EFM Shutting Off

I just bought the house that was built for my grandfather around 1930. It has the original EFm stoker in it. I do not have the model # right now. I am ready to chop it up for scrap, we can not get it to stay running. I had the plumber out 2X in the winter, and set it up. We had a new aquastat put on it. Seemed to work ok until the summer. We start it to get hot water to shower and wash dishes, then it goes out. The timer seems to work, but maybe I should replace it anyhow? After starting the fire, it looks good. I am near Hazleton, maybe there is a good EFM plumber around? One time, the stoker stayed running during the middle of the night that the temp pegged out and busted the front indicator, and had steam in it ( it is a hot water one ) Some people tell me to keep it and try to get it running right, they are good stokers, but I am at wits end.

Call John Ravina Plumbing and Htg. in Hazelton. He's on Kiefer Ave, I think. it's the last street in Hazleton.

thanks for the reply. I will try....and let you know what happens

If you end up wanting to get rid of it someone on the forum will take it off your hands, don't "chop it up". Might even get a few bucks for it but I really have no idea what something like would be worth other than the steel. I think a lot of them work on we'll come to your house and remove it for free deal if its salvageable.

Hello Clinton, welcome to the forum!

If the boiler itself, [the water vessel], is not rusted out and leaking,, EVERYTHING ELSE is repairable, replacable, or rebuildable.. At a far lower cost than installing a new boiler.

Here is a quick list of potential problems not related to the EFM hardware:
Have you cleaned the chimney flue pipes this season?? the EFM needs a clean chimney to idle at low fire for summer use.
Whose coal are you burning??. Poor quality coal will not burn well at an idle.. you end up having to increase the timer's cycles to keep the fire lit.
Have you cleaned out the bottom of the coal hopper or coal bin??? Maybe you have an accumulation of fines at the auger end.
Do you open the fines handle every day when the unit is running, the fan is blowing, to blow out the fines from under the burn pot?? An accumulation of fines will block air flow through the grates.
Have you watched the unit run?? is the ratchet slipping or jumping notches? is the fan running correctly, have you oiled the motor and checked the transmission oil level??

That's a 'quick check' list of owner items.. anything more is probably some worn items in the feed auger, burn pot, or an electrical component that is worn out and unreliable.

If you want some encouragement to get the EFM repaired or rebuilt,,, do this simple math: take the number of tons you burnt last year,, lets say 5 tons, multiply that times 180 gallons per ton for oil, that's 900 gallons,, multiply that times $4.00 per gallon [that's cheap] and your get= $3600 for oil just to feed the boiler,, not including installing an oil burning boiler..

I'm pretty sure you could replace every electic component, rewire it completeley, and instal a rebuilt stoker unit, so in essence it was a fully rebuilt boiler for much less than that $3600 for one season's oil.. actually probably around half that amount..

Anyway,, keep us informed with what is found to be the problem,, every little bit of knowledge helps..

Greg L.

It seems whack to get rid of a stoker, but John knows them well and will be straight with you.

By the way, if it's the original stoker from 1930 and not a 520, you might want to contact a museum.

LsFarm wrote:Hello Clinton, welcome to the forum!

If the boiler itself, [the water vessel], is not rusted out and leaking,, EVERYTHING ELSE is repairable, replacable, or rebuildable.. At a far lower cost than installing a new boiler.

Here is a quick list of potential problems not related to the EFM hardware:
Have you cleaned the chimney flue pipes this season?? the EFM needs a clean chimney to idle at low fire for summer use.
Whose coal are you burning??. Poor quality coal will not burn well at an idle.. you end up having to increase the timer's cycles to keep the fire lit.
Have you cleaned out the bottom of the coal hopper or coal bin??? Maybe you have an accumulation of fines at the auger end.
Do you open the fines handle every day when the unit is running, the fan is blowing, to blow out the fines from under the burn pot?? An accumulation of fines will block air flow through the grates.
Have you watched the unit run?? is the ratchet slipping or jumping notches? is the fan running correctly, have you oiled the motor and checked the transmission oil level??

That's a 'quick check' list of owner items.. anything more is probably some worn items in the feed auger, burn pot, or an electrical component that is worn out and unreliable.

If you want some encouragement to get the EFM repaired or rebuilt,,, do this simple math: take the number of tons you burnt last year,, lets say 5 tons, multiply that times 180 gallons per ton for oil, that's 900 gallons,, multiply that times $4.00 per gallon [that's cheap] and your get= $3600 for oil just to feed the boiler,, not including installing an oil burning boiler..

I'm pretty sure you could replace every electic component, rewire it completeley, and instal a rebuilt stoker unit, so in essence it was a fully rebuilt boiler for much less than that $3600 for one season's oil.. actually probably around half that amount..

Anyway,, keep us informed with what is found to be the problem,, every little bit of knowledge helps..

Greg L.

F.Y.I. Greg the blower does not have to running to clean the fines out The fines collect at the bottom of the bowl under the bowl there are slots cut in with a soild ring on the outside of the bottom when you pull the handel back it moves the ring and opens the slots the fines fall out into to the ash tub there is know where for the fines to blow out of the grates would be in the way and would stop the fines from blowing out anywhere you can pull the handel anytime the handel as a rod on it that goes to the ring on the bottom of the bowl there is a eye bolt that the rod screws into The eye bolt then
screws into the ring when you pull the handel the ring turns & opens the slots fines fall out the bottom into ash tub also even if the back of the boiler is rusted out where the coil goes in you can fix that as well you Just cut the back out and weld a new plate in Pretty much anything can be fixed or replaced on them

It is recommended that you open the clean-out cover with the lever while the blower is running.

Hello Clinton, any update on the status of your boiler??? A photo of the hard-working veteran would be nice !! Hope you got it up and running again.

Greg L.
.

Hello. I have not had a chance to work on the stoker. I got a job out of town and have been gone. The stoker has been shut off. I did call Ravina and he said it could just be worn out. He said to rebuild it is a big expensive job. Now that it is shut off, I am going to take off what panels I can and take a good look at it. It did overheat during the night once and made steam. The front temp. indicator is busted from being overanged. The back soot area is rusted through. So that could be messing up air flow. The plumber said to look at the worm, it could be worn. He said a worm is very costly also. When I take a good look at it , I will post a reply on what I found. And if I can get pictures I will. Thanks for the replys!