL now as I think we have covered about all there is to cover without making changes. SO sorry members, mods, and LL for earlier, together we will succeed!
Shane

Would like to add that I'm currently burning #120 a day for the last 2 days running the boiler with the propane furnace. To conserve on coal I think I will leave it this way till the move. I think I may be able to turn the boiler feed down even more as it is going into idle fire regularly so with a little tweaking let's see if I can shoot for a slower burn?

The reason it is going into idle fire is that there are not enough demands for heat. Cutting the feed back will only require more from your propain unit. Leave the coal boiler settings alone,cut the propain back a bit & leave the coal boiler work more.