The Bairmatic - Van Wert Project

 
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StokerDon
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Posts: 7486
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Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Mon. Jun. 20, 2016 6:51 pm

Rob R. wrote:Don, what room temperature do you try to maintain on the first floor?
Rob,

About 72 degrees. It's a bit of a struggle for my old AC system. It was 90 degrees down here today. I have been home from work for almost 2 hours and the compressor hasn't stopped once. Hopefully it gets a break after the sun goes down.

-Don


 
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StokerDon
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Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Mon. Jun. 20, 2016 6:54 pm

titleist1 wrote:150* up there?!?! The next project is to install some pex and a diverter valve so you can turn off the boiler in the summer and have your water piped through the attic in the summer to heat your water in an on demand kind of way! :lol:
Now that would probably work better than the solar collector I was thinking of building!

-Don

 
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StokerDon
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Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Sun. Jun. 26, 2016 6:54 pm

Meter reading today, 2171.3 - 2159.0 = 12.3 hours x 12.5 = 153.75 pounds for the past 7 days, 22.0 pounds per day. Coal consumption seems to be going up a little.
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The barrel looks like the coal consumption has gone up to. I don't think I will get 3 weeks out of this barrel.
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Even the ashpan looks like it has a bit more than in past weeks.
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The fire is looking nice and blue these days.
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All set for another week!

-Don

 
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lsayre
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Posts: 21781
Joined: Wed. Nov. 23, 2005 9:17 pm
Location: Ohio
Stoker Coal Boiler: AHS S130 Coal Gun
Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Anthracite Pea
Other Heating: Resistance Boiler (13.5 KW), ComfortMax 75

Post by lsayre » Sun. Jun. 26, 2016 6:58 pm

The fire looks amazingly blue again! Nice!!!

 
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StokerDon
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Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Mon. Jul. 04, 2016 9:52 am

Here is the BairMatic / Van Wert update from yesterday...

Meter reading today, 2182.8 - 2171.3 = 11.5 hours x 12.5 = 143.75 pounds for the past 7 days, 20.5 pounds per day.
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The barrel only has a few days worth of coal left in it. When it runs out in the middle of the week I will just throw a bucket or two in to get it to next Sunday's refill.
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My new chore seems to be carrying buckets full of coal down to the basement and carrying buckets full of water out of the basement!!!

One of the reasons my AC system was working so hard is the condensed water wasn't being removed quickly enough. It was just gravity draining through an old clogged garden hose. I removed the hose and installed a 90*, piece of PEX and put a bucket under it. This is temporary until I get a condensate pump.
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I never realized how much water comes out of one of these things. It fills a 5 gallon bucket right to the top every day!!!

-Don

 
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Rob R.
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Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr

Post by Rob R. » Mon. Jul. 04, 2016 10:01 am

That water would be perfect for filling a boiler - no minerals.

 
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StokerDon
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Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Mon. Jul. 04, 2016 10:07 am

Rob R. wrote:That water would be perfect for filling a boiler - no minerals.
Hummm,,, A very good point, and it's probably way better than my well water. I guess I need to get another 55 gallon barrel and hook up a pump.

-Don


 
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Rob R.
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Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr

Post by Rob R. » Mon. Jul. 04, 2016 10:17 am

I wouldn't change the boiler water just for the fun of it, what is in there now should be stable. The next time you do some work on the system, sure - or in the fall when the boiler will be working harder and can cook the oxygen out of the water quickly.

 
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McGiever
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Posts: 10130
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Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Mon. Jul. 04, 2016 10:48 am

In commercial and industrial processes, there are a myriad of applications to use condensate. One should look beyond just irrigation and cooling towers. It may be possible to use condensate water for water cooled equipment, decorative fountains and water features, evaporative coolers, rinse water for washing vehicles and equipment, water for laundry operations, and industrial processes. Some newest generation of air-conditioners actually use the condensate to help cool the hot condenser coils of the AC itself. As water efficiency concerns increase, the variety of uses for condensate water will grow.
It would be best to know that you have a clean non-stagnant internal catch pan and/or discharge pipe/tube beforehand in order to know it to be free of any bacterial growth first. :idea:

A/C condensate can be mixed in with various coolant/antifreeze solutions for the auto and other liquid cooled engine applications, as well as liquid cooled welding machines etc. are all good uses. :)

 
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StokerDon
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Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Sun. Jul. 10, 2016 2:16 pm

Meter reading today, 2195.0 - 2182.8 = 12.2 hours x 12.5 = 152.5 pounds for the past 7 days, 21.8 pounds per day.

Yesterday I cleaned out the coal bin. I put all the coal that was in there into the barrel. Then put 6.5 buckets of coal from the garage bin in there to fill it to the top.
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I also moved the bin over to the left about 15". This will give me better access to the outside entrance, just in case I need to bring another boiler down here. I think I am going to do a little reinforcing on the bottom part of this bin and extend it up another foot. This should make it a 4 ton coal bin. That should be enough to get through a winter.
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A weeks worth of ash.
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I think I will be sticking with the boiler in the basement idea. I will still keep one in the garage just to play with.

IN OTHER NEWS:

I picked up a condensate pump on the way home from work Friday. It was super easy to install, 2 sheet-metal screws and run the hose to the outside world.
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Now I only have to carry buckets of coal!

In the coming weeks I will finish up the coal bin project and order 4 ton of rice coal.

-Don

 
pabricky
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Stoker Coal Boiler: Van Wert
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Tarm

Post by pabricky » Sun. Jul. 10, 2016 4:06 pm

from all the different coal boilers you have which one do you like best, And easier to maintain

 
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StokerDon
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Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Sun. Jul. 10, 2016 6:46 pm

pabricky wrote:from all the different coal boilers you have which one do you like best, And easier to maintain
Welcome to the forum pabricky!

That is a good question, I will answer it as best I can. I have had 4 different boilers running and heating my house since I started this crazy journey.

1) Yellow Flame 3 grate. Great heavy duty boiler and flat grate stoker. It also has the best DHW coil design. Easy to clean and maintain. The older ones like mine was, don't have much heat exchange surface area inside the firebox leading to some inefficiencies.

2) Losch 475 with a Yellow Flame 3 grate stoker. Super heavy duty boiler with more heat exchange area inside the firebox in the form of long water tubes. A bit more difficult to clean but a solid runner.

3) Gentleman Janitor GJ-51 with an EFM S-20 stoker. Great boiler with triangle tubes and baffles, easy to clean. My first underfed stoker, this was a revelation. It became obvious to me a few weeks after running this stoker that the underfed is far superior to any flat grate stoker. Not having to run the stoker every 10 or 15 minutes to maintain a fire uses a LOT less coal. The fact the the underfed can go hours in a power outage without having to re-lite is one of the other advantages.

4) BairMatic boiler with a Van Wert stoker. In my opinion, the Van Wert stoker is just a touch better than the EFM stoker. It has a deeper and steeper fire pot. This allows it to dwell without power for even longer than the EFM. The BairMatic boiler is small and compact with a lot of surface area inside the firebox in the form of water filled plates. The plates are pointed on the top so fly ash has a difficult time accumulating, kind of self cleaning. This unit is my favorite so far.

I still need to try my Van Wert VA600. I have the stoker, I am planning to go pick up the boiler next weekend.

-Don

 
Pacowy
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Location: Dalton, MA
Stoker Coal Boiler: H.B. Smith 350 Mills boiler/EFM 85R stoker
Coal Size/Type: Buckwheat/anthracite

Post by Pacowy » Sun. Jul. 10, 2016 7:07 pm

StokerDon wrote: ...just in case I need to bring another boiler down here.
:funny: :yes:

Mike

 
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StokerDon
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Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Sun. Jul. 10, 2016 7:34 pm

Pacowy wrote:
StokerDon wrote: ...just in case I need to bring another boiler down here.
:funny: :yes:

Mike
I believe it is important to have options. :lol:

-Don

 
Pacowy
Member
Posts: 3555
Joined: Tue. Sep. 04, 2007 10:14 pm
Location: Dalton, MA
Stoker Coal Boiler: H.B. Smith 350 Mills boiler/EFM 85R stoker
Coal Size/Type: Buckwheat/anthracite

Post by Pacowy » Sun. Jul. 10, 2016 9:06 pm

Yes, and toward that end a large garage can be very useful. :lol:

Mike


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