Hand Fired Questions

 
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Sunny Boy
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Location: Central NY
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Anthracite Industrial, domestic hot water heater
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Other Heating: Oil &electric plenum furnace

Post by Sunny Boy » Thu. Dec. 15, 2016 9:07 am

Just curious - If the chimney was not a problem with his hand fed before, why would it be the problem now ?

Paul

 
Den034071
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Post by Den034071 » Thu. Dec. 15, 2016 9:18 am

Matt I sent you a pm I have a 95 percent new M cc Gibraltar . jackThis is the approv 120000 BTU stove

 
titleist1
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Post by titleist1 » Thu. Dec. 15, 2016 9:19 am

Having run both a hand fed and now a stoker on the same double wall insulated chimney my take on it is the hand fed was run at a more consistent higher temp that his chimney was adequate for. With the lower temp the stoker gets to in between calls for heat maybe he needs a better performing chimney.

In my stoker installation I cover the baro with foil when the temps get into the 50's to keep the draft from getting too low. I never had to do that with the hand fed, but then again I usually waited until it was consistently colder to fire that up.

Maybe the OP could try this 'foil the baro' trick in his install.

 
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Sunny Boy
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Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 1:40 pm
Location: Central NY
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Anthracite Industrial, domestic hot water heater
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood range 208, # 6 base heater, 2 Modern Oak 118.
Coal Size/Type: Nuts !
Other Heating: Oil &electric plenum furnace

Post by Sunny Boy » Thu. Dec. 15, 2016 9:46 am

titleist1 wrote:Having run both a hand fed and now a stoker on the same double wall insulated chimney my take on it is the hand fed was run at a more consistent higher temp that his chimney was adequate for. With the lower temp the stoker gets to in between calls for heat maybe he needs a better performing chimney.

In my stoker installation I cover the baro with foil when the temps get into the 50's to keep the draft from getting too low. I never had to do that with the hand fed, but then again I usually waited until it was consistently colder to fire that up.

Maybe the OP could try this 'foil the baro' trick in his install.
Ok, that makes sense - thanks T.

For the same reason, I never use the check damper until the weather gets really cold and the draft gets too strong.

Paul


 
Mattw205
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Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Alaska stoker 2

Post by Mattw205 » Thu. Dec. 15, 2016 9:58 am

What's the solution for that than? Taller chimney? Or would I be. Enter off getting a power vent? I'd like to be able to run the thing when it's still a little cold without running it on high.

 
Starting Out
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Post by Starting Out » Thu. Dec. 15, 2016 10:05 am

Chimney should be about two feet above the peak of your roof for proper draft. If that's to much trouble, the power vent will work, however the power vent has to be cleaned out more times a year.Sometimes in the middle of winter on blustery freezing days like today. Also fill out the rest of your profile so people in your area can better help you. Maybe some body close to you will even volunteer to come look at it for you.

 
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Sunny Boy
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Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 1:40 pm
Location: Central NY
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Anthracite Industrial, domestic hot water heater
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood range 208, # 6 base heater, 2 Modern Oak 118.
Coal Size/Type: Nuts !
Other Heating: Oil &electric plenum furnace

Post by Sunny Boy » Thu. Dec. 15, 2016 10:10 am

Matt,

Before spending money, I'd try Titleist's recommendation of covering/blocking off the baro with aluminum foil and see if that makes a difference.

Baro's don't seal 100% when they are closed. The residual heat in the chimney may be pulling in enough cool air through the baro leaks to cool off the chimney a bit too much during the times when there is no demand for more heat output.

Nothing to lose by trying blocking off the baro except about 2 cents worth of aluminum foil. ;)

Paul

 
titleist1
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Post by titleist1 » Thu. Dec. 15, 2016 10:43 am

The draft bump I see with using the foil goes from .01 to .02 as measured on the Dwyer Mark II. I only use it when the day time temps are getting into the 50's. The foil is definitely off with this morning's cold temps and high wind!!! I am guessing you'll have to wait a while to try the foil out on a warmer day.

Like you are seeing, seasonally I use more coal with the stoker than the hand fed. I start the stoker earlier and burn it later in the season than with the hand fed. And if we would get a couple day warm spell in the winter I'd let the hand fed burn out or burn wood at night, with the stoker I keep it lit and let it idle for the convenience. On a daily basis when its cold I use about the same 80 - 100lbs per day in the stoker that I used to use in the hand fed.

I may be burning more coal (small $), but the temp in the house is waayyy more consistent and the whining from the others here about temp swings is waaayyyyy down (priceless).

Does your stoker have the thermostat control? A difference between our stokers is mine has the top vent and yours is a bottom vent so you may have lower exhaust temps than me. I have a 2" barbeque probe in my flue pipe to measure temps. Currently flue temp is 325* on the gauge with stove body temp at 640* via IR temp gauge.


 
Mattw205
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Post by Mattw205 » Thu. Dec. 15, 2016 12:55 pm

so it sounds like my chimney is too short. it was installed before I bought the house. so if I understand the code right, 10 feet in from the edge of the roof, the pipe should be 2ft above the roofline at that point. it seems like my chimney is about even with the roof at 10 feet in. could this make that much of a difference?

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Mattw205
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Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Alaska stoker 2

Post by Mattw205 » Thu. Dec. 15, 2016 12:56 pm

so it sounds like my chimney is too short. it was installed before I bought the house. so if I understand the code right, 10 feet in from the edge of the roof, the pipe should be 2ft above the roofline at that point. it seems like my chimney is about even with the roof at 10 feet in. could this make that much of a difference?

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Sunny Boy
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Posts: 25547
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 1:40 pm
Location: Central NY
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Anthracite Industrial, domestic hot water heater
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood range 208, # 6 base heater, 2 Modern Oak 118.
Coal Size/Type: Nuts !
Other Heating: Oil &electric plenum furnace

Post by Sunny Boy » Thu. Dec. 15, 2016 1:08 pm

Yes, two feet above the point at which the closest part of the roof is ten feet away on a horizontal line, is the minimum. More height is better.

Sometimes winds blowing over a roof can cause turbulence and back pressure on the pipe, that will make a stove puff smoke back into the house with wind gusts.

If it was installed for a wood stove, which runs so much hotter and stronger draft, it was likely more forgiving of being shorter.

With the constant heating of the chimney of a hand fed it likely was ok then, too. But the chimney temp drop of idling the stoker may mean it needs another section of pipe added on top ?

Paul

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