Are my expectations too high??

My AHS 130 has been in use for less then one full year and my hopper is rusting badly on one side and starting on the other 3. I didn't realize just had bad it was until I let my coal level drop down to do my maintenance on the unit. I called AHS and was told I could send it back at my cost and they would repaint it for me for a fee. Maybe I am crazy but I think the paint job such an expensive item should hold up for more then one year; the tech seemed to think so as well and this seemed unusual to him. So I guess I will get out the grinder and get started on a new paint job. Maybe if the surface is prepped better it will hold up for a little longer then a year. I am pretty disappointed in this but maybe my expectations are just too high. I know that if after a year one of my clients should ever have an issue with my work, it isn't their issue it is mine and it would be taken care of at my expense. Thoughts?

Wet coal will do that to you. I have a Keystoker K6 and my hopper was pretty rusted. I used a wire wheel to take all the rust and paint off and sprayed it with undercoat. Worked like a charm!

At the end of the season, if you are not firing, take out all of the coal. Moisture from condensation and sulfer in the coal is a bad combination.

I would shut down, empty the hopper, give it a light wire brushing and spray it with a can of spray bed liner. You can get a 12 or 16 oz can at the local autoparts store. I repainted my keystoker hopper and the paint didn't last long. I hit it with the liner spray and it seems much better. Cheaper than shipping.

steamup wrote:I would shut down, empty the hopper, give it a light wire brushing and spray it with a can of spray bed liner...........

Either that or brush it with por-15.

As they said, the hopper will rust if coal is left in it for the summer. But I'll tell you this, it took my old Alaska Stoker II over 20 years to rust through....





Rick

Thanks guys, I burned through the summer so it wasn't a matter of leaving wet coal in it. I appreciate the ideas, I will keep you posted.

If you shut down the unit during warm weather, you must prevent the humidity in your basement from attacking the steel. Hand fired guys (ME) vacuum fly ash, wipe & oil and in addition we burn a 40 watt bulb in the firebox all summer long. We disconnect the flue piping and store it in plastic trash bags out in the shed, above ground. We never leave good stove pipe in the basement. And we periodically check the unit throughout the summer months for signs of corrosion.

I've used different things, but THIS is probably the best and it IS what you need: http://www.theruststore.com/Fluid-Film- ... 4AodD2cAkg

Using dry and/or oiled coal will also prevent excessive hopper rust; an abrasive, solid which produces acids in the presence of moisture, is not kind to metal, but, if you use that 'fluid film' you won't have to take your coal out at the end of the season, just brush or spray a bit of that around the inside of the hopper and it will migrate throughout the whole thing in less than a few days. VERY good stuff.

thats a great website theres alot of other good rust prevention stuff on there too!!

Berlin wrote:I've used different things, but THIS is probably the best and it IS what you need: http://www.theruststore.com/Fluid-Film- ... 4AodD2cAkg

Using dry and/or oiled coal will also prevent excessive hopper rust; an abrasive, solid which produces acids in the presence of moisture, is not kind to metal, but, if you use that 'fluid film' you won't have to take your coal out at the end of the season, just brush or spray a bit of that around the inside of the hopper and it will migrate throughout the whole thing in less than a few days. VERY good stuff.

Thanks very much, I will check this out!

nwbuilder mine rusted also within the first year not to bad because after last season I cleaned it and hit it with some spray paint, my hopper has a lot of condensation on the inside of it while it is burning wether from bad draft or being in a barn it doesnt matter get a little scratch in there and theres your rust

I've attempted to use POR 15 and paint etc. on hoppers but it just doesn't last. The old bit stokers all had a thick oily tar spread on the fresh metal - which worked well but just like anything else - it wore off over time exposing the steel. If you use paint/ por 15 / rubberized undercoating all that happens (in my experience) is that a short while later the inside of the hopper will come off - with the paint - in big sheets of rust because once that acidic moisture gets behind the paint through a pin hole or rust spot it spreads very quickly behind the new paint. Once the original paint is gone, keep it sprayed with fluid fim during the off season and use dry or oiled coal during the season and progression of rust is basically stopped.

NWBuilder wrote:Thanks guys, I burned through the summer so it wasn't a matter of leaving wet coal in it. I appreciate the ideas, I will keep you posted.

Excessive moisture while boiler is operating needs corrected. Paint/coatings only serve as a temporary band-aid to the real solution...having no more moisture.

It may be feasible to drill and tap a drain fitting with a hose leading down to a collection tank. A good welder could run a bead weld inside the hopper which would funnel the moisture to the drain fitting, sort of like how a drip cap works.

mine has a lot of moisture through out the winter no matter what and Im sure its probably because of draft, BUT this thing is running top notch, after a winter of headaches, and I plan not to touch it, I have since painted the inside of the whole hopper with coal tar epoxy, and I guarantee that will stop rust Ive been a industrial painter for 7 years now, I like to think the moisture helps with over shooting problems also