Good Day for a Cleaning

 
User avatar
Rob R.
Site Moderator
Posts: 17981
Joined: Fri. Dec. 28, 2007 4:26 pm
Location: Chazy, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr

Post by Rob R. » Fri. Dec. 02, 2016 8:48 pm

I have never cleaned one of the EFM hot air units, so I don't have any specific information about it. I am also not aware of any manuals or guides that would help you with it. EFM has dealers that are trained to service these units, and they assume most service will be done by the dealer, rather than the homeowner - hence the lack of manuals and videos.

Generally speaking you should be able to do a decent job with a couple flexible handle brushes, a vacuum, and maybe a bbq brush. Shut the unit down, let it cool off, clean out the pot (great time to clean the air holes in the grates), scrape/brush out any fly ash from the fire side of the heat exchanger, remove the flue pipe, clean the flue pipe, and clean the ash chamber at the back of the unit (where the flue pipe connects). Basically the entire path that the flue gasses travel needs to be checked and cleaned. Since this is a hot air unit, I assume you would want to make sure the hot air side is not plugged with dust. This would not cause CO or fumes to get into the house, but it could impact efficiency.

 
Jeff1491
Member
Posts: 22
Joined: Fri. Sep. 06, 2013 9:36 am
Location: Hazleton, PA

Post by Jeff1491 » Fri. Dec. 02, 2016 10:00 pm

I use about 15 tons/year and clean it only 1 time a year in Oct. The fly ash area is usually 1/2 full when I open it up.
While I cleaning it last month the boiler temp dropped below 50 deg. When I started it up , I didn't notice the temp wouldn't go above the LL setting on aquastat. It was running like this for about 2 weeks running constantly and used about a ton of coal until my tenant notified me. I disabled the LL setting and let it heat up. Just a warning so no one wastes their coal also.


 
User avatar
Rob R.
Site Moderator
Posts: 17981
Joined: Fri. Dec. 28, 2007 4:26 pm
Location: Chazy, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr

Post by Rob R. » Fri. Dec. 02, 2016 10:43 pm

Jeff, what was preventing the boiler from reaching the low limit setting?

From a cold start mine usually comes up to temperature in less than an hour.

 
Jeff1491
Member
Posts: 22
Joined: Fri. Sep. 06, 2013 9:36 am
Location: Hazleton, PA

Post by Jeff1491 » Sat. Dec. 03, 2016 8:17 pm

I think it did reach the LL setting but was shutting down when it did, then the temp would drop to who knows how low.. Im not sure, but when their was a call for heat it was running constantly because the boiler wasn't hot enough to heat the house. I have a Honeywell L7224U aquastat

Post Reply

Return to “Stoker Coal Boilers Using Anthracite (Hydronic & Steam)”