Mid Season Cleaning?

I am new to all this coal burning of course so I am wondering if a person is to clean the ash out of the unit in the middle of the winter or what not?

I haven't cleaned my stoker since I started it. Seems to chug right along. I didn't know if I should clean out the flue pipes either etc?

I am burning coal that gives white ash.

Just curious!

Thank you all.

A mid-season cleaning is never a bad idea if you have some free time on your hands. I often take a small wisk broom and brush down the inside of my 520 above the pot. I have it easy because I have a square door but you round door guys can do it easy. A layer of fly ash covering the heating surfaces will cut heat transfer. When the stoker is off put a shovel full of ashes on the pot and you wont get burned. Off the back of the stoker instead of smoke 90 I have a tee with a cleanout plug, pull the plug and it empties everything out of the smoke pipe to an extent. Keep them clean

Mark (PA) wrote:I am new to all this coal burning of course so I am wondering if a person is to clean the ash out of the unit in the middle of the winter or what not?

I haven't cleaned my stoker since I started it. Seems to chug right along. I didn't know if I should clean out the flue pipes either etc?

I am burning coal that gives white ash.

Just curious!

Thank you all.

Wait until spring when the weather is warm You have not burned enough coal to worry about cleaning yet
but if the mood hits ya go for it. Just take the chimney pipe of the flue on the back of the base stick the vac hose in
make sure everything is cooled down before you use the vac unless it is a metal ash vac. wait untill spring to tare everything apart for a good cleaning take off the back base plate to get in there and clean the tubes out and the base
Then pull the side plates off the base pull out the blower & pot Assembly take the auger tubes off and ckeck your augers
and bushing clean everything up and put back together your done for another year

I need to invest in a noodle brush for those tubes.

What I do is keep a 2' long wide end screwdriver next to the boiler. Before I empty the ashes I reach in and scrape the ash that sits on the lip below the pot into the pan. Then I take it and gently bang the swinging baffle in the back a few times which shakes up all the fly ash and deposits it in the pan or up the chimney. I don't understand why the base was designed to accumulate so much ash around the edges.

The ash guard was designed to funnel the ashes into the ash can. You do not really have to clean the ashes off of it since a build up does not hurt anything, it just lets it slide into the can. The old bases had the ash guard welded in where as the new bases the ash guard slides out through the ash door, to give you more room around the base of the pot if needed. A gentle tap of the baffle to loosen up fly ash is a good idea just don't knock it off if you have a round door kind of a bear to get back on. Don't forget while you are loosening up that fly ash on the baffle brush the top and sides with a whisk broom , it helps efficiency.

RY

Pa Dealer wrote:The ash guard was designed to funnel the ashes into the ash can. You do not really have to clean the ashes off of it since a build up does not hurt anything, it just lets it slide into the can. The old bases had the ash guard welded in where as the new bases the ash guard slides out through the ash door, to give you more room around the base of the pot if needed. A gentle tap of the baffle to loosen up fly ash is a good idea just don't knock it off if you have a round door kind of a bear to get back on. Don't forget while you are loosening up that fly ash on the baffle brush the top and sides with a whisk broom , it helps efficiency.

RY

One note on the ash sitting in on the ash ring or anywhere else if you do not use yor efm in the spring & summer time
clean all the ash out the Humidity & moisture mixed with the coal ash will eat & rot the base out and you don't want to know what one of them cost new . Sulfer dioxide is very corrosive it like to eat metal when it is damp & wet

quote]
One note on the ash sitting in on the ash ring or anywhere else if you do not use yor efm in the spring & summer time
clean all the ash out the Humidity & moisture mixed with the coal ash will eat & rot the base out and you don't want to know what one of them cost new . Sulfer dioxide is very corrosive it like to eat metal when it is damp & wet[/quote]


The advice that I give people that do not use their stoker in spring and summer months is to disconnect the chimney so it doesn't constantly draft through it, lower the water pressure so nothing leaks when it gets cold, and if they can afford to put a lightbulb in the pot to keep the insides dry.

RY

Thanks for all the good advice guys! I'll let it go until spring... I'm pretty busy with work right now.

I probably will use the lightbulb trick for the summer months as I don't plan on burning year around. Even though I know that is probably best...

Thanks all again!

i burn alot of coal.........about every how many tons of coal should the cover plates removed and the heat exchanger cleaned out?

Furnaces I service get annual cleaning,most average 7 to 11 tons.If you do your own it can be done once a month ,the less fly ash build up the better the heat transfer. Keep them clean






RY

lincolnmania wrote:i burn alot of coal.........about every how many tons of coal should the cover plates removed and the heat exchanger cleaned out?

For the amout of coal you burn you should clean yours every 1 a month No you should clean yours every 2 to 3 months
you do Put alot of coal threw that AF 150 in 2 months

i put about two tons a month thru the af150 when the days dont get above freezing........as soon as we get a day when it is above freezing, i'll clean it out.....thanks guys!