Restoring EFM 520

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billmcb
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Post by billmcb » Wed. May. 21, 2014 5:07 pm

Question # 1-I bought EFM 520 this one has a round door on front, the base was in bad shape, a friend was going to make a new one for me he is a welder for a living,was thinking of putting the smoke pipe out the left side instead of the back to reduce my clearances in the back, pro and cons?
Question # 2- I am looking for copy of owners manual for 520 with round door I need to replace all controls on the boiler it was stripped down and I want to make sure I do it right.
Question # 3- I want to hook my 520 in series with my crown boiler in basement any input will help can I just loop it in the main line and set the aquastat at a lower temp so the propane boiler doesn't fire as much?
Question # 4- I want to have the boiler ready to go by this fall I was thinking of building a shed like room on the back of my house for the 520 and coal bin, looking for size of building and coal bin and should I run the auger into the main coal bin or run it out of a drum, pro's and con's

 
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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Wed. May. 21, 2014 8:13 pm

Welcome.
billmcb wrote:Question # 1-I bought EFM 520 this one has a round door on front, the base was in bad shape, a friend was going to make a new one for me he is a welder for a living,was thinking of putting the smoke pipe out the left side instead of the back to reduce my clearances in the back, pro and cons?
If you reduce the clearance in the back, it will make it more difficult to access the rear for cleaning. A cleanout door on the opposite side of the base would probably take care of it. If there is a tankless coil in the rear of the boiler, that will require more clearance for removal than the smoke pipe.
billmcb wrote:Question # 2- I am looking for copy of owners manual for 520 with round door I need to replace all controls on the boiler it was stripped down and I want to make sure I do it right.
http://efmheating.com/index.php/efm-online-manuals
billmcb wrote:Question # 3- I want to hook my 520 in series with my crown boiler in basement any input will help can I just loop it in the main line and set the aquastat at a lower temp so the propane boiler doesn't fire as much?
Yes, you can do that.
billmcb wrote:Question # 4- I want to have the boiler ready to go by this fall I was thinking of building a shed like room on the back of my house for the 520 and coal bin, looking for size of building and coal bin and should I run the auger into the main coal bin or run it out of a drum, pro's and con's
Running out of a bin allows you to go much longer without handling coal. The "cons" in my opinion are that if you get foreign material in the coal that causes a feeding problem, it can be a LOT more work to get it out of a large bin than a drum. Some people compromise and store the coal in a bin, but manually transfer it to a drum for the auger.

 
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whistlenut
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Post by whistlenut » Thu. May. 22, 2014 10:22 am

Add on room for boiler: 12' by 16' on concrete slab or frost walls and a slab. Chimney is my question, how are you planning on exhausting the boiler? A feed bin is great, HOWEVER if a blockage or issue arises, you DO NOT want to be removing 6 tons of rice to get at it. Access is the MOST important requirement IMO for storage or coal, removal of ashes and fly ash control. Think long and hard about 'down the road' when your life situation might change. Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. Look over some of the pictures posted of systems, THEN make a plan for yourself.


 
leward
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Post by leward » Fri. Aug. 15, 2014 9:51 pm

I cut a ole and fabbed up a sleeve in mine, so I could have a left hand flue exit. I have had no issues. I simply put a cap on the original flue hole, and I use it for periodic cleaning during the heating season.
I do have a big bin so I don't have to handle my coal I do however screen all my coal thru 1" mesh before it gets in the bin. I have only found two oversize pieces, but both of those would have probably mucked up the works

 
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vermontday
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Post by vermontday » Sun. Aug. 24, 2014 9:28 pm

If you are going to have the room for it and will have a nice smooth, level concrete floor, use a skid system.

You won't have to manually lift coal and if there is ever a blockage, you just have to dig out about one cubic ft of coal. You also can use more of your area for storing coal and can load them from anywhere in your layout. Each bag holds 1-1/4 tons of coal and load in less than 5 minutes.

Since the bags are filled wet and then sealed after drying, there is no coal dust exposure.

Go to the following link for details: EFM 520 Install With Skid/Bulk Bags Feed

If you do not have the room for the above, at least install a metal slide gate above your coal bin auger doghouse. Then you would not have to dig all the coal out to free a blockage.

However, I agree that if you screen your coal, you should not have a problem with blockage.

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