Need a bigger Unit

If your undecided and like to see a keystoker ka6 in action, take a ride to stroudsburg pa to see mine.

Well,it sounds like you're going after the challenges your home has thrown at you ! It's always tough coming up with the start-up cash to mitigate the problems that you're facing. About the best thing you can do,in my humble opinion,is completely base-line & list all the problems you have in trying to insulate and close up the heat-loss on the structure. It sounds like a real pistol to insulate without destroying room size or the exterior brick character of your home. If it was me,I would do some research into some of the modern,thin gauge rolled insulation that has been developed in the last 10 years. That may help with not losing too much interior room,and allow you to update your wiring if you gut one room at a time. Tough stuff,I know,but it seems to be the end game answer no matter what your heat source is. Good Luck,and you will find a way !

I read your posts and am equally disappointed with your final results. My .02 says to look around for a used refurbed coal stoker boiler, and hook it up with the oil boiler. The chimney issue is controlled by adding a power vented device (if necessary) for the oil boiler, and the coal boiler will solve the heating issue. I'd definitely consider a larger than mentioned boiler and enjoy the comfort, with not worrying about the heat loss. Sure, you can add insulation, replace the windows, doors, but if you continue with the oil and do that, the payback will be slower, and comfort level slower to achieve. I don't recall where you are, but ask more questions; do more research, and stay the hell away from the 95 to 98% efficiency boilers.

Slick presentations don't do a damned thing in the real world, AND those boilers aren't designed to last 50 years. They will be obsolete in two years as "The Next Big Thing" gets introduced. Do NOT ask the guys who sell them, ask the folks who have owned one for a while. The 'Keep it Simple Stupid' guys lose out to the techno guys. If you are a lab rat or a bean counter, go for it...........good luck!

You need a K-8, EFM 700, LL 220, AA 260, AHS 260, Van Wert 600 or 800. PM me if you want to have some more free advice. For the price of the coal stoker installed, you could not even replace the windows on the first floor, let alone the insulation...... As for your wife outlasting you, that is very funny......hell, you'll probably live to be 105!!!! Take care of your heart, it is not easily exchanged......or cheap.

I've done it for 44 years and seen lots of folks get screwed over for no reason other than they did or would not listen.

whistlenut wrote: You need a K-8, EFM 700, LL 220, AA 260, AHS 260, Van Wert 600 or 800.

I'm a big fan of boiler capacity overkill, and I don't mean to mess with Doug, but even with a lot of heat loss I'd leave open the possibility that an EFM 520 would be plenty for a 2300 sf house.

Mike

I'm a big fan of boiler capacity overkill, and I don't mean to mess with Doug, but even with a lot of heat loss I'd leave open the possibility that an EFM 520 would be plenty for a 2300 sf house.

CN observation of life.... Overkill is good, more overkill is better. But that only worx 99% of the time.

I have a rebuilt efm 520 that was never put into service. PM me if you are interested and maybe we can work someting out. I think I'm going to retire next year and move to Florida.

llama99 wrote:....................................
I am looking for suggestions. What stove do folks think would do the job and why? Cost is a big issue, so I will have to be practical. I think I'd like to stay with a stoker, but I am open to other options.

Thanks!
Dave

New Trip-pole-lee is not that far from me.

Want someone to stop by to shoot the breeze who already burns coal and discuss this ........send me a PM.



Rick

A big THANKS!! to all of you. I have to chat a bit with my wife, but an EFM sounds like a good choice... made in my home town. Still open to ideas..... Leisure Line Hyfire looked kinda nice but a boiler hooked into my current system sounds like a better idea...

anyway I appreciate everyone's input.

Dave

Have a large home I installed 2 x Keystoker Koker in the basement more than enough heat

I did a stove in an old colonial, basement install. Circulating the air was the trick. It did take the curse off the first floor, and reduced the load on the oil boiler. A boiler added to your existing would be the best. You could also add a hot water coil to your
stove and feed it to the boiler- a pre heater if you will. Would reduce the load on the oil boiler further. If you gained an extra
"week or two" between fills, assuming reasonably similar weather conditions, you did well with the upgrade.

I heat my old house on the Maine coast with two 100yr old stoves. One is a cookstove range and the other a heater stove (cylinder style) both are Glenwoods. The house was build before central heating and was designed to be heated with stoves. 3 chimneys are all inside and in the middle of the house. The kicker though and why it works well is that both stoves are on the main floor. I also have a backup steam boiler with cast iron rads but I actually like the quality of the stoves heating better. Stays warmer down and a little cooler upstairs for sleeping. Other way round on the boiler.