Key Stoker Lighting Issues

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MSMITH66
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Post by MSMITH66 » Mon. Mar. 02, 2015 8:42 am

when starting the stove the fire seems to slide down the grate into the ash pan. All holes are cleaned, fines are cleaned from under grate and a piece of tin is used to hold back ash onto grate. Feed is at 1/2 turn. A new combustion blower and feed motor was installed. The fire is started at the back of the grate. Thanks for the help.

 
titleist1
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Post by titleist1 » Mon. Mar. 02, 2015 8:44 am

Is the stove level front - to - back? If it is leaning forward it may be enough to increase the grate angle to where it slides off.

 
MSMITH66
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Post by MSMITH66 » Mon. Mar. 02, 2015 8:48 am

New floor 3 years ago.


 
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StokerDon
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Post by StokerDon » Mon. Mar. 02, 2015 9:05 am

MSMITH66 wrote:New floor 3 years ago.
So, it's been running for three years and this is a new problem? On a Keystoker you should be able to dissable the feed while lighting the fire.

-Don

 
MSMITH66
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Post by MSMITH66 » Mon. Mar. 02, 2015 9:20 am

The feed is a half turn

 
DENNIS BAUER
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Post by DENNIS BAUER » Mon. Mar. 02, 2015 11:59 am

Any chance when you replaced blowers and what not that you took the burn grates out? I took the greates out to clean everything and when I put them back in I didn't get them back in correctly in the back. The grates were way to high and everything just slide off if you looked at it wrong. Just a thought from a mistake that I made in the steep learning curve of a coal stove.


 
lzaharis
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Post by lzaharis » Mon. Mar. 02, 2015 12:38 pm

At first glance:

Its not seated correctly by the sounds of things.and the angle of the firebed
in relation to the mounting flange is too high as the "angle of repose"
"being where the coal stops sliding by its own weight" is 30 degrees
or less.

Anything above that angle and the coal is off to the races especially with the coal
behind it pushing it down the grate.

You need to empty the hopper(insert BOOOO HIISSSS!!!!!!!!!!!! here)
remove the hopper then remove the stoker and clean everything
again and then mount it back.

Is the felt? flap that holds the coal back in the hopper still intact???
if you have not replaced it it my be worn away also(I think its felt anyway)

if your little flap is gone it may be that the coal is just slipping out and
through the hopper over the grate but you need to empty the hopper
to check everything anyway

Is the boiler on concrete bricks or blocks? It will not hurt to check the boiler
for level as long as the boiler jacket is not twisted or racked.

I hate to think about this part but its possible that the floor has sunk-dont yell yet but
if you can get a kiln dried 2 by 4 by 10 or 20 foot piece of straight douglas fir in the basement I would attach
an 8 foot level to that first to check the floor as that will take less time than dis-assembling the
hopper and stoker first just to rule out the basement floors having tilted.

.

 
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WNY
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Post by WNY » Mon. Mar. 02, 2015 12:41 pm

What type of thermostat do you have? Turn it up above the Room Temp, so it's not wanting to feed as much.

Put your coal starter bag towards the back of the grate near the end of the holes so it has time to get going before it feeds off the grate.

Sometimes putting a small stick (wooden) at the end snug between the rails to keep everythign there for a while works, then it just burns up once it gets going good.

I've never had a problem with my keystoker starting or pushing everything off the grate

If all else fails, put a switch on the stoker unit so you can turn it off, or if you can unplug temporary until it gets going.

Maybe the stoker motor has more RPM's than the old one. you should turn the feed screw out about 4 turns to start with. maybe more.

 
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McGiever
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Post by McGiever » Mon. Mar. 02, 2015 12:52 pm

MSMITH66 wrote:when starting the stove the fire seems to slide down the grate into the ash pan. All holes are cleaned, fines are cleaned from under grate and a piece of tin is used to hold back ash onto grate. Feed is at 1/2 turn. A new combustion blower and feed motor was installed. The fire is started at the back of the grate. Thanks for the help.
You might have enough air with the brand new fan to have the "air hockey effect", and be lifting/lightening up of the rice coal enough that the coal's traction is reduced too much.

Restricting the blower's air inlet can tame the amount of cfm's pushing out through the grate holes and allow the coal more traction on the grate. :idea:

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