Low Heat. Keystoker 105

DENNIS BAUER wrote:I tried Reading rice bagged coal and it seem to burn a little better but switched back to the Stockton bulk that I have an have had no issues until last night. I'm wondering if the Stockton needs a little bit more air.

Different air for different coal is very possible. And even if it is the same brand of coal if one load seems to have more or less fines then air adjustment will be needed. Air adjustments may not be noticeable if temps are moderate but during real cold temps when you need every BTU that's when you notice it.

Is the honeywell 'stat a bi-metallic mercury bulb type? I had one that came with my used stoker but was frustrated with setting it, leveling it, keeping it calibrated with the other digital 'stat for the propane furnace and the temp swings the first year. I switched to a low cost digital 'stat and things are much more stable temp wise since.

DENNIS BAUER wrote:

Olllotj wrote:Take the thermostat out of the equation for a day, and lets see what happens.

Take it off the wall, And wire nut the two wires together and lets see what happens.

I can do that tonight, I might just put a jumper wire in down at the stove it self to completely get rid of the thermostat and wire in this case.

Even better yet

titleist1 wrote:

DENNIS BAUER wrote:I tried Reading rice bagged coal and it seem to burn a little better but switched back to the Stockton bulk that I have an have had no issues until last night. I'm wondering if the Stockton needs a little bit more air.

Different air for different coal is very possible. And even if it is the same brand of coal if one load seems to have more or less fines then air adjustment will be needed. Air adjustments may not be noticeable if temps are moderate but during real cold temps when you need every BTU that's when you notice it.

Is the honeywell 'stat a bi-metallic mercury bulb type? I had one that came with my used stoker but was frustrated with setting it, leveling it, keeping it calibrated with the other digital 'stat for the propane furnace and the temp swings the first year. I switched to a low cost digital 'stat and things are much more stable temp wise since.

Different air for different coal is the issue. I'm running the combustion blower wide open right now with no plate so there is nothing more I can do with that. That is why I'm thinking I'll replaced it with the 75cfm blower. It'll rule out the idea of the blower being weak and also give me the option of putting a little extra air to the fire if possible.

I know to that higher CFM means I need to be careful with pressurizing the box. I guess that's the perk to having the monometer mounted all the time.

As for the thermostat, it's a Honeywell but I'm pretty sure it is not a mercury type. It has dip switches and everything.

Anyone near a 105 or 90 to see if there is room for the motor to swing the other direction?

Wait a min, does it affect the fan if it is mounted upside down? The fan direction doesn't change I just wonder about bearings needing to be oiled is all???

So I got home last night and the house was 68*, Stove was running good. Ran good through out the night and the house was sitting at 70* this morning.

I don't understand why I'm having the swings. I'm think the thermostat might be the issue. I'm going to pick up a new digital one today and also just jump the stove the next night we get single digits to make sure.

So Thursday night I removed the wiring from the thermostat at the stove and installed a jumper wire. In theory locking the stove on full heat mode (thermostat calling for heat).

It seemed to run good but the weather did come up to the mid 30's so the test was kind of void.

I tested the wiring from the thermostat to the stove and wire is good.

I replaced the thermostat with a digital just due to the fact that I like the idea of being able to see highs and lows throughout the day when I'm not home any everything else.

This morning house was 65.5* and I bet at this point a little lower. It was only 5* out this morning. Stove temp will not reach over about 525*

What temps are people pulling out of the 105's on the side or front of stove?

No idea's?

DENNIS BAUER wrote:No idea's?

I have my Keystoker 90 cranking right now and waiting to get feed rate up 100% so I can give you accurate values. We have a cold nite coming up. Answers within an hour.

Did the digital thermostat work?
how's the feed rate now? is it covering the whole grate within an inch of ash at the end.

Are you measuring with a magnetic temp gauge on the front?

That 525 deg on the front sounds about right. My Hyfire I (130K BTU - 2 burners) runs about 500-550 on the front with both burners running at max feed.

My Keystoker 90 at 100% feed rate by my Coal-trol. My max feed rate is set at 65, which is below what the Coal-trol comes set at. Meaning when I am calling for heat continously the pusher runs for 65 seconds out of every 100 seconds. My chimney reads 235 degrees and my air off the top off the stove is 138 degrees, these are inside temperatures not surface. The side of the stove is at 475 degrees.

Thanks Sierra,
I guess I just don't get it. The side of my stove is running about the same temp as yours. My feed rate is in fully and the blower is wide open. I tried sliding the plate over the combustion blower last night thinking that it was getting to much air and the coal was cooling down to much. With in an hour the side of the stove had dropped to 425*

So I opened it back up and it went back up to 500*

I just don't understate. House was 62* this morning with outside temps of 5*. How is it that the old Ecno 70 could produce 740* on the stove and keep the house warm but when I think I'm doing the right thing and buying a bigger stove I can't keep the house warm. Something just isn't adding up here.

Turn that feed screw one more turn clockwise to get a bit more coal on that grate. Take it out to where red is almost falling off the grate. Leave about 1 inch of ash for max burn.

It takes an hour to see either coal feed or air setting change's results.
If you do not have the patience it will be like playing a Roulette Wheel as to strike apon the correct combination of settings cause where you need to be is somewhere in the middle of the extremes.

blrman07 wrote:Turn that feed screw one more turn clockwise to get a bit more coal on that grate. Take it out to where red is almost falling off the grate. Leave about 1 inch of ash for max burn.

I have the feed rate turned in all the way.

McGiever wrote:It takes an hour to see either coal feed or air setting change's results.
If you do not have the patience it will be like playing a Roulette Wheel as to strike apon the correct combination of settings cause where you need to be is somewhere in the middle of the extremes.

Only change made last night was the adjustment of air inlet. I made the adjustment and at 6pm and came back in the house from the shop around 9pm. I surpassed the hour adjustment level. I know I said with in an hour the temp had come down but I let it ride for almost 3 hours like that. No change

I understand the idea of one adjustment at a time and I've done this the whole time.