new yorker wc-90 add on boiler

moderator could you combine the lemon and wc90 thread we have the same topic going on. thanks JRW

JRW wrote:I got a draft gauge today, draft over fire with baro, wide open was .04, with baro. closed .07. The weather got warmer here today over 40. Fire still burning good but dump zone is coming on too often so I backed the aquastat back to 170 from 180, it started to overshoot. Now my question is how much coal should I be burning a day. In the teens outside the last couple days I used almost 120 lbs. per day, with very little ash, but a nice warm house. JRW

I had to close my air shutter on the combustion fan down lower than the manual says so it would idle without climbing. The shaker handle slot on mine pulls alot of air.

Recently purchased a WC-90 New Yorker Boiler. Having a hard time starting it and keeping it going. Can you give me some help or suggestions on how you start your boilers and what are you using to start it with, how long do you wait to add coal, how much do you add etc. layers, packing???? and what do you do to keep it going. What should I set my fan on when you get it going and leave it? I've been told several different methods to use and now I'm frustrated and would like to know the exact process on running this. I've been told to poke, rake, fill it, use wood to start, match lite, which I've done it all and haven't been able to keep it running 8 to 10 hours. How much time do you get once you have filled your boiler with coal and what is the process to adding more coal once you have the dancing blue ladies?



Appreciate any feedback that you can offer. In a perfect world, step by step directions would be nice.

Get some dry wood scraps of 2x4 work fine, I use fire starter blocks I had for my fireplace. Get this burning good with the blower on for about 10 to 15 minutes. Start adding coal in layers until it reaches the door level then bank it up in the back and middle. Be sure that the draft over fire is not more than .04 inches of water column if so open the baro. until so. In very cold weather 15 degrees or less you may need to add coal every 6 to 7 hours. Also try 170 on the aquastat for the blower. I rake twice a day take ashes out one time a day and this seems to work for me. I had fires go 9 hours when no one was around to add coal, hope this helps. Jrw

Same here about 9 hrs is it. Make sure you build the coal bed up to the bottom of the door. I go higher with mine. Get you air shutter and baro damper adj. so it will idle without the temp climbing.

Once you get the dancing blue ladies, add more coal in layers, but always leave an area burning. Try not to smother the flames, as this will allow coal gas to build up and you're going to have a puff... sometimes a muffled "BOOM!". Dust will shoot out of the joints in the stack and the vent holes in the door, and your cleanout door latch will bet busted...

No worries, it happens, just try to not have it happen alot. Once you see what leads to it, it's pretty easily avoided. Not too much at once and always leave the "pilot light" on...

I've avoided poking the fire once it is established. Not sure how much agitation I should even give it when I am loading... as I am new to burning coal myself. Depending on what I see when I open the door, I may simple add more coal and allow it to ignite, then shake. Usually if my fire is "hurting", I'll add more than shake. If the fire is good and hot, and I don't see orange in the ash pit when I open the door, I shake until I do and then add coal to bring it up, in layers and leaving some fire open... fill that area in once the rest is burning.

O.K., everyone, I need your help. I have a New WC-90 boiler as I have said in my prior e-mail and this is my first time burning coal. I cannot get my coal boiler to burn through a 24 hour cycle without me sitting in front of the stove and tending it. My overload is set at 210, my boiler temp is 190, my fan comes on about 170 boiler temp. Sometimes I have a good start up it takes me hours. I start it with wood, match lite, and cedar kindling wood. I slowly add coal. I babysit this thing and add coal in layers and get a good fire started with the coal, dancing blue ladies and it will go for about 6 to 8 hours with no problems. At 2 a.m. in the morning I had a good bed of coal and fire. My temp was 170 and the fan was on. I cleaned the grates and saw glowing ambers, added more coal and went back to bed and the burner went to bed with me. In the a.m. the fire was out and coal remained unburned. I have followed the suggestions that you all have given me but I must be missing something?? I seems when I give it the last shovels of coal to make to it to morning, I lose my fire.

jtjamo wrote: seems when I give it the last shovels of coal to make to it to morning, I lose my fire.

After you reload the fire box up to the TOP OF THE BRICK with coal try opening the ash pan door for 10 minutes or so (DON'T LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN WHEN YOU ARE NOT IN THE ROOM STAY WITH THE BOILER) to liven up the fire and start the new coal to burn. When you load the coal on and there's no call for heat it's not getting enough air to start the new coal and it smothering the fire.

jtjamo wrote:O.K., everyone, I need your help. I have a New WC-90 boiler as I have said in my prior e-mail and this is my first time burning coal. I cannot get my coal boiler to burn through a 24 hour cycle without me sitting in front of the stove and tending it. My overload is set at 210, my boiler temp is 190, my fan comes on about 170 boiler temp. Sometimes I have a good start up it takes me hours. I start it with wood, match lite, and cedar kindling wood. I slowly add coal. I babysit this thing and add coal in layers and get a good fire started with the coal, dancing blue ladies and it will go for about 6 to 8 hours with no problems. At 2 a.m. in the morning I had a good bed of coal and fire. My temp was 170 and the fan was on. I cleaned the grates and saw glowing ambers, added more coal and went back to bed and the burner went to bed with me. In the a.m. the fire was out and coal remained unburned. I have followed the suggestions that you all have given me but I must be missing something?? I seems when I give it the last shovels of coal to make to it to morning, I lose my fire.

How deep are you filling the stove ? I go level with the bottom of the door and then mound it. Mine will go 9 hrs before the temp starts to drop but its not out by any means.

All the advice seems to be right on, The draft controled by the baro. was my best improvment after setting it with a gauge, another thing I got coal from two differnt places one had a lot rock and didnt burn as well. I burn chestnut and the good pure coal burned great.

efo141 wrote:

jtjamo wrote:O.K., everyone, I need your help. I have a New WC-90 boiler as I have said in my prior e-mail and this is my first time burning coal. I cannot get my coal boiler to burn through a 24 hour cycle without me sitting in front of the stove and tending it. My overload is set at 210, my boiler temp is 190, my fan comes on about 170 boiler temp. Sometimes I have a good start up it takes me hours. I start it with wood, match lite, and cedar kindling wood. I slowly add coal. I babysit this thing and add coal in layers and get a good fire started with the coal, dancing blue ladies and it will go for about 6 to 8 hours with no problems. At 2 a.m. in the morning I had a good bed of coal and fire. My temp was 170 and the fan was on. I cleaned the grates and saw glowing ambers, added more coal and went back to bed and the burner went to bed with me. In the a.m. the fire was out and coal remained unburned. I have followed the suggestions that you all have given me but I must be missing something?? I seems when I give it the last shovels of coal to make to it to morning, I lose my fire.

How deep are you filling the stove ? I go level with the bottom of the door and then mound it. Mine will go 9 hrs before the temp starts to drop but its not out by any means.

I fill mine to the indicator on the outside of the boiler to the left of the door. I use wood scraps to make the burn even, and when I get the dancing blue ladies I add the coal. Should I rake or leave it alone during the 9 hours of run time and how many time do you shake after the 9 hours. Are you looking for the red ambers? My problem seems to be when my boiler is cooling down and I need to add more coal. I think I am smothering it. I also go underneath and poke up under the grate to look for red ambers looking to create more air flow.

Hello jtj, you need to make the fire as deep as possible.. the deeper the coal, the longer it will burn, the better it will burn.

The depth of the fire determines the fire duration, so load up the firebox.. fill it as high as you can,, there is no point where there is too much coal, unless it is pouring out the doorway.. I even stacked firbrick in my door opening to be able to increase the depth of the fire in my handfeed.

Greg L

LsFarm wrote:Hello jtj, you need to make the fire as deep as possible.. the deeper the coal, the longer it will burn, the better it will burn.

The depth of the fire determines the fire duration, so load up the firebox.. fill it as high as you can,, there is no point where there is too much coal, unless it is pouring out the doorway.. I even stacked firbrick in my door opening to be able to increase the depth of the fire in my handfeed.

Greg L

firebrickwall.jpg

Great advice, when do you know it is time to load the boiler. Do you wait to get a roaing flame and then fill it or do you add layers to get to this point? What are you looking for when you rake your coals and much do you rake (looking for red ambers?). Do you recommend burning 30 degrees or higher? Today in Maine it is 42 degrees, would you start your boiler on a day like today and fill it as you recommended?

Thanks for the picture too, that really helps... I have not been filling my boiler, just adding layers, Jim

jtjamo wrote:

efo141 wrote:

jtjamo wrote:O.K., everyone, I need your help. I have a New WC-90 boiler as I have said in my prior e-mail and this is my first time burning coal. I cannot get my coal boiler to burn through a 24 hour cycle without me sitting in front of the stove and tending it. My overload is set at 210, my boiler temp is 190, my fan comes on about 170 boiler temp. Sometimes I have a good start up it takes me hours. I start it with wood, match lite, and cedar kindling wood. I slowly add coal. I babysit this thing and add coal in layers and get a good fire started with the coal, dancing blue ladies and it will go for about 6 to 8 hours with no problems. At 2 a.m. in the morning I had a good bed of coal and fire. My temp was 170 and the fan was on. I cleaned the grates and saw glowing ambers, added more coal and went back to bed and the burner went to bed with me. In the a.m. the fire was out and coal remained unburned. I have followed the suggestions that you all have given me but I must be missing something?? I seems when I give it the last shovels of coal to make to it to morning, I lose my fire.

How deep are you filling the stove ? I go level with the bottom of the door and then mound it. Mine will go 9 hrs before the temp starts to drop but its not out by any means.

I fill mine to the indicator on the outside of the boiler to the left of the door. I use wood scraps to make the burn even, and when I get the dancing blue ladies I add the coal. Should I rake or leave it alone during the 9 hours of run time and how many time do you shake after the 9 hours. Are you looking for the red ambers? My problem seems to be when my boiler is cooling down and I need to add more coal. I think I am smothering it. I also go underneath and poke up under the grate to look for red ambers looking to create more air flow.

I had no luck filling to the coal line on the boiler. You need to run a deeper bed of coal. Build the bed up slow